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Mac articles: online and offline

Feel good about your Mac Want some fuel to counter the Apple doomsayers in the press? Check out David Pogue's latest column in Macworld for how much "trouble' Windows is in - or Bob LeVitus' latest column in the Houston Chronicle for how well Apple is doing.

MacsBug basics I am often asked whether I know of a non-technical introduction to the use of MacsBug. My answer has been negative - until now. The May issue of MacAddict magazine has an article called Use MacsBug.

Privacy matters The May issue of Consumer Reports has an article (page 6) … Read more

New subfolders in Mac OS 8

The Mac OS 7.x Extensions folder in the System folder is overstuffed with avariety of file types that go well beyond traditional extensions. Mac OS 8 is reportedly going to help resolve this by including a collection of new subfolders with names such as: Application Support, Contextual Menu Items, Help, Internet Plug-Ins, Printer Descriptions, Printer Drivers, Scripting Additions, Shared Libraries, and Voices.

For some official information on Mac OS 8 from Apple, click here.

Yet more on the PowerBook 3400 problems

a. Shawn Farley (manager of the Boston service department for Computer Town Inc.) worries that the work-around for the PowerBook 3400 RAM problem ( mentioned last time) could wind up damaging your keyboard (though this seems unlikely to me). His department is currently doing another work-around (which is also not authorized by Apple). If you can't bring your 3400 in for service, he suggests: Use a 1/16" one sided stick tape at least two inches long. Stick it on the bottom left side of your keyboard. This is were the socket of your RAM rides. This should do … Read more

ColorSync 2.1.2 (and AppleVision 1.5.2)

ColorSync 2.1.2 is now available as a separate download.

Raul Regalado points out that this software is also included in the AppleVision 1.5.2 Update. However, the AppleVision Update includes the newer AppleVision 9300 profile. Thus, AppleVision users should probably get the 1.5.2 AppleVision Update and avoid the ColorSync package.

Kaleidoscope and Aaron info

a. New versions out Greg Landweber informs me of the public release of Kaleidoscope 1.5.1 and Aaron 1.6.1. He writes:

"Kaleidoscope 1.5.1 is a maintenance release, fixing problems with Drag Thing, Now SuperBoomerang, Adobe Type Reunion, StuffIt SpaceSaver, CyberFinder, FolderIconMaker, SilverLining, SmartScroll, and others. It also adds a windowshade widget to the BeBox scheme, as well as making many other minor changes and improvements. We have also released a new version of the Kaleidoscope Classic Pack that fixesvarious glitches in those color schemes.

Aaron 1.6.1 offersvarious minor bug fixes and improvements. … Read more

Fix information from Apple

a. AppleVision fix A reader reports that Apple tech support told him that the Command-Option-A-V keyboard combination ( mentioned previously) for AppleVision monitors was first implemented in AppleVision 1.5.x and (whatever else it may do) serves as a substitute for what the AppleVision Recovery Software disks do. I have not confirmed this.

b. Shut down freeze fix A source from Apple wrote me with information that suggests that at least some of the previously reported shut down freezes in Mac OS 7.6.1 may be reincarnation of the old Type 11 errors problem that was solved by installing … Read more

Cable modem "health check" error: follow-ups

The health check problem item ( posted last time) generated numerous responses. It sounds like a common and particularly irritating bug. No clear solution is offered yet, but here's what people are saying:

a. Larry Hare writes that he solved his health check problem by changing his OT/TCP setting from DHCP to BOOTP. He was using the RoadRunner service, but suspects the origin of the problem is with Open Transport software.

b. Jeff Keller is also using the RoadRunner service and also has the health check problem. He was told that it is not a problem with the Motorola … Read more

"Just figured out what BETA stands for": follow-ups

When I checked the Mac OS 7.6.1 System File for the "Just figured out what BETA stands for" message ( as described last time), I noticed a related message that followed it. However, it took John Bafford to wake me up to the fact that the additional message is an acronym for the previously referred to BETA: "Bugs Eliminated or back To Alpha."

Meanwhile, Charlie Flaum claims that he always gets this message at startup when the PC Setup control panel is installed. I suspect this is not true for all users of PC Setup, … Read more

CyberSURFER cable modem and "health check" error

Jeff Herscovitz writes: "When I'm accessing the Internet using Netscape 3.0.1 on my Mac 8500/120 (MacOS 7.6) with a Motorola cable modem, I frequently get a message that says: "ERROR: Failed to send Health Check command." After the message, I no longer can go to new pages or sites without quitting Netscape and logging off and then logging on again."

This unusual message is likely specific to the Motorola CyberSURFER cable modem. In this regard, another reader (Gregg Berretta) using the same modem similarly writes getting a "Failed to Send … Read more