What's New - Mar 21, 2001

Introduction

What's new for the Mac in the previous month:

• General issues, workarounds and fixes
• New Software and hardware
• Software and hardware updates/patches

Mac OS X

From AppleInsider.com and MacosRumors.com

A number of unusual appearances of Windows logos, the sudden appearance in several system files of DOS and Windows 98/200/ME/XP references, and other Microsoft-isms in recent builds of the Mac OS X "Cheetah" 4K6x series suggests something very interesting may be going on with the new OS.

Daily updates on Mac OS X. http://macfixit.com/macosx.shtml

Background-only Extensions/apps - Go back to top

From "Ask Al" 2/12/01 (from alsoft.com)

Some extensions have 2 load up times: during the "extensions parade" and invisibly right after the Finder starts up.

If the Finder hangs after it has started up, but before the contents of Startup Items launch, it is an extension with file type "appe" (application extension) that is causing it to hang.

New Software

Adobe Acrobat - 5.0 (preorder to ship in April)
Adobe Photoshop 6.0.1
Apple Disc Burner 1.0.1
Apple Final Cut Pro - 2.0
Apple iTunes 1.1
Apple Macintosh Manager - 1.4
Apple URL Access 2.3
Carbonic 1.0b3
Chaos master 1.2
Eudora 5.1b2
Fetch 4.0b6
Graphic Converter 4.0.4
HTML-Optimizer - 4.2
HTML-OptimizerPlus - 2.2
HTTP Benchmark 1.3.2
Invisible Prefs 0.4.4
IPNetSentry - 1.0
IPNetTuner - 1.4
iTunes Associator - 1.6
MacSSH 2.1a10
NetBarrier 2.0.2
Opera 5.0tp1
Peek-a-Boo - 1.6
Prefs Manager 1.0b4
Relocated - 1.0b2
Search & Rescue - 3.0b2
Software Hardware Tracker 4.0.5
TechTool Pro 3.0.3
Tenon OS 9.1 update
Thursby DAVE - 2.5.2
Web Server 4D - 3.5.2b1

Full listing (600K file): http://www.macos.utah.edu/ - "Meetings" - "Previous Notes"

Or see: versiontracker.com

Software Notes

IPNetTuner 1.4

Full on the fly access to Open Transport (Mentat/TCP) tuneable parameters.

Fine grained control of the best commercial TCP/IP stack on the market.

Outstanding compatibility, does not modify any Open Transport or networking files.

FAT application runs native on both 68K and PPC processors.

Retrieve low level IP routing and other information.

Experiment with confidence, easily restores factory default settings.

Auto-configure allows you to restore your settings transparently upon restart.

21-day free trial.

Works with other complementary software by the same developer to tune up IP (IPNetMonitor).

Snapshots:

Modifying a parameter:

Some of the modifiable parameters:

Relocated 1.0b2

Changes MAC (Media Access Control) hardware address.

Only works with Mac OS 8.0 - 9.0.4 and non-first generation PowerMacs (better than 6100, 7100, 8100).

Support for Mac OS 9.1 is being worked on.

Modifies the System suitcase.

Snapshot:

Hardware News

From AppleInsider.com and MacosRumors.com

Colored Ti Powerbooks.

Powerbook Ti stuck at up to 550MHz? Concerns are growing that Apple has painted itself into a corner by spec'ing the new 'Book with a PowerPC 7410 processor.

10-hour battery life might be available for Powerbook Ti from 3rd party developer.

G4 cubes not going away, but not being developed much. G4 cube developer team fired.

Dual-processor 667/733MHz PowerMacs due by April.
Gigahertz PPC 7450 G4s targeted for August. Expect to see 800, 866, and 933, and 1000 MHz.

Motorola plans to co-develop the PowerPC 75xx processor family, also known as the G5, with IBM.

733MHz G4s slower than 533's?! The consistent statement from sources is that the current Mac OS doesn't make the right assumptions in its memory management code to properly use the 7450's new on-chip L2 and backside L3 cache architecture, nor make the best use of its improved on-chip data paths or Altivec units. Mac OS X will do much better at this.

A new Lucent Technologies chipset will shrink Apple's AirPort hardware, add 54Mbps bandwidth support, and support the popular Bluetooth wireless interface technology over standard and high-performance AirPort bands.

Retail News

From AppleInsider.com and MacosRumors.com

Sears to no longer sell Macs.

Apple retail stores to be announced by Macworld New York.

Independent Apple Service Providers who don't sell Apple hardware losing "Authorized" status.