Talk&Mail is an AppleTalk communication program for Macintosh. It is simple, easy to use, but has more powerful features than those known to the Unix world. One can initiate
communication request from local macintosh with anyone on a remote macintosh running Talk&Mail program, as long as two macintoshes are connected on "AppleTalk Internet". The
formidably-sounded "AppleTalk Internet" can be as simple as two macintoshes connected via a single wire (through their modem or printer port), or as extended as thousands of macintoshes
connected via ethernet backbone on multi-network, multi-zone extended network (like on university campus or in big corporations). Talk&Mail uses peer-to-peer, two way duplex
communication channel, so there is no complicated server to set up. A user only need to take a copy of Talk&Mail, launch it, select a user name so other users on the network can identify
him/her, and one is ready to initiate or receive communication services provided by Talk&Mail program.
II. Using Talk & Mail:
When Talk & Mail starts up, it provides a dialog box for user to enter user name which identifies you (your macintosh) on the network, other macintoshes running Talk & Mail will be
able to see your user name on their user list under your macintosh network zone. You can put Talk & Mail in the background so that it will be watching for communication request initiated
by other users on the AppleTalk network running Talk & Mail, you will be notified in case there are Talk request or Notification or email/file sent to you by a remote user. If you like to
initiate a communication service with a remote user, turn the Talk & Mail to the foreground and use the menus to initiate request:
• Talk:
Select this menu item to initiate conversation with another macintosh on the network. You will get a list of Mac zones (AppleTalk networks, especially large ones, are usually divided
into multiple sub-networks called zones, under each zone, there are list of macintoshes). The zone that your macintosh resides on will be automatically selected. Choose a zone in which
the remote user you like to talk to resides (double click on the item), you will get a list of user names which macintoshes are running Talk & Mail. Select the one you want to talk to, a
conversation request will be sent to the remote macintosh (which must have Talk & Mail running). The remote user will get notified of your conversation request, he/she has the
options of accepting or denying of your request. If remote user accepts your request, a communication channel will be set up, you and the remote user will have two windows pop up
on the respective macintosh screens, which allow you to type in your words at the same time read his/her words. There are list of buttons which functions are self explainary.
• Note:
Note allows you to send a text of notice to a remote user running Talk & Mail. It's a quick way of sending information to the remote user without the disruption of initiating a conversation
by using Talk. The notification text will be sent to the remote user and a modal dialog will pop up on the remote macintosh which contains the text and the sender information.
• Mail:
Mail is the least disruptive of all. You can sent a email to the remote user running Talk & Mail, the mail will be automatically received and storied in the remote user mailbox.
• Ship:
Ship is the function that lets you send a file (any file type, whether it's a data file or a macintosh application) over AppleTalk network to the remote user. It's more convenient than
Apple file sharing service since there's no file sharing set up and disk mounting to do in order to send the file.
• Change Username:
This lets you change your user name which will appear on other macintoshes running Talk & Mail.
• Don't Interrupt:
This lets you specify no-interrupt period which the Talk & Mail running on your macintosh (usually in background) will automatically reject conversation request from other users
without interrupting what you are doing. The remote user will get notified of the fact that you are not in the conversation mood and get auto rejected, so there won’t be any bad feelings.
• Help:
Provides this on-line help.
• Cut, Copy, Paste, Clear:
Talk & Mail has a built in text editor to edit the mail or notification text. These functions are the same as the ordinary text editing functions.
• Close:
Close current window.
• Quit:
Quit Talk & Mail. Your user name will disappear from the user lists of other users running Talk & Mail, so there’s no way other users can initiate any communication services with you until
the next time you restart Talk & Mail. It’s recommended that you put Talk & Mail or its alias in the “Startup Items” folder in the “System” folder, so that it will automatically be started every time you turn on your macintosh.
III. Registration:
The single copy license is $20 for Talk&Mail, two copy licenses is $35 (you need two separate licenses for two macintosh to communicate via Talk&Mail in full operating mode).
Multi-license and site-license are available and rates are negotiable. The program took me lots of time and effort, I would sincerely appreciate if you support it by registering.
IV. About the Author's Other Software:
Besides Talk&Mail, I have developed two other Mac software: SpaceInvader! (video game), and PianoSim (piano simulation program). These programs are also available on CompuServe, American
On-line, and carried by several shareware distribution companies. They are also available on Internet via anonymous FTP from: sumex-aim.stanford.edu, or mac.archive.umich.edu.
