Info-Mac Digest V14 #276
Posted: December 4th, 1996, 6:00 am
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 96 06:55:45 PST
From: The Info-Mac Moderators
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: Info-Mac Digest V14 #276
To: [email protected]
MIME-Version: 1.0
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--Info-Mac-Digest
Info-Mac Digest Wed, 4 Dec 96 Volume 14 : Issue 276
Today's Topics:
5200 power supply
[Q] 601 in an 8500
[Q] AppleScript [Decode URL] problem
[Q] Font depicting ASCII code
[Q] Marathon (1 and 2) woes
Anarchie Expanding
Apple's Problems With Performas
Can I use a DeskJet 500 with a Mac SE???
Disallow Cookies?
Ethernet/Appletalk - printing?
Folders with Dates as names
GateKeeper (2 msgs)
Harddisk icon changes
Help... Mac monitor to a PC
Help with modem init string
hp560/how many lpi? [long]
LC 575 Sound Problems
Location of original Apple APD utility?
Mac/Win95 LAN (Q)
Macintosh soccer game
[email protected]
Norton broke my mac!
ODBC Shareware
Performa 5200 telephony
seeking info/opinions on DOS compatibility card
Shut down/sleep
Stylewriter I hardware failure
Troubleshooting/Trackball
Troubleshooting/Trackball [apology]
using an AV1710 monitor w/centris 610 (q)
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 15:41:17 -0500
From: [email protected]
Subject: 5200 power supply
I recently obtained a Performa 5200CD free of charge from a department
store. It was the demo model and they were discontinuing the line. It does
not turn on. The two local computer repair shops quoted me about $250 for
parts and labor on a new power supply. But...I don't know what else is
wrong with this machine beyond the power supply. Spending $250 to get a
functioning machine is a deal,but I don't want to spend that and find that
it has other problems,possibly major problems. I have a friend who works on
PCs and is willing to install a new power supply. But I can't seem to find
one. I've searched the web and e-mailed a couple of places with no luck.
The local boys don't seem to want to divulge their supplier of parts. Is
there some 'junkyard' out there where I can get this part? With so many
Macs and so many discontinued Macs,there must be a clearinghouse of parts
in this big land of ours.
Thanks for the help.
Jerry Lapins
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 23:54:58 -0700
From: [email protected]
Subject: [Q] 601 in an 8500
Is there anyway to get a 100 mhz PPC 601 to work in an 8500/120? Also, how
can I get at the memory to install my ram?
Cheers,
Rob
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 23:16:16 -0200
From: Josmar Arruda
Subject: [Q] AppleScript [Decode URL] problem
Hi!
First, excuse me for sending this AppleScript specific problem to this
list, but I can't remember the AppleScript list address. Tips, anyone?
Well, my problem is that the OSAX Decode URL I'm using with my CGIs can't
convert accented letters (for example: a acute = %E1, e acute = %E9, a
tilde = E3, and other 27 accented letters and special chars) passed by the
WEB server.
Does anyone know if is there a new version of Decode URL or if is there an
alternative for it that solves this problem? This is not very important for
English spelling, but here in Brazil we make heavy use of accents.
If you think that this really isn't a question for Info-Mac, please answer
me directly.
Thanks for any help.
Josmar Arruda
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 11:22:50 -0500
From: "Norm Steffen"
Subject: [Q] Font depicting ASCII code
Way back when I didn't need it I once saw a font that displayed both the
character and decimal acsii code for that character. One overtop the other.
For instance
CR
13 showed for a Carriage Return
HT
09 showed for a Horizontal Tab
A
65 showed for an "A"
As usual now that I need it I can't find it anymore.
If anyone could point me in the right direction I would be most appreciative.
Thanks in advance.
Norm Steffen
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 13:22:45 -0600
From: Derek Jacobs
Subject: [Q] Marathon (1 and 2) woes
Music is a great part of these two games, but I really wish I could find a
way to convert the music files (at least marathon 2's) to a format that I
can play when the game isn't running. I've tried importing the files into
simple Player, fiddling with resedit to change the creators (no resource
fork to play with however), downloading converters for midi-to-Moov and
(supposedly) vice-versa, and trying MIDI editiong software.
All my attemts have fizzled out repeatedly. Is there a real simple
soulution for this? I know it's possible (at least with my sound hardware)
to record the music as it plays, however this seems to cause a loss in
quality.
Does anyone have a midi file of the music perhaps?
Thanks.
Derek Jacobs
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 19:58:18 +0000
From: [email protected] (Daniel Frampton)
Subject: Anarchie Expanding
Quickie:
When I download a file using Anarchie 2.0.1 how do I get it to open Suffit
Expander 3.5.2 and start unstuffing. It does nothing and i cannot seem to
expand the files (hqx, gz, whatever) separately afterwards.
Do I need to configure Anarchie/Internet Config, or get a newer Expander?
Last Anarchie I had was 1.6 and this opened files fine.
Cheers - Daniel, London.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 22:45:41 -1000
From: [email protected] (Ed Cesar)
Subject: Apple's Problems With Performas
Dear Moderator:
If you can assist me with this problem without posting it on
the Net that would be fine. I'm not trying to give the Apple
company any more negative publicity than they deserve.
__________________________________________________
My wife and I have been waiting for nearly a year for Apple to
replace a board in a Macintosh Performa 6300CD I bought for her
last Christmas. This model freezes on starting about half the time.
Apple is apparently well aware of their problem and reportedly
will replace the board at no charge.
For the past 12 months I've called Apple regularly at least once a
month, some months more often, even though the 10 to 15 minutes
waiting time for someone to come on the line is irritating. I've
been calling Apple's Customer Relations number, 800-776-2333
and their Technical Support people at 800-767-2775, but I always
get the same answer, that they have my name on a list; however,
they have a huge backlog of people like us who are waiting for boards.
Each time they tell me we will have to wait another 3 to 4 weeks,
their standard answer.
I also called the local company that is authorized to replace the
boards here in Hawaii. The serviceman told me he has boards in
stock, but has to wait for someone in the Apple Company to
authorize him to install one in my wife's computer.
I find it difficult to believe this is such a large problem that it
couldn't be fixed in a year's time if Apple really wanted to or
cared enough about its customers.
What was supposed to be a happy event has turned into a real
sour note. Instead of my wife enjoying her computer, she rarely
even goes into the room where I set it up for her, and for the past
several months she hasn't even turned it on because she has to
make several attempts each time to get it to work by turning it
off and on to restart it and waiting to see if it is going to freeze.
I wonder if this problem is as widespread as we have been lead
to believe by the Apple people I 've discussed this with on the
phone. I don't hear gripes from anyone on this or other Mac nets.
Are we alone?
I would appreciate it if someone would give me the name and
phone number of an Apple representative who will take a
personal interest and help us.
Thanks,
Ed Cesar
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 15:32:31 -0400
From: Matthew Manuel
Subject: Can I use a DeskJet 500 with a Mac SE???
I have a Mac SE, /w 4 megs of ram, and was wondering if it was possible
to use an HP DeskJet 500 with it?? The HP drivers from their site need a
68020 or greater to work. Are there any shareware/freeware drivers out
there for a DeskJet 500 that will work on an SE????
Thanx...Matthew
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 12:02:09 -0500
From: Chaz Larson
Subject: Disallow Cookies?
At 7:03 AM -0600 12/3/96, Steven M. Fish wrote:
>Has someone written (or is someone writing) a bit-o-code to automatically
>disallow the writing of cookies for Macintosh?
I don't know that something exactly like what you describe exists, but one
easy option is to simply lock the cookie file. Netscape will continue to
accept cookies, but they will be lost when you quit.
chazl
12.03.96
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 08:51:16 +1100
From: Al Byrne
Subject: Ethernet/Appletalk - printing?
Hi all,
I've been using Macs for a bunch of years now, so I guess I've missed
something obvious - I'm about to install an Ethernet card in my DuoDock (to
allow access to the cable modems that my local pay TV outfit will be
offering in the near future).
With Ethernet installed and active - just how do I then print to my
Laserwriter? - the one that is firmly connected to my printer port, and
talking Appletalk???
FWIW - Duo 280->2300/44/1.1G running 7.5.5 and OT1.1.1/OTPPP1.0
--
Al Byrne
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 12:04:12 -0500
From: Chaz Larson
Subject: Folders with Dates as names
At 1:40 PM -0500 12/2/96, Craig T. Martin wrote:
>For some
>time now, empty folders mysteriously appear in the top directory (not
>DeskTop) with names like:
>
>Sat, Nov 30, 1996 12-29 AM
There is an extension [or maybe an application] that does this as a way to
track when your Mac was last powered up. Check the extensions folder or
the Startup Items folder for something that might be doing this. The name
of the thing escapes me, but I think it's something like "BootFolder".
chazl
12.03.96
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 12:13:13 -0500
From: Chaz Larson
Subject: GateKeeper
At 3:13 PM -0500 12/2/96, Edward Ver Hoef wrote:
>I have been using GateKeeper 1.3 for quite some time now. Recently I have
>been getting a reminder every few days that my version is old...
You have the latest [last?] version.
All that can be done is to ignore the reminder. There is apparently no way
to turn it off.
My advice would be to disable GateKeeper and use Disinfectant. It's just
as effective against all known viruses, will most likely get updated if
anything new appears, doesn't require the annoying [to me] training that
GateKeeper can, and doesn't interfere with legitimate activities [such as
software installations] like GateKeeper can.
Note that I'm not claiming GateKeeper *always* interferes with legitimate
activities, only that it CAN.
chazl
12.03.96
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 22:12:41 +0100
From: [email protected] (Johannes la Poutre')
Subject: GateKeeper
This hack to stop the annoying weekly "Your version of Gatekeeper is old"
alert worked for me.
NOTE: I don't know the backgrounds, be sure to save a copy if gatekeeper
anyway!
- Open a COPY of the Gatekeeper system extension in ResEdit.
- Open the INIT resource.
- Open ID #1.
- Search (Command-H) for offset 08EE. It should contain the code 6200.
The entire line should look as follows: 0008E8 3380 B0AE FEDE 6200
- Change the 6200 to 6000.
Good luck!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 15:29:42 +0100
From: Hans Veenema
Subject: Harddisk icon changes
Every now and then, after restarting my computer, I find my harddisk icon
changed into the icon of an unknown document. Nothing serious, I can cut it
away in the get info box and then the original is back again. Still, it is
frustrating that "something" is doing something unwanted on my computer.
Does anyone know what the "something" might be, I use a performa 630 with a
Zip-drive.
Thanks in advance,
Hans Veenema
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 14:43:05 +0000 (GMT)
From: Paul Gittins
Subject: Help... Mac monitor to a PC
Hi
I have a Performa 14" Monitor connected to my Performa 6200CD. I also have
built a PC, and am using a very poor SVGA display. Can I connect my Mac
monitor to the PC, and if so, how? Baring in mind I am a poor student, is
there any wiring diagrams about?
Thanks,
Paul Gittins
Dept of Computer Science
University of York , England
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 00:28:32 -0700
From: [email protected] (Stephen Grady)
Subject: Help with modem init string
This has also been posted to the comp.sys.mac.portables newsgroup
As the subject says it--my ISP has been of no help (well, they did suggest
that I read my manual).
I dial up from a PB520c, internal GV PowerPort Mercury Modem, using
PowerPort setup 2.5.5. Using the init string from my old ISP (they were
bought out)
&F S11=55 M, I was able to connect at 19.2. My new ISP said to use the
same init string. The best I am able to connect is 14.4. When I asked for
help, they told me to read my manual.
I did, and came up with the following: N0 S37=13 S11=55 M. It allows me to
connect at 19.2, however 4 out of 5 times, my connection dies after 3 to 4
minutes, regardless of what application I am using.
Any suggestions for me to try? The ISP is using USRobotics Sportster 28.8k
modems (updated bios to remove spiral of death on all modems).
I am using OT1.1, and MacPPP 2.5 (FreePPP 2.5 crashes during connection).
This is the same config that I used with my old ISP.
I don't really understand all the stuff with init strings. The only thing
I am sure, is that S11=55 causes faster dialing, M mutes the volume, and I
believe S37=13 forces a 19.2 connection. In the PowerPort setup control
panel, I have correction and compression set for V4.2bis.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Stephen Grady
[email protected]
Subject: hp560/how many lpi? [long]
At 2:20 PM +0100 12/3/96, Paolo Bartoli wrote:
>Working with images (i.e. Photoshop), I have problems understanding the
>relationship between digitizing resolution (dpi) and halftone frequency
>(lpi) on the printer.
There's more than you probably want to know later.
>I read that the digitizing (or image) resolution should be 2 to2,5 times
>greater than the halftone frequency. But where do I find halftone frequency
>data?
The resolution of the image you send to the printer should be about 2 to
2.5 times the halftone frequency.
This is the resolution of the image at its final size. Say you have a 4x6"
photo that you want to print at 50 lpi at a final size of 8x12". You want
a final image resolution at 8x12" of about 100-125 dpi, so you'll need to
scan your 4x6 photo at 200-250 dpi, since you'll be scaling the image up by
a factor of two.
If your printer is a PostScript printer, the available LPIs are listed in
the PPD file.
If not, the easiest way to find out is to print an image and read the lpi
with a halftone screen reader, which you can find at any graphics arts shop.
Now, this printer may not use traditional halftoning; it may use some form
of error-diffusion, which renders the 2.5x line frequency stuff moot. More
on that later.
>I use an HP 560 C inkjet printer, and on the manual is stated only that the
>resolution (which one?) is 300 dpi color and 600 dpi b/w. What about
>halftone??
I would suspect that if the printer is using traditional halftoning, it's
printing at between 50-80 lpi, which would put your desired image
resolution at about 100-150 dpi. If it's using FM screens, scan at about
100 dpi or so.
If you want to know more details...read on!
Printer resolution is typically stated in "dpi" or dots per inch. What
this indicates is the size of the smallest dot the printer can draw. Let's
call that the "printer spot". Your printer uses a 300-dpi print head.
Black-only printing uses HP's RET technology to simulate 600-dpi printing
when you're using only the black cartridge, hence the two different
resolution figures.
Now, what does that have to do with halftoning?
First, what IS halftoning? Halftoning is a method of simulating shades of
color on a device that is not capable of printing shades of color.
Generally speaking, printers are capable of printing only single colors of
ink. Let's use a single-color printing press as an example. It can either
put ink on the page or not. The ink is black, so a given spot on the page
will be either black or white. There are no spots of gray. A halftone
screen simulates gray by alternating black and white spots so that from a
distance a given area looks gray. You can see this by examining a printed
photograph with a loupe; I'm sure you've done this and seen that newspaper
photos, for example, are made up of little dots when you look close. These
dots are big in dark areas and small in light areas, but they are always
black.
Looking further at that photograph, you will see that the dots, while they
vary in size, are arranged on a fixed grid. The size of this grid is the
"frequency" of the halftone. Each one of the grid "boxes" is called a
"halftone cell". An 85-lpi halftone, for example, has 85 cells in each
inch. You will also note that the halftone dots are at an angle relative
to the orientation of the photograph. This angle is, oddly (:>), the
"angle" of the halftone. This is done so that our eyes and brain see the
image, not the pattern of dots. To test this, turn a newspaper photo about
45 degrees; note how the pattern of dots suddenly becomes apparent even to
the naked eye?
Generally, the higher the LPI, the more detailed the appearance of the
printed image. This is because each individual halftone cell is required
to represent a smaller bit of the image. Newspapers are typically printed
at very low LPIs [say, 85 or less] while something like Vogue or National
Geographic are at quite high LPIs [say, 180lpi]. If you examine a magazine
photo closely, you will see the same array of dots as the newspaper photo,
they'll just be smaller and closer together, so smaller details can be
resolved.
Color printing uses this same concept four times over. The printing press
overlays cyan, magenta, yellow, and black halftones to give the illusion of
full-color printing, when in fact there are only four colors of ink on the
page.
The type of halftoning just described is commonly called "traditional
halftoning"; it is also called "amplitude-modulated screening". Why?
Because the distance between dots [frequency] is unchanged, but the size of
the individual dots [amplitude] is changed [modulated] to effect the
halftoning result.
The other type of screen is a "frequency-modulated" [FM] halftone screen;
error-diffusion is one method of creating such a halftone screen.
In FM screening, the size of the halftone dot never changes, but the
distance between the dots [frequency] is changed [modulated] to effect the
shades of color. Dark areas have more dots more closely packed. Light
areas have fewer dots more sparsely arranged. There is no regular grid.
How can you tell the difference? Simple. Look for a grid. If you get out
a loupe and look closely at the image, there basically will either be a
discernable grid of dots or not.
FM screening is getting more popular because it eliminates a lot of the
problems associated with AM screening. In color printing, the alignment of
the four color plates relative to one another, which is of paramount
importance in AM screening, is not an issue. With AM screening, if the
four plates are not precisely aligned, immediately apparent moire patterns
and so forth appear. FM screening can handle a significantly larger degree
of misalignment between plates, making it easier on the pressman. An
FM-screened image will generally appear smoother than an AM-screened image,
because there's no distracting grid. It also retains detail, because the
printer is always using it's smaller spot.
Now, digital halftoning, such as that done by computer printers, presents a
special case. The size of the printer dot is fixed, as is the grid on
which they are arranged. Your 300-dpi printer can only draw dots 1/300" in
size, and only on a single fixed grid. Halftones are constructed by
dividing the printer-spot grid into groups of some size, then constructing
the halftone spots within those groups. This means that laser printers,
inkjets, and similar devices have limitations that printing presses don't:
1. they can only reproduce certain lpi/angle combinations.
2. A given lpi/angle conbination is capable of reproducing
a fixed number of shades of color.
Let's do a very simple example; a 300-dpi printer printing a 150-lpi screen
at 0 degrees. Except for the angle, that sounds pretty smooth, doesn't it?
150 lines should look like a page out of Vogue. It won't, because of
limitation #2. In fact, it will look absolutely terrible.
If we superimpose the 150-lpi halftone grid over the 300-dpi printer-spot
grid, we see that each halftone cell is made up of four printer spots.
Since each of those printer spots can either be black or not, that means
that this halftone cell can have five possible states [for clarity, "." is
no spot, "0" is spot]:
.. 0. 00 00 00
.. .. .. 0. 00
So, our 150-lpi halftone will only contain black, white, and three
intermediate shades of gray. Yuck. Similarly, a 300-lpi screen on a
300-dpi device will contain two colors, black and white, since each
halftone cell will be composed of a single printer spot. Double yuck.
You can get more shades of gray by decreasing the LPI. I'll let you work
out the cell arrangement if you want, but on that same 300-dpi printer, a
30-lpi screen could reproduce 101 shades of gray. Nice smooth gradients,
but now the image is made up of gihugic dots that virtually obliterate all
detail.
The problem only gets worse when you start examining screens at angles
other than 0 degress, since then the halftone grid doesn't align perfectly
with the printer grid.
Digital halftoning is an exercise in compromise. You can get smooth color
transitions at the expense of detail, or lots of detail ot the expense of
color range.
Now, what was the question?
:>
chazl
12.03.96
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 20:56:31 -0500
From: [email protected] (Gill Robins)
Subject: LC 575 Sound Problems
A friend has had a recurring problem with an older LC 575. Seems his
external sound is intermittent and quites after the machine warms up. Below
is his post to me. Would appreciate any advice if others have had a similar
problem.
TIA, Gill Robins
pls feel free to email either of us directly...
[email protected] (my post)
>Thanks for your help last time, but the sound issue still hasn't been solved.
> I have determined that the speakers work and all peripherals are connected
>properly. Here is the latest.
>I have sound through the earphone jack, but not through the built-in
>speakers. However, here is the strange part, and hopefully the ultimate clue
>to solving the problem. When I turn the external power off, not just a
>"shutdown", and leave it off overnight and startup the next day, all sound
>works properly. Sometime during that session, the sound cuts out again.
> Restarting while the machine is still warm yields the same sound outage.
>I don't move the machine in any way. I only turn the external power off for
>awhile and it yields the same results over and over again. So the best I can
>figure out, there is probably some kind of heat problem or other electrical
>issue.
>Please forward this on to some of your Mac experts to see if they have ever
>heard of this situation and know what I should do. tx, Robbie
> (LC 575 owner)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 13:59:54 -0500
From: Chaz Larson
Subject: Location of original Apple APD utility?
At 2:01 PM -0800 12/2/96, B.J. Major & Dennis J. Gorin wrote:
>>Does anyone out there know where I can get the original Apple Personal
>>Diagnostic Utility that is supposed to run on the 9500?
Apple Personal Diagnostics is a commercial product, available for sale
separately. Here's the product data sheet:
http://prod02.apple.com/productinfo/dat ... ldiag.html
I have seen it in catalogs from MacMall, et al, though the one I have here
doesn't include it.
chazl
12.03.96
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 10:51:17 -0500 (EST)
From: Peter Macdonald
Subject: Mac/Win95 LAN (Q)
What is the cheapest way to set up a LAN between a Power Mac running System
7.5.5 and a Zenith running Win95? Both have built-in networking, so do I
only need the right cable? Thanks!
Peter D.M. Macdonald, D.Phil. McMaster University
Professor of Math & Statistics Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 03 Dec 1996 16:43:21 EST
From: [email protected] (Tim C Lover)
Subject: Macintosh soccer game
Hello
I am looking for a Macintosh soccer game.
I played a shareware, text-based, soccer strategy for windows
and really enjoyed it.
It was made in England by "Serious Games"
I would like it or a similar game like it for Macintosh.
I have searched everywhere for about a year with no luck.
Thanks for any help you provide me.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 23:21:02 -0500 (EST)
From: Martin Forrester
Subject: [email protected]
Mark Stephansky wrote:
>I recently installed the latest version of Apple's Desktop printing
>software (version 2) on my PB 5300CS and immediately started getting
>type 15 errors. Also desktop printer icons were being created by the
>100s (really). I deleted about 800 desktop printer icons!
>
>Anyone experience anything similar using this software, or have any
>suggestions?
This happens if you have the Finder Scripting Extension missing or
disabled. Check out the archives at http://www.macfixit.pair.com, for
example...
http://www.macfixit.pair.com/archives/october96-b.html
----------------
Martin Forrester
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 14:34:16 +1100
From: Bill Stanford
Subject: Norton broke my mac!
>Does anyone have a suggestion as to what is causing all these
>problems, or how to fix them, or why Norton did this to me?
Ben, rather than a complete reply to the list...
Yep, Speed Disk has done this. As you say, nothing's simple any more. The
rule of thumb here is never never never defragment a System volume. (My
own rule is never defragment anything: initializing a volume and restoring
it from backups is the only safe way. And anyway, at current HD
access/latency figures, defragmentation isn't a huge issue, even on large
drives.)
The format/install process is very complex now, I'll bet no one person
living understands everything which happens. (I'd include Apple engineers
in this category;-) The installer programs write to the boot blocks of the
drive, and I think they tweek certain bits of the file directory structure,
which is known to have had certain serious bugs in System 6.x.x that
surfaced in 7.x.x - remember the vanishing folder bug in 7.0.1?
If this last suposition is true, then defragmenting with 3rd party software
on a system volume is risky in theory, and practice supports this. But
it's an inividious situation isn't it, products are sold to defragment, and
supported; and yet use them on a system: BAM!
Underlying rule of thumb: let nothing but the Installer write the System
files to your HD. I'm sorry, but I'd say it does mean a complete
format/reinstall/restore. DAT's not the easiest medium for this anymore, I
agree. It's why I've put up with Syquests, and now use a Zip or Jaz...
Oh, one thing additionally. Disk Doctor is pretty reliable, unless you've
got horrible logical damage on a volume/device. So it wasn't the doctor
which did this I'd say...
bill
----
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 03 Dec 1996 17:49:22 +0000
From: Paulo Melo
Subject: ODBC Shareware
Hi all,
I'm trying to find some shareware utilities for doing ODBC
transactions with Oracle-SQL Server (running on a Unix macnhine) and
Microsoft Excel.
Any information it'll appreciated.
Thanks,
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 10:21:27 +0100
From: Frazer Wright
Subject: Performa 5200 telephony
I'm sure there must be some way of setting up the Performa 5200 for hands
free telephony now I have the PlainTalk plug-in microphone. Can anyone
guide me ?
I am still running 7.5.1; it offers everything I want and seems remarkably
stable. I will upgrade if, for instance, a later version of Apple's
Telecom Programme (I am running 2.1.4) will allow me to have the Performa
dial up someone from the directory at the click of the mouse button (this
it will do now) and then put the incoming call through to the built -in
speakers and carry my response via the microphone which sits, unused, on top
of the screen. Currently, a message box advises me to pick up a
connected telephone when the person called answers.
I will, with pleasure, summarise any response for all.
Frazer Wright.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 14:30:43 CST
From: "Tom Kirke (312) 413-5539"
Subject: seeking info/opinions on DOS compatibility card
> Date: Mon, 2 Dec 1996 13:32:14 +0100
> From: Ken Laskey
> Subject: seeking info/opinions on DOS compatibility card
>
> First question: what are people's experiences with DOS
> compatibility cards?
I'm running the 486/66 card on a PMac 6100. This works fine. I switch
between the two sides 2 - 3 dozen times a day with very few issues. You
should be aware of them before purchasing:
1) Get some RAM for the DOS side, at least 16M f/ Win3.x, 32 f/ Win95.
The original shared RAM that comes with the machine is barely enough
for the Mac side, let alone the both Mac & Win.
2) I can not run screen savers - after the SS kicks in I *never* see the
keyboard or mouse unless I cold boot. This is a small loss, I don't
need a SS.
3) The system has a unique failure, the keyboard locks into upper case.
This does not happen often, less than once a month. It can be fixed
by a restart.
In all I strongly endorse the DOS/PMac if you have to run both Mac and
Bill's OSs. It's lots faster than SoftWindows and lots cheaper than two
computers.
Tom Kirke
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 16:15:32 -0500
From: [email protected] (Harvey Kail)
Subject: Shut down/sleep
Dear those wiser than I,
I can't put my Power Macinstosh (7200/120) to sleep. I am almost as
unsuccessful simply shutting it down. More than 50% of the time I get
an error message or simple lock up. I have been careful to make sure
that all applications have been appropritely terminated prior to
attempted shut down or sleep, but even this precaution does not
guarantee a smooth transition from full operation to sleep or to shut
down. It is annoying. Then when I next boot up, I have to face the
machine's reminder that I didn't properly close down (tisk tisk). More
important, I fear that simply turning off the power as I invariably
have to do, is causing subtle havoc with other operations or soft ware.
Help, please, via email to [email protected].
Thanks.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 96 10:31:02 +0800
From: Kim
Subject: Stylewriter I hardware failure
>Date: Wed, 27 Nov 1996 16:34:54 +0100
>From: [email protected] (Alessandro Simonetto)
>Subject: [Q] Stylewriter I hardware failure
>
>My poor old Stylewriter I died recently. It appears as a short circuit at
>the power input, so it systematically blows the 2.5A fuse of the AC-DC
>adaptor.
>I opened the printer, and there are no obvious damages on the circuit board
>(its fuse is ok).
>Does anyone have any suggestion (or pointers to relevant information)?
>Thank you in advance.
>Alessandro
Similar thing happened to my original stylewriter I recently. I suspected
the ac-dc adapter as well, if there anything I can do without spending a
fortune trying to get it fixed with Apple(Malaysia).
Thank you.
Kim
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: 3 Dec 1996 10:32:08 U
From: "Bohannon, Kim"
Subject: Troubleshooting/Trackball
Dear Chaz,
>Now, I don't mean for this to sound shrill. My apologies if it does.
Shrill? No, you do not sound shrill. Condescending, yes, but shrill, =
no.
>Given that this problem apparently appeared immediately after installing
>the trackball [and, I assume, its associated software (mouseworks?)], =
the
>first thing to try would be to remove the trackball and its associated
software.
Perhaps I wasn't clear enough in my original message, but I thought
that since I was obviously intelligent enough to do a clean install of my =
system software, it could be safely assumed that I am intelligent
enough to do the obvious first step of removing the Kensington stuff
to determine if it was the culprit.
I was not asking the list to troubleshoot for me so much as I was
asking if anyone else had a problem with the Kensington Mouse. I hoped
to find a way to keep the trackball, if it was indeed the source of the
problem. Getting rid of it without determining if it was the problem
is not a very elegant solution. Besides, there were 3-4 days between
installing the trackball and crashing in Navigator. That is plenty of
time for other things to go wrong with my system.
Your analogy falls short in some important ways. First, the Mac is
not a simple, discrete piece of matter such as a stair is. Second,
the very act of "putting on those new shoes" can indeed change
the nature of the steps, so that the resulting problem of falling
down could be due to a problem with the steps rather than with the
new shoes.
I understand that your intent was not to insult me, but I'm feeling
somewhat insulted anyway. I apologize if my response here seems
extreme, but I do feel that your reply to me should have come to me
directly first - before you posted such a caustic reply to the list.
On a final note, I reinstalled Navigator 2.02, kept the trackball and its
software (which, as one person suggested, I verified to be version 5.0),
and I have not crashed in Navigator since.
Thanks to everyone who did respond to me. No one else with this
trackball has had any problems, so I must have just corrupted my
Navigator software somewhere along the line.
Kim Bohannon
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 13:37:14 -0500
From: Chaz Larson
Subject: Troubleshooting/Trackball [apology]
Note: Kim and I have corresponded privately about this, and all is
resolved. I have removed the hatchet from her forehead, and she the knife
from my ribs.
Following is the original reply I sent her, to provide closure to the
community at large. {should that read "so no one thinks I'm a big dumb
jerk"?]
At 10:32 AM +0000 12/3/96, Bohannon, Kim wrote:
>Shrill? No, you do not sound shrill. Condescending, yes, but shrill, no.
My sincere apologies.
Your original message made no mention of removing the Kensington software
or trackball. In my experience, both on this list and in my work as a tech
support rep, people are often quick to reinstall major pieces of software,
including System Software, without exploring simpler options.
Why should I assume anything beyond that which was explicitly stated? The
specifics in this followup would have been valuable in the original post.
[3-4 days before Netscape started crashing; removing Kensington software
didn't help]
You offered several other specifics, notably that you had cleaned out your
extensions and reinstalled System Software. Given that you were very
specific about those things, why would I assume that you had also tried
eliminating the trackball, when you didn't specifically say you had?
>Getting rid of it without determining if it was the problem
>is not a very elegant solution.
I don't believe I suggested that. What I suggested was removing it to try
and determine if it was the problem. Apparently, you'd already done that,
but didn't say so. Again, why should I assume you had?
>Your analogy falls short in some important ways. First, the Mac is
>not a simple, discrete piece of matter such as a stair is.
I think my analogy fit the problem as it was originally stated. It
obviously does not fit the problem as more fully described. The original
description of the problem read to me like:
1. I didn't have a problem.
2. I installed a specific thing.
3. Now I have a problem. Anyone have any ideas?
>I understand that your intent was not to insult me, but I'm feeling
>somewhat insulted anyway.
Again, I apologize for that. I did not mean to target my remarks at you
personally, which is why I didn't attribute the quote and changed the
subject line so that my remarks weren't part of the original thread.
That's also why I didn't send it to you individually, either in lieu of
sending it to the list or as a cc, which I usually do when I'm trying to
answer a specific question.
I intended my remarks as a more general commentary on the sort of problem
statement contained in the original query.
>I apologize if my response here seems
>extreme, but I do feel that your reply to me should have come to me
>directly first - before you posted such a caustic reply to the list.
No apologies necessary on your part. I'm sorry I offended you; I assure
you that was not my intent. Your comments will help me to better phrase my
remarks in the future.
>On a final note, I reinstalled Navigator 2.02, kept the trackball and its
>software (which, as one person suggested, I verified to be version 5.0),
> and I have not crashed in Navigator since.
Great; I'm glad the problem is solved.
chazl
12.03.96
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 14:28:28 -0500
From: Chaz Larson
Subject: using an AV1710 monitor w/centris 610 (q)
At 4:11 PM -0800 12/2/96, David L. Hirschberg wrote:
>Hello, I have an AV1710 monitor and I would like to find out which macs
>have enough VRAM to run it. I called SOSApple and they did not have a
>complete list.
You may want to check this out:
It's an Apple-produced database that cross-references all CPUs, monitors,
printers, etc.
It doesn't, however, list which specific monitors are supported with which
specific CPUs. It rather lists which video resolutions are supported with
which CPUs. It seems to claim that the IIsi will support the 1710AV
monitor at 640x480, 8-bit color.
Other CPUs which are listed as supporting some of the various resolutions
supported by the monitor are:
IIci, IIvi, IIvx, LC, LCII, LCIII, LCIII+, LC4xx/5xx/630, Performa
4xx/5xx/6xx/61xx/62xx/63xx, and pretty much all Centris, Quadra, and Power
Macintosh machines.
chazl
12.03.96
--------------------------------
--Info-Mac-Digest--
End of Info-Mac Digest
******************************
From: The Info-Mac Moderators
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: Info-Mac Digest V14 #276
To: [email protected]
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="Info-Mac-Digest"
--Info-Mac-Digest
Info-Mac Digest Wed, 4 Dec 96 Volume 14 : Issue 276
Today's Topics:
5200 power supply
[Q] 601 in an 8500
[Q] AppleScript [Decode URL] problem
[Q] Font depicting ASCII code
[Q] Marathon (1 and 2) woes
Anarchie Expanding
Apple's Problems With Performas
Can I use a DeskJet 500 with a Mac SE???
Disallow Cookies?
Ethernet/Appletalk - printing?
Folders with Dates as names
GateKeeper (2 msgs)
Harddisk icon changes
Help... Mac monitor to a PC
Help with modem init string
hp560/how many lpi? [long]
LC 575 Sound Problems
Location of original Apple APD utility?
Mac/Win95 LAN (Q)
Macintosh soccer game
[email protected]
Norton broke my mac!
ODBC Shareware
Performa 5200 telephony
seeking info/opinions on DOS compatibility card
Shut down/sleep
Stylewriter I hardware failure
Troubleshooting/Trackball
Troubleshooting/Trackball [apology]
using an AV1710 monitor w/centris 610 (q)
The Info-Mac Network operates by the volunteer efforts of:
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 15:41:17 -0500
From: [email protected]
Subject: 5200 power supply
I recently obtained a Performa 5200CD free of charge from a department
store. It was the demo model and they were discontinuing the line. It does
not turn on. The two local computer repair shops quoted me about $250 for
parts and labor on a new power supply. But...I don't know what else is
wrong with this machine beyond the power supply. Spending $250 to get a
functioning machine is a deal,but I don't want to spend that and find that
it has other problems,possibly major problems. I have a friend who works on
PCs and is willing to install a new power supply. But I can't seem to find
one. I've searched the web and e-mailed a couple of places with no luck.
The local boys don't seem to want to divulge their supplier of parts. Is
there some 'junkyard' out there where I can get this part? With so many
Macs and so many discontinued Macs,there must be a clearinghouse of parts
in this big land of ours.
Thanks for the help.
Jerry Lapins
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 23:54:58 -0700
From: [email protected]
Subject: [Q] 601 in an 8500
Is there anyway to get a 100 mhz PPC 601 to work in an 8500/120? Also, how
can I get at the memory to install my ram?
Cheers,
Rob
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 23:16:16 -0200
From: Josmar Arruda
Subject: [Q] AppleScript [Decode URL] problem
Hi!
First, excuse me for sending this AppleScript specific problem to this
list, but I can't remember the AppleScript list address. Tips, anyone?
Well, my problem is that the OSAX Decode URL I'm using with my CGIs can't
convert accented letters (for example: a acute = %E1, e acute = %E9, a
tilde = E3, and other 27 accented letters and special chars) passed by the
WEB server.
Does anyone know if is there a new version of Decode URL or if is there an
alternative for it that solves this problem? This is not very important for
English spelling, but here in Brazil we make heavy use of accents.
If you think that this really isn't a question for Info-Mac, please answer
me directly.
Thanks for any help.
Josmar Arruda
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 11:22:50 -0500
From: "Norm Steffen"
Subject: [Q] Font depicting ASCII code
Way back when I didn't need it I once saw a font that displayed both the
character and decimal acsii code for that character. One overtop the other.
For instance
CR
13 showed for a Carriage Return
HT
09 showed for a Horizontal Tab
A
65 showed for an "A"
As usual now that I need it I can't find it anymore.
If anyone could point me in the right direction I would be most appreciative.
Thanks in advance.
Norm Steffen
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 13:22:45 -0600
From: Derek Jacobs
Subject: [Q] Marathon (1 and 2) woes
Music is a great part of these two games, but I really wish I could find a
way to convert the music files (at least marathon 2's) to a format that I
can play when the game isn't running. I've tried importing the files into
simple Player, fiddling with resedit to change the creators (no resource
fork to play with however), downloading converters for midi-to-Moov and
(supposedly) vice-versa, and trying MIDI editiong software.
All my attemts have fizzled out repeatedly. Is there a real simple
soulution for this? I know it's possible (at least with my sound hardware)
to record the music as it plays, however this seems to cause a loss in
quality.
Does anyone have a midi file of the music perhaps?
Thanks.
Derek Jacobs
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 19:58:18 +0000
From: [email protected] (Daniel Frampton)
Subject: Anarchie Expanding
Quickie:
When I download a file using Anarchie 2.0.1 how do I get it to open Suffit
Expander 3.5.2 and start unstuffing. It does nothing and i cannot seem to
expand the files (hqx, gz, whatever) separately afterwards.
Do I need to configure Anarchie/Internet Config, or get a newer Expander?
Last Anarchie I had was 1.6 and this opened files fine.
Cheers - Daniel, London.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 22:45:41 -1000
From: [email protected] (Ed Cesar)
Subject: Apple's Problems With Performas
Dear Moderator:
If you can assist me with this problem without posting it on
the Net that would be fine. I'm not trying to give the Apple
company any more negative publicity than they deserve.
__________________________________________________
My wife and I have been waiting for nearly a year for Apple to
replace a board in a Macintosh Performa 6300CD I bought for her
last Christmas. This model freezes on starting about half the time.
Apple is apparently well aware of their problem and reportedly
will replace the board at no charge.
For the past 12 months I've called Apple regularly at least once a
month, some months more often, even though the 10 to 15 minutes
waiting time for someone to come on the line is irritating. I've
been calling Apple's Customer Relations number, 800-776-2333
and their Technical Support people at 800-767-2775, but I always
get the same answer, that they have my name on a list; however,
they have a huge backlog of people like us who are waiting for boards.
Each time they tell me we will have to wait another 3 to 4 weeks,
their standard answer.
I also called the local company that is authorized to replace the
boards here in Hawaii. The serviceman told me he has boards in
stock, but has to wait for someone in the Apple Company to
authorize him to install one in my wife's computer.
I find it difficult to believe this is such a large problem that it
couldn't be fixed in a year's time if Apple really wanted to or
cared enough about its customers.
What was supposed to be a happy event has turned into a real
sour note. Instead of my wife enjoying her computer, she rarely
even goes into the room where I set it up for her, and for the past
several months she hasn't even turned it on because she has to
make several attempts each time to get it to work by turning it
off and on to restart it and waiting to see if it is going to freeze.
I wonder if this problem is as widespread as we have been lead
to believe by the Apple people I 've discussed this with on the
phone. I don't hear gripes from anyone on this or other Mac nets.
Are we alone?
I would appreciate it if someone would give me the name and
phone number of an Apple representative who will take a
personal interest and help us.
Thanks,
Ed Cesar
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 15:32:31 -0400
From: Matthew Manuel
Subject: Can I use a DeskJet 500 with a Mac SE???
I have a Mac SE, /w 4 megs of ram, and was wondering if it was possible
to use an HP DeskJet 500 with it?? The HP drivers from their site need a
68020 or greater to work. Are there any shareware/freeware drivers out
there for a DeskJet 500 that will work on an SE????
Thanx...Matthew
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 12:02:09 -0500
From: Chaz Larson
Subject: Disallow Cookies?
At 7:03 AM -0600 12/3/96, Steven M. Fish wrote:
>Has someone written (or is someone writing) a bit-o-code to automatically
>disallow the writing of cookies for Macintosh?
I don't know that something exactly like what you describe exists, but one
easy option is to simply lock the cookie file. Netscape will continue to
accept cookies, but they will be lost when you quit.
chazl
12.03.96
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 08:51:16 +1100
From: Al Byrne
Subject: Ethernet/Appletalk - printing?
Hi all,
I've been using Macs for a bunch of years now, so I guess I've missed
something obvious - I'm about to install an Ethernet card in my DuoDock (to
allow access to the cable modems that my local pay TV outfit will be
offering in the near future).
With Ethernet installed and active - just how do I then print to my
Laserwriter? - the one that is firmly connected to my printer port, and
talking Appletalk???
FWIW - Duo 280->2300/44/1.1G running 7.5.5 and OT1.1.1/OTPPP1.0
--
Al Byrne
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 12:04:12 -0500
From: Chaz Larson
Subject: Folders with Dates as names
At 1:40 PM -0500 12/2/96, Craig T. Martin wrote:
>For some
>time now, empty folders mysteriously appear in the top directory (not
>DeskTop) with names like:
>
>Sat, Nov 30, 1996 12-29 AM
There is an extension [or maybe an application] that does this as a way to
track when your Mac was last powered up. Check the extensions folder or
the Startup Items folder for something that might be doing this. The name
of the thing escapes me, but I think it's something like "BootFolder".
chazl
12.03.96
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 12:13:13 -0500
From: Chaz Larson
Subject: GateKeeper
At 3:13 PM -0500 12/2/96, Edward Ver Hoef wrote:
>I have been using GateKeeper 1.3 for quite some time now. Recently I have
>been getting a reminder every few days that my version is old...
You have the latest [last?] version.
All that can be done is to ignore the reminder. There is apparently no way
to turn it off.
My advice would be to disable GateKeeper and use Disinfectant. It's just
as effective against all known viruses, will most likely get updated if
anything new appears, doesn't require the annoying [to me] training that
GateKeeper can, and doesn't interfere with legitimate activities [such as
software installations] like GateKeeper can.
Note that I'm not claiming GateKeeper *always* interferes with legitimate
activities, only that it CAN.
chazl
12.03.96
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 22:12:41 +0100
From: [email protected] (Johannes la Poutre')
Subject: GateKeeper
This hack to stop the annoying weekly "Your version of Gatekeeper is old"
alert worked for me.
NOTE: I don't know the backgrounds, be sure to save a copy if gatekeeper
anyway!
- Open a COPY of the Gatekeeper system extension in ResEdit.
- Open the INIT resource.
- Open ID #1.
- Search (Command-H) for offset 08EE. It should contain the code 6200.
The entire line should look as follows: 0008E8 3380 B0AE FEDE 6200
- Change the 6200 to 6000.
Good luck!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 15:29:42 +0100
From: Hans Veenema
Subject: Harddisk icon changes
Every now and then, after restarting my computer, I find my harddisk icon
changed into the icon of an unknown document. Nothing serious, I can cut it
away in the get info box and then the original is back again. Still, it is
frustrating that "something" is doing something unwanted on my computer.
Does anyone know what the "something" might be, I use a performa 630 with a
Zip-drive.
Thanks in advance,
Hans Veenema
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 14:43:05 +0000 (GMT)
From: Paul Gittins
Subject: Help... Mac monitor to a PC
Hi
I have a Performa 14" Monitor connected to my Performa 6200CD. I also have
built a PC, and am using a very poor SVGA display. Can I connect my Mac
monitor to the PC, and if so, how? Baring in mind I am a poor student, is
there any wiring diagrams about?
Thanks,
Paul Gittins
Dept of Computer Science
University of York , England
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 00:28:32 -0700
From: [email protected] (Stephen Grady)
Subject: Help with modem init string
This has also been posted to the comp.sys.mac.portables newsgroup
As the subject says it--my ISP has been of no help (well, they did suggest
that I read my manual).
I dial up from a PB520c, internal GV PowerPort Mercury Modem, using
PowerPort setup 2.5.5. Using the init string from my old ISP (they were
bought out)
&F S11=55 M, I was able to connect at 19.2. My new ISP said to use the
same init string. The best I am able to connect is 14.4. When I asked for
help, they told me to read my manual.
I did, and came up with the following: N0 S37=13 S11=55 M. It allows me to
connect at 19.2, however 4 out of 5 times, my connection dies after 3 to 4
minutes, regardless of what application I am using.
Any suggestions for me to try? The ISP is using USRobotics Sportster 28.8k
modems (updated bios to remove spiral of death on all modems).
I am using OT1.1, and MacPPP 2.5 (FreePPP 2.5 crashes during connection).
This is the same config that I used with my old ISP.
I don't really understand all the stuff with init strings. The only thing
I am sure, is that S11=55 causes faster dialing, M mutes the volume, and I
believe S37=13 forces a 19.2 connection. In the PowerPort setup control
panel, I have correction and compression set for V4.2bis.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Stephen Grady
[email protected]
Subject: hp560/how many lpi? [long]
At 2:20 PM +0100 12/3/96, Paolo Bartoli wrote:
>Working with images (i.e. Photoshop), I have problems understanding the
>relationship between digitizing resolution (dpi) and halftone frequency
>(lpi) on the printer.
There's more than you probably want to know later.
>I read that the digitizing (or image) resolution should be 2 to2,5 times
>greater than the halftone frequency. But where do I find halftone frequency
>data?
The resolution of the image you send to the printer should be about 2 to
2.5 times the halftone frequency.
This is the resolution of the image at its final size. Say you have a 4x6"
photo that you want to print at 50 lpi at a final size of 8x12". You want
a final image resolution at 8x12" of about 100-125 dpi, so you'll need to
scan your 4x6 photo at 200-250 dpi, since you'll be scaling the image up by
a factor of two.
If your printer is a PostScript printer, the available LPIs are listed in
the PPD file.
If not, the easiest way to find out is to print an image and read the lpi
with a halftone screen reader, which you can find at any graphics arts shop.
Now, this printer may not use traditional halftoning; it may use some form
of error-diffusion, which renders the 2.5x line frequency stuff moot. More
on that later.
>I use an HP 560 C inkjet printer, and on the manual is stated only that the
>resolution (which one?) is 300 dpi color and 600 dpi b/w. What about
>halftone??
I would suspect that if the printer is using traditional halftoning, it's
printing at between 50-80 lpi, which would put your desired image
resolution at about 100-150 dpi. If it's using FM screens, scan at about
100 dpi or so.
If you want to know more details...read on!
Printer resolution is typically stated in "dpi" or dots per inch. What
this indicates is the size of the smallest dot the printer can draw. Let's
call that the "printer spot". Your printer uses a 300-dpi print head.
Black-only printing uses HP's RET technology to simulate 600-dpi printing
when you're using only the black cartridge, hence the two different
resolution figures.
Now, what does that have to do with halftoning?
First, what IS halftoning? Halftoning is a method of simulating shades of
color on a device that is not capable of printing shades of color.
Generally speaking, printers are capable of printing only single colors of
ink. Let's use a single-color printing press as an example. It can either
put ink on the page or not. The ink is black, so a given spot on the page
will be either black or white. There are no spots of gray. A halftone
screen simulates gray by alternating black and white spots so that from a
distance a given area looks gray. You can see this by examining a printed
photograph with a loupe; I'm sure you've done this and seen that newspaper
photos, for example, are made up of little dots when you look close. These
dots are big in dark areas and small in light areas, but they are always
black.
Looking further at that photograph, you will see that the dots, while they
vary in size, are arranged on a fixed grid. The size of this grid is the
"frequency" of the halftone. Each one of the grid "boxes" is called a
"halftone cell". An 85-lpi halftone, for example, has 85 cells in each
inch. You will also note that the halftone dots are at an angle relative
to the orientation of the photograph. This angle is, oddly (:>), the
"angle" of the halftone. This is done so that our eyes and brain see the
image, not the pattern of dots. To test this, turn a newspaper photo about
45 degrees; note how the pattern of dots suddenly becomes apparent even to
the naked eye?
Generally, the higher the LPI, the more detailed the appearance of the
printed image. This is because each individual halftone cell is required
to represent a smaller bit of the image. Newspapers are typically printed
at very low LPIs [say, 85 or less] while something like Vogue or National
Geographic are at quite high LPIs [say, 180lpi]. If you examine a magazine
photo closely, you will see the same array of dots as the newspaper photo,
they'll just be smaller and closer together, so smaller details can be
resolved.
Color printing uses this same concept four times over. The printing press
overlays cyan, magenta, yellow, and black halftones to give the illusion of
full-color printing, when in fact there are only four colors of ink on the
page.
The type of halftoning just described is commonly called "traditional
halftoning"; it is also called "amplitude-modulated screening". Why?
Because the distance between dots [frequency] is unchanged, but the size of
the individual dots [amplitude] is changed [modulated] to effect the
halftoning result.
The other type of screen is a "frequency-modulated" [FM] halftone screen;
error-diffusion is one method of creating such a halftone screen.
In FM screening, the size of the halftone dot never changes, but the
distance between the dots [frequency] is changed [modulated] to effect the
shades of color. Dark areas have more dots more closely packed. Light
areas have fewer dots more sparsely arranged. There is no regular grid.
How can you tell the difference? Simple. Look for a grid. If you get out
a loupe and look closely at the image, there basically will either be a
discernable grid of dots or not.
FM screening is getting more popular because it eliminates a lot of the
problems associated with AM screening. In color printing, the alignment of
the four color plates relative to one another, which is of paramount
importance in AM screening, is not an issue. With AM screening, if the
four plates are not precisely aligned, immediately apparent moire patterns
and so forth appear. FM screening can handle a significantly larger degree
of misalignment between plates, making it easier on the pressman. An
FM-screened image will generally appear smoother than an AM-screened image,
because there's no distracting grid. It also retains detail, because the
printer is always using it's smaller spot.
Now, digital halftoning, such as that done by computer printers, presents a
special case. The size of the printer dot is fixed, as is the grid on
which they are arranged. Your 300-dpi printer can only draw dots 1/300" in
size, and only on a single fixed grid. Halftones are constructed by
dividing the printer-spot grid into groups of some size, then constructing
the halftone spots within those groups. This means that laser printers,
inkjets, and similar devices have limitations that printing presses don't:
1. they can only reproduce certain lpi/angle combinations.
2. A given lpi/angle conbination is capable of reproducing
a fixed number of shades of color.
Let's do a very simple example; a 300-dpi printer printing a 150-lpi screen
at 0 degrees. Except for the angle, that sounds pretty smooth, doesn't it?
150 lines should look like a page out of Vogue. It won't, because of
limitation #2. In fact, it will look absolutely terrible.
If we superimpose the 150-lpi halftone grid over the 300-dpi printer-spot
grid, we see that each halftone cell is made up of four printer spots.
Since each of those printer spots can either be black or not, that means
that this halftone cell can have five possible states [for clarity, "." is
no spot, "0" is spot]:
.. 0. 00 00 00
.. .. .. 0. 00
So, our 150-lpi halftone will only contain black, white, and three
intermediate shades of gray. Yuck. Similarly, a 300-lpi screen on a
300-dpi device will contain two colors, black and white, since each
halftone cell will be composed of a single printer spot. Double yuck.
You can get more shades of gray by decreasing the LPI. I'll let you work
out the cell arrangement if you want, but on that same 300-dpi printer, a
30-lpi screen could reproduce 101 shades of gray. Nice smooth gradients,
but now the image is made up of gihugic dots that virtually obliterate all
detail.
The problem only gets worse when you start examining screens at angles
other than 0 degress, since then the halftone grid doesn't align perfectly
with the printer grid.
Digital halftoning is an exercise in compromise. You can get smooth color
transitions at the expense of detail, or lots of detail ot the expense of
color range.
Now, what was the question?
:>
chazl
12.03.96
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 20:56:31 -0500
From: [email protected] (Gill Robins)
Subject: LC 575 Sound Problems
A friend has had a recurring problem with an older LC 575. Seems his
external sound is intermittent and quites after the machine warms up. Below
is his post to me. Would appreciate any advice if others have had a similar
problem.
TIA, Gill Robins
pls feel free to email either of us directly...
[email protected] (my post)
>Thanks for your help last time, but the sound issue still hasn't been solved.
> I have determined that the speakers work and all peripherals are connected
>properly. Here is the latest.
>I have sound through the earphone jack, but not through the built-in
>speakers. However, here is the strange part, and hopefully the ultimate clue
>to solving the problem. When I turn the external power off, not just a
>"shutdown", and leave it off overnight and startup the next day, all sound
>works properly. Sometime during that session, the sound cuts out again.
> Restarting while the machine is still warm yields the same sound outage.
>I don't move the machine in any way. I only turn the external power off for
>awhile and it yields the same results over and over again. So the best I can
>figure out, there is probably some kind of heat problem or other electrical
>issue.
>Please forward this on to some of your Mac experts to see if they have ever
>heard of this situation and know what I should do. tx, Robbie
> (LC 575 owner)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 13:59:54 -0500
From: Chaz Larson
Subject: Location of original Apple APD utility?
At 2:01 PM -0800 12/2/96, B.J. Major & Dennis J. Gorin wrote:
>>Does anyone out there know where I can get the original Apple Personal
>>Diagnostic Utility that is supposed to run on the 9500?
Apple Personal Diagnostics is a commercial product, available for sale
separately. Here's the product data sheet:
http://prod02.apple.com/productinfo/dat ... ldiag.html
I have seen it in catalogs from MacMall, et al, though the one I have here
doesn't include it.
chazl
12.03.96
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 10:51:17 -0500 (EST)
From: Peter Macdonald
Subject: Mac/Win95 LAN (Q)
What is the cheapest way to set up a LAN between a Power Mac running System
7.5.5 and a Zenith running Win95? Both have built-in networking, so do I
only need the right cable? Thanks!
Peter D.M. Macdonald, D.Phil. McMaster University
Professor of Math & Statistics Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 03 Dec 1996 16:43:21 EST
From: [email protected] (Tim C Lover)
Subject: Macintosh soccer game
Hello
I am looking for a Macintosh soccer game.
I played a shareware, text-based, soccer strategy for windows
and really enjoyed it.
It was made in England by "Serious Games"
I would like it or a similar game like it for Macintosh.
I have searched everywhere for about a year with no luck.
Thanks for any help you provide me.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 23:21:02 -0500 (EST)
From: Martin Forrester
Subject: [email protected]
Mark Stephansky wrote:
>I recently installed the latest version of Apple's Desktop printing
>software (version 2) on my PB 5300CS and immediately started getting
>type 15 errors. Also desktop printer icons were being created by the
>100s (really). I deleted about 800 desktop printer icons!
>
>Anyone experience anything similar using this software, or have any
>suggestions?
This happens if you have the Finder Scripting Extension missing or
disabled. Check out the archives at http://www.macfixit.pair.com, for
example...
http://www.macfixit.pair.com/archives/october96-b.html
----------------
Martin Forrester
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 14:34:16 +1100
From: Bill Stanford
Subject: Norton broke my mac!
>Does anyone have a suggestion as to what is causing all these
>problems, or how to fix them, or why Norton did this to me?
Ben, rather than a complete reply to the list...
Yep, Speed Disk has done this. As you say, nothing's simple any more. The
rule of thumb here is never never never defragment a System volume. (My
own rule is never defragment anything: initializing a volume and restoring
it from backups is the only safe way. And anyway, at current HD
access/latency figures, defragmentation isn't a huge issue, even on large
drives.)
The format/install process is very complex now, I'll bet no one person
living understands everything which happens. (I'd include Apple engineers
in this category;-) The installer programs write to the boot blocks of the
drive, and I think they tweek certain bits of the file directory structure,
which is known to have had certain serious bugs in System 6.x.x that
surfaced in 7.x.x - remember the vanishing folder bug in 7.0.1?
If this last suposition is true, then defragmenting with 3rd party software
on a system volume is risky in theory, and practice supports this. But
it's an inividious situation isn't it, products are sold to defragment, and
supported; and yet use them on a system: BAM!
Underlying rule of thumb: let nothing but the Installer write the System
files to your HD. I'm sorry, but I'd say it does mean a complete
format/reinstall/restore. DAT's not the easiest medium for this anymore, I
agree. It's why I've put up with Syquests, and now use a Zip or Jaz...
Oh, one thing additionally. Disk Doctor is pretty reliable, unless you've
got horrible logical damage on a volume/device. So it wasn't the doctor
which did this I'd say...
bill
----
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 03 Dec 1996 17:49:22 +0000
From: Paulo Melo
Subject: ODBC Shareware
Hi all,
I'm trying to find some shareware utilities for doing ODBC
transactions with Oracle-SQL Server (running on a Unix macnhine) and
Microsoft Excel.
Any information it'll appreciated.
Thanks,
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 10:21:27 +0100
From: Frazer Wright
Subject: Performa 5200 telephony
I'm sure there must be some way of setting up the Performa 5200 for hands
free telephony now I have the PlainTalk plug-in microphone. Can anyone
guide me ?
I am still running 7.5.1; it offers everything I want and seems remarkably
stable. I will upgrade if, for instance, a later version of Apple's
Telecom Programme (I am running 2.1.4) will allow me to have the Performa
dial up someone from the directory at the click of the mouse button (this
it will do now) and then put the incoming call through to the built -in
speakers and carry my response via the microphone which sits, unused, on top
of the screen. Currently, a message box advises me to pick up a
connected telephone when the person called answers.
I will, with pleasure, summarise any response for all.
Frazer Wright.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 14:30:43 CST
From: "Tom Kirke (312) 413-5539"
Subject: seeking info/opinions on DOS compatibility card
> Date: Mon, 2 Dec 1996 13:32:14 +0100
> From: Ken Laskey
> Subject: seeking info/opinions on DOS compatibility card
>
> First question: what are people's experiences with DOS
> compatibility cards?
I'm running the 486/66 card on a PMac 6100. This works fine. I switch
between the two sides 2 - 3 dozen times a day with very few issues. You
should be aware of them before purchasing:
1) Get some RAM for the DOS side, at least 16M f/ Win3.x, 32 f/ Win95.
The original shared RAM that comes with the machine is barely enough
for the Mac side, let alone the both Mac & Win.
2) I can not run screen savers - after the SS kicks in I *never* see the
keyboard or mouse unless I cold boot. This is a small loss, I don't
need a SS.
3) The system has a unique failure, the keyboard locks into upper case.
This does not happen often, less than once a month. It can be fixed
by a restart.
In all I strongly endorse the DOS/PMac if you have to run both Mac and
Bill's OSs. It's lots faster than SoftWindows and lots cheaper than two
computers.
Tom Kirke
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 16:15:32 -0500
From: [email protected] (Harvey Kail)
Subject: Shut down/sleep
Dear those wiser than I,
I can't put my Power Macinstosh (7200/120) to sleep. I am almost as
unsuccessful simply shutting it down. More than 50% of the time I get
an error message or simple lock up. I have been careful to make sure
that all applications have been appropritely terminated prior to
attempted shut down or sleep, but even this precaution does not
guarantee a smooth transition from full operation to sleep or to shut
down. It is annoying. Then when I next boot up, I have to face the
machine's reminder that I didn't properly close down (tisk tisk). More
important, I fear that simply turning off the power as I invariably
have to do, is causing subtle havoc with other operations or soft ware.
Help, please, via email to [email protected].
Thanks.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 96 10:31:02 +0800
From: Kim
Subject: Stylewriter I hardware failure
>Date: Wed, 27 Nov 1996 16:34:54 +0100
>From: [email protected] (Alessandro Simonetto)
>Subject: [Q] Stylewriter I hardware failure
>
>My poor old Stylewriter I died recently. It appears as a short circuit at
>the power input, so it systematically blows the 2.5A fuse of the AC-DC
>adaptor.
>I opened the printer, and there are no obvious damages on the circuit board
>(its fuse is ok).
>Does anyone have any suggestion (or pointers to relevant information)?
>Thank you in advance.
>Alessandro
Similar thing happened to my original stylewriter I recently. I suspected
the ac-dc adapter as well, if there anything I can do without spending a
fortune trying to get it fixed with Apple(Malaysia).
Thank you.
Kim
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: 3 Dec 1996 10:32:08 U
From: "Bohannon, Kim"
Subject: Troubleshooting/Trackball
Dear Chaz,
>Now, I don't mean for this to sound shrill. My apologies if it does.
Shrill? No, you do not sound shrill. Condescending, yes, but shrill, =
no.
>Given that this problem apparently appeared immediately after installing
>the trackball [and, I assume, its associated software (mouseworks?)], =
the
>first thing to try would be to remove the trackball and its associated
software.
Perhaps I wasn't clear enough in my original message, but I thought
that since I was obviously intelligent enough to do a clean install of my =
system software, it could be safely assumed that I am intelligent
enough to do the obvious first step of removing the Kensington stuff
to determine if it was the culprit.
I was not asking the list to troubleshoot for me so much as I was
asking if anyone else had a problem with the Kensington Mouse. I hoped
to find a way to keep the trackball, if it was indeed the source of the
problem. Getting rid of it without determining if it was the problem
is not a very elegant solution. Besides, there were 3-4 days between
installing the trackball and crashing in Navigator. That is plenty of
time for other things to go wrong with my system.
Your analogy falls short in some important ways. First, the Mac is
not a simple, discrete piece of matter such as a stair is. Second,
the very act of "putting on those new shoes" can indeed change
the nature of the steps, so that the resulting problem of falling
down could be due to a problem with the steps rather than with the
new shoes.
I understand that your intent was not to insult me, but I'm feeling
somewhat insulted anyway. I apologize if my response here seems
extreme, but I do feel that your reply to me should have come to me
directly first - before you posted such a caustic reply to the list.
On a final note, I reinstalled Navigator 2.02, kept the trackball and its
software (which, as one person suggested, I verified to be version 5.0),
and I have not crashed in Navigator since.
Thanks to everyone who did respond to me. No one else with this
trackball has had any problems, so I must have just corrupted my
Navigator software somewhere along the line.
Kim Bohannon
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 13:37:14 -0500
From: Chaz Larson
Subject: Troubleshooting/Trackball [apology]
Note: Kim and I have corresponded privately about this, and all is
resolved. I have removed the hatchet from her forehead, and she the knife
from my ribs.
Following is the original reply I sent her, to provide closure to the
community at large. {should that read "so no one thinks I'm a big dumb
jerk"?
]At 10:32 AM +0000 12/3/96, Bohannon, Kim wrote:
>Shrill? No, you do not sound shrill. Condescending, yes, but shrill, no.
My sincere apologies.
Your original message made no mention of removing the Kensington software
or trackball. In my experience, both on this list and in my work as a tech
support rep, people are often quick to reinstall major pieces of software,
including System Software, without exploring simpler options.
Why should I assume anything beyond that which was explicitly stated? The
specifics in this followup would have been valuable in the original post.
[3-4 days before Netscape started crashing; removing Kensington software
didn't help]
You offered several other specifics, notably that you had cleaned out your
extensions and reinstalled System Software. Given that you were very
specific about those things, why would I assume that you had also tried
eliminating the trackball, when you didn't specifically say you had?
>Getting rid of it without determining if it was the problem
>is not a very elegant solution.
I don't believe I suggested that. What I suggested was removing it to try
and determine if it was the problem. Apparently, you'd already done that,
but didn't say so. Again, why should I assume you had?
>Your analogy falls short in some important ways. First, the Mac is
>not a simple, discrete piece of matter such as a stair is.
I think my analogy fit the problem as it was originally stated. It
obviously does not fit the problem as more fully described. The original
description of the problem read to me like:
1. I didn't have a problem.
2. I installed a specific thing.
3. Now I have a problem. Anyone have any ideas?
>I understand that your intent was not to insult me, but I'm feeling
>somewhat insulted anyway.
Again, I apologize for that. I did not mean to target my remarks at you
personally, which is why I didn't attribute the quote and changed the
subject line so that my remarks weren't part of the original thread.
That's also why I didn't send it to you individually, either in lieu of
sending it to the list or as a cc, which I usually do when I'm trying to
answer a specific question.
I intended my remarks as a more general commentary on the sort of problem
statement contained in the original query.
>I apologize if my response here seems
>extreme, but I do feel that your reply to me should have come to me
>directly first - before you posted such a caustic reply to the list.
No apologies necessary on your part. I'm sorry I offended you; I assure
you that was not my intent. Your comments will help me to better phrase my
remarks in the future.
>On a final note, I reinstalled Navigator 2.02, kept the trackball and its
>software (which, as one person suggested, I verified to be version 5.0),
> and I have not crashed in Navigator since.
Great; I'm glad the problem is solved.
chazl
12.03.96
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 14:28:28 -0500
From: Chaz Larson
Subject: using an AV1710 monitor w/centris 610 (q)
At 4:11 PM -0800 12/2/96, David L. Hirschberg wrote:
>Hello, I have an AV1710 monitor and I would like to find out which macs
>have enough VRAM to run it. I called SOSApple and they did not have a
>complete list.
You may want to check this out:
It's an Apple-produced database that cross-references all CPUs, monitors,
printers, etc.
It doesn't, however, list which specific monitors are supported with which
specific CPUs. It rather lists which video resolutions are supported with
which CPUs. It seems to claim that the IIsi will support the 1710AV
monitor at 640x480, 8-bit color.
Other CPUs which are listed as supporting some of the various resolutions
supported by the monitor are:
IIci, IIvi, IIvx, LC, LCII, LCIII, LCIII+, LC4xx/5xx/630, Performa
4xx/5xx/6xx/61xx/62xx/63xx, and pretty much all Centris, Quadra, and Power
Macintosh machines.
chazl
12.03.96
--------------------------------
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End of Info-Mac Digest
******************************