Subject: Info-Mac Digest V16 #281 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="Info-Mac-Digest" --Info-Mac-Digest Info-Mac Digest Thu, 01 Apr 99 Volume 16 : Issue 281 Today's Topics: [*] TidBITS#474/01-Apr-99 (A) Internet Explorer 4.5 and garbled text [Q] Acrobat - full version [Q] Erratic Mouse [Q] MRJ over secure connections... [Q] QT Movies as broken icons... Anybody know where a copy of TECO might be found? Findit Firewire G3 56k Modem (C) Journal 1.05 MediaVision Reno CD info need info/help on norton vs. others parts for a PowerBook 2400c problem setting up printer(S) rudder connector for Gravis Firebird needed Video Card Needed The Info-Mac Network is a volunteer organization that publishes the Info-Mac Digest and operates the Info-Mac Archive, a large network of FTP sites containing gigabytes of freely distributable Macintosh software. 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Or, click . * A full list of Info-Mac mirror sites is available at the URL below: * Search the archive at . Info-Mac volunteers include Gordon Watts, Adam C. Engst, Demitri Muna, Michael Bean, Liam Breck, Hugh Lewis, Tom Coradeschi, and Shawn Bunn. The Info-Mac Digest is sponsored in part by StarNine Technologies, developers of Internet server software for the Macintosh, including Web and email publishing systems. We'd also like to thank AOL for the main Info-Mac machine. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- --Info-Mac-Digest Content-Type: multipart/digest; boundary="----------------------------" Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="Info-Mac Digest V16 #281" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 00:00:00 -0800 From: TidBITS Editors Subject: [*] TidBITS#474/01-Apr-99 TidBITS#474/01-Apr-99 Big news this week warrants a special issue of TidBITS! Read on for details of a settlement in the landmark Microsoft antitrust case, word of a new Y2K-related security problem, and an exclusive look at a new Apple media translation engine technology codenamed Sullivan. We also announce Apple's limited Star Wars DVD bundle, a new location for the January Macworld Expo, and Adam's role in a new Internet television special. Topics: MailBITS/01-Apr-99 Settle Down! Microsoft & DOJ Reach Agreement GIF2K Problem Affects PC Security Apple Ups the AMTE Taking a Step Back from Technology [Archived as /info-mac/per/tb/tidbits-474.etx; 30K] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1999 17:16:27 -0500 From: abrody@smart.net Subject: (A) Internet Explorer 4.5 and garbled text Dear Digest readers, It would seem that MRJ 2.1 and 2.1.1 install an incomplete version of the Text Encoding Converter extension and files. Both the Extension and the folder that contains Text Encodings in the System Folder need to have files of the same version in order to allow IE 4.5 to work properly. Many web sites that use plain text have trouble with it. To get a good version working, the MacOS 8.5 CD-ROM has a custom install feature to allow you to install just the Text Encoding software. But first you must boot from the MacOS 8.5 CD-ROM, and remove the Text Encoding converter from your System Folder's Extensions Folder on your startup hard disk and the Text Encodings from the Text Encodings folder in the System Folder. Then run the custom install, and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.5 will work. Found out about this on the Explorer newsgroup. Hope this helps. Sincerely, abrody@smart.net ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 16:09:27 -0400 From: hope@eat.spam (Joni Hope) Subject: [Q] Acrobat - full version I'm curious about the full version of Adobe Acrobat (not the free Acrobat Reader). It has two features that might make it very useful to me. I'm wondering if anyone can tell me how well it might suit my needs. One feature is that Acrobat says it does OCR, although I've never seen a review of the OCR abilities. Can someone tell me how useful it is for a converting scanned page to text? It's certainly cheaper than Caere in general, but not cheaper than Xerox TextBridge (gets good reviews, I've never seen it) when TextBridge goes on sale. The other feature is, of course, creating PDF files but in my case specifically for a presentation. I know the canonical choice for presentation software is Microsoft PowerPoint. I've never used it, and I don't want to learn a Microsoft product when there are other good choices. Last time I needed a computer presentation, I wrote a HyperCard substitute for PowerPoint with all the features a friend said he used in his presentations. It's simple, but if I write it, I know how to use all the (few) features! In this case, Acrobat would be going against web pages: I need to teach a tough class, and I want my info to be available regardless of platform. Web pages might win by a nose, but if Acrobat has some features specifically for presentation (like a pencil tool so I can scribble notes while I'm teaching, to add to an explanation) then it would be better. Sadly, my HyperCard not-PowerPoint is not cross-platform and that makes not suitable for this next class. Comments on Acrobat for OCR and presentations? TIA! - Joni hope at unc dot edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1999 12:16:19 -0600 From: Trevor Zylstra Subject: [Q] Erratic Mouse My mouse is freezing and skipping, please help! It moves erratically, often freezing in one spot for times up to a minute, and always moving with fits and starts. I've cleaned out the mouse itself (an Apple branded mouse), as well as swapped it with another Apple branded mouse. On the software side, I've zapped PRAM repeatedly, rebuilt my desktop, done a clean install of the OS (8.1 in my case), checked for virii, run Norton 3.5, and run Disk First Aid. None of these made any difference. The behavior continues even with all extensions off. The only other clue I have that might explain this odd behavior is that it started a few weeks after I tried using another, non-Apple mouse. I tried out the Microspeed 3 button mouse for a while, hoping I could get the right mouse button to function as a control-click for OS 8.1. I first installed the older software that came bundled with the mouse, that did not give me the control click option I was looking for, so I went to Microspeed's website ( http://www.microspeed.com/ ) and grabbed the newer software. Installing the new software didn't work (it said that there was no Microspeed mouse connected to the system) so I gave up and went back to my Apple mouse. Unfortunately, a few weeks later, this skipping and freezing started. Please help. Trevor Zylstra trevor@usinternet.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 12:03:02 PST From: "Randall G. Floyd" Subject: [Q] MRJ over secure connections... All, I've been waiting for MRJ 2.1.1 because I think it will allow me to run a particular company application. I downloaded it a while back only to find it doesn't support secure connections. Does anyone know when MRJ might support secure connections? Thanks, Randall ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 07:11:50 PST From: "Randall G. Floyd" Subject: [Q] QT Movies as broken icons... All, Frequently when I come across a QuickTime 3 logo you're supposed to click on to get the movie to play, it doesn't work properly. When I click on the logo, my browser goes through the download process correctly, but after it completes the download the picture changes to a broken movie and the movie doesn't play. If I go in to my cache the movie is there and I can double-click on it and play it in movie player. This happens off of the Apple web site, so I assume it's not server configuration, and I've tried reinstalling the plug-in and rebuilding my desktop, all to no avail. Any suggestions? Randall ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 18:59:18 -0500 From: "Douglas W. St.Clair" Subject: Anybody know where a copy of TECO might be found? TECO (Tape Editor and COrrector) is an old, unfriendly, editing program. I am looking for a copy for either the Mac, the PC, or UNIX. END ************************************************** Douglas W. St.Clair (in New Hampshire) (in Massachusetts) Tir Na Nog 30 George St. 400 Burton Highway Newton, MA 02458-2309 Wilton. NH 03086-5022 PH: 603-654-9321 PH: 617-233-3387 or FAX: 603-654-5440 PH: 617-BEEF-FUR EMAIL: dwstclair@tellink.net WebSite: http://www.tellink.net/~dwstclair ************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1999 09:29:57 -0500 From: "Fraser J. Goodmurphy" Subject: Findit I'm having problems with Iomega's Findit init under OS8.5.1. The icons for Zip and Jaz disks aren't getting displayed correctly. Everything gets labelled as a hard disk, too. Conflict Catcher 8.0.4 complains that the init is using more memory in the System heap than it initially requested. Any ideas? Fraser ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Mar 1999 17:01:17 -0500 From: gene nail Subject: Firewire can anyone at tidbits or any reader answer a couple of questions for me about Firewire. (1) has anyone heard or seen anything about any companies making a firewire board that will allow the earlier G3s to use upcoming firewire equipment such as hard disks and DVDs? (2) is it possible, either with a built in firewire port or with such a port as mentioned above, to use an adapter from firewire to SCSI. I'm asking to help me decide on purchasing equipment that i wouldn't want to be outdated as quickly as i buy it. thanks gene nail gnail@tds.net ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 18:42:04 -0500 From: Al Bloom Subject: G3 56k Modem (C) I just got my new G3 PowerBook (Only the 233, but it's a bunchload better than our old 5300cs and downright cheap -- $1799 thru the university bookstore) and have been testing it out. Not bad on the whole, but the internal modem sucked toads. Trying to connect to Virginia Tech's 56kb V.90 inbound modem pool yielded a lot of frustration. And an at-best speed of 32kb. Gave me the exact same symptoms I had with my new Global Village 56k V90 external modem for my home desktop. I looked at Apple Software Updates. Three files. One, related to a GV internal modem said it couldn't find a modem. Another, related to the G3 internal modem extension did something. The third, related to the firmware in the internal modem, said I was doing fine already. No help. But my increasingly fallible memory told me that GV makes the PB G3 internal modems. Could the same fix that worked on the desktop work on the PB? Try it. I copied the "GV V.90 Flex Preferred" script to the PB's modem scripts folder and selected it in the PB's modem CP. Voila! Worked like a champ. I love it when a plan comes together. Al ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 23:57:48 -0800 From: Doug Hardie Subject: Journal 1.05 Does anyone know what happened to the creator of Journal 1.05 - a FileMaker application? Kagi returned my registration fee and the email address with it is no longer valid. I would like to use it and modify it but need the password. -- Doug ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 16:37:41 -0500 From: Jeff Billman Subject: MediaVision Reno CD info Hi folks, I just got a Reno CD player and it didn't come with an external wall wart. Does anyone have one they can give me whatever info is printed on it? I suspect it is going to be hard to find one since it is a 13.5V power supply. Also, has anyone had any problems hooking one up to a Powerbook 5300 and using CD ROM Toolkit for the drivers? Thanks in advance! Regards, Jeff Billman Hewlet Packard DML PCC ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 14:49:56 -0600 From: mfreis@lsumc.edu (Freistadt, Marion) Subject: need info/help on norton vs. others I am having some problems (decresased performance, inability to save files, etc) with my G3 desktop. Norton Utilities 4 was recommended. However, others have said it is risky, try Disk warrier or Techtool pro. Any recommendations? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 06:05:07 -0600 From: Paul Kleeberg Subject: parts for a PowerBook 2400c Where can I find new parts for a PowerBook 2400c? The clicker below the trackpad is not very sensitive and I wish to replace it. Paul ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 15:26:28 EST From: Luskin@aol.com Subject: problem setting up printer(S) I have a G3 233 with 96 meg memory, and lots of empty hard drive. I have two printers, a personal laser writer NT and a laser writer II. They are connected to the machine by local talk. Things were fine with 8.0, I could print on either of the printers merely by using the chooser. Since installing 8.1, the printers have not been recognized by the system, even though the personal laser printer NT is one of the options in the right hand box of the chooser. I reloaded 8.1, and, In an effort to get the machine to recognize at least one of the printers, I disconnected one of them from the local talk wires. And it worked, I could print. I disconnected tht one, and connected the other, and that worked. Finally I had both connected, and everything worked. In the set up assistant, I was asked how I connected the printer to the machine. I answered "direct". On the next window, I was asked to choose a printer, BUT none of them are what I have, and only one is even a laser printer. I chose the laser printer anyway. In addition, I downloaded something called localtalk pci 1.2, which is now in the extensions folder. When is do a getinfo, I am told that it is LocalTalk PCI and the next line says LocalTalk PCI 1.2 install. When I try to use the chooser, everything seems to be in order. I am uneasy about the "wrong" laser printer having been selected when doing the set up. I am also curious what direct means, as well as network, with respect to hooking up printers. However, the chooser shows both correct printers in the right hand box. What does appletalk have to do with any of this, and is the pci extension necessary with 8.1, as well as 8.5.1, which I might go to if not to 8.6, if it really exists.... Thanks in advance for calming my worries. It is sometimes worse if something works, even if one thinks it should not. Michael B. Luskin ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 15:31:34 +0100 (MET) From: Klaus Schnathmeier Subject: rudder connector for Gravis Firebird needed I recently bought a Mac Firebird II joystick from my local Gravis shop. A great stick indeed, but I would like rudder functions as well. The online manual states, that ordinary PC-rudder pedals can be attached to a phone jack, using a "rudder pedal connector". I took a deep look to different stores, web pages, Gravis offers, etc, but nobody seems to know about such connector. I finally sent email to Gravis, who replied, that this connector had been swept out of their programme and is no longer available. Does anybody know of a different source or, preferably, is it possible to solder such connector by oneself ? Any hint would be appreciated. Klaus --- Sent through Global Message Exchange - http://www.gmx.net ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1999 13:45:39 -0500 From: Steve Seiden Subject: Video Card Needed I have inherited a Sony CPD-1604 Multiscan HG Trinitron monitor. This monitor is an old vintage 17" VGA that has been mine for use with a MacIIfx I used at work for over 10 years, the monitor for over five years. This entire system was retired last summer and was to be scrapped, except that I salvaged the Sony. With the MacIIfx, I used a Radius PrecionColor XP, a Nubus video card, to drive the monitor. At home I have a Performa 6360 with built in video, with which the Sony works fine, but only in 640x480 resolution. I desire to use higher resolutions to be able to utilize the larger screen size. To meet my needs, I need an adequate but inexpensive 6.88" PCI video card. Though I have been using Macs for 11+ years, I know nothing about video/graphics cards. I have been watching eBay and online resellers and see many on sale, but do not have any idea what to purchase. That said, I do not need sophisticated gaming or 3D technology, though perhaps it would come with a value priced option. I just want simple support for normal MS office, MSIE 4.5, Eudora, 56k modem, etc., at minimal cost. I would appreciate recommendations for used, clearance or exceptional value items that might meet this need. Steve Seiden -------------------------------- --Info-Mac-Digest-- End of Info-Mac Digest ******************************