Meeting Notes - Dec 19, 2001

By: Mikio Moriyasu - Revised: 2006-10-05 devin


What's New by James Reynolds

James' complete presentation including a complete list of new software can be found on the main Mac Managers Website at: http://www.macos.utah.edu. To visit this site right away, please click here.

Software Notes
  • The following has been brought up and discussed a bit on www.macfixit.com:
  • Citrix client may fail under OS 9.2.2.
  • Dreamweaver and Fireworks free kit with video tutorials, book excerpts, templates, and 3rd party extensions when you purchase certain Macromedia products.
  • Illustrator 10 "cannot run" error.
  • Startup Disk control panel may show "9.1.1" for Mac OS 9.2.1.
  • Getting iTunes to transition between two mp3's without any dropout: Turn cross-fade on, but set it to zero.
  • Photoshop 6.5 beta coming in a few months. OS X, faster, new features. Yummy!
  • Mac OS X set to ship as default in March.
New Hardware
  • The Terapin CD Video Recorder is essentially a VCR that uses CD's. $499.
  • Sony supporting both DVD-RW and DVD+RW. The difference? DVD-RW is for consumer video DVD players and must be recorded in sessions. DVD+RW is just like a floppy, but is not compatible with many DVD-ROM players. Read more.
Hardware Notes
  • PowerBook G4 now ships with Combo CD-R/W DVD drives.
  • AppleShare IP 6.3.3 v2 runs on Macintosh Server G4 (QuickSilver). Read more.
  • Late 2001 iBooks internal modem may not be listed in the Modem control panel.
  • PCI FireWire card may inhibit CD burns.
  • AirPort 2 may slow down and require restart.
  • 1GB RAM may prevent startup in PB G4.
  • The old ABS power adapter is not fully interchangeable with the new ABS. Read more.
  • Put on rumor hat: PowerPC G5 coming in January? 1.2GHz, 1.4GHz and 1.6GHz? Read more.
  • More rumor hat: Flat Panel iMac? Read more.
Retail News
iBook $100 rebate if purchased between November 21 and December 31 (I doubt this applies to educational purchases). Read more.

Microsoft Settlement or Takeover of the World?
  • Microsoft wants to donate more than $1 billion of their software, refurbished computers and expertise to the nation's poorest schools as a "punishment" for breaking the law. Read more - Read more.
  • Steve Jobs slams the Microsoft Plan. Steve says they can give their $1 billion, but give it in cash to a third party that decides what is best for the schools. Read more - Read more - Read more - Read more - Read more.
  • Read the latest on the antitrust suit. wired.com - Washington Post
Bye Bye Privacy
  • DOJ already monitoring cable modems? Read more.
  • "Magic Lantern" reportedly masquerades as an innocent e-mail attachment that will insert FBI spyware inside your computer. Will future versions of PGP contain a back door? Read more - Read more - Read more.
  • FBI wants phone companies to make changes in their networks to improve surveillance. Read more
  • Why is this bad? Back doors and easy monitoring for the FBI can easily turn into back doors and easy monitoring for hackers. NOBODY can make invulnerable monitoring software or back doors. The protection is to not have them.
Other Problems
  • New European Union law, Communications Data Protection Directive, outlaws Spam, allows cookies with restrictions, allows data retention past useful billing purposes. Read more.
  • Major record labels are releasing their catalogs online after years of stalling but the music will not be playable on mp3 players. Read more.
  • Qwest to stop being a DSL ISP, moving PC customers to MSN. Mac users must use Qwest servers until MSN can support Macs.
  • Court says it is illegal to publish or link to DVD-cracking code. Read more.
Cool Stuff
  • Apple Knowledge Base 3.0 is here! See it.
  • 20 Years of Usenet now available on Google. See it.
WebObjects Class Update
We are pursing hosting a WebObjects class taught by Apple's iServices. For latest info check out: http://www.macos.utah.edu/Documentation/WebObjects/

Can anyone say for certain that they would attend a class? Please contact us here.

Mac OS 9.2.2 Overview by Mike Kimball

Mike's presentation can be found on the main Mac Managers Website at: http://www.macos.utah.edu. To visit this site right away, please click here.

Vital Statistics
Released: December 5, 2001
Download size: 22MB (installs about 32MB of updated items)

What's New or Updated
  • Classic, Classic UI, Mac OS ROM, System, System Resources, etc.
  • AppleScript extension & Standard Additions scripting addition.
  • ATI/nVIDIA drivers, OpenGL, DrawSprocketLib.
  • Apple Enet, AppleShare, OpenTransport.
  • Firewire Enabler/Support, SDAP Authoring Support, Authoring Support Files.
  • USB Software Locator/Device Extension.
  • Consult the Installation Log for a complete list.
Install Issues
  • Apparent conflict with HDT: Hard Disk ToolKit 4.5 - formatted drives may crash or not be bootable in Startup Disk. Workaround - downgrade the root System files (Mac OS ROM, Classic, etc) to 9.2.1 versions.
  • nVIDIA and monitor resolution: new nVIDIA drivers may be incompatible with GeForce3 cards and force 640x480 resolution and/or 70 Hz or less. Workaround - trashing Display Prefs only works until restart; so downgrade the nVIDIA drivers to 2.3 (OS 9.2.1 versions).
  • Other reports (partial confirmation): FireWire drives not recognized, Claris Emailer conflicts, AppleScript problems... See www.macfixit.com for more info.
Links
  • Macfixit archive: December 7 - Troubleshooting Mac OS 9.2.2
  • Macfixit report: Troubleshooting OS 9.2.x
  • Knowledge Base article

Software Installation: Tracking & Investigation by Mike Kimball

Mike's complete presentation can be found on the main Mac Managers Website at: http://www.macos.utah.edu. To visit this site right away, please click here.

Why track software installations?
An environment such as a university computer lab is often comprised of high numbers of identically-configured machines. To maintain them efficiently, one must implement file maintenance software such as RevRdist or Assimilator, which utilizes a master image on a server to distribute and maintain a standard configuration of software on an automated, daily basis. This of course requires knowing the precise System components belonging to each application, in order to add them to the master image to be distributed.

To your benefit, 90% of Mac software is self-contained, with little more than a preferences file/folder in the System Folder. Most of the other 10%, those that insist on using System components, at least put them in some fairly obvious places - Control Panels, Control Strip Modules, or Extensions - and name them intuitively. So a majority of the time, you won't have a lot of trouble getting it all. It's the few problem children that put other mysterious or invisible items in there, or don't include an installation log file. At this point, it becomes necessary to use software to track these components down.

Sherlock
Sherlock 2, Apple's favorite search utility, is one of the simplest methods of finding items related to a software install. It is very useful for searching for certain kinds of files, files with certain creation/modification dates, or other attributes, or for advanced options like invisible files or files with certain types or creators.

File Buddy
File Buddy 5.x, quite simply, does a lot of cool stuff. For this section, we'll concentrate on the Cleaning menu, with particular attention to the Take Snapshot and Compare Snapshots functions:
  • Check Aliases will examine all aliases on a volume you select and make sure their targets exist (useful for finding orphaned aliases). As for Scanning Prefs or Empties, we don't really use them (or find them accurate). No biggie.
  • Delete Unused Icon Files - this I wouldn't do until you check your disk with a directory repair utility and maybe even rebuild the desktop first...
  • Take Snapshot is the main useful part of File Buddy for us here. It allows you to take a snapshot of the contents of your System Folder, etc, meaning you can get a record of its exact contents before you install software, then take another one after you're finished. Compare Snapshots will then allow you to see exactly which files have been added, moved, deleted, renamed...
  • Erase file and especially, Erase Unused Space, are things I'd do only after running a directory repair utility (if you have directory problems of any kind, erasing unused space only makes matters worse). If you don't already know, when you trash something all it does is make a note of the "free space" in the directory, but the file is physically still there until it gets overwritten. Erase Unused Space will write over all sectors of the disk marked as free space, so that trashed files cannot be recovered.
Installer Observer
Installer Observer 3.x is similar to File Buddy in that it can take Save Conditions (take snapshots) and then Examine Changes (compare snapshots). It also does Folder Sets, which is similar to another program we'll examine below, Conflict Catcher.

TomeViewer
TomeViewer 1.3 is basically a utility that lets you view and expand installation tome contents - which are merely archives of the pieces that get installed. Basically, use the File menu to open the tome you wish to view. Then you can see the list of items that might be installed (including Type and Creator, as well as Version), and even use the Archive menu to Show Info or Expand selected items to your Desktop or wherever you choose (such as ATI Graphics Accelerator, shown here).

Conflict Catcher
Conflict Catcher 8.1 is another program that does a lot of cool things for managing the System, including things like Clean Install System Merging. For this purpose, we'll concentrate on its powers of information about System components. The Conflict Catcher window has options like Sets (i.e. of startup items in Control Panels, Extensions, etc), Groups, Conflict Testing and Reporting. To get info on a particular component, option-click on the item in the list, and it will show the info to the left. To force this window to appear on startup, hold down the space bar. Or, you can use the menubar item (on the right next to the Application menu, or Finder as it's commonly known) to open it anytime.

Issues with Final Cut Pro & LightWave
There are a few applications that have one gotcha - it's not as simple as merely copying a preference file to the master image and distributing it to every machine. Final Cut Pro 2.x and LightWave 6.x both utilize a file that must be configured individually on each machine, to contain the licensing information (as a weak way to enforce copy protection). Final Cut Pro uses the "Final Cut Pro User ID" which is in System Folder: Preferences: Final Cut Pro Data; LightWave uses the "License.key" which is in Lightwave 6: Programs. The two methods for dealing with these files are 1) "ignoring" that particular file in the distribution instructions, or 2) keeping copies of all the ID/key files on the server and then coding the distribution instructions to put the correct file on the correct machine. We prefer option 2 because it is more robust and saves us the trouble of re-creating the ID/key files if they happen to get deleted. The files still work if they get renamed for storage on the server - just as long as they are returned to the expected name once they are on each machine.

Other Gotchas
Some other things to watch for are fairly harmless, while some are quite disagreeable.
  • One harmless example would be software that might not name its System pieces intuitively, but the pieces can at least be found easily by searching for files of a certain type/creator.
  • In the medium section, there are apps that use path-based preferences to find things (so that you have to install the original on a computer with the same hard drive name as the ones that you will distribute the app to, and all these hard drives must have the same name as well), or apps that put some items in unexpected locations such as the root of the System Folder (e.g. the Scanner Settings file for OmniPage, or the EfiColor items for QuarkXPress 3.x).
  • In the odious category, I would place apps that utilize cryptically-named and/or invisible files to enforce licensing (e.g. MacLinkPlus' invisible "System.kas" file, or Cinema 4D's "mca2"), or apps like the two above (FCP and Lightwave) which use machine-specific license key or ID files. Of course we hardly need mention the use of dongles or network-based licensing verification (usually coupled with requiring single-user only licensing), way at the bottom of the scale of user-friendliness.

Office X Overview By Mikio Moriyasu

Mikio's complete presentation which includes complete cost information, detailed descriptions of all of the new features, detailed descriptions of the issues that others have encountered, and screen captures can be found on the main Mac Managers Website at: http://www.macos.utah.edu. To visit this site right away, please click here.

What's New: Office X
Rather than start from the ground-up, Microsoft opted to make their first Mac OS X Office suite a superior carbonization that completely and effectively integrates it with OS X environment. The principle advantage to this strategy is that Microsoft is able to integrate into Office all of the benefits and features that are unique to OS X while maintaining a significant degree of continuity. As a result, Office X does feature a few new OS X based features and gimmicks but more importantly, it largely remains a familiar product to most regular users.

While the basic operation, features, functions, and overall layout of the three principle components of the previous Office suite has been carried over, The influence of OS X can be clearly seen in:
  • The use of Aqua Based User Interfaces
  • The use of Quartz
  • The use of Sheets
  • Improved Stability & Responsiveness
What's New: Word X
Word X remains largely unchanged from the 2001 edition. Most of the minor changes are to the overall appearance of the user interface and are a direct result of Carbonizing to OS X. There have been a few significant updates and changes which are listed below:
  • Compatibility with AppleWorks 6
  • Non Contiguous Text Multi-selection
  • Clear Formatting
  • Office Address Book and Contact Toolbar
  • Data Merge Manager
  • Web Page Authoring
  • Preferences Control Panel
What's New: Excel X
The spreadsheet program of choice by many has not undergone a great deal of changes from the 2001 edition to version X. As is the case with the other applications in the Office suite, many reviewers found that Excel X was faster and more responsive. Excel X offers a number of advanced features that make it even easier to personalize and use.
  • Pop-Up Cell Entries
  • Transparent Charts
  • AutoRecover Feature
  • Customizable Keyboard Shortcuts
  • List Manager Search
  • AutoFilter Feature
  • AutoComplete Feature
  • REALbasic Integration
What's New: PowerPoint X
Various reviews have reported finding PowerPoint X to be much faster both when building slides and when using the slide sorter view than PowerPoint 2001. The significant changes to PowerPoint X give users more control over a greater variety of presentation elements. It provides more formats upon which to build presentations and more effects to enhance them. The following is a list of the newest features to PowerPoint X.
  • PowerPoint Packages
  • PowerPoint Movies
  • True Transparency
  • QuickTime Transitions
  • Multiple Slide Masters
  • Multiple Language Support
  • Greater PDF Support
What's New: Entourage X
Of the four component applications, Entourage has received the most significant number of upgrades. The Outlook Express look and feel of the 2001 edition has been replaced with a new "Aqua" based user interface that keeps the primary Entourage X features visible and accessible at all times.

In addition, the Entourage database has been rewritten for increased reliability, faster overall performance, and integration into the multitasking OS X environment. The database is always running in the background, allowing the user to readily enter events and updates from other Office programs, even if Entourage is not open. This constant operation also allows Entourage X through the new Office Notifications program to send to users scheduled reminders on the desktop. Here is a list of the key additions and improvements made to Entourage.
  • Improved Communications Tools
  • Rich Content
  • Improved Cut/Copy/Paste
  • Recently Used Address List
  • Redesigned Calendar
  • International Address Formats
  • Mac OS Keychain Support
  • Calendar Time-Zone Support
  • Office Notifications
  • Performance Enhancements
Issues
  • Ordering Difficulties
  • Installation Problems
  • Startup Issues
  • No Embedded Postscript Printing
  • Inconsistencies With how anti-aliasing is applied
  • Performance Issues with PowerPoint X
  • Backward Compatibility with older version of Office suite applications
  • Entourage compatibility problems with Hotmail
  • No Palm Support for Entourage
  • Office X vs Office XP
More Information
Microsoft Mactopia Office X product pages:
  • Office X - http://www.microsoft.com/mac/officex/default.asp?navindex=s16
  • Word X - http://www.microsoft.com/Mac/wordx/default.asp?navindex=s2
  • Excel X - http://www.microsoft.com/Mac/excelx/default.asp?navindex=s3
  • PowerPoint X - http://www.microsoft.com/Mac/powerpointx/default.asp?navindex=s5
  • Entourage X - http://www.microsoft.com/Mac/entouragex/default.asp?navindex=s4
Apple Office X product pages:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/applications/office/

Independent evaluations of the Office X Suite:
  • MacWorld.com, Tom Negrino - reviewer http://www.macworld.com/2002/02/reviews/office.html
  • WorkingMac.com, John C Welch - reviewer http://www.workingmac.com/inetd/72.wm
  • Zdnet.com, John Rizzo - reviewer http://www.zdnet.co.uk/reviews/rstories/0,3040,e7111436,00.html
  • Cnet.com, John Rizzo - reviewer http://www.cnet.com/software/0-811003-1204-910962.html...
  • Detroit Free Press, Mike Wendland - reviewer http://www.freep.com/money/tech/mwend23_20011023.htm
MacInTouch.com "Reader Reports:
  • Report #1 - http://www.macintouch.com/officevx.html
  • Report #2 - http://www.macintouch.com/officevx2.html

Other Issues

A few additional issues were brought up during the course of the meeting:
  • Scott Doenges' presentation on NetBoot has been postponed. It has been rescheduled for a future Mac Manager's meeting.
  • If there is a topic you would like to see discussed at a future Mac Managers Meeting, please contact us here.