Odds & Ends
Odds & Ends
Virtual Game Station: where is it? I have received unconfirmed reports that Sony intends to sue Connectix over its Virtual Game Station emulator. Whatever the truth may be, Connectix has made no announcement as to when the software will be generally available. It was sold at Macworld Expo but is not yet in any catalog or retail outlets.
Epson 800 driver alternative Epson may have removed the 5.1AE driver for the Epson Stylus 800. But Mike Sellers found that the USB driver for the Epson 800 worked fine on his Performa 6400/180. He simply removed the 4 USB extensions. Marc Giroux reports that the Epson 850 driver also works fine with the 800.
SmartPort and Palm PDA PilotMac notes that the unsupported HotKey Switching SmartPorts Update "allows you to keep the physical connection to the PortDoubler while allowing you to manually switch between ports." With this update, you can also HotSync using PortDoubler and the latest beta release of the MacPac2. HotSyncing did not work with the regular SmartPort extension.
Eudora Planner beta The current beta 7 version of Eudora Planner expired 1/1/99. Bob Carr contacted Qualcomm and got a new serial number to keep it going. They also told him that an entirely new beta version should be out by next week.
DiskGuard is gone but Norton Disk Doctor still won't run Brett Wickens had DiskGuard on his PowerBook G3. He then uninstalled it. However, Norton Disk Doctor still refused to run, citing that the drive is still protected by security software. Disk First Aid runs with no problem. He adds: "I assume there is some driver level business that DiskGuard is leaving in place, even though there is no protection active, and that NDD is finding and misinterpreting this as protection."
TeleMagic patch Scott Mesch writes: "I use an older database application called TeleMagic v12. It would not work beginning in 1999. I found a way to apply a patch to make it work. If any one is interested in the patch, email me."
AOL 4.0 and GV TelePort v.90 Andy Jelagin found that "the final release of AOL 4.0 is now compatible with Global Village TelePort x2 modems,that have been upgraded to v.90. The supplied script (Global Village x2/v.90) works like a charm - no more time-out errors."
Update: Jan Herman found just the opposite to be true. "Not only does the connection keep crashing after 3-4 minutes but is slower."
Quark and 8.5 font problem A web page displays a bold font problem with QuarkXPress and Mac OS 8.5.
Palm to iMac? Vikash Bhagwandin queries about how to HotSync a Palm PDA to an iMac. As the iMac does not have a serial port, there is no immediate way to do this (other than via a Palm modem, which costs extra money and is much slower). Infrared communication might work, but infrared support has been dropped from the new iMac/266. A serial-to-USB adapter might also work, but I have no reports from people trying this as yet. [I imagine a similar issue exists for the new Power Mac G3s.]
Sonnet PPC card for Quadras Sonnet Technologies announced Presto PPC, a PowerPro 601 upgrade card for the Quadra 700/800/900/950 and Quadra/Centris 610/650 computers. Sonnet will be providing a Mac OS 8.5 enabler for existing Daystar Digital Power Pro 601 customers. Sonnet also announced a G3 upgrade via the L2 Cache slots for "PCI Bus Power Macintosh and Performa computers that were not built with a processor slot and upgradable daughter card."
PowerLogix Z-Force PowerLogix has announced the Z-Force Accelerator System for Power Macintosh and clones. From a press release: The Z-Force System takes the best features of the popular PowerForce G3 and combines it with the easy upgradeability of a ZIF processor module. The Apple standard ZIF ("zero insertion force") processor module is used in all PowerMac G3s. The Z-Force System eliminates obsolescence by allowing easy migration to future processor technology, and also offers flexibility by adapting a ZIF socket (used on the latest PowerMacs) to all older PCI Power Macs."
Server problems again MacFixIt had several server crashes again yesterday. I think the problem is fixed. We'll see.