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Edited By: Jeff Battersby
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine
====================================
Mac Hot Tips eNews March 23, 1998
====================================
Welcome back to Mac Hot Tips. I’m your host, Jeff Battersby. In this
segment we’ll be discussing the Monica Lewinsky issue as at relates to
both the Presidency and the latest allegations about Kathleen Willey. But
first, the news…
Whoa there. Yes, there have been a few changes here at Mac Hot Tips but
we haven’t yet been taken over by the editorial staff at NPR. Of course,
when they catch wind of what we’re doing they’re likely to want a piece
of the pie. Apple pie that is.
My name really is Jeff Battersby and I really will be your host. And
while you may notice this newsletter changing over the next several
weeks, you can still expect it to be a great source for news about Apple
and the Mac as well as a great place to learn about new commercial
software, shareware and how to make the most out of your Macintosh.
As always, your input is what will make this eZine great. So if you
discover some indispensable piece of software, a cool website, or some
new way of using your Mac let me know about it. Send all your
correspondence to
===================================
HOT NEWS
-The End of a Hyphenated Apple
Last week the Wall Street Journal’s Susan Pulliam asked an interesting
question:
“Quick, what’s the best-performing personal-computer stock this year?
Dell, you say? Wrong!
Try Apple Computer. It’s been on a tear since the end of the year
doubling its price since the end of 1997.”
The article is interesting in several respects. First, in contrast to
almost every article written in 1997, Apple was never referred to as
“struggling”, “beleaguered”, or some other equivalently nasty adjective.
This, to me, is as good a sign as any that Apple is on the upswing in the
public perception. Second, not only did the article lack 1997’s
adjective-stained editorial ugliness, it included some news on what the
WSJ referred to as Apple’s “mysterious so-called ‘convergence’ product
code-named Columbus that is to be launched some time this year. It would
combine a television, computer and video player in one box.”
This new trend of hyphen-less Apple reporting combined with Apple’s
downright excellent new advertising campaign and some powerful new
products could well make this a year of “Thinking Different.”
=================================
HOT TIPS
-Keeping Things in Context
This begins what will be three to four weeks of tips on using contextual
menus. One little caveat here: If you’re not using system 8 or higher
you’ve got two choices. Go out and buy it now or skip on to the next
section. Unfortunately contextual menus are limited to users of Mac OS8
and above. (OK, OK there are a couple of shareware programs that will
give you contextual menus in earlier versions of the mac os. For now
we’re gonna stick with OS 8’s built-in contextual menus.)
First let’s make sure that you have Contextual Menus turned on. Click the
Application Menu and select Finder. (The Application Menu is the menu in
the upper right hand corner of your screen. It’s the icon that’s directly
opposite of the Apple Menu. When you’re in the Finder the Application
Menu should display the mac os smiling face icon.)
Once you’re sure you’re in the Finder click the Edit Menu and then Select
Preferences. When the Preferences window opens makes sure there is no
check in the box that says Simple Finder. Once you’ve done this you’re
ready to go.
Now, with the Finder still open, press the Control key and look at your
Mouse Pointer. Notice how it changes? A little menu appears to the right
of the menu. This lets you know that you’re ready to use a contextual
menu.
Now, while holding down the Control key, click once anywhere on the
Desktop. Hey check it out! You’ve gotten your first contextual menu. Pay
close attention to the items available in this menu. Maybe even make a
list. Now Control-Click the icon for your hard drive. Notice how the menu
items changed? That’s the point of Contextual Menus. They’re menus
displayed in context with the item that’s being clicked. What’s great is
that more and more programs are taking advantage of Contextual Menus. So
try Control-Clicking in one of your favorite programs to see how they
work!
HINT: FileMaker Pro and the new Microsoft Office 98 make extensive use of
contextual menus.
ALSO: If you have a programmable mouse like Kensington’s Thinking Mouse
you can program one of the buttons to bring up a contextual menu with one
click.
Go ahead! Play around with it!
=========================================
HOT FILES
One stop this week…
After you’ve played around with Contextual Menus for awhile you’ll want
to download the following Freeware program. (That’s right… some things
in life are free!)
Jump out to this website. Here you’ll find FinderPop. The best little Contextual Menu program in While you’re on the web don’t forget to check out the MacHome web site. ========================================= Hey, I love my Mac and I use computers all day long but if that’s all you All Mac and No Play are links to the real world. (Sorry… they’re not Here’s the point: If I tell you about some hot new astronomy web site the This week… Jonatha Brooke – 10¢ Wings It’s rare to come across a musician whose music makes makes you want to Have a great week!! ============================================== If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome! We think you’ll Send all Hot Tips correspondence to: Subscription Information: To Unsubscribe – send email to You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to Send Problem information to – Edited By: Jeff Battersby ==================================== From the outset let me apologize to all the “Eds” out there. It seems Thanks for all your email messages. Over the next few months we’ll finely Once again, your help is greatly appreciated. If you come across some Jeff ==================================== -A Little Common Sense Please! Two interesting, if not bizarre, cases in New York over the last 14 days. In the court case plaintiff “A” met defendant “B” for a little The Plattekill incident is a case of “Girl meets boy on the internet. What’s the point? Just a couple of simple reminders: The Internet, especially chat rooms, can be a bit of a black box. You may If you’re making plans to meet someone you’ve met online, be sure to have Don’t give your address to strangers on the Internet, EVEN IF YOU THINK While all of the above may seem obvious, a little bit of common sense is ==================================== -Contextual Menus Continued Last week we began to look at Contextual Menus. This week we’ll continue If you haven’t already done so, head on out to the following web address After you download the file you’ll need to put FinderPop in your Control What FinderPop gives you, among other things, is the ability to open By the way, be sure to read the manual. It gives far greater detail than Oh yeah… FinderPop is for PowerMacs only. Sorry! Have no fear!! You’re not left out in the cold if you don’t have OS8 or a See the Hot Files section for info on where to get PowerMenus. -Next Week: Apple Data Detectors Make CM’s Smart ==================================== PowerMenus is available directly from the Mac Home web site. Just click While you’re there you should also check out Consultant 2.1.4. This For Control-free CM’s without the bells and whistles of FinderPop hop out Finally, looking for good directions to just about anywhere? Try Maps On ==================================== The World of Herb Caen – San Francisco 1938-1997 Herb Caen was a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, he died in From the book: “And a full moon rising over the Bay remains one of the world’s most Have a great week! ============================================== I thought I’d take a minute to welcome each of you to our new, revamped And if you like our free MacHome Hot Tips email service, you’ll love Subscribe to MacHome magazine now for one year and you’ll receive: If you’d rather subscribe for two years, you’ll get with your paid Apple made the Mac easy to use. We make it easy to understand. So don’t Thanks for being a vital part of the MacHome family. Sincerely, Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome! We think you’ll Send all Hot Tips correspondence to: Subscription Information: To Unsubscribe – send email to You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to Send Problem information to – Edited By: Jeff Battersby ==================================== My apologies in advance for the levity… -J ==================================== -OK. Someone Call Peepaholics Anonymous. Ahhh Spring. Passover. Ooooh! Peeps! Alright. This doesn’t exactly qualify as news but hey. Taxes are due and Look… I was deprived as a child. My mother ate all the peeps before -The Glories of Higher Education It’s amazing what a good educational institution can provide. You’ll note The following site is of a “scientific” nature. Those with gentler Here we study Peeps in various stages of artificial environmental This site also includes links to dozens of other sites conducting Bon Appetit! -Truman Capote Slept Here? OK look. I don’t believe everything I read on the Internet but the Just a small Sample: Why such coherence? Have a look at Peep literature. < http://www.wam.umd.edu/~ejack/peep/peeplit.html -My Mother Told Me I’d Make it in Hollywood! This is the final one. (Finally!) Although there are literally dozens of “Bad Peeps” is a soon-to-be-released film starring a cast of 50 peeps. Marshmallows anyone? ==================================== -Contextual Menus and Apple Data Detectors This is the third in a four part series on OS8’s new Contextual Menu OS8 < http://applescript.apple.com/data_detectors/detectors.00.html You’ll need to download the Apple Data Detectors v 1.0.2 or later. This By now you’re wondering what the heck a Data Detector is. Simply a Data An example… So far in this issue of Mac Hot Tips I’ve included about 6 web addresses. or You copy the address onto a piece of paper, open your web browser, type In either case you’re doing an awful lot of work just to trip out to to a Data Detectors reduce all of that work to a single step by “Detecting” Go download and install Apple Data Detectors 1.0.2 and give it a try Next Week: When CM’s Don’t Work ==================================== Do you ever feel like you’re looking through a keyhole when you’re using Enter Dialog View, a nifty little Control Panel that lets YOU determine You can find Dialog View at the following address: While we’re on windows… did you ever notice how smart your web browser Smart Scroll brings live scrolling to every window on your Mac. Yet You can find Smart Scroll at the following address: Also, don’t forget to check out the Mac Home web site for our Hot This weeks Hot Download: ==================================== Ann Patchett I discovered Ann Patchett about 6 years ago in a collection of short The Patron Saint of Liars maintains Ann Patchett’s intricate writing You’ll find The Patron Saint of Liars at the following Address: < http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0449912051/r/001-5931005-3931026 Have a great week!! Jeff ============================================== Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome! We think you’ll Send all Hot Tips correspondence to: Subscription Information: To Unsubscribe – send email to You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to Send Problem information to – Edited By: Jeff Battersby ==================================== Good Morning (or whatever depending on when you get this thing…) and I’m already aware of several, Charlie Peacock’s “strangelanguage”, Sarah So here’s the question… What other CD’s are YOU aware of that have “enhanced” content? Let me Thanks! Jeff ==================================== Straight off the bat… Don’t miss this week’s MacTalk Radio interview with Gil Amelio. Wednesday Speaking of April fifteenth, it generally brings one thought to mind: MacHome, in conjunction with Amazon.com, has added a new feature to the On the Firing Line – My 500 Days at Apple Computer by Gil Amelio ==================================== This is the final week that we’ll be looking at OS8’s Contextual Menu As I mentioned in the first segment, there are dozens of programs that -Dr. Solomon’s “Virex” uses them to let you instantly scan any drive, -Michael Kamprath’s shareware “ProgramSwitcher” lets you switch between -FileMaker Pro makes extensive use of CMs. This is especially handy when -Microsoft Office 98 also makes use of CMs but there are a few Please note that the following tip will require you to install the “Contextual menus is one of the finer features of both OS 8 and To make Microsoft’s menus function properly you must turn off Apple’s Final note: Here’s how to subscribe to FinderPop’s update email: Email to: ==================================== ****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware**** Earlier in Hot Tips I mentioned a program called ProgramSwitcher. ProgramSwitcher can be picked up at the Mac Home web site. Speaking of garbage. did you ever wish you could change the way your Dumpster can be downloaded at the following address: Last week I mentioned Dialog View, a control panel that changes the size This too can be found at the Mac Home web site. While you’re at Mac Home’s web site check out this week’s Hot Download: MacDim This Freeware utility automatically dims your screen during periods of ==================================== Scribner’s BEST of the Fiction Workshops – 1998 Scribner started this series in 1997. It’s a compilation of the best You’ll find Scribner’s BEST of the Fiction Workshops at the following Have a great week!! Jeff ============================================== Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome! We think you’ll Send all Hot Tips correspondence to: Subscription Information: To Unsubscribe – send email to You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to Send Problem information to – Edited By: Jeff Battersby ==================================== From the outset I went to send a note of thanks to all of you who ==================================== ***Don’t Miss This Week’s MacTalk Radio Show – Wednesday 6-8 pm PST*** Apple PROFITS AGAIN IN Q2 In case you haven’t heard, Apple posted a 55 million dollar profit for To put this in some type of perspective, Compaq Computer – typically the #1 Windows95 computer maker – only posted a profit of 15 million. Go JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO STEP INTO THE BITSTREAM… The April 20th issue of Business Week reports that your data may not be They report that: -20% of the Viking mission to Mars data has been lost. The problem? Actually, it’s not just one problem it’s several. First, outmoded software. Many of the programs that created the data are Second, old storage media. Think about it. When was the last time you saw Finally, the data on diskettes and other storage media disappears because Strange as it seems, this could mean that a simple “backup” of your files ==================================== ***You may want to print this section before continuing.*** RAM DISKS Click the Apple Menu. Did you ever wonder what that “RAM Disk” thing was? Actually it’s quite a BEFORE WE TRY USING A RAM DISK HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW -RAM Disks are created by using a portion of your existing RAM. So, if -RAM is a temporary storage place. If you decide to use a RAM disk to WHAT ARE RAM DISKS GOOD FOR? -Storing your web browser’s cache files for faster access to web pages. -PowerBooks and plane flights. The longer your hard disk spins the OK, lets give it a try… Click the Apple Menu, Select Control Panels and then select Memory. In the Memory Control Panel click the Radio Button – that’s the little Now, drag the Slider from 0% toward 100% until the RAM Disk Size says Now close the Memory control Panel and Restart your Mac. When your computer has restarted you’ll see a new icon on your desktop Now, copy SimpleText from your Hard Drive to your new RAM Disk and open Create a new document and save it on your RAM Disk. You should notice To delete your RAM Disk, throw everything stored in it into the trash and Play with your RAM disk using different applications. Try FileMaker, If you really want to get the best use out of your RAM Disk, change your ==================================== ****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware**** This week wouldn’t be complete without a piece of RAM Disk shareware. So AppDisk 1.7.2 So, why would you want a shareware RAM Disk when you already have one BE SURE TO CHECK THE MacHome WEB SITE FOR THIS WEEK’S HOT DOWNLOAD! ==================================== the glory of GERSHWIN What can you say about the the music of George and Ira Gershwin? Frankly, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Elton John, Sinead O’Connor, Elvis Costello, Kate Just for kicks, without reading the liner notes, see if you can pick See Ya! Jeff ============================================== Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome! We think you’ll Send all Hot Tips correspondence to: Subscription Information: To Unsubscribe – send email to You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to Send Problem information to – Edited By: Jeff Battersby ==================================== ==================================== -BILL BOMBS BIG TIME As you may already know, Bill Gates faced a major bomb on Monday of last Now I know that I’m going to be accused of contributing to my own bad For a laugh of your own, check out the CNN web site for a look at the new -Blizzard ENTERTAINMENT PLAYS BIG BROTHER Blizzard Entertainment, purveyors of Diablo, Starcraft, and the WarCraft ==================================== HANDLING MULTIPLE TCP/IP & PPP CONFIGURATIONS Occasionally you’ll have the need to switch between multiple TCP/IP and Open your PPP control panel and press command-K. You’ll then see the You’ll need to do the same thing with the TCP/IP Control Panel. (The Once you’ve completed both of these you can use the Location Manager to If you don’t have the location manager installed it’s a relatively simple Another note… The Modem control panel works in exactly the same way. QUICK TIPS Did you know that Option-dragging a file creates a copy of that file? ==================================== ****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware**** The best little launcher program in the universe just got better. DragThing also includes DragThing Lite. A smaller, easier launcher Apple has just shipped quicktime v3.0. This incredibly versatile program Don’t forget to check the MacHome web site for this week’s Hot Download ==================================== Sarah Masen – Sarah Masen This album may be a tough find – it was released in the summer of ‘95. Until next week… Jeff ============================================== Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome! We think you’ll Send all Hot Tips correspondence to: Subscription Information: To Unsubscribe – send email to You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to Send Problem information to – Edited By: Jeff Battersby ==================================== HOT NEWS Apple CONTINUES THE PENTIUM BURN I’m sure it comes as no real surprise, but the April 20th issue of PC And this from a magazine whose editorial staff routinely hammers Apple. SO JUST HOW MUCH WILL THE YEAR 2000 COST? Recently the Securities and Exchange Commission began requiring companies The Wall Street Journal reported the following: (All numbers reported in Citicorp expects to spend $600 The Journal also reports that $670 billion is the estimated total cost Think it doesn’t matter much? You can be guaranteed that the cost of this On a Macintosh note, Macs won’t face any conversion problems until ==================================== This weeks tips are all for ClarisWorks. (I’m using version 5 but most of The ClarisWorks Font menu always displays the actual font when you pull Tired of always changing each new document you create so that it’s setup 1. Create a new blank document. You can create default templates for all ClarisWorks document types by DR - Drawing For those of you who use ClarisWorks 5 you can now select a default in 1. Select Edit. Need to create a Callout Box in the middle of a ClarisWorks word 1. Hold the option key. ==================================== ****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware**** FULLWRITE FOR FREE Akimbo Systems has an excellent word processing program called FullWrite. You can get your copy of FullWrite at the following address: You’ll need to email the sales department at Akimbo to get your free FREE VIRUS PROTECTION Disinfectant is one of the best little FREE virus protection programs Disinfectant has one small caveat: It provides no protection against Word You can get a copy of Disinfectant at the Mac Home web site. ==================================== The Palace Thief The Palace Thief is a collection of four short stories each entirely You can order The Palace Thief online at: Have a great week!! Jeff ============================================== Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome! We think you’ll Send all Hot Tips correspondence to: Subscription Information: To Unsubscribe – send email to You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to Send Problem information to – Edited By: Jeff Battersby ==================================== ==================================== IM-PRESSED Check your local newsstand. Apple is all over the place this week and In a Newsweek article Steven Levy,the former columnist for MacWorld , Meanwhile, Business Week reports that Apple’s market share is growing for Both articles point out one major weakness in continued stellar growth No matter how you slice it, Apple is presently accomplishing the NEW MAC VIRUS Viruses on the Mac are relatively rare but there’s presently a new one Here’s some information: A new virus is found which is called Desktop Print Spooler. Symptom: When infected, the computer will suddenly hold up for a period of time What it affects: The virus does not seem to do any harm to documents. However, it is This virus only infects PowerPC mac os systems (7 & How does it attack: The virus masquerades itself as a desktop database document. Whenever a When first infected, your computer will be restarted automatically. If If you’re experiencing any of the problems associated with this virus and If you don’t have any virus software download a copy of Eradicator. It’s You should be able to find it at: ==================================== SPRING CLEANING In case you haven’t noticed Spring is here. It’s easy for me to tell it’s REBUILDING YOUR DESKTOP FILE Your Mac contains a special database that stores information about files Close all programs and restart your Mac. While the the computer is Rebuilding your desktop is a good idea on a pretty regular basis. It ZAPPING YOUR PARAMETER RAM - THE FINAL CURE FOR MACS BEHAVING BADLY I had a strange problem with my Performa 5250 CD a few weeks ago. Halfway PRAM is where your Mac stores information about itself: Date, time, CAVEAT: IF YOUR MAC IS ACTING ZANY BE SURE TO CHECK FOR VIRUSES OR Once again, restart your computer. This time hold down the After restart you’ll notice that your Mac repeats the Startup chime. Your If you’d like to make this cleanup process a little easier download a TechTool lets you zap your PRAM and Rebuild your Desktop from a single (While you’re at it, have a look at TechTool Pro. While this program’s ==================================== ****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware**** NetChronometer This slick little shareware program makes quick work of synchronizing Download NetChronometer from: GearBox Don’t think the Location Manager handles your needs the way you’d like it Download GearBox from Rockstar Studios: ==================================== Insanely Great No mention of Steven Levy would be complete without mentioning either of Insanely Great covers the creation of the Mac from idea to Hackers is a little broader. It covers the development of the PC as we Have a great week!! Jeff ============================================== Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome! We think you’ll Send all Hot Tips correspondence to: Subscription Information: To Unsubscribe – send email to You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to Send Problem information to – Edited By: Jeff Battersby ==================================== Memorial Day 1998. A day to remember those who willingly gave their most MASSIVE APOLOGIES Sorry for the lateness of this issue of Mac Hot Tips. We had a wee mail Now I suppose we’re only luke warm. Jeff SHOCKING THE SYSTEM Strange reporting this last week in the NY Times. It seems there are “I must have some kind of energy or static field that creates some sort If you think it sounds a little wacky you should have a look at the The article, titled “Can a Hard Drive Smell Fear?”, also includes some And to think that all along I’ve been blaming system crashes on the HOT MacHome SUBSCRIPTION DEAL If you don’t already subscribe to MacHome you may want to check this out. You get 12 mags, 12 CDs and our FREE MacHome Tips Guide for $29.95. Go There’s also an excellent two year deal! ==================================== This week we have some additional info that enhances an earlier Hot Tip. The source? Ian Summerfield, a Hot Tips reader. This is regarding the Hot Tip on creating Log-on scripts. (Mac Hot Tips Thanks Ian!! 1. Ensure your account name is keyed in correctly in the PPP box (although 2. Ditto with the password. Now connect and record as before. BUT, when you enter your account name The same applies to entering the password, it must match exactly. Bottom line, before sending the script to anyone, check it, it opens with ==================================== ****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware**** PPPremier Timer 2 This program is still in beta but it’s worth a look and it’s definitely What does it do? It’s a timer that lets you see how long you’ve been Vremya If you liked last week’s NetChronometer but don’t want to want to fork Thanks to Christopher Schmidt! ==================================== The Soul of a New Machine Last week I mentioned two tomes written by Steven Levy. Both looked at Kristin Battersby and her band OK. This is blatant sibling promotion (and extraordinarily regional!) but Have a great week!! Jeff Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome! We think you’ll Send all Hot Tips correspondence to: Subscription Information: To Unsubscribe – send email to You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to Send Problem information to – Edited By: Jeff Battersby ==================================== DOWN AND OUT If you sent mail last week my apologies. Seems we had a mail server AND SOMEONE HAD TO TELL YOU THIS? Anyone who’s used Macs for any length of time is pretty well aware of the This week MacCentral confirms what we all know to be true. Mac Robert Cooper, whose company recently switched to Macs: “I am the only guy in my IS department and I take care of about 20 It makes you wonder whether there isn’t some serious IS conspiracy going Check out the entire article at MacCentral. ==================================== ALMOST BETTER THAN A RAM DISK Several weeks ago we talked about using a RAM disk as the cache for your This tip forces your browser to store cached pages in RAM by setting the Here’s how to allocate more memory to your browser and set your browser’s CHANGING AN APPLICATION’S MEMORY PARTITION 1. Find your web browser on your hard disk. (By the way. do you find that a certain application continuously crashes? CHANGING YOUR WEB BROWSER’S CACHING OPTIONS Netscape: 1. Open Netscape. Internet Explorer 1. Open Internet Explorer. After completing these steps you should notice a significant difference Web pages will only be stored in your browser’s cache for as long as you Increasing your browser’s preferred memory size reduces the amount of RAM ==================================== ****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware**** Escape Velocity OVERDRIVE If you liked Ambrosia Software’s original Escape Velocity you’ll love EV CapsLockIsDown Four fine FREE files! CAPSLOCKDOWN SAVES YOU THE PAIN OF LOOKING UP TO DISCOVER THAT FOR THE CloseFinderWindows Ahhh, a clean Desktop. Don’t you find it annoying when some schmuck FileSharingMonitor Tiny little icon on your menu bar to let you know whether you’re sharing WindowPickerCMPlugIn OS8 only Contextual Menu plug-in that lets you maneuver all open windows (BTW – if you have FinderPop – that other FREE CM program I keep telling Take one or take them all. You’ll find them at: ==================================== Atticus A moral tale wrapped in a mystery. A father. By the way… anybody see my sister? Have a wonderful week!! Jeff ============================================== Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome! We think you’ll Send all Hot Tips correspondence to: Subscription Information: To Unsubscribe – send email to You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to Send Problem information to – *****If you don’t presently subscribe to Mac Home have a look right Get Mac Home for one year – Monthly CD included – only $29.95. Subscribe for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips Get the whole deal at: Edited By: Jeff Battersby ==================================== THE WALL STREET JOURNAL RAVES! WSJ technology writer Walter Mossberg had nothing but GREAT! to say about Mr. Mossberg states: “Apple has introduced an elegant new [laptop] model that evokes the Mossberg spends the rest of the column drooling over how well his new Go Jobs Go! 3COM POWERS-UP PALM PILOT FOR THE MAC Info World reports this week that 3Com is rolling out the red carpet for ==================================== FANCY YOURSELF A FUNKY FIND FILE USER So you’ve pressed the Command-F key a couple of times to find an errant We’re not going to cover every detail here – you’ll just need to play Open the Find File program on your hard drive. You can do this by On all disks In all likelihood several of these options, like “in the Finder Now open the menu that says “Name.” You should now see a list of 12 types Name Just for fun, select “Date Created.” You should note that Find File automatically enters today’s date and the Selecting the “Name” menu with the Option key held down offers you four Find File’s most amazing feature is a fun one too. Drag any file from Play around and have some fun! ==================================== ****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware**** PLAY GOD… ER, GATES CYBEROPOLY John Mauro, creator of many a wonderful shareware game and utility, has While you’re there check out some of John’s other great stuff. WHATROUTE? Ever wonder what paths your data travels as it traverses the net? Get it from: ==================================== China Boy The bittersweet coming of age story of a Chinese-American boy in San You can find it online at: Have a great week!! Jeff ============================================== Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome! We think you’ll Send all Hot Tips correspondence to: Subscription Information: To Unsubscribe – send email to You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to Send Problem information to – If you don’t presently subscribe to Mac Home have a look right here! Get Mac Home for one year – Monthly CD included – only $29.95. Subscribe for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips Get the whole deal at: ==================================== Edited By: Jeff Battersby ==================================== CRASH FREE COMPUTER I wish I could say that this was a Mac, close, but it’s not. In reality The AP wire carried a report this week about a computer that has been put “To bypass faults within Teramac’s chips researchers used an unusually So will you see a computer like this on your desktop any time soon? Not ==================================== WHAT’S INIT FOR ME How many times have you watched those little icons dance across your The downside to System Extensions and Control Panels is that for every Unfortunately, Hottips is not the forum to look at every single Control EXTENSIONS MANAGER This powerful little tool is itself a system INIT. More correctly a The Extension Manager shipped with System Software version 7.5 but works You can find the Extension Manager by selecting the Apple Menu, then CONFLICT CATCHER This little program is the king of Extension Managers. Powerful enough to INFORMINIT 8.1 Here’s everything you need to learn everything there is to learn about You can download a current copy from: ==================================== ****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware**** We’ve already covered several files this week but here are a couple more CALCULATE SIZE CMM PLUG-IN An excellent tool for determining how many files, folders and megabytes Get it from: SESAME Ahhh… Butterfly. You’re looking for a good, easy way to control access But remember Butterfly, a password is not a thing to be forgotten! Download Sesame from: ==================================== Just Like You If you EVER discover that this guy is playing somewhere near you, stop Have a great week!! Jeff ============================================== Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome! We think you’ll Send all Hot Tips correspondence to: Subscription Information: To Unsubscribe – send email to You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to Send Problem information to – If you don’t presently subscribe to Mac Home have a look right here! Get Mac Home for one year – Monthly CD included – only $29.95. Subscribe for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips Get the whole deal at: ==================================== Edited By: Jeff Battersby ****************************************************************** Tracy Valleau, former editor of Hot Tips and publisher of “techNotes.” Hi folks, Tracy here. I was the first editor of Mac Hot Tips, and now I’m Be sure to give “techNotes” a look. At twelve bucks a year it’s an ==================================== ==================================== If you find this issue of Hottips a bit truncated there’s good reason. Colin Muir Battersby He was happily welcomed home by his sisters Kristin Sierra and Joanna That would be my bit of hot news for the week! Following you will find a listing of your favorite Enhanced CDs. This Hottips will return in its usual format next week! ============================================== This list was collec
the universe. We’ll be discussing it in detail next week so you’ll want
to have it on hand before we start. (If this starts sounding too much
like school let me know. I’ve been known to change my ways…)
MacHome has links to the best All-Mac sites on the web. A great starting
point for any web journey. You can reach MacHome at
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY…
do with your life, baby you need to get one.
Hyperlinks.) This is the stuff that real life is made of: Music, books,
movies, art, community events. Basically I’m going to relay to whatever’s
in my head, on my CD player or the books that are next to my bed. While
I may include some links to web sites that relate to what I’m talking
about they’re secondary.
point is not to spend the rest of the night gazing nebulously at your
monitor. Grab a blanket, get your hiney outside and have a look at what
the site refers to. Get the picture? Good.
MCA Records
think, act and be artful. Jonatha Brooke is one of those artists. She is
both lyrically compelling and musically moving. Her web site is at
Jeff
Mac Hot Tips Copyright 1998 – Mac Home Magazine
Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored
by Mac Home Magazine – your best Mac resource in print and on the web!
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips – go to
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine
Mac Hot Tips eNews – March 30, 1998
that I left a note to Mac Home’s illustrious editor, Ed Prasek, at the
top of my last missive, requesting information on changes that might need
to be made. If I left you Eds feeling utterly responsible for the
well-being of Mac Hot Tips I’m sorry. This newsletter is supposed to
assist you, not stress you out.
tune Mac Hot Tips to meet your needs whether you’re using OS8, 7.6, 7.5,
7.0… you get the picture.
great piece of shareware, some hot new tip or if you just want to give me
a piece of your mind (not too much now!) give me a holler at
HOT NEWS
One is a court case in New York City the other is a murder case in the
not-too-far-upstate city of Plattekill, New York. The court case, gentle
reader, is of a somewhat strange sexual nature. Not something we’ll delve
into here in any great detail. The murder case is, well, murder. While
both of these cases are of a seemingly disparate nature, they do have one
common thread: The Internet.
“get-together” after having met in a chat-room on the internet. First it
was dinner. Then it was dancing. Then it was “dangerous liaisons” at
plaintiff “B’s” apartment. You can take that “dangerous” part quite
literally.
Girl and boy take a liking to each other. Boy travels from Florida to New
York. Boy gets in an argument with girl’s husband. Boy and girl murder
husband and dump him in the river.” Not exactly Gershwin.
think you know what or who it is you’re dealing with, but it’s possible,
maybe even likely, that what you think and what’s reality, bear no
resemblance to each other.
a phone conversation or two first. If there’s a possibility for trouble
you may be able to pick it up beforehand.
YOU KNOW THEM! To use a cliche, “Appearances are not always what they
seem.” If you do decide to meet, be sure you meet at a neutral spot
that’s convenient for both of you, and let someone else know about the
meeting. Once you’ve met a few times you can exchange addresses. Better
safe than sorry!
guaranteed to go a long way!
HOT TIPS
that look and show you a way to add Contextual Menus to earlier versions
of the mac os.
and pick up a copy of FinderPop. FinderPop is freeware Control Panel that
adds a wide range of versatility to Apple’s built-in contextual menus.
Panel Folder. (The Control Panel Folder is in the System Folder.) Then
you’ll need to restart your computer.
contextual menus without pressing the Control key. Just hold down the
mouse button and wait a second. Soon you’ll see a contextual menu pop up.
FinderPop also lets you change the Contextual Menu (CM) font, add
programs and folders to the CM, as well as allowing you to trash files
and empty the trash all from the comfort of your CM. Great stuff!
I can here.Contextual Menus for the PowerMacless and Those Without OS8
PowerMac. PowerMenus is a great Contextual Menu Program that runs on
older Macs and Operating Systems. PowerMenus also lets you launch files
from a CM and can be used within CM savvy applications.
HOT FILES
the “Software Center” item under the “Departments” menu.
shareware Personal Information Manager, Mac Home’s Hot File of the Week,
is guaranteed to help you get your life in order without taxing your
pocketbook.
to Tools & Toys web site to pick up a copy of “Look Mom, No Hands”. This
beauty of a program also works with PowerMenus whether you’re using OS8
or not.
Us. Great turn-by-turn directions all on the web.
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY…
Barnaby Conrad – Chronicle Press
February of 1997. He was a daily mixture of humor, history, honesty, and
conscience. He even coined a word that defined a segment of a generation:
Beatnik. The World of Herb Caen is a distillation of Herb Caen the writer
in Herb’s own words, with precious little interference from Barnaby
Conrad the editor.
breathtaking sights. On a recent night from Telegraph Hill, it looked
like a great orange balloon, tied to the Bridge by an invisible string.
It hovered there forever, then suddenly broke away and rose swiftly. In
its eventual whiteness, it belonged to everybody, but for a few harsh
eternal moments, it was our very own.” November 1965
Mac Hot Tips Copyright© 1998 Mac Home Magazine
Hello MacHome Hot Tips Subscribers,
MacHome Hot Tips email service. As you know by now, we have a new Hot
Tips editor, Jeff Battersby. Jeff is a longtime freelance writer for
MacHome magazine, and he’s very knowledgeable about the Mac platform and
industry. Rest assured, you’ll thoroughly enjoy his weekly musings.
MacHome magazine. We have some great subscription opportunities you’ll
want to take advantage of.
software demos, MacHome exclusives, shareware, Apple system software and
much more
essential tips and tricks for getting the most from your Macintosh
subscription:
logo embroidered on the front, a $15.95 value (everyone who sees these
things absolutely loves them)
delay. Act now to take advantage of our specials. And if you’re already a
subscriber, don’t worry; we’ll extend your current subscription. To
subscribe or renew your subscription, simply log on to our Website at
www.machome.com and click the subscription link, or call 800-800-6542.
Ed Prasek
Publisher & Editor in Chief
MacHome Magazine
by Mac Home Magazine – your best Mac resource in print and on the web!
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
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To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips – go to
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine
Mac Hot Tips eNews – April 6, 1998
HOT NEWS
Easter.
The Robin’s return.
First daffodils emerging from the ground.
And…
Soft pink, purple, yellow, marshmallowy Peeps.
I uh… just found these web sites that couldn’t be resisted. Kind of
like those delicious little marshmallow treats!
they got to my Easter basket.
or
-Little Peep Goes to College
that the vast majority of the following sites are located at Universities
throughout the known educational universe. Nice to know what your tuition
dollars are doing.
sensibilities should perhaps refrain.
distress: Cold, Heat, Solubility, Low Pressure, and my personal favorite,
The Combined Effects of Smoking and Alcohol.
experiments on common household food items.
following site contains literature dedicated to the love of peeps.
Including, can you believe this, a little story attributed to Truman
Capote!
Because sticking together
Is what good Peeps do
other sites out there.
This mega-budget film – production costs have exceeded $11.00! – was
scheduled for release at an earlier date but production was foiled by a
bad hard drive. The director hopes to release the film by Easter 1998.
HOT TIPS
feature. In order to use Apple’s Data Detectors you’ll need the following.
A PowerPC
Apple’s Data Detector software, which can be downloaded for free at the
following web site.
has everything you need to learn about CMs and Apple Data Detectors.
Detector is software that’s able to detect specific types of text within
a document.
In order to get to those addresses you typically have to select the
address, copy it, open your web browser, paste the address in your
browser’s address field and press the return key.
in the address and press the return key.
website.
all of the web and email address within a document. All you need to do is
select the address, Control-click it and your Contextual Menu now
contains the address and about a dozen options for opening it. Using Data
Detectors you can also reply to messages, add names to your address book
or create bookmarks in your web browser. All in a single step!!
right in this issue of Mac Hot Tips!
HOT FILES
an “Open” or “Save” dialog box? Did you ever notice that,even though
Macintosh file names can be 31 characters long, the “Open” and “Save”
dialog boxes only display about 20 characters?
how big your Dialog Windows are. Just drop Dialog View in your System
Folder, restart, open the Dialog View Control Panel and you’ve got
complete control over your “Open” and “Save” Dialog Windows.
is? If you grab the “Thumb” – that’s what they call the little square
thing you click and drag to move up and down in a window – the text and
graphics in the browser window actually move while you’re moving the
thumb. This is called “live scrolling.”
another great little program!!
< http://www.marcmoini.com
Download of the Week as well as our weekly Mac Talk Radio Show.
Binary Software’s KeyQuencer Lite.
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY…
The Patron Saint of Liars
Ballantine Books
stories called “The Henfield Prize Stories.” Her story, “All Little
Colored Children Should Learn to Play the Harmonica”, was perfectly woven
together. Every sentence seemed like it was intertwined with the next.
style in a strange morality play written from three points of view. It’s
a quick little read and well worth every second.
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine
by Mac Home Magazine – your best Mac resource in print and on the web!
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips – go to
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine
Mac Hot Tips eNews – April 13, 1998
welcome. I’m looking for a little input for a future issue of Hot Tips.
As you may know many audio CDs are “enhanced” – meaning that not only do
they play music when you throw them in you CD player but you can also put
them in your Mac and view quicktime Videos and such.
Masen’s “Sarah Masen”, Sarah McLachlan’s “Surfacing” and “Rarities,
B-Sides, and other Stuff” among others. I’m also aware of some “reverse
enhanced” CD’s – these CD’s are designed for use in your computer but
they also include special audio segments that can be heard on your CD
player. You can find some of these on Broderbund’s “Living Books” series.
know what your favorites are and why. Send your email to Hot Tips with
“Enhanced CDs” as the subject.
HOT NEWS
April 15th, 6-8 PM PST.
TAXES. But this April fifteenth also marks another event: Apple’s
quarterly fiscal announcement. At present most of the pundits – whoever
the heck they might be – are forecasting that Apple will post about $21
million in profits. As for me, well I’m just going to wait and see. Seems
to me that last quarter they didn’t think Apple was going to be anywhere
near the black. Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple exceeded
expectations once again, pundits being what they are. But then I suppose
I’m a wee bit biased.
MacHome web site: The MacHome Bookstore. Here you’ll find all the best
Macintosh related books in a single location. This month’s Book of the
Month is:
HOT TIPS
feature.
take advantage of OS8’s CMs.
folder or document.
open programs using a combination of keys or CMs.
you’re designing FMP layouts where you can change fields, fonts, text
formatting and alignment all with a single click.
work-arounds that are necessary. The following was submitted to me by
MarvinT (Thanks Marvin!) and is attributed to the inimitable Christopher
Breen.
“Contextual Menu Enabler” in order for it to work. If you downloaded the
Data Detector mentioned last week you should already have it.
Microsoft Office 98. Unfortunately, the two contextual menu standards
found in the mac os and Office may not be compatible. A number of
Office 98 users have discovered that when they Control-Click within
one of Office’s applications, the Microsoft contextual menus fail to
appear (in my case the screen flashed, the Mac beeped, and I was
presented with Apple’s contextual menus).
contextual menus within each of the Office applications. To do so,
make sure you have installed the Contextual Menu Enabler extension
(available with Apple Data Detectors 1.0.2 and later) and then select
“Turn off Contextual Menus in Microsoft Word” (or Excel or
PowerPoint, etc.) from the Help menu. Office’s contextual menus will
now work as advertised.”
Those of you who have now found FinderPop to be an indispensable part of
your computing day may want to subscribe to the FinderPop Update Network
(or whatever the heck they call it!) It’s free and it’s very un-annoying.
No unnecessary messages. Just updates all the time. (By the way, Turlough
O’Connor, FinderPop’s creator updates the program about once every two to
three weeks. You’ve gotta like that!!)
HOT FILES
ProgramSwitcher is a Control Panel that lets you switch between programs
by pressing a combination of keys like command-tab or command-tilde. For
me this is a truly indispensable program. (Some of you are now wagging
your fingers and saying that since you bought Office 98 or Square One you
already have this feature. I’m telling you right now… not like this you
don’t. That stuff is garbage in comparison.)
Trash Can looked with out having to mess around with ResEdit? Well now
you can. Dumpster lets you quickly and easily change the appearance of
dozens of folders. All you need to do is choose one of the dozens of
available icons and restart your Mac. What could be easier.
of your Open and Save dialog boxes. To further enhance Open and Save
dialogs you may want to have a look at Default Folder. Default Folder
makes it a snap to jump from one folder to the next without having to do
a single bit of navigation. No more double-clicking folder after folder
just to find or save a document.
inactivity.
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY…
Scribner Paperback Fiction
fiction written by students from dozens of college writing programs
throughout the US. The writing is excellent and in some cases – like
Richard Elson’s “The Shooting” – downright compelling.
address:
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine
by Mac Home Magazine – your best Mac resource in print and on the web!
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips – go to
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine
Mac Hot Tips eNews – April 20, 1998
responded to my request for your favorite enhanced CDs. You definitely
responded! Keep your eye out for an Enhanced CD issue of Mac Hot Tips.
HOT NEWS
their second fiscal quarter. This was more than two times what many
industry analysts expected. It should also be noted that the
January-March quarter is typically the slowest for the personal computer
industry, which makes Apple’s latest profit results a very positive
announcement.
Apple!!
as safe – or permanent – as you think. In an article titled “From Digits
to Dust” Business Week enumerates dozens of instances of data – thought
to be permanent – that has disappeared forever.
-Some casualty records from the Vietnam war as well some POW/MIA
information can no longer be read.
-Literally thousands of student files and data on school history from the
University of Pennsylvania can no longer be accessed.
no longer in existence and new programs are unable to read the files the
old programs created. You’ve probably experienced this yourself. Ever
tried to open an AppleWorks file in Microsoft Word? Good luck!
someone using a 5 1/4 inch floppy disk? How about those giant tapes that
used to be synonymous with mainframe and midrange computers. Hey, and
what about those 400k disk you used to use in your original Mac. Did you
know those can’t be read by systems running OS8?
the media decays. In fact, even CDROMS - which I was once told would last
forever – can start losing data in as little as 5-10 years. That’s about
equivalent with standard quality newsprint. On the other hand, high
quality paper, properly stored, can last for hundreds of years.
may not be enough. At least for the present, if you’re only storing
important data in digital format, you may want to back that up with a
“hardcopy” on high quality paper – just to be safe.
HOT TIPS
Slide down to Control Panels.
Locate the “Memory” Control Panel.
Look at the very bottom of the Memory Control Panel window.
powerful little tool. A gift to you from the programmers at Apple. The
RAM disk is a slick application that tricks your Macintosh into thinking
that a portion of your Random Access Memory (RAM) is actually a disk
drive. In fact, an incredibly fast disk drive.
you have 24MB of RAM and you use 10MB for your RAM disk you’ll only have
14MB available for your operating system and other applications.
work on important files remember to regularly save your work to your real
hard disk.Before you delete a RAM disk created with Apple’s builtin RAM Disk
program, you’ll need to trash the contents of your RAM Disk.
quicker your battery will die. Store your files and programs on your RAM
disk before a plane flight for quicker programs and fewer trips to your
hard disk to save and retrieve information.
round button with a bulls-eye – that says RAM Disk – On.
2000k. (This will give you just shy of 2MB of disk space.)
that says RAM Disk. Your Mac now considers this a brand new hard disk.
it.
that both SimpleText and your document saves seem much quicker.
empty the trash. Then open the Memcory Control Panel and turn off the RAM
Disk.
BBEdit or ClarisWorks. If you’re using a PowerBook, spin the hard drive
down and see how long it takes before you need to use it again. (Forget
about using MSWord. MSword runs to your hard drive for just about
everything. To make it work you’d practically need a 60MB RAM Disk!)
web browser’s Cache Preferences to store cached pages on your RAM Disk.
You should notice a significant speed gain when you reload pages.
HOT FILES
here it is…
built into your Macintosh. Simple. Apple’s RAM Disk requires you to
restart your Mac before you can use it. You also need to manually save
any of your RAM Disk data. AppDisk changes all that. AppDisk is actually
an application. You can start it by double-clicking. You quit it by
quitting. AppDisk also has the added advantage of automatically saving
your AppDisk data to your Hard Disk when you quit or at pre-determined
intervals. Download it at the MacHome web site or at the AppDisk web site.
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY…
Mercury Records
not much more than’s already been said. Having aged over 60 years, their
music continues to stand the test of time.
Bush and others cover some of the best of Gerswhin. Proving that George
and Ira have still got it going.
Elton John out by ear. Just might be tougher than you think!
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine
by Mac Home Magazine – your best Mac resource in print and on the web!
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips – go to
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine
Mac Hot Tips eNews – April 27, 1998
HOT NEWS
week. While demonstrating the plug-and-play capabilities of the latest
version of Windows (Windows98) he faced what many users of Windows
experience on a daily basis: The Blue Screen of Death (BSoD). What, you
may ask, is the BSoD? Simply put, it’s a major system crash of OS killing
proportions. The way Windows98 (95 & NT) handles said crashes is to
display a giant Blue DOS screen stating that Windows has just fallen to
pieces. User friendly eh?
Karma, Mojo or some other such silliness, but truth be told I just
couldn’t help it. In the words of Don Imus this was a “Laugh out loud
funny” moment and I found myself rolling on the floor when I saw it
firsthand.
and improved (?) Windows98. Then be sure to remind yourself how smart you
were to choose a Mac.
series, have admitted to grabbing user information – names and email
addresses – from the computers of players battling it out at their
Internet gaming site Battle.net. An apologetic Susan Wooley, a PR manager
at Blizzard, stated that the purpose for gathering the information was to
resolve a technical problem. Whatever the case it’s a wee bit chilling
that Blizzard could so easily and willingly copy information from users
connected to their web site.
HOT TIPS
PPP configurations. Maybe you have two or more ISPs or you have to switch
between a LAN and a modem connection. MAC OS8 makes it very easy to
switch between multiple configurations
available PPP configurations on your Macintosh. (Probably only one at
this point in time.) Select it, press the duplicate button and give it a
descriptive name. (Office, Home, Where I’d Rather Be…) Once it’s named,
press the “Make Active” button. When the PPP window comes back to the
front, make the appropriate changes and then save it. (Appropriate
changes being a new phone number, password, user name…)
instructions are exactly the same.) Here the changes will include network
IP addressing and connection type information.
create different locations – Home, Work, Where I’d rather be… – then
select the appropriate TCP/IP and PPP configurations for each location
and you’re done.
task to individually open the control panels and manually choose your
configurations.
So, if for some reason you switch between different modems, you can
easily set up those configurations as well.
Option-Clicking a window’s close box closes all open windows.
Control-clicking and item brings up a contextual menu.(OS8 only)
Option-Command-Dragging an item creates an alias. (OS8 only)
HOT FILES
DragThing, which used to get updated only once a year, has now entered
Version 2.5. In my mind DragThing is the best launcher program available.
program for the rest of us.
may just eliminate your need for any other multimedia players. It’s free
from Apple at
exclusively at:
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY…
re:think
Sarah’s lyrics and her musical style are clearly her own – kind of an
unpretentious, thoughtful avant garde. If you can find it, it’s well
worth a listen.
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine
by Mac Home Magazine – your best Mac resource in print and on the web!
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips – go to
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine
Mac Hot Tips eNews – May 4, 1998
====================================
Week reports that Apple’s latest 300MHz G3 based Macintosh blows the
doors off of any Pentium. Including Intel’s latest 400MHz Pentium II
processor. All of the tests that PC Week performed were Adobe Photoshop
image manipulations, but PC Week was quick to point out that graphics
wasn’t the only area in which the G3 shined. “Microsoft Corp,’s Office 98
applications ran uniformly faster on the new PowerMac than on the
previous models, both when we opened and saved large documents and in
processing PowerPoint presentations.”
to disclose their costs for eliminating the imminent Year 2000 (Y2K)
problem. So just how much will it cost?
millions.)
General Motors $410-540
BankAmerica $380
AT&T and GTE $350
Chase Manhattan $300
Bell Atlantic $200-300
J.P. Morgan $250
Bankers Trust $180-230
Owens Corning $179
for all businesses to make this conversion.
conversion will be passed directly on to you the consumer. Also, check
your credit cards and see how many have expiration dates that exceed some
date in 1999. It’s been regularly reported that cards with expiration
dates exceeding 1999 are being routinely rejected.
somewhere near the middle of the next century.
HOT TIPS
these tips work in earlier versions as well!)
it down. Sometime you may want to see the fonts without displaying the
actual typeface. How do you do it? Simple! Hold down the Option key while
you’re selecting the menu and you’ll see the font names without
displaying the type. (Earlier versions may require you to hold down the
Command key.)
just the way you like it? (Font – Palatino, Size – 11, Spacing – 1.5, 2
spaces between paragraphs) Although it’s not obvious ClarisWorks allows
you to create a default template for all ClarisWorks document types. Just
follow these simple steps:
2. Without actually typing anything on the page change your
header/footer, font size, type, paragraph settings and line spacing.
3. Select File
4. Select Save As…
5. Click the “Stationary” radio button. (This will move you to the
ClarisWorks Stationary folder.
6. Change your document’s name to “ClarisWorks WP Options”. (Type this
EXACTLY without quotes.)
7. Click the save button.
replacing the “WP” with the following letters.
PT - Paint
SS - Spreadsheet
DB - Database
CM - Communication
ClarisWorks Preferences.
2. Select Preferences…
3. From the “Topic” Menu choose “Text.”
4. From the “Font” Menu choose your preferred font.
processing document?
2. Click and drag until you create a box in the middle of your document.
(Let go of the option key.)
3. Begin typing your Callout text.
4. Format your text in any way you’d like.
5. Double-Click the pointer tool.
6. Click your text once.
7. Click the “Option” Menu.
8. Select “Text Wrap.”
9. Choose “Regular.” You may also select a “Gutter” size of your choice.
(A gutter is the blank space that will surround your Callout text.)
10.Use your arrow keys or the mouse to move your Callout text exactly
where you want it.
HOT FILES
At a mere 2.2 MB it packs more features than ClarisWorks’ word processor
could dream of and frankly, a few that, for its size, make MS Word look
pretty weak as well. Sadly, the company couldn’t afford to do battle with
the marketing machines of Microsoft, Novell (Word Perfect) or Claris. So,
they’re giving the program away.
serial number. Send your email to:
around. Small and fast, Disinfectant kills viruses with elan.
or Excel macro viruses. So if you’re using MS Word or Excel and you need
virus protection you should get a copy of Virex (My personal choice), SAM
or McAfee.
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY…
Ethan Canin
Picador USA
different each more compelling than the next. What makes this collection
more amazing still is that Mr. Canin wrote them while he was going
through medical school. (Like he had nothing better to do!)
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine
by Mac Home Magazine – your best Mac resource in print and on the web!
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips – go to
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine
Mac Hot Tips eNews – May 18, 1998
HOT NEWS
frankly the news is rather interesting. Apple is once again turning
heads: Second quarterly profit. Doubling in stock price since January.
Introduction of the iMac. What’s not to like? Why shouldn’t Apple turn
heads?
takes a second look at Apple. The article is honest and straight forward
but is quick to point out that Apple is regaining some of it’s mystique.
According to the article, steve jobs appears to be the catalyst behind
the quick turn around. In a quote from the article Larry Ellison, the CEO
of Oracle and Apple board member, states the following, “Steve is
obsessed with with quality, and that can make him uncompromising, but he
gets results.”
the first time in years, up .6% from the beginning of the year. (A time,
we should be reminded, that is typically the slowest portion of the
computer sales season.)
for Apple. Software. Levy points out that while the iMac is directed at
consumer/internet users, many consumer products are flat-out missing on
the Mac. Business Week points out that as recently as 1996 nearly 70% of
developers wrote programs for the Mac. Now that number hovers somewhere
near the 20% mark.
unexpected. Certainly a pleasant surprise from my perspective. But
honestly, not too surprising for steve jobs or for Apple.
that’s out to whack your Mac.
then resumes normal operation. If you experience this phenomenon, your
system may be infected by this virus.
extremely annoying. Some operations may be severely affected by it,
though. E.g. scanning, video/audio generation, etc.
with quicktime 2.5
or above installed and with CD-ROM AutoPlay enabled. Windows is not
affected.
disk (floppy, MO, etc.) is mounted, quicktime (with AutoPlay turned on)
will try to run this document, thus infecting the system and all other
mounted volumes.
you insert a disk and your computer restarts, your system is infected.
you currently own a copy commercial virus protection software download
their latest virus update.
free.
HOT TIPS
spring simply by looking in the mirror – Red, white and green. The color
of my eyes during this fair season. Of course Spring means Spring
Cleaning. So let’s give it a go on your Mac. (OK, if you’re south of the
equator it’s fall. You can save this for September. Although it’s a good
idea to perform some of these tasks on a routine basis.)
that are stored on your hard disk. This database is called the Desktop
Folder. Every now-and-again it’s a good idea to clean this baby up. Once
you do it you’ll find that your Mac runs a little more smoothly and
generic application icons will be returned to their former, custom glory.
Let’s give it a go…
restarting hold down the Command (Apple) and Option keys. You’ll
eventually be met with a dialog box asking if you want to rebuild your
Desktop File. Let go of the Command and Option keys and click “OK.” In a
matter of minutes, depending on the speed of your Mac, your Desktop File
will be rebuilt. Easy eh?
won’t hurt your Mac so feel free to do it every 1-3 months depending on
how hard you work your Mac.
through a normal startup my Mac would start emitting a high-pitched
scream. Initially I thought it was some Extension or Control Panel that
was causing the problem but after an ear piercing hour with Conflict
Catcher it was clear that I had some other problem. It was time to clear
out my Parameter RAM (or PRAM).
location. Sometimes, for reasons unknown to modern science, your PRAM
gets a little screwed up. Fortunately there’s a way to cure the PRAM
problem. It’s called zapping your PRAM.
CONFLICTING EXTENSIONS. THAT MAY BE THE ONLY PLACE YOUR PROBLEM LIES.
Command-Option-P-R keys while your Mac’s restarting. (Yes piano players
will have a distinct advantage over normal people here.)
PRAM’s been zapped. You can let go of the Command-Option-P-R keys now.
(Some current Mac mythology states that you should hold down the PRAM
keys until you’ve heard 3 chimes. I subscribe to this little piece of
mythology but then I’m also inclined to wear the same unwashed t-shirt to
consecutive baseball games in order to maintain a win streak. You can use
your own discretion.)
copy of MicroMat’s TechTool.
application. Very handy and free too!!
NOT free, it contains disk and system tools that rival Norton Utilities.)
HOT FILES
your Mac’s clock to Greenwich Mean Time, simply by clicking a button.
to? Download a copy of GearBox and you be able to quickly change modem
configurations, email boxes, web bookmarks as well as quickly sign-on to
your Internet account from a handy menu-bar icon.
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY…
Hackers
Steven Levy
these books.
implementation. A must read book for anyone interested in the history of
the Macintosh.
know it today. From garage mock-ups to Microsoft it’s all covered here.
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine
by Mac Home Magazine – your best Mac resource in print and on the web!
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.
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Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine
Mac Hot Tips eNews – May 25, 1998
====================================
HOT NEWS
precious commodity… their lives.
server snafu that kept Hot Tips from getting out on time.
literally dozens of people out there who believe their computer problems
are not related to improper usage but to bad “Cyberkarma.” Just what
exactly is Cyberkarma? Hear it straight from the mouth of Alyson
O’Mahoney.
of force around me that contradicts the computer’s magnetic field.”
entire article. You should also see some of the stuff that people are
willing to do to overcome their “Karma” You can find it online at:
excellent tips to help you ward off bad Cyberkarma.
system. Silly me. I just needed a micro-shaman.
to our website to subscribe,
HOT TIPS
eNews – May 11, 1998) This bit of information is especially important
seeing that if you don’t heed it you’ll be giving away more details about
your cyber-self than you’d truly care to.
later you’ll be entering it manually, all will become clear).
you MUST ENTER IT WITHOUT making a mistake, e.g. if you are “solgbj01”
then don’t type sok backspace lgbj01. Providing you type your account
name exactly as it was in the dialog box then the generated script will
If you made a mistake, well then your entries will be recorded into the
script instead, in which case sending your script to a service provider
could be a disaster if it contains your password too!
SimpleText. Make sure you can’t see your username and/or password coded
into it.
HOT FILES
worth the $10 you’ll have to spend once it’s ready for prime time.
online as well as maintaining records for you’re daily, weekly and
monthly Internet usage. You can also sign on and off of your ISP with a
single click. Cool Tool!!
out the shareware fee have a look at Vremya. This little program syncs
your Mac’s clock to Greenwich Mean Time, but it does it for free.
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY…
Tracy Kidder
Avon
computer development from a PC - and I don’t mean politically correct – point of view. The Soul of a New Machine is the Pulitzer Prize winning
story of Data General Corporations race to bring a powerful new computer
to market. Fascinating reading and insight into what it’s like to be a
technological “Garage Band.”
Friday, May 29 – 9:45 pm
Hotel Utah – 4th and Bryant
San Francisco, CA
if you happen to be in, around or near San Francisco on Friday night
you’ll want to check this out. Yes, she is my sister, but I wouldn’t
tell you about her if she wasn’t fantastic.
by Mac Home Magazine – your best Mac resource in print and on the web!
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips – go to
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine
Mac Hot Tips eNews – June 1, 1998
====================================
HOT NEWS
change over the long weekend and Hottips got the short end of the stick.
Couldn’t send mail ‘til late Tuesday and I didn’t start getting mail
until sometime late on Thursday. If you sent something and were expecting
a response please feel free to re-send it.
fact that Macs are far less expensive to maintain than their Wintel
counterparts. Sure they have their occasional problems. A computer is a
sophisticated piece of electronics. There’s no doubt that, from time to
time, your Mac is likely to, well, bomb. But there’s also no doubt that
Mac users spend far less time paying homage to the gods of Crash and Burn.
Information System (IS) managers are, well, bored. You just set ‘em up
and they run! Here’s a quote straight from the MacCentral article…
end-users and our server,” says Cooper. “The most trouble I have is
simply basic printing problems. I can’t remember the last time I had to
do something major to one of my computers, and I’ll tell you something
else—I get very BORED because of it.”
on. I mean think of it, No Windows. No work. At least for IS people…
HOT TIPS
web browser. Using a RAM disk as cache storage will allow you to reload
web pages at a much faster rate because images and pages are stored in
RAM which is far faster than your hard disk – the place where your web
browser normally stores cached files. Here’s another option that will
help to speed the reloading of web pages into your browser.
disk cache to 0. To make this work well you’ll need to increase the
amouont of RAM your browser uses.
cache to 0.
2. If you’re using OS8 hold down the Control Key and click once on your
browser’s icon then select “Get Info” from the Contextual Menu that pops
up. (Otherwise click once on the icon and press command-I).
3. In the browser’s information window find the application’s “Preferred
Size” field and change it in an increment of 1024. (3072 would change to
4096 and so-on. You should also remember that you shouldn’t make the
application’s preferred size too large or your Mac may not have enough
memory to open the program!)
4. Close the Get Info window.
Changing the guilty app’s preferred memory size MAY resolve that problem
too!)
2. Select Edit.
3. Select Preferences.
4. In the category window select Advanced.
5. Under advanced select Cache.
6. Change the Cache amout to 0.
2. Select Edit.
3. Select Preferences.
4. Select Web Browser.
5. Select Advanced.
6. Change the Cache size to 0.
in speed when you reload web pages. There are a couple of things you
should be aware of though.
have the browser open. Once you close your browser you’re starting from
scratch again. If you often close and reopen your browser this method
will be of little use to you.
available for other programs. If you have a limited amount of RAM this
may not be your best bet either.
HOT FILES
OVERDRIVE the EV sequel. Continuing EV’s vast planetary escapade EV
OVERDRIVE boasts better graphics and game play. Have a blast!!
CloseFinderWindows
FileSharingMonitor
WindowPickerCMPlugIn
LAST TWENTY MINUTES YOU’VE BEEN TYPING WITH THE CAPS LOCK KEY DOWN. CLD
beeps at you once a second to make you aware of your faux pas. (Irritates
the heck out of if you actually want Caps Lock on!)
leaves dozens of windows open on your desktop and then shuts off your
Mac? OK, you can Option-click to close them all at once or you can let
CFW clean everything up at the start of the day. A guaranteed clean
screen with your morning cup-o-joe.
files or not. Simple huh?
from a Contextual Menu. Quite a handy little feature!
you about – you already have this feature!)
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY…
Ron Hansen
Harper Perennial
A son.
A suicide.
Or is it a murder?
Or…?
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine
by Mac Home Magazine – your best Mac resource in print and on the web!
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips – go to
here!****
booklet all for an unbelieveable $59.95!
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine
Mac Hot Tips eNews – June 8, 1998
====================================
HOT NEWS
his recent acquisition of a PowerBook G3. His June 4 column entitled “The
Mac Is Back, With an Apple Laptop to Suit Various Needs” enumerates no
less than a dozen reasons why Apple’s new PowerBooks are nothing short of
excellent.
company’s great past. Actually, it’s not a single laptop model. It’s a
whole series of laptops that share the same striking design and speedy
family of processor chips which Apple is willing to customize in just
about every key respect for every purchaser. The result is over 1,000
possible configurations of screens, processor speeds, disk drives, memory
and modems.”
PowerBook works and just how fast it is. His final feeling? “Apple has
hit a home run with these great new PowerBooks, and that’s a good omen
for a once-great company that just last year seemed aimless and listless.”
the Mac. Starting some time this summer 3Com will roll out a new Palm
Pilot MacPac that will include it’s recently purchased Claris Organizer.
3Com has also released a new Mac software developers kit that will make
it easier to create Palm Pilots programs that synchronize with programs
on the Mac.
HOT TIPS
file on your hard drive. But tell me truthfully, have you used the full
power of your Mac’s Find File feature. I bet you haven’t!
with the program a little more yourself. What we will do is give some
idea of the program’s amazing versatility so you can make the most of it.
pressing Command-F, selecting Find from the File menu or Find File from
the Apple menu. You’ll notice that there are several menus available. The
first is the Find items menu. Click it and you should see a number of
options that are similar to the following:
On local disks
On mounted servers
On the desktop
In the Finder selection
On your local hard drive
selection” or “on mounted servers” may be grayed out. Just for fun,
select a folder, like Documents, on your Desktop and reselect the “Find
in” menu and you’ll see that “in the Finder selection” is now enabled.
Now you can simply search a single folder rather than your whole hard
drive. A feature that’s quite convenient if you have a large hard drive
with thousands of files on it.
of information you can search for on your hard drive:
Size
Kind
Label
Date Created
Date Modified
Version
Comments
Lock Attribute
Folder Attribute
File Type
Creator
middle menu says “is.” Select that menu and you’ll see a list of fourteen
options. Looking for a file that you know you created sometime near the
beginning of March but you can’t remember it’s name or the date you
created it. Type 3/1/98 in the date field and select “is within two weeks
of” from the middle menu. Now you’ll be able to see all the files created
between February 15 and March 14. Not too shabby!
more find options the most useful of which is “Contents.” Did you once
create a document with a reference to “Lays Potato Chips” in it? The Find
Contents option will search every document on your hard drive to see if
it can find the string “Lays Potato Chips.”
your desktop to Find File and it will auto-magically enter find
information that relates to what you’ve selected in the “Name” menu. This
is especially helpful if you’re trying to find all the files on your hard
drive that you’ve created with a specific program. Just select “creator”
from the “name” menu and drag a document to the Find File window. Find
File will display the document’s creator name and locate everything on
your hard drive that has the same creator as that document.
HOT FILES
now blessed us with Cyberopoly, a modern day version of a game we all
know and love. Have fun conquering the world with a single browser!
WhatRoute tells all tracing exactly where your bits bounce to to get to
where they’re going. This little program is free and best of all it’s fun
and educational!
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY…
Gus Lee
Plume
Francisco. Gus Lee tells the story of Kai Ting as if it were
autobiographical.
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine
by Mac Home Magazine – your best Mac resource in print and on the web!
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips – go to
booklet all for an unbelievable $59.95!
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine
Mac Hot Tips eNews – June 15, 1998
====================================
HOT NEWS
this computer barely exists at all. Read on to see what’s in store for
the future.
together by researchers at UC Berkeley and Hewlett Packard. It’s name is
Teramac and it’s about the size of a refrigerator. What’s unusual about
this computer is that it was designed and built with defective
“throw-away” chips. That is, chips destined for the dust bin: 864 of
them. If any one of these were a single chip, like you find in most
desktop computers, it would guarantee the failure of the computer. The
beauty of Teramac is that it’s able to discover where problems are in the
system and then remember them in order to bypass problems in the future.
Here’s a quote taken directly from the article:
large network of wiring. This internal “brain” remembered how to bypass
the bugs. Whenever a new fault appears, such as a cut wire, the
scientists re-map the system to avoid the new trouble.”
likely. Besides it’s massive size – at least by today’s standards – Teramac is incredibly expensive. So expensive that Hewlett Packard is
unwilling to disclose it’s cost. Time frame? About 10 years. At least
until computers like Teramac hit the mainstream.
HOT TIPS
startup screen only to have no clue what it was you were looking at. When
System 6 was king these little icons were known as INITs short for
Initialization Programs. Now we know them as Control Panels and
Extensions. What they do is change the way your Mac functions. They
“Extend” your Macintosh’s operating system allowing you to customize it
in myriad ways. The beauty of Extensions and Control Panels is that they
afford you the freedom to make your Mac work the way you want it to. A
feature you will not find on, around or near a Windows95 computer.
(Although I did find a freeware program that makes my PC desktop look
like a Mac!)
icon that dances across the bottom of your screen – and for some that you
don’t see dancing – a little bit of your Mac’s memory is set aside for
that program to use. While it’s worthwhile to have that memory set aside
for Extensions and Control Panels you use, it’s a complete waste to load
INITs that you’ll never use.
Panel and Extension to see whether you need it or not. But it is the
perfect forum to give you the tools to do some discovery on your own.
Control Panel. What it does is give you an overview of all the Control
Panels and Extensions that are enabled or disabled on your Macintosh.
This little tool will be indispensable in your battle to eliminate unused
INITs.
perfectly well in any version of system 7. If you don’t have a copy you
should be able to find it on the Apple web site.
version of the Extension Manager that allows you far greater control over
your system extensions.
selecting Control Panels and finally, Extension Manager. You can also get
the Extension Manager to open at startup by holding down the Spacebar
while your Mac is starting up.
detect corrupted extensions, smart enough to help you determine which
extensions might be conflicting with others, Conflict Catcher is a tool
you just may not want to live without. I can’t tell you how many times
this program has pulled my behind out of deep water. It’s far too
difficult to cover it in any detail here. So download yourself a demo
copy from the Casady & Greene web site and play around a bit.
Extensions and Control Panels. InformINIT provides a detailed description
of every available Extension and Control Panel and explains to you
whether or not you need it and why. You will not find a more extensive or
comprehensive coverage of Extensions anywhere. (Which is why it would be
absolutely useless for me to attempt to go into any detail in Hottips!)
HOT FILES
to suit your fancy…
are being used on your Mac. This OS 8 only freeware/mailware program is a
fast and efficient way to get the skinny on what’s on your hard drive
from one simple Contextual Menu.
to your Mac. Sesame gives you simple password protection for your Mac.
Smart enough to overcome Shift-key Extension disabling, Sesame also
includes a decent screensaver that displays until you enter your password.
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY…
Keb’ Mo’
OKeh/epic
everything and just go see him. I caught Keb’ Mo’ during a recent House
of Blues tour. He flat out stole the show. Extraordinary stage presence.
Powerful guitar player. Pleasure to watch and listen to. The CD is great,
but if you can catch him live GO!
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine
by Mac Home Magazine – your best Mac resource in print and on the web!
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information.
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booklet all for an unbelievable $59.95!
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS SPONSORED BY THE LETTER “Q” THE NUMBER “3” AND:
publishing techNotes, the monthly Mac newsletter. Readers say: “techNotes
is…the most concise, common sense, no bull—-Mac info.” “Absolutely
riveting! A perfect balance of the practical & the academic. And only a
buck an issue! You’re selling yourself short”.
absolute steal!
Mac Hot Tips eNews – June 22, 1998
HOT NEWS
Last week my wife gave birth to:
22 inches
10 lbs 1.7 oz
Reye.
list was collected from submissions that you sent in several weeks ago.
Thanks!
THE “NOT AT ALL THAT COMPLETE” LIST OF ENCHANCED CDS