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MailBITS/03-Oct-94
InfoSeek may turn into a popular Internet service as the Internet becomes more commercialized. People continually ask why such-and-such isn't available on the Internet, and all too often the answer is, "Because they can sell that data, so why would they give it away?" InfoSeek has an extremely accurate searching engine and some of that sort of data, in this case part of the Ziff-Davis Computer Select database of computer publications. InfoSeek includes 147 publications (some full text, some just abstracts) for a total database of over 79,000 articles (324 MB) ranging from Nov-92 to Dec-93. You can search everything with plain English queries using a Web browser (although MacWeb and Mosaic 1.0.3 don't work with InfoSeek - I used Mosaic 2.0a8 successfully, and Lynx works fine for command-line folks).
ftp://ftp.tidbits.com/pub/tidbits/tisk/tcp/ncsa-mosaic-20a8-ppc.hqx
ftp://ftp.tidbits.com/pub/tidbits/tisk/tcp/ncsa-mosaic-20a8.hqx
Until 14-Oct-94, InfoSeek accounts are free; after that they will be commercial (InfoSeek plans to automatically close free accounts after 15-Oct-94, and you will never be billed as a result of having set up a free account), so if you want to play with InfoSeek for free to see if full text searching on mainstream magazines is useful to you (it's tremendously useful to me), get an account soon. After 15-Oct-94, the Computer Select database will be brought up to date and maintained, although pricing hasn't yet been set. Send email to <info@infoseek.com> for information on how to get an account. They've asked me to request that you put "TidBITS" in the Subject line. Feel free to connect to InfoSeek's Web site before you get an account, but all you can do without an account is browse the list of included publications. [ACE]
Glenn Fleishman <glenn@popco.com> writes to tell us that Adobe has joined two other companies whose names start with A (Apple, with LaserWriter 8.0, and Aladdin, with StuffIt Expander 3.5) in releasing a product without removing code that made the betas expire. Thus, Adobe Photoshop 3.0 will self-destruct on 01-Jan-95 unless you run a patcher that Adobe promises to distribute by 10-Oct-94. We'll be sure to give a URL for that if we can find one. Adobe is recalling copies of Photoshop in the channel and will put out new boxes with a 3.0.1 sticker on them. [ACE]
A PowerPC-based Performa model joins Apple's lineup of consumer-oriented Macintosh models this week. The Macintosh Performa 6100 series machines sport a 60 MHz PowerPC 601 processor (as does the Power Macintosh 6100/60), and all configurations will include an Apple Multiple Scan 15 display, tray-loading CD-ROM drive, and Global Village's new TelePort Gold II modem. Various models (the 6110CD, 6112CD, 6115CD, 6117CD, and 6118CD) differ in hard drive size and bundled software; each chain of retail outlets will offer one or two configurations. [MHA]
PowerBook 500-series owners should now be able to obtain Apple's PCMCIA Expansion Module (item M2995LL/A) from dealers. The unit, which fits into one of the battery compartments on a PowerBook 520, 520c, 540, or 540c, provides a pair of slots for type II PCMCIA cards. The module appeared on Apple's 12-Sep-94 price lists, and the company expects it will be readily available. [MHA]
Claris is selling FileMaker Pro 2.1 in the U.S. for a mere $99 and in Canada for $149 until 31-Dec-94. I'm sure it's purely a marketing move, but since FileMaker Pro 2.1 generally sells for about $265 discounted, it's worth calling Claris for more information if you've been interested in getting FileMaker Pro anyway. [ACE]
Claris -- 800-3CLARIS
Nisus Software, in the throes of releasing the long-awaited NisusWriter 4.0, has also shipped QUED/M 2.7, the latest version of their programmer's editor. QUED/M 2.7 now has a CodeWarrior menu for accessing CodeWarrior commands from within QUED/M, Frontier scripting support, and THINK Debugger support. QUED/M is also MPW Projector and SourceServer aware. Upgrades are $20 from version 2.5 or 2.6, and $49 from version 2.09 or older. [ACE]
Nisus Software -- 800/281-0101 -- 619/481-7197 -- 619/481-6154 (fax) --<nisus.mktg@applelink.apple.com>
QuickDraw GX Printer Drivers -- It will take time before all printers and fax modems have GX drivers, but Andy Ihlenfeldt <arihlenfeldt@mmm.com> passed on some encouraging thoughts. "Through my job, I've been interested in GX printing and have had various development versions for almost two years. I have developed printer drivers under GX and would like to pass on a few comments about Apple's GX efforts. Developing a non-GX print driver is rather difficult, and I don't believe that a bug-free driver can be developed (I have a DeskWriter and am continuously annoyed by problems despite Hewlett-Packard having spent dozens of person-years on driver development). Under GX, the rasterization of the image by the print driver is all handled automatically by GX. Additionally, GX can produce output rivalling that of PostScript. As a result, good and consistent output should be common on printers from many different manufacturers. Finally, it is trivial for an experienced Mac developer to produce a printer driver for certain classes of printers. Producing a driver for a brand-X dot-matrix printer can be done in a matter of days to weeks. Perhaps the barrier preventing low-cost PC printers from being used by Macs will finally fall. The support provided by the GX team to driver developers is extensive. The GX printing team seemed interested in helping when I was working with them. I think they (and Apple in general) should be commended for their support in this area." [TJE]
Japanese or Chinese Language Kit users must wait to upgrade to System 7.5 until updates for each language kit are released around the end of this year. The System 7.5 Read Me file suggests upgrading to version 1.1.1 of the language kits, which do not yet exist. The QuickDraw GX URGENT Read Me file says the GX software requires WorldScript II version 7.2 or later, but in fact the language kit update is required as well. [MHA]
System 7.5 -- The TidBITS-243 article about upgrading to System 7.5 provoked commentary from several readers. Carsten Klapp <carsten@hookup.net> wrote, "I for one am not going to rush out and buy System 7.5 right away, as I did when System 7.1 came out, because Apple does not yet recognize the importance of the people who are the first to buy a new product. The early purchasers often dictate how well software will sell, because they tell the rest of the market whether to buy now, later, or not at all. Ideally I would like to see discounts for early purchasers of system software along with the discounts for people who purchase the software late. Those in the middle pay the full price - they did not support the development of the software by buying into it early, nor did they wait for the next version."
People outside the U.S. weren't helped much by the article, since I could find little information about how they can upgrade. It almost seems that Apple doesn't want anyone outside of the U.S. to upgrade. Andrew Pitts <andrew.pitts@cl.cam.ac.uk> had this to say, "I just rang the U.K. System 7.5 upgrade line (0181-730-2828). My pleasure at finding Apple U.K. sufficiently connected to home base to have already set up a dedicated phone line for System 7.5 info was short lived. I was informed that despite having bought a PowerBook 540 a few weeks ago (one of the lucky few, it seems), Apple U.K. is charging 30 pounds plus shipping and VAT (coming to a grand total of 41.13 pounds, (about U.S. $66) to obtain System 7.5." [TJE]
Howard Goldbaum <howard@bradley.bradley.edu> writes: The Peoria Art Guild presents Digital Photography '95, a juried exhibition to be held 21-Apr-95 to 20-May-95. The entry deadline is 01-Feb-95. This is the second year that the Peoria Art Guild has sponsored this juried competition to explore current work being created in this new medium. The images selected for the exhibition will be shown in both the "physical space" of the gallery, and in the "virtual space" of computer networks, where more than 14,000 people (as of September) have seen the 1994 exhibit.
http://www.bradley.edu/exhibit/index.html
ftp://ftp.bradley.edu//pub/guild exhibit/
The exhibition of winning entries will open on 21-Apr-95 and will remain on display at the gallery until 20-May-95. Exhibited work may be in any type of two-dimensional print format. Cash prizes totaling $500 will be determined by the jurors, Mark Siprut (author of The Photoshop Handbook, Random House) and Howard Goldbaum (Associate Professor, Bradley University). You may download and print out the entry form available online, at the URL below. For additional information, email Howard at the address above.
ftp://ftp.bradley.edu/pub/dig.photo.contest
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