Macking 30
by Michael Pearce
From the January '98 Computer Bits
Bug in OS8 File Manager
If you have one of the cheaper Macs that uses IDE/ATA internal drives, instead of SCSI, there is a problem that affects some people who upgrade to OS8. The bug appears only when copying files from the internal hard drive to an external SCSI drive, Zip, Jaz, Syquest or whatever. It causes your Mac to freeze, requiring a restart, when you copy a file large enough to display the Estimated Time Remaining calculation display in the Finder.
It does not occur when copying TO the internal IDE drive, nor when copying from one SCSI device to another. But copying files from the internal HD to an external device is the most common use. Bad bug!
The workaround is to turn on Virtual Memory in the Memory control panel. (It is not known if using RAM Doubler also fixes the problem.) Set virtual memory to its minimum, that is the amount of RAM you have installed, plus 1 megabyte, or more if you need more.
Apple knows about the problem and it will be fixed in the 8.1 upgrade, due shortly. Also, Speed Doubler 8.0.1A corrects the problem. (Thanks, MacInTouch, 11/19 issue.) Go to http://www.macintouch.com/atabug.html for full details; if it is gone when you read this, search their archive.
Major improvement coming
Users testing the new (beta 4) version of 8.1 report significant savings of space on their hard drive. HFS+, part of 8.1, eliminates the minimum file-size requirement. That is, on a 2.3-gig HD, 28.7 megs of general documents will shrink to 9.2 megs. A one-character text document (the smallest possible file) is 77KB now, and 4KB under HFS+. Users of the newest Macs and hard drives will benefit most from this upgrade. I have not tested it myself, but will be downloading it in late December or early January when it ships. You will need to offload your data to another volume and reinitialize the HD to upgrade to HFS+.
Everything will work under the new file structure, except Norton Disk Doctor and SpeedDisk. Symantec is working "feverishly" on the upgrade. I recommend NOT getting 8.1 until you can also get the Norton upgrade.
Always a tradeoff
I was all ready to buy one of the new G3 PowerMacs released last month (except for having the money, but that's another issue), but as I read the news on MacInTouch and MacFixIt, I learned that there were some significant compromises in their design.
Yes, they are blindingly fast, but here are a few known gotchas (as of 12/1):
- 1) The internal drive and the CD are both IDE. Normal operations (saving a file, launching an application) always cause the CD to spin up; this never mattered before, because under SCSI, there is no load on the CPU. With IDE, everything waits for the CD to spin up, even if it is not needed by the application. Many people like to work with a CD always mounted (clipart, etc.) and they will notice. Apple claims that while this is true, the speed of the processor reduces the delay to a minor annoyance.
On the other hand, the HD is large enough to just copy the whole damn CD over! And 1a) the drive is very noisy; "fanlike," according to some reviews.
- 2) The monitor AC output on the back of the minitower model does not cut power when the Mac is shut down (like all previous models). You need to switch it off manually. The model is not Energy Star compliant. This is a "cost-saving" move by Apple. Monitors that are Energy Star compliant will shut off anyway because the lack of video signal is what triggers the sleep mode.
- 3) To switch AppleTalk from the Printer port to the Ethernet port, you must physically remove the LocalTalk plug from the printer port. Pointless bug, and a real problem for those who have a difficult time getting to the rear of the Mac.
- 4) The maximum video capture is 320x240. Also, it cannot display video input except in specific screen resolutions. Neither was a problem with the 8500. Patches and hacks to fix this are appearing already; it also appears that Avid's video editing system does not work with G3.
- 5) The low-end unit does not ship with an internal SCSI cable or mounting hardware for other internal hard drives. If you want an internal SCSI, the Apple dealer must install it for you. Ordering the model with the Zip includes this cable.
- 6) PlainTalk speech recognition does not work. It installs correctly, but an error message insists that there is no microphone in place, even when other applications make use of the mike just fine. Patches or workarounds for this may be available by publication time.
- 7) HP inkjets, including (especially) Apple's HP-built Stylewriters, do not work on G3 Macs. It is a driver issue, and work is being done to fix it. Most likely by publication date a fix will be in.
- 8) The desktop unit cannot use 128-meg SDRAM DIMMs, so you are limited to a maximum of 192 megs RAM. Furthermore, they require low-profile (1.1 inch) instead of the JEDEC-standard 1.5 inches used in Pentium II MMX systems. These low-profile units can cost as much as $400 for 64-megs and $800 for 128-megs. Of course these will drop as demand increases, but be ready to pay!
- 9) The G3 machines are not "officially" upgradable. Partly because offering the units as upgradable incurs legal responsibilities and partly because Apple would rather you just buy new Macs instead of upgrade cards, upgrading the processor or tweaking the undocumented clock-speed jumpers voids the warranty.
Personally, the first thing I would buy for such a unit is a Fast-and-Wide SCSI card for the PCI slot, and a large SCSI drive to plug it into. I have always been suspicious of IDE/ATA, which has been much more common on Wintel systems, and it looks like my suspicions were correct. But be sure to read next month's column for an update on all this. I will be buying one of these before 1/1/98 so reports can be based on experience, not just hearsay.
If you want to buy one of the G3 systems but with a proper SCSI CD-ROM drive (my primary recommendation if you use the drive a lot) and a SCSI internal hard drive, the word is you can but it will be difficult.
The desktop model has two internal bays for 3.5-in storage devices, one of which can be a Zip or Jaz drive. The other can be an HD. The minitower has just one extra bay to accept a 3.5-in. or 5.25-in. device, but more PCI slots. Proper juggling of drives lets you cram a SCSI drive AND a Zip into this machine too.
If you buy locally, the Computer Store (238-1200) tells me that they cannot get custom configured systems from Apple. You need to buy one of the preconfigured systems, then buy a SCSI CD-ROM and install it yourself or pay them to do it. You will need to get a 3rd party SCSI card for the PCI slot and plug an external drive into that. Then it is up to you to get rid of the original CD-ROM yourself. Also, you will not be able to order one with three 128-meg (or 64 meg) SDIMMS; all units arrive at their door with one slot containing a 32-meg SDIMM. You will have to remove it yourself and sell it.
If you buy from PowerMax (503-624-1827 or 800-844-3599) in Lake Grove, Oregon, a national mail-order house based here, they are prepared for this update and have already sold many of them. (Fewer CD upgrades, though.) They even have prices: Low-end G3 with 32 megs RAM, 4-gig SCSI HD and NO installed CD-ROM: $2198. Substitute a 2-gig HD for the 4 and subtract $110 more. Add the IDE CD for $139. 12-speed Apple internal SCSI CDs are going for about $160.
If you buy from the Web page you are out of luck.
If you buy from the Apple 800 number (800-795-1000), they CAN sell you a unit with a SCSI CD-ROM, replacing the ATAPI CD. Pricing is not known; apparently I tipped a few pins when I posed this question. But tell the marketing agent that it is available. At the time of writing, however, Apple is simply not set up to provide these machines configured with no IDE devices. That is coming early next year. One benefit to buying from the Apple store or Web page is a 30-day money-back guarantee on new computers and 7-day guarantee on refurbished systems. You will have to ask the other retailers if they offer the same warranty.
Since all Apple did in designing the G3 systems was to add the IDE socket to the motherboard (without eliminating the SCSI), you can essentially replace both the CD-ROM and the internal hard drive with SCSI devices.
All this was confirmed by a call to Apple's Press Relations department. It is sure nice to be able to phone someone at Apple who can knowledgeably answer technical questions, and who has an overview of just what is going on around there!
As always, early adopters of both hardware and software are the ones to deal with glitches and problems; that's why it's called the "bleeding edge." Let these issues sort themselves out, or go for the speed and prepare to spend some more money to deal with them yourself. Bottom line is that if you do buy a Fast SCSI card and a drive to go with it, and replace the internal CD-ROM as well, you are still spending less money than if you wait for the high-end G3 Macs due by March or April.
Don't Upgrades Suck?
One of the greater annoyances of this industry is software upgrades. Bearing in mind that there are around ten computer-years for every human year (more than dog-years), it seems that before you turn around, your favorite applications are being offered in newer versions, for $20 here, $49 there, sometimes up to $300 or more.
Quark, of course, is the worst offender. You are penalized for not buying every upgrade by being charged the accumulated cost of all the upgrades you passed up. It can cost you as much as $500 per Mac if you want 4.0 and are still working with version 2! Even PowerMac version 3.3.2 users will have to pungle up $149 for the latest. Whether it is worth it or not is for actual 4.0 reviewers to advise you on; my point is that everything seems to need updating, all the time.
Think of your Mac as a photograph of a point in the past. A 6100 model dates from 1994, and came with version 7.1.2, a special PPC version of 7.1 that needed updating on release. System 7.5.1, from late 1995, was stable enough to carry you through to now. But if you had bought all the upgrades, you would have paid full price, $95, for 7.5.0 and then, hopefully, acquired the free update to .1 off the net, but probably paid someone $10 for a CD or set of floppies. 7.5.3 was not upgradeable from 7.5.1; you actually needed the complete version, which could perform a "dirty" upgrade over your older version. It would have cost you $49 or so if you knew to get it from Claris with proof of your ownership of 7.5.1. It cost $95 if you were upgrading from 7.1.
Along comes 7.6 in very early 1997, with needed updates to Open Transport and some bug fixes, followed by the 7.6.1 update three months later. That was free, or $10 on CD. So far, you had probably spent $154 or even $199 and been offered the option of spending $95 again (for 7.6) if you were an early adopter of 7.5.3. Add the $10 and here you are at $304 and looking at another $95 for OS8. None of this is news in the Wintel world, but since Apple is on tighter margins now we need to get used to paying for system upgrades too.
My advice is spend the bucks for OS8, but read previous columns about how to best survive the upgrade process with a minimum of headaches. It is a good upgrade, and it will get better with the next free/$10 update to 8.1. But if you are still living back in 1994, with your FileMaker 2, Photoshop 2.5.1, PageMaker 5.0a or Quark 2.1.2 you might think seriously about staying there.
The question that should be first and foremost on your mind is, how well does my Mac perform the tasks for which I got it in the first place?
We all want Apple to survive and keep making Macs and system upgrades and all the cool stuff that made us reject Windows in the first place. But we also need to separate the advertising hype and the upgrade treadmill from our actual needs.
I upgrade all the time. But that's my job, to explore and to have the latest and greatest. But if your job is to produce the same volunteer newsletter, to write and faxmodem letters to people, to manage books or database in a situation that has not changed much since 1994, then don't feel you need to join in the upgrade march. You are fine.
At most you will need a little more RAM. Not because your applications have suddenly become RAM-hungry, but because you remember that you opted for only 8, or 16, megs for economic reasons. At $300 for a 16-meg SIMM you couldn't justify the advantages since your Mac worked without it. But suppose you could have had a pair of 16s for only $49 each? You might even have put in a pair of 32s at $99 each if they had been that cheap!
Those original desires are still valid. Save the money you would have spent on Photoshop 4 and keep enjoying 2.5.1. The new features are nice but if you bought it you would have to buy the RAM anyway and how many of those new features would you actually use? Furthermore, version 4.0 won't even open the old MacPaint format and I'll bet you have a couple of disks of MacPaint-format clipart that you still use.
Note: If you have already upgraded to Photoshop 4 and are wondering how to deal with your old Paint documents, just download a copy of GraphicConverter (3.0.2 is current). It will convert all kinds of images, including Paint to TIFF, which Photoshop handles fine.
The best way to track upgrades is through a Web site (big surprise) located at www.versiontracker.com. For graphics professionals, an industry-specific site is located at http://macgrafix.barebones.com. Note the absence of the www in the address.
PowerBar Pro
If you have not located PowerBar's website (see last month for review), it's http://www.electricpuppy.com/pbpro3.html. Download the full version of the program for a 30-day demo. Included with the package is IconBOSS, a drawing application for editing or creating original icons.
StuffIt Deluxe 4.5 warning
If you have upgraded to the latest version of StuffIt Deluxe, beware of accidental downgrades. Installers that automatically include a copy of StuffIt Expander (such as Netscape), will replace the StuffIt Engine extension in your Extensions folder with an older one, killing the new features of Deluxe 4.5. To protect yourself, go now to your Mac and create a folder called "Backup of StuffIt Engine" somewhere on your drive, and drag a copy of the StuffIt Engine extension into it. Lots less trouble than reinstalling Deluxe 4.5. (Thanks, MacFixIt.)
Netscape 4.0.4
Netscape is working hard trying to fix the problems that cause crash-on-launch and other symptoms with their new Communicator version 4. Some fixes: Disable Internet Config extension. Remove all previous versions of Navigator before installing 4.0.4; empty trash. Save your Bookmarks data file if desired. Delete the ObjectSupportLib file from the extensions folder (if using OS8).
Or just forget about version 4 for now; stick with 3.0.1 or 2. Eventually Netscape will get it right. I would hate to have to use Microsoft Explorer on general principles; even though some users say it is a good program, it’s still Microsoft, and that company is growing more annoying every day. Try, really try, to keep your system 100% Microsoft-free. This leads to the
Big Laugh at MS's Expense
A friend just returned from Japan and informed me that the latest Japanese version of Internet Explorer, running under the Japanese version of W95, does not support the tilde (~) character! He tried copying it from Word and pasting it in; he tried using the MS equivalent of Key Caps, no luck. So the entire country of Japan is now cut off from most of the world's web pages. He did not get a chance to try the W95 version of Netscape. Naturally, there is no equivalent problem with the Japanese MacOS. Heh heh heh.
PowerCC Fades Away
The PowerWatch web page lives on, in spite of the end of Power Computing itself. The company will not make the transition to a Wintel company. Apple is taking on support for the orphaned machines, and for some, the service will be better than for Apple customers, but for most, warranty work will simply not be worth the trouble. Software support calls will go to Apple, but hardware problems passed on to DecisionOne, http://www.decisionone.com. The 800 number for you to call? Power Computing's normal tech support line. The tech will give you a case number and ask you to call DecisionOne's 800 number, where you will have to wait on hold for upwards of an hour! The end result of a successful diagnosis of hardware problems: Pack it up and ship it to California for repair. No Oregon repair sites are under contract to DecisionOne.
Meanwhile Jeff Keller, the Webmaster for the PowerWatch is focusing on a new project, Digital Camera Page. Look for lots of hints and tips for DC users of all stripes. The PowerPage will focus on info for all Mac users, not just PowerCC.
No Microsoft products were used in the production of this column.
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