Cupertino, Calif. - Finally, there's going to be a Macintosh even Scotty could use.
As previously reported (see MacWEEK, May 25, 1992), a new line of 68040-
based Macs Apple plans to introduce this summer will incorporate a totally new, true 32-bit architecture, the company's Casper voice-
recognition technology and a host of other innovations.
Code-named Cyclone, the new models will be the first Macintoshes with a built-in digital signal processor (DSP), full direct memory access on all peripheral buses, a new high-speed serial port, and integrated digital and analog video-in and video-out.
The line, sources said, will include two desktop designs.
> Two storms. The high-end Cyclone reportedly will come with the fastest '040 available at ship time, most likely a 40-MHz chip. It will have three enhanced NuBus slots and 8 Mbytes of RAM, expandable to 128 Mbytes.
With an optional 2 Mbytes of video RAM, it will display up to 24-bit color on a 16-inch monitor.
The low-end Cyclone will be powered by a 25-MHz '040 and will come with 4 Mbytes of RAM, expandable to 68 Mbytes. It will accept only one NuBus card, and its display capabilities will be limited to 16-bit color on monitors up to 16 inches in size.
> Mac III. What makes the Cyclone so special, sources said, is a system architecture so different from current Macintosh designs that it has been dubbed the Macintosh III.
First, the new models will support direct memory access on all peripheral buses, including the SCSI bus. The last time Apple implemented SCSI-DMA in hardware (the Mac IIfx), it never delivered the required system-software support. But this time a new SCSI Manager taking advantage of the hardware to accelerate disk I/O definitely will be available, sources said.
Cyclone fully implements NuBus 90, which supports faster throughput from add-on cards. The serial ports also have been supercharged; the modem port will be capable of emulating a variety of telephone standards, and with the right adapter, it can be connected directly to a wall socket.
The entire Cyclone system reportedly will operate in 32-bit mode, making it impossible for users to drop back to 24-bit mode for compatibility with older applications.
> DSP. The Cyclone systems will come with an AT&T 3210 DSP built in. The addition of this second processor enables a slew of new capabilities, sources said, including the ability to emulate a modem, digitize and play back sound at 16-bit resolution (audio CD quality), speed up data compression, and enable voice recognition.
Users eager to buy a Cyclone just for the ability to pilot their Macintosh by voice command should be warned, however, that the first implementation of Casper will have a limited vocabulary and will require software developers to add a phrase book to their applications before it will be able to control them.
Apple is expected to release a special monitor with built-in speakers and microphone especially to support Casper and the Cyclones' improved sound capabilities.
> Video. The Cyclones will come with in and out support for both composite and S-video built in, sources said. It will be able to "pass-
through" analog video straight to the Macintosh's monitor and can even display live video transparently over the Mac's desktop. It also can digitize video to QuickTime format, although size and quality will be limited without the addition of an optional compressor-decompressor chip.
MacWEEK 02.08.93
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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News: Update for 7.1 coming soon
By Robert Hess
Cupertino - Apple reportedly is preparing to release an extension much like its System 7 Tune-Up that is designed to improve the performance and reliability of Macs running System 7.1. In addition, sources said, the company soon will deliver a separate System Enabler to support 32-
bit addressing on older Macs.
Apple released the update internally to all its employees last week. Historically, public releases follow internal releases by about a week. Apple declined to comment.
> System update. The Macintosh Hardware System Update 1.0 is a 6-Kbyte system extension and comes with an updated Memory control panel, Version 7.1.1. Together, sources said, they address problems in four areas: high-speed serial communications, system-clock accuracy, floppy ejection during shutdown and overall system performance during low-memory conditions.
The update is recommended for most Mac models, including all PowerBooks, all Quadras, LC, LC II, IIsi, IIci, IIvi, IIvx and Classic II. The update is not intended for the Performas, and Apple strongly advises against installing it on those models, sources said.
In recent weeks, Apple has updated its System Enabler files for the Mac IIvx, Performa 600, and PowerBook 160 and 180. The new Enablers reportedly incorporate the same patches as the Update file but not the improvements provided by the new Memory control panel. IIvx and PowerBook 160 and 180 users should not be at risk if they run both sets of code, sources said.
Like Tune-Up, Update uses the system's Gestalt Manager to indicate that its patches are loaded. This allows third-party developers to change the behavior of their programs depending on the presence or absence of the patches.
The new extension also reportedly makes unspecified patches to the Mac SCSI Manager.
> 32-bit Enabler. Another soon-to-be-released extension called the 32-
Bit System Enabler offers the same functionality as MODE32, an extension Apple licensed from Connectix Corp. in 1991.
Apple has distributed MODE32 without charge to owners of Macs that lack "32-bit-clean" ROMs, including the Mac II, IIx, IIcx and SE/30. Without the extension or the new Enabler, users of those models are unable to directly access more than 8 Mbytes of memory.
When it licensed MODE32, under pressure from owners of the "dirty ROM" models, Apple said it would eventually incorporate similar patches into its system software.
MacWEEK 02.08.93
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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News: Tokyo rollout set for new Macs
By Raines Cohen
Tokyo - Mac users concerned about cost and color will have a field day this week as Apple ships a range of new products.
The introductions, to be held at Macworld Tokyo here, include 68040 machines at midrange prices, the first color PowerBook, a low-cost color Classic, inexpensive printers and a VGA monitor.
Apple will announce:
> Centris line. Apple will offer a vast array of midrange options in its new line. The Centris 610 and 650 will sell for $1,859 to $4,379 in configurations with and without FPUs (floating-point units) in the on-
board 20- or 25-MHz '040s (see MacWEEK, Feb. 1).
> Quadra 800. The newest Quadra will include a 33-MHz '040 and three NuBus slots, as well as an '040 processor direct slot and built-in Ethernet. It will sell for $4,679 to $6,399.
> PowerBook 165c. Apple's first color PowerBook will feature a passive-
matrix color LCD. It starts at $3,399 for a 4/80 configuration.
Based on the PowerBook 180, the 165c will include a 33-MHz 68030 with math coprocessor, support for up to 14 Mbytes of RAM and video output. The nickel-cadmium battery will be good for one and a half to two hours of use between charges (see MacWEEK, Jan. 4).
> Color Classic. The first Macintosh to combine a color monitor with an all-in-one design will sell for $1,389 in a 4/80 configuration. The 16-
MHz '030-based machine will support 256 colors, which can be upgraded to 32,767, and include an internal Mac LC-style PDS.
> LC III. The latest Mac LC offering will sport a 25-MHz '030, a 32-bit data bus and 4 Mbytes of RAM, which can be expanded to 36 Mbytes. A math coprocessor will be optional; users also can add cards to the Mac LC-
standard PDS and expand the 512 Kbytes of video RAM to 768 Kbytes to support up to 16-bit color on displays as large as 14 inches. The LC III starts at $1,379 in a 4/80 configuration.
> LaserWriter Select line. Apple's new personal laser printers, the LaserWriter Select 300 and 310, are based on a 300-dpi, 5-page-per-
minute Fuji Xerox engine.
The $1,079 Select 310 features an AMD 29200 RISC chip running 1.5 Mbytes of RAM, which can be expanded to 5 Mbytes. It will come standard with Adobe PostScript Level 1 and 39 TrueType fonts. Although it lacks LocalTalk, the 310 will ship with serial and parallel ports and Apple's new GrayShare file-sharing software. It also will include the latest version of Apple's PhotoGrade and FinePrint print-enhancement software.
The $819 Select 300, a QuickDraw model, lacks the 310's RISC chip and parallel interface. Users will be able to upgrade to PostScript and GrayShare.
> VGA display. The Apple Basic Color Monitor, rolled out to education channels last month, can connect directly to any Mac or IBM PC or compatible that supports VGA output. The $329 monitor displays 640 by 480 pixels at a 60-Hz refresh rate and features an 0.39mm dot pitch. It includes a tilt-and-swivel base and complies with Swedish emission standards.
Apple already has cut prices on the Mac IIsi in a "clearance sale" apparently intended to reduce the company's remaining inventories of the single-slot midrange Mac to make room for the new offerings.
For further information about this week's product introductions, check ZiffNet/Mac via CompuServe starting Tuesday.
MacWEEK 02.08.93
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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News: Apple to serve up multiport ARA
By Mitch Ratcliffe
San Francisco - Apple is aiming to seize an advantage over third-party AppleTalk Remote Access server vendors with new Mac-based software that offers enhanced security and support for multiple phone lines.
The new version of AppleTalk Remote Access (ARA) reportedly will be unveiled next month. When used on a NuBus-equipped Macintosh with Apple's $1,019 Serial NB Card, it will support up to four external modems. Apple also may unveil a version of the serial card that provides eight or more ports for ARA connections, sources said. The current ARA 1.0 can handle only one modem connection at a time and offers a single password per account with dial-back security.
The new server software reportedly will offer as an option the Access Control Encryption (ACE) Server from Cambridge, Mass.-based Security Dynamics Inc. The ACE system requires remote users to carry credit card-
size LCD displays that generate numeric codes every 60 seconds; users must enter the current code to log into ARA servers.
Apple's version of the ACE Server will be the first to run on a Mac as a native application. Currently, ACE Server security is available for Shiva Corp.'s LanRover/E and Cayman Systems Inc.'s GatorLink, but the software must run on a Unix computer connected to the ARA server by a TCP/IP network.
Although Apple has touted the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) as the solution for protocol-independent dial-in access, Apple's March release will not support PPP. Developers said Apple told them PPP will be introduced in a later version of the software.
Apple reportedly will not share its Mac-based ACE Server or multiline ARA server technology with current vendors or with the many third parties that plan to ship ARA servers this year, such as Xylogics Inc. of Burlington, Mass., and Cisco Systems Inc. Menlo Park, Calif.
Craig Brenner, AppleTalk network systems product manager for Apple, said that third parties should be prepared to compete with Apple on value-
added features.
"Apple is in the software business, and it's a tough problem, because we work with [third parties] while competing with them," Brenner said. "If their concern is competing with Apple, I can't help them. That's the economic environment we're in."
Developers, some of which contributed to the development of the original ARA protocol, said Apple has provided them little information about the new server technology.
"We'll probably end up having to reverse engineer it," one developer said. "This is the problem you have when the vendor that controls things tries to make money off it."
However, developers said they have been told the new server will be compatible with current ARA client software and that new versions of the client will be able to dial into existing ARA 1.0 servers.
"If we do a client, we are interested in having that client work for everyone," Brenner said.
In the interim, Shiva plans to begin bundling a client-only version of ARA 1.0 later this month, under an agreement signed last year with Apple's Enterprise Systems Division. Shiva apparently will be the only third-party company able to bundle the client software: ESD reportedly offered a similar deal to other vendors but withdrew it before any other company signed up. Shiva said the base price of the LanRover will not change when the client is added.
Industry sources also have begun speculating that Apple will bundle a client-only version of ARA with its PowerBooks. Apple had included the ARA client-server package with all PowerBooks until last October. Currently, the ARA client and server are available together for $199.
Availability of client software would go a long way to salving the wounds felt by ARA developers.
"We aren't sure we should invest in the ARA protocol or try to do our own," one developer said. "Apple gains the advantage of our input, but we get stuck selling a server that Apple forces the customer to buy again in order to get client software."
MacWEEK 02.08.93
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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News: General Magic will do its trick on Macs, PDAs
Telescript agents sort users' E-mail
By Mitch Ratcliffe
New York - General Magic Inc.'s Telescript programming language will find its first home early next year on the Macintosh and Apple's forthcoming Newton personal digital assistants. A flurry of Magic-
powered handheld devices will follow soon afterward.
At a press event here this week, General Magic will announce Telescript and Magic Cap, an operating system and graphical user interface for handheld devices, previously known as Magic Mail (see MacWEEK, Jan. 25). The technologies will let users create agents to manage their communications.
The company also will announce that Sony Corp., Motorola Inc., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and Philips N.V. plan to sell Magic Cap-based handheld communicators in 1994. Motorola will show an early version of its device, known as Alarm Clock and expected to sell for about $1,000.
General Magic, which is based in Mountain View, Calif., has helped launch several start-up companies to build products that use the technologies, sources said. The company also is collaborating with AT&T Co. to build a Telescript-enabled "electronic mall" on the telephone network.
Telescript will allow users to create intelligent agents that can reside on their Macintosh or within a network. An agent is a program that can perform tasks automatically based on criteria established in advance by the user. With agents users will be able to issue commands to automate such tasks as sorting and filtering mail and electronically seeking out and retrieving data residing on any network that supports Telescript.
"Telescript is tuned particularly to packaging up little agents and sending them out on the network," said Marc Porat, president and CEO of General Magic. "If you have a preference about anything, it can be expressed in Telescript."
Porat said his company initially will ship a Telescript kernel for Macs and Newtons. Sources said specifics about how users will interact with Telescript, such as whether Magic Cap will be incorporated in the Mac operating system, are still subject to negotiation with Apple.
Telescript will assist Mac users in gathering information to help them conduct their lives more efficiently, according to Porat.
For instance, Mac users could create an agent that scans the network for the latest information about a departing airline flight and alerts them if the flight is on time or late. Porat also said it would be possible to have agents that know a user's personal profile cruise the network for a date or the best table at a restaurant.
Telescript engines eventually will run on any network server, including AppleShare or the TCP/IP-based Internet, as well as individual devices connected to those networks, Porat said. These engines will exchange messages and communicate users' preferences about how information should be handled.
E-mail recipients could set their mailbox to throw away electronic "junk" mail or to forward it automatically based on the name of the sender, the contents or even the time of day it arrives.
Telescript also could format messages differently depending on how they will be viewed or used. Since the technology is device-independent, any Telescript user could communicate with Macs, Newtons and Magic Cap-based devices.
For example, a Mac user could send a message from an AOCE (Apple Open Collaboration Environment)-compatible application, such as a future version of Aldus Persuasion, through the Telescript kernel, which would encapsulate the file in a set of instructions and deliver it to a mailbox on the AT&T EasyLink network. If the addressee did not have a Mac, Telescript would recognize that the message contained graphics that could not be displayed and forward the file to the addressee's fax machine, which would print the Persuasion slides for viewing.
"This is a huge, ambitious project, but if there's anyone who can do it it's General Magic," said Denise Caruso, editor of Digital Media, a San Francisco-based industry newsletter. "However, if Telescript turns out to be as powerful as they say it's going to be and does all the things they say it's going to do, there are a lot of privacy issues that will have to be dealt with before it can become a widespread technology.
"I think that people are beginning to be concerned about technology having so much power over their lives," she added. "It's an issue of trust."
MacWEEK 02.08.93
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Gateways: Go fast now or V.FAST later?
By Nathalie Welch
Washington - A speed war has broken out in the modem industry, and Mac users will have to choose sides.
A group of 18 telecommunications vendors, including Global Village Communication Inc., last month formed a consortium to promote a new high-speed modem modulation scheme, V.32terbo, to let modems operate at 19.2 Kbps. V.32terbo breaks the current limitation of data-transmission speed, 14.4 Kbps, offered by devices supporting the CCITT V.32bis standard.
Modems supporting the new speed already have been announced and will be available as soon as next month.
The consortium is pitching the fledgling specification as an interim step until the Consultative Committee International Telegraph and Telephone approves the long-awaited 28.8-Kbps V.FAST standard. CCITT has been reviewing the V.FAST proposal for two years and doesn't expect to complete work before the end of the year.
More than 60 vendors last week here re-emphasized their support of V.FAST, including Dove Computer Corp., Supra Corp., PSI Integration Inc. and Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc.
Some V.FAST supporters may still offer 19.2-Kbps modems. Others, such as PSI, will not. "I think the window of opportunity to market 19.2 modems will be very small," said PSI President Bill Lauer. V.FAST proponents also said the V.32terbo standard stretches the capabilities of V.32 technology beyond its design limits. But one of V.FAST's most ardent supporters disagreed.
"I think that vendors rallying around an interim standard is a very fair thing to do, and V.32terbo is a good approach to doing it," said Dick Stuart, vice president of technology for Penril Datacomm Networks in Gaithersburg, Md. Stuart, also chairman of the V.FAST Rapporteur Group for CCITT, said his company will develop a device capable of 19.2 Kbps.
Current 14.4-Kbps modems would require a chip swap to upgrade to V.32terbo. It is still unclear, however, whether another board swap or just a software upgrade would be needed to then move to V.FAST.
Multi-Tech Systems Inc. of Mounds View, Minn., expects to ship its MT1932BL modem capable of 19.2-Kbps data transmission near the end of the first quarter for $1,199. The device will require Mac cables.
Zypcom Inc. of Hayward, Calif., last week announced a $749 V.32terbo modem due to ship in May. Mac software will be included.
MacWEEK 02.08.93
Gateways Page 20
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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GA: NewTek gives Macs Toaster hookup
ToasterLink connects Macs to video device
By Neil McManus
Topeka, Kan. - NewTek Inc. this week will deliver a kit that lets Mac users cook up video productions on its Video Toaster.
ToasterLink for the Macintosh, priced at $595, connects the Mac to NewTek's video-production and special-effects system through a SCSI interface. Users can control the Toaster and transfer Mac images to the device through an included Mac switcher program.
NewTek's Video Toaster Workstation, which starts at about $4,000, includes a Commodore Amiga packed with 5 Mbytes of RAM, a 52-Mbyte hard drive, and several graphics and video-production programs.
NewTek said ToasterLink and the Toaster will give Mac users a variety of high-end tools, such as:
> A switcher, which lets users perform cuts, fades and wipes between any of seven possible sources. Users can mix video images and key them over backgrounds.
> Digital video effects, processed through four custom VLSI (very large-
scale integration) chips, including flip, spin, tumble, page peel, warp, and digital and analog trails.
> LightWave 3D, a 24-bit program for modeling, rendering and animating 3-D graphics.
> ToasterPaint, a painting program optimized for broadcast video graphics.
> ToasterCG, a character generator that takes advantage of the Toaster's dual-frame buffers and linear keyer to produce anti-aliased titles.
> ChromaFX, a color processor for creating effects such as sepia toning, solarization and posterization.
> A frame grabber, which lets users capture video images for manipulation.
The Toaster can directly read Mac files in PICT, DXF (Drawing Interchange File) and Macromedia Inc.'s Swivel 3D formats. ToasterLink for the Macintosh eventually will be upgraded to let users capture Toaster productions as QuickTime movies, sources said.
NewTek Inc. is at 215 S.E. Eighth St., Topeka, Kan. 66603. Phone (913) 231-0100 or (800) 847-6111; fax (913) 231-0101.
MacWEEK 02.08.93
GA Page 26
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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BusinessWatch: Aldus profits drop to lowest ever
Executives continue to head for the exits
By Lisa Picarille
Seattle - The once high-flying Aldus Corp. has hit a new low.
Despite a 4 percent increase in 1992 revenues to $174.1 million, Aldus' net income slid a 71 percent to just $6.8 million - the company's lowest annual earnings since it went public in 1987.
Aldus' fourth-quarter revenues for the period ended Dec. 31, 1992, rose 7 percent to $45.7 million, chiefly because of strong demand for its Fetch image-retrieval database product. But net income plunged 58 percent to $1.9 million, compared with $4.5 million in the previous year's quarter - the company's sixth straight quarter of disappointing results.
Aldus officials attributed the profit decline to ballooning operating costs for sales and marketing programs and increased investments in research and development. The company also took a one-time charge of $2.1 million for restructuring costs associated with the layoffs of 100 employees, or 11 percent of its worldwide workforce, and the acquisition of an Irish subsidiary last year (see MacWEEK, Aug. 17, 1992).
Underlying all that are threats to the company's flagship product. PageMaker, which brings in more than 50 percent of Aldus' revenues, faces strong competition from QuarkXPress at the high end and from word processors with publishing features at the low end, according to industry observers. Aldus still has about 65 percent of the desktop publishing market and is revamping its channel strategy, the company said.
Meanwhile, sources said, Aldus may sell its consumer division -comprised primarily of products obtained through its 1990 acquisition of Silicon Beach Software Inc. - to generate cash.
The upheaval has hit the company's executive ranks. Over the past year, Aldus has lost several key officers as well as product and sales managers.
Last week, Kenneth Grunzweig, a former Lotus Development Corp. vice president, was named Aldus vice president of marketing. He replaces Larry Spellhaug, who left more than a year ago. Jill Bamburg, Aldus' director of strategic planning who also assumed marketing responsibilities on an interim basis, left the company last month.
Sandy Smith, formerly Aldus vice president of operations and acting chief operating officer, recently was named permanent chief operating officer. She replaces Phil Herres, who with Aaron Howard, vice president of sales for Aldus USA, departed last April.
Other managers who were laid off or resigned from Aldus in the past year include Mike Sherwood, PageMaker product manager; Dave Cloutier, head of developer relations; Dennis Schnopple, head of testing; Nancy Case, manager of market research; Ken McFall, developer of the kanji version of PageMaker; Howard Campbell, the technical lead for PageMaker 6.0; and Steve Miller, head of outside sales.
MacWEEK 02.08.93
BusinessWatch Page 36
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Review: Version 2.0 stays In Control
Attain adds automatic reminders, more flexible printing, a script feature and document linking to its premier to-do list manager.
By Dale Coleman
If you manage to attain your goals, you probably keep to-do lists of some kind. One way to do so is to use a tool that actually encourages list keeping. In Control from Attain Corp. helps you gain command of your lists by letting you view your data in a hybrid outline and spreadsheetlike table format. The result is a powerful tool that aids the doing as well as the listing.
In our review of Version 1.0 (see MacWEEK, Feb. 17, 1992), our wish list for the next version included a limited scripting facility to automate repetitive tasks and quick access to related documents via Apple events. With In Control 2.0, Attain Corp. has fulfilled these wishes, as well as some we hadn't thought of, while simultaneously retaining most of the program's ease of use.
The list price for In Control 2.0 is $129.95. This includes Portfolio Systems Inc.'s DynoPage Lite. Upgrades from Version 1.0 are $30, unless you purchased the product after Nov. 1, 1992, in which case the upgrade is $10.
In Control's suggested memory size has increased from 512 Kbytes to a still-miserly 800 Kbytes.
Topics. Anyone familiar with a standard Mac outliner, such as Symmetry Corp.'s Acta Advantage or Symantec Corp.'s MORE, will recognize immediately one facet of an In Control document: Each row is called a Topic, and you can indent, collapse and move Topics with standard outliner techniques. But unlike most outliners, In Control Topics can be divided into several cells; two or more Topics result in spreadsheetlike columns.
In Control lets you assign column labels, such as Priority, Date, Key Individual and other categories that may be pertinent to your tasks. Columns can be sorted, expanded, moved or hidden. You also can match records based on the contents of any cell.
This scheme lets you view a to-do list in many ways. You might want to see only those items that are assigned a high priority, those items tied to a specific date or both. You can view a list in either outline or spreadsheetlike table view with a click of a button in the horizontal tool bar, which is inaptly named the Control Panel.
Good stuff. Some of In Control's new features are very simple. You can optionally display a check box to the left of each Topic, which you can check when that task is completed. You can hide or display checked Topics with a menu command.
The new Link command uses Apple events to let you associate any file or application to a Topic. Links are indicated by a special symbol in the Topic's check box. This feature is very well-implemented and vastly expands the role In Control can play in your work environment. If you're working on a large project with many associated documents, In Control can function as a home base you can use to manage all of that project's associated files.
New Reminders provide automatic notification of a scheduled Topic on a to-do list in a fairly standard manner. You can have In Control sound an alarm at a specified time prior to the scheduled event. If you install the optional system-extension file, Blinker, it will notify you of a scheduled topic even if the file or the application is not open; if the Mac is turned off when the reminder is scheduled to be triggered, it will notify you when you next start up.
The Reminder dialog box gives you several options to respond: postpone for one day, postpone for five minutes, reschedule for another time or check the topic as completed.
You'll have to remember two things about Reminder files: First, if you use more than one In Control file and the file is not open when the reminder is activated, you'll have to remember the name of the file with which the alarm is associated. The In Control icon blinks alternately with the Apple menu icon, but there is no indication of the name or location of the file requesting your attention. Second, the reminder data is stored in a file in the Preferences folder in the System folder, so if you plan to use the same group of reminders on two or more machines, you'll have to remember to move the Preferences file along with the In Control document.
A script is not a script. The powerful new scripting feature is at once accessible and somewhat confusing. For example, if you want to create a script that automatically displays only high-priority items sorted by date, you must first issue the commands to display the list, then issue the new script command from the pop-up menu in In Control's tool bar. This command summons the Script dialog box, which contains a field for naming the script and check boxes to further define how you want the list displayed.
These include options to expand all topics, hide or display checked topics, and hide or display Date View. In this example, you would check boxes for the current match (high-priority items) and the current sort (by date).
The terminology used in this dialog box can be confusing. The match check box is labeled "Match, using the saved Match criteria," but it means to match using the last match commands performed before returning to Whole Outline view. This, and similarly sloppy language, makes scripts more difficult to grasp than necessary.
It seems that the match and sort boxes should be checked automatically, given that the manual states a script is like a snapshot of the current state of the document.
The calendar. Many to-do list topics often are appointments or milestones associated with a specific date and time. The new Date View feature addresses this fact in a limited way. You access Date View by clicking the Date button in the tool bar. Date View opens a second "window" containing a calendar below the List View window. It's not really a window, since the drag box controls the entire document window, but it has separate vertical scroll bars from the List View window.
Any topic with a date entered in a date-time field appears in the Date View; items that are checked in the List View are displayed in strike-
through text in the Date View.
While being able to see scheduled topics in calendar format is useful, the implementation of this feature is the least appealing thing about In Control 2.0. The Date View calendar always opens displaying the current date, so if you're scheduling topics several months from now, you must use the Go to Date command. The first topic listed on a day usually is partially hidden by the small box containing the numeral for that date. Date View gives you no indication whether you have more topics scheduled for one day than will fit in the Date View window. Date View would be significantly more useful if it had its own, fully resizable window.
The utility of both the Date View and the List View are enhanced by Portfolio's DynoPage Lite. In addition to a print preview, DynoPage Lite lets you print in various popular commercial organizer formats, including DayTimer, Day Runner and FiloFax.
Documentation and support. The documentation is clearly organized, but some of the topics, particularly scripts, are unclearly written. The first printing of the manual did not include an index, but Attain will send one on request. Support is a toll call and is available during normal business hours.
Conclusions. For straight to-do list management, In Control is still our product of choice. When we evaluated the initial version early last year, we were favorably impressed by both the innovation In Control embodies and the accessibility of its interface.
With this new version we're still impressed with the innovation. Some of the new features, especially linking, radically expand the program's usefulness. The script feature is a powerful and welcome addition, although both the documentation and the script dialog boxes can be confusing. The Date View feature adds new functionality, but its clumsy implementation will probably keep us from using it very often. Even given these considerations, we recommend In Control 2.0 as the product of choice for general list management.
Attain Corp. is at 48 Grove St., Somerville, Mass. 02144. Phone (617) 776-1110; fax (617) 776-1626.
Score Card: In Control
Attain Corp.
Version tested: 2.0
List price: $129.95*
Overall value ****
In Control remains the premier to-do list manager for the Mac. Version 2.0 expands on the original version's features because of the addition of automatic reminders, more flexible printing with the inclusion of DynoPage Lite, check boxes that can be used to mark completed items on the list, a script feature for automating repetitive tasks, document linking via Apple events, preferences and a Day View calendar that can help you further manage scheduled list items. Version 2.0 retains most of the original version's clean and intuitive interface, but the implementations of some new features, including the Day View calendar, fall short of the ideal.
Performance ****
Features ****
Ease of Use ****
Documentation/support ****
* Includes Portfolio Systems Inc.'s DynoPage Lite. Upgrade from Version 1.0, $30 ($10 if purchased after Nov. 1, 1992).
System 7 Compatibility: In Control 2.0
Balloon help Yes
TrueType Yes
Publish and subscribe No
Apple events Yes
32-bit addressing* Yes
*According to vendor.
MacWEEK 02.08.93
Reviews Page 55
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Mac the Knife: Twice the res in twice the time
There's a lot going on in the world today. Some would say too much. Others just sigh and resign themselves to life with an activist president.
But just as the Knife was wondering how active one man can be and still while away all that time reading CompuServe mail came an interesting little E-mail message containing the alleged AppleLink address of the First Lady. (That title, by the way, seems like a good candidate for updating, don't you think?) In any event, it looks as if those White House typewriters will hit the dustbin about the same time as that antiquated phone system.
And that's all good. Being connected is about the best game in town for keeping up with the breaking news. Well, actually, the name of this game is "what new products are coming up and when can we get one."
For example, the Knife reports that both Radius and SuperMac have been counting on being among the first to get their technical mitts on C-
Cube's upcoming 560 compression chip. Not surprisingly, both companies intend to base new digital video products on it that will be capable of capturing and playing 30 frames per second. But now there's word that C-
Cube will be delivering the first batch in July, rather than next month as was first thought. That means you won't be seeing 560-based products from either company until the end of the year at the earliest.
There's also the small issue of add-ons outstripping the intended Mac platform. Consider that just this week SuperMac has upped the requirement for its current product using C-Cube's 550 chip to a Quadra 950 outfitted with 64 Mbytes of RAM and a big fat disk array.
Are you being served? And there's more. Those lucky attendees of next month's CeBIT in Germany are expected to be the first to view Apple's new server in public.
As reported previously, this long-awaited product will arrive in the form of a processor direct slot card designed to be dropped into a slot on an A/UX-equipped Quadra. Its most notable feature will be its increased throughput, which should allow for more active users than are possible with current schemes.
Free-market ethics. Apple's ongoing dealers-be-damned distribution policies may soon take on greater significance for the entire community, including the small third-party software-development community.
According to the Knife's in-box, Apple is getting more and more serious about third-party product sales. The first indication of this state of affairs was the Performa "exampleware" CD bundle. The next step is expected to be bundling CDs with encrypted versions of the full products in addition to the demo versions. If you like the demo, all you'll have to do is grab a credit card (preferably your own) and give Apple a call. Apple then will give you the key to unlock the full version.
This program of providing Performa customers with a nearly risk-free way to buy software and giving small developers some much-needed virtual shelf space is a win-win for almost everyone, except perhaps dealers and mail-order software outfits. But what struck the Knife as a little strange was Apple's seeming commitment to make this new program a profit center. While Apple's motives for the original program were as pure as snow, the motives for this product are, well, questionable at the very least.
Also, Apple's tentative plans to market a specially named line of Macs via mail-order are still very much alive. While the Knife doubts reports that they'll bear the DealerNoMo label, you may just be able to order an '030 model for Christmas. Next thing you know even DEC will be peddling Macs.
Will someone tell Darryl Gates that lending his image to a game company won't earn him a mug? Meanwhile, if you're ready to earn yours, see the Knife at (415) 243-3544, fax (415) 243-3650, MCI (MactheKnife), AppleLink (MacWEEK) and CompuServe/ZiffNet/Mac.
MacWEEK 02.08.93
Mac the Knife Page 122
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
