Odds & Ends: VPC slowdown follow-up; CanOpener for X;

HP on Scanjet drivers; mach_kernel and kernel panic

VPC slowdown: a follow-up: CPU Usage setting not the cure? On Friday, we noted several reports that, after installing the new Virtual PC 5.0.3 update, performance of the application slowed significantly. Connectix's initial reply suggested that the symptom might occur if VPC's CPU Usage setting was not set to "High." However, we now have three additional reports from readers (Pete Seabolt, Steve Frawley, and Dave Atkinson) who all claim that the slowdown persists even with the Usage set to High. For example, Steve states: "My 'Foreground CPU usage' is set as high as it goes with no help. A tax program I run took almost 8 minutes just to start! Exporting a file, which usually takes 10-15 seconds took over three minutes."

CanOpener for OS X coming Abbott Systems has announced that the Mac OS X version of CanOpener will soon be available. This was a great utility for opening otherwise unopenable files in OS 9, allowing you to access text, graphics, and sounds.

Update: Although Gregory Tetrault was initially told by Abbott that the OS X version will only be able to extract text, we have now received word from Abbott that the OS X version will indeed be able to extract text, graphics and sound!

Scanjet drivers for OS X: a reply from HP Regarding last week's posting on a delay in the release of OS X driver's for HP's Scanjet scanners, David Hossack received this further word from HP: We are very sorry [for] the delay. At this time I do not have a specified date of arrival for the drivers and with the impending release of OS 10.2 there may be more testing with the software that is needed."

Mac OS X: 'Broken Folder' Icon or Kernel Panic When Computer Starts Up Apple KB document 106805 has been updated with information on an "Advanced alternative" for resolving an issue in limited circumstances in which the file mach_kernel needs to be replaced. The document adds: "The steps should not be used for replacing items other than mach_kernel. If these instructions are not followed precisely, Mac OS X may not start up correctly."