attoClock is a very small application (4,931 bytes) for System 7 that displays a digital clock in a small window. It has intentionally few features. It displays the hour and minute, respecting the time format you have set in your control panels. It doesn’t display seconds or the date or ring chimes or display movies or pictures or animations. Just the time.
The motivation for creating attoClock was that I like having a clock on my screen, but I don’t want to give up a lot of memory or disk space for the function. Also, I distrust the extensions and control panels that put a clock in the menu bar. Even with the best efforts of the authors, conflicts among complex extensions occur. A small application that obeys Apple’s programming guidelines is the least obtrusive way to provide a simple function like this.
To keep attoClock as small as possible, it supports System 7 (including 7.0.1 and 7.1 and presumably future versions) only. It will silently quit if it is launched under earlier systems. The name is taken from the metric-system prefix atto-, which means one quintillionth (10-18). That’s very small, but it should not be confused with an attoBoy, which is a word of praise.
Installation
attoClock may be placed anywhere on your hard disc or floppy disk (!). A particularly good place for it is in the Startup Items folder within your System folder. Placing it there will cause the program to open whenever you start your system.
Other features
Drag the small window by clicking and dragging anywhere inside it. attoClock will remember where you place the window and open it there on subsequent usage. I like to put my clock in the lower right hand corner of my screen, just below the Trash icon.
To change the way attoClock displays the time, use the General control panel. It may take up to a minute for attoClock to reflect the changes you make in its window.
Limitations and requirements
attoClock’s use of the Preferences folder requires features that at present are available only in System 7 (this includes 7.0.1 and 7.1). It should work on any Macintosh computer that runs System 7. If it doesn’t, let me know. attoClock has been briefly tested on a Macintosh II running System 7.0.1 and a PowerBook 100 running System 7.1.
• This program is offered free for the benefit of the Macintosh user community. Therefore, no money may be charged for attoClock. This software may not be made part of any compilation for which a fee is charged. The limitations in this paragraph do not apply to reasonable fees charged by non-profit Macintosh User Groups.
• attoClock may be distributed only unmodified and only if accompanied by this document.
• If you like and use attoClock, send me a fax or e-mail or call my BBS and tell me about your home town.
In consideration of the fact that AlphaTrecker is a freebie, the author disclaims all responsibility for the program’s failure. If it ever fails, let me know the circumstances of the failure by e-mail or fax, and I might fix it if I have the time.
That we need disclaimers on free software proves that we live in a sick society.
