Odds & Ends

ClarisWorks to AppleWorks converter coming? John Dalmas was told by "a technician at Apple" that Apple is working on a free patch that will convert version 5.0x of ClarisWorks to version 5.0.3 of AppleWorks. All future updates of AppleWorks, however, will have to be purchased separately. They say to watch for the release of the patch any time soon at the AppleWorks web site.

Sherlock plug-in problem fixed Last time, I reported a problem using the InfoSeek and HotBot plug-ins for Sherlock. It turns out that the solution, at least for InfoSeek, was simply that the plug-ins needed to be updated. Eventually, Sherlock gave me a message requesting that I download the updated files, which I did. I then had to quit Sherlock and relaunch it before it would work with the new plug-ins. [However, one reader claims that, while this fixed the InfoSeek problem, it did not get the HotBot plug-in to work.]

Meanwhile, Yet More Sherlock Plug-ins is another site for obtaining assorted plug-ins. It even has a MacFixIt plug-in. Other MacFixIt plug-ins are available here.

iMacButton pad replacement The iMacButton is a simple add-on that fits over the reset hole on all iMacs and "makes resetting a hard freeze a breeze." The vendor writes: "It has come to our attention that in order to upgrade the iMac, the iMacButton must be removed and then reattached afterwards. In order to facilitate this, iMacButton.com will provide free pad replacement for our customers. Please see our site for instructions on how to get a replacement pad."

Palm MacPac delayed again? Doubtful Bob Shalit received the following note from 3Com: "Unfortunately, Pilot Desktop 1.0 and Mac OS 8.5 are not compatible. Testing has concluded that Pilot Desktop 1.0 will not launch under Mac OS 8.5. You will not be able to edit the data via the Pilot Desktop on the computer. [note: see MacFixIt item for more on this.] You will however, be able to perform a synchronization and install applications onto the handheld unit. There is no resolution to this issue until the release of Palm MacPac 2.0. The MacPac 2.0 has been fully tested with Mac OS 8.5 and is compatible. The Palm MacPac 2.0 software is currently scheduled for a Fall release." Several readers concur that this is likely an out-of-date message that actually refers to the Fall of 1998. Current estimates remain for an "early 1999" release. In the meantime, you can download a beta version of MacPac 2.1.

MacInTax 98 has been updated with several bug fixes.

ISDN for the iMac SAGEM has announced its Planet ISDN USB Adapter for iMac. With it, the user can even connect and disconnect the adapter without having to restart the computer.

Optima System has released PageSpinner v2.1, a new version of the HTML authoring package that has improved speed, support for Navigation Services, a new Assistant for creating JavaScript rollover images, support for HTML 4.0, and other features such as multiple browsers preview.