Aug 85 Mousehole
Volume Number: 1
Issue Number: 9
Column Tag: Mousehole
Mousehole Report 
By Rusty Hodge, Mousehole BBS
Mousehole News
by Rusty Hodge
Sys Op
Lemme see, where do I start? USA Today had a poll, which brand of computer
are you considering pur- chasing? 34% Apple, 23% IBM, rest divided. You could vote
for more than one. Interesting.
MacExpo- there WILL be another MouseFest. It will probably be a get together
with the people from MacBoston. There should be a survey up about this soon or post
your opinions on G/eneral.
MouseHole buttons- we will be giving them out at MacExpo or you can send a
SASE to Box 2323, Orange, CA 92669. One is free, if you want a lot, send some $$$.
We'll announce when they are ready. Thanks to Don for the design. Bye.
New, Fledgling Macintosh BBS
MARK CHALLY
There is now a Macintosh oriented BBS in the Covina calling area. It is called "The
Apple Bus" and it is the bulletin board of the Solely Macintosh User Group of Cal Poly
Pomona...for more info about the group, and to get in touch with others with Macintosh
interests, call: The Apple Bus at 818- 919-5459. Oh, there isn't any hidden
password, it runs on SnAPP, and the new user password is NEW...with your help, we
can keep it public.
Mac Hard Disk
TOM SHERMAN
Problem: I just got back a big expense check and the bills aren't yet due. Which
Mac Hard Disk do I buy?
[A] HyperDrive w/the new, Apple-Approved Installation?
[B] A 21 Meg corvus so that I can share w/my II and future Macs
[C] Bernoulli Box
[D] The Keeper (has anyone seen one?)
[E] Wait till 1988 for Apple to deliver one.
I'd appreciate the input. It seems that I've been waiting forever! -Tom
[Consider this: If you use the network, the printer port is out since you need it
for Appletalk. If you call the 'Hole, the modem port is out since you don't want to
unplug the modem all the time. That leaves only the disk port. So who makes a hard disk
for the disk port? Apple is rumored to be putting together a "Mac Bottm" like drive
that does use the disk port (Mac Bottom doesn't!) that is not the file server product.
(ie, you might see if before you die of old age.) -Ed.]
Journaling Discovery
DON L
Try this: Get out any "Guided Tour" disk. With ResEdit copy the .journal driver
from the system file. Paste the .journal driver into the system file of a disk you want
to use journaling on. Change the driver name to journal (remove the preceding
period). Quit resEdit. When your done you'll have a new desk accessory which when
opened adds a menu to the menu bar with the selections Record, Play, Stop and Quit.
Have Fun.
Note: It is important to use ResEdit to copy the driver because DA/Font mover
could change the ID number and prevent journal from working. Just picked this tidbit
up from the Mac Developers board on Compuserve. - Don
I'm Famous!
MacoWaco
I've published many times before, but this is the first time that something I had
went out of my way and put the whole pile of Mactutors out in front and on top of the
stupid fluff which was all over. Mactutor and Dr. Dobbs were the only serious
programming journals there. Programming literature is big business. If you don't
believe me go to your local university book store. Dave Kelly is right the laser version
is outta sight. However I'm willing to admit a certain bias.
New Apple Product
MIDNIGHT MACKER
A few days ago, Apple laid off 1200 workers. In Cupertino, they are now calling
the Apple LaserWriter the Apple ResumeWriter. Oh, well.
Apple's New direction?
BRETT
The Chicago Area Apple Developers Meeting was held the 25th at the midwest
Apple offices and here is the results... Apple anounced their new direction. They said
that they were turning their commercial accounts over to local dealers and getting
back into the retail (not office) environment. They announced an appletalk interface
card for the Apple II and indicated that they will be getting back to supporting the Apple
II market and reviving many Apple II projects that were shelved. This all comes after
the big lay offs.
[If this means the holes in the Mac product line take a back seat to the ancient
(and who cares?) Apple II line, we're all in trouble! -Ed.]
At the local office they had a big party because their office was not closed. Also
discussed at the meeting was the Atari and Amega computers. After the presentations at
the CES, and recent industry slumps, most of the developers felt that they were not as
serious as we were all once led to believe. Most of the developers that had preveiously
announced they would be doing prodoucts for them have now indicated that they will be
staying with old Mac!
Softworks had a beta copy of their new documentation and version 2.0 of their C
compiler. It is a VAST improve- ment over their original documentation and now
indicates when a function is a K&R standard C function or a Whitesmith aberation.
We will be having a demonstration of the TMON debbuger at our next meeting. It
was written by a 16 year old kid!!! He is at West Point now competing in a super math
event. Our next meeting will be July 24. -Brett
Apple Rumblings
Bob Denny
I can't say too much about this, but believe me, there are some things happening
inside Apple that are WONDERFUL. I have been talking to some of the folks who
survived the purge. There has been a lot of hand-wringing in the engineering area.
Many of the rookies who are responsible for some of the Mac's weaknesses have been
axed. The folks who are there now are exhibiting a refreshing degree of enlightenment.
One thing I will offer as an opinion ... don't expect too much in the way of major
additions to the Mac product line for a while. They realize that much of what's out
there right now needs cleaning up; it needs a professional polish. And they are
committed to working through it and getting it clean (within the limits of the hardware
limitations). More later.
More Apple Gossip
GOLDEN EARS
I had lunch with and ex-Apple tech/sales-noid this week, he had a few interesting
comments about the situation up in Cupertino. He feels that they are still extremely
top-heavy, axed a lot of sales/ support folks but not much in the way of useless
management; he also feels (hopes) that this will change very soon, as he anticipates
another heavy lay-off.
He has seen the MacBottom style HardDrive, but it is evidently going to be farmed
out for production elswhere (it works on the 2nd drive port at speeds that are
undocumented in IM); he has also seen a modular mac-kludge that had co-processors,
plenty of memory, color and slots ... expects something around the first of the year.
Who knows, with Jobs out of the way (it was HE that was the problem for Mac and
some of it's bizarre designs, NOT some lame engineers.... he squashed some of the best
ideas because of HIS philosophy!) and with some action in the ][ area with the Western
Designs chip, Apple could really come out things looking ok ...... BUT, things will not
look pretty again until before Christmas .......
Amazingly enough, a lot of folks think that Commodore and Atari will sell
everything they can build (with or without much software) and Apple will pick up the
rest of the pieces. Well, Apple has a chance to clean up their act and fly right ... but
they better use a little common sense for once, cause you don't get many second
chances, the rest of the market will see to that ... just ask IBM. 'nuff for now,
<**ge**>
MacNosy OK
BURRILL SMITH
Has the 5/85 Supplement been sent out? There's all sorts of references to it on
MAUG, but I haven't got mine yet. I received MacNosy last night. The Mac interface
is non-existant, the documentation is incomprehensable, and user-friendly is a term
it's never heard of... But what a GREAT program!! If only it de-compiled it into HLL
source code and added comments. Maybe the next rev? - B.S.
Printer Driver Source?
Steve the Digger
Does anyone know where to get drivers besides Apple's drivers?
[For Steve the Digger et al ... What say we draw up a petition and send it to Apple
as a test of their "new openness" (to quote Sculley). The petition would be for
documentation of the workings of printer drivers. UP WITH USER- WRITTEN PRINTER
DRIVERS!!!!! - Bob Denny]
July MacInTouch is out
Rick Le Page
Hi! just wanted to let subscribers know that the july issue of MacInTouch will be
in the mail next week. lots of stuff this month - review of Omnis 3 , Apple stuff,
documentation (Yes David, you are in there this month), bugs, tips and much more.
Thanks to all for your support!!
[P.S. I've seen this industry newsletter publication and it's terrific! One of the
best such "newsy" Mac reportings in the industry. Has a welcomed technical flavor to
it. Contact Rick at (617-527-5808 for subscription information. -Ed.]
May Software Supplement?
THE TOOLSMITH
I called Apple's mailing operation on 7/3 to see what the &*() was up with the
May update. They said that mailing was expected to begin in about 3 weeks (or at least
before August); the material hadn't arrived from Apple yet. There are 13 disks in the
set being mailed. Maybe things would appear on time. if Apple used MacProject... sigh.
Lisp Paint Simulation
MacoWaco
I'm trying to get Xperlisp to mimic Macpaint-like stuff. In drawing the object I
use a "frame" quickdraw command,ie. Framerect(upper left, bottom right). Problem
is when I move the mouse back towards the upper left the frames are moving to fast to
be erased! Any ideas out there?
Lisp Solution
Mike Steiner
Try using the xor mode and drawing the framerect twice. The first time draws it
and the second erases it.
Mashed MacTutor!
THE DJIN
Dave Smith. Your box has been full for days and forced to go this route to obtain
an answer. The last copy of Mac Tutor I received had been so badly trashed in the mail
as it was unreadable. Will they be paper wrapped or some equivelant or shall I just
discontinue my subscription as I have all the fire starter material I need living in
Sunny California? The Djin
[Anyone getting a messed up MacTutor courtesy of the US Postal Service, simply
call Laura and she will send you a new one first class. Can't afford wrapping yet. Maybe
with a few more ads...-Ed.]
MacNosy Mystery
BURRILL SMITH
MacNosy has an equate: asicGlob EQU $2B6
What's there? I can find no reference to asicGlob or $2B6 in the MDS equate
files. I'm trying to patch RamStart to work with my 1 meg, 'cause George hasn't come
through with the source yet. -B.S.
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