Re: Older Software for Older PowerBooks
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 09:59:08 -0700 From: Bruce Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] *If you look at products like Cadintosh they advertise that they output to pict files as well. The Pict file format actually comes in two varieties: raster as well as vector formats. Some programs have greater or lesser functionality with the two; raster pict files are more portable, in the cross-platform sense. Does anyone else remember DeskPaint and DeskDraw. Back around '95 give or take a couple of years there were ads in the Mac mags sellling the pair of them for $29. I think they came with Drawing on the Macintosh as well. No real relevance. Bruce's excellent discussion of the options just made me think of them. Jeff Walther -- PowerBooks is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html PowerBooks list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/powerbooks%40mail.maclaunch.com/ Using a Mac? Free email more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
Re: Older Software for Older PowerBooks
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2002 12:15:06 -0400 In CAD, I really don't know. My father in law uses AutoCAD pro at his work and wants me to learn it for a possible job in the future. I am pretty sure AutoCAD is Windows only, any suggestions on Mac Cad software? I am shocked and *sigh* truly saddened that no one mentioned good olde MacDraft. I have used it for all kinds of things ever since I had my old Mac Plus, and it's so intuitive you don't even need the manual. Go with Version 4.1, which is not just the best but will run on any type mac. For that matter, MacDraw is still usable for simple things. If you're doing printed circuit boards, Osmond is excellent. It's still in beta so it's still free. And there are 68K, PPC and OSX versions. Don't let the beta-ness scare you though, I've designed two boards with it so far and it's solid--unless you give different signals identical names. But it keeps the drawings stored in a human readable text file, so you can edit your way out of the identical signal name problem. Jeff Walther -- PowerBooks is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html PowerBooks list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/powerbooks%40mail.maclaunch.com/ Using a Mac? Free email more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
Re: localtalk and phone lines?
At 13:15 -0400 08/18/2002, PowerBooks wrote: Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2002 16:41:51 -0700 From: Clark Martin [EMAIL PROTECTED] At 4:59 PM -0600 8/17/02, Andrew Kershaw wrote: I seem to recall hearing at one time or another that it is possible to use your home telephone wires (the ones in the wall) in conjunction with a PhoneNet LocalTalk adapter to run a small network to multiple rooms in a house... Is this possible? Yeah, I've done it. LocalTalk runs on a spare set of wires (not connected to the phone company. It connects using the outer pair in a standard phone jack (RJ-11). PhoneNet uses the yellow and black wires, to add a bit more detail. A typical phone cable uses the red and green wires. The YB are the outer wires, the RG are the inner wires. Some cables (especially those included with modems) may only have the inner two wires. I spent hours troubleshooting once, before figuring that out. Sigh. There is a great deal of variation in how houses are wired, especially older houses. It is possible that the YB might be in use if there is a second line but it is not a certainty and should be unlikely for houses wired in the last decade or so. There may only be three wires in a much older house. Also, you may find that the YB are present at each jack, but that they are not actually connected together between jacks. This is especially likely if all the lines run separately back to a junction box where only the RG were connected to anything. But you can connect the YB lines up yourself at the box. Years ago when I did this trick I did find that PhoneNet on the same cable as the phone line puts noise on the phone line. At least, when I was printing to my AT IWII I could hear a stuttering/buzzing sound on the phone. If you are wired for 10BT and are not using it for anything else, you can use that wiring. The RJ45 jack (wide 8 pin jack) will take the RJ11 plug just fine and the wires will hook up properly. You'll just need to tie the appropriate wires together whereever the other ends of those lines come together. I wired my house with Cat. 5 a few years ago--spent about two weeks in the attic. :-) Anywhere I put a wall plate I put at least two RJ45 jacks on the plate (four anywhere a computer might go) with corresponding cables back to the wiring closet (top shelf of coat closet). I also took the incoming phone lines and ran them to the wiring closet. With plenty of jacks to each room, I run my telephone, ethernet and LocalTalk/PhoneNet on the Cat. 5 lines. With panels in the closet it's easy to hook a given line up to whatever service I want. It also makes reconfiguring the telephone extensions in the house a breeze. Jeff Walther -- PowerBooks is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html PowerBooks list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/powerbooks%40mail.maclaunch.com/ Using a Mac? Free email more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
Re: localtalk and phone lines
Date: Sun, 18 Aug 2002 09:55:53 -0700 From: Clark Martin [EMAIL PROTECTED] Finally, I don't have any terminators ;-) I understand they are easy enough to fabricate if you know what kind of resistor is required... Can anyone help me out there? this by wiring a 120 ohm resistor across the LocalTalk pair on the phone jack in the wall. The booklet also listed methods for maximum lengths but for normal use in a home don't worry about it. To build a termination plug, take a 120 ohm resistor, as Clark mentioned, and a blank RJ11 plug which you can get at RS or most hardware stores that have a good wiring department. Insert the leads of the resistor (clip the extra length first) in the outer two slots/channels of the plug. Then you'll need a crimping tool to squeeze the plug down to close it so that it grips the leads. I've seen inexpensive, mostly plastic crimpers for under $10, but it still ends up being a bit of an investment if you don't already have one. On the other hand, once you have the crimper, you can build your own phone cables (provided you buy the cable and plugs) to any length you desire. An uncrimped plug will not plug into a socket, at least not without a great deal of force. I mention this in case you try to test the thing in a jack before crimping it. The plastic on top sticks up before it's been crimped. Jeff Walther -- PowerBooks is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html PowerBooks list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/powerbooks%40mail.maclaunch.com/ Using a Mac? Free email more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
Re: Help with inherited 520c
Date: Tue, 13 Aug 2002 11:16:46 -0700 From: Bruce Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Batteries are hideously expensive and short-lived. I read an article somewhere, many years ago (specific, huh?) about replacing the cells inside the battery. Apparently, if you're handy with tools, you can open up the battery back and you'll find cylindrical cells much like normal batteries. These are the NiCad cells. They are the part that wears out and they can be replaced. If you're not handy with tools, I would check for a local franchise of Batteries Plus. The one near me replaced the NiCad cells in my rechargeable BD screwdriver (before BD went to the exchangable packs). I had to open the thing up, but they were able to take the old cells and solder the old contacts/conductors to the new cells for me. They were very reasonable too. I think repairing old notebook batteries is part of their regular business. I've also seen reports by people on this list who have rebuilt them with new cells, with some success. Oooops. Didn't read that far before I started replying. Hopefully I added a little useful information. Jeff Walther -- PowerBooks is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html PowerBooks list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/powerbooks%40mail.maclaunch.com/ Using a Mac? Free email more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
Outbound
Date: Sun, 11 Aug 2002 17:59:43 -0500 From: Aly [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fascinating. Yes, it makes me wish I had one of these hanging about in the basement. If anyone comes across an available one, do please post the news. Sometimes these sorts of machines are left in trash heaps at big places like universities, but I didn't know of any the last time our U purged one of its departments. It used to be an all-Mac campus; now, sadly, that's changing. If you find a Laptop which just buzzes (instead of bonging) and then throws garbage on the screen at start up, and doesn't start up, I can fix it. That's a sign of corrupt EEPROM. Of course, you can't run teh installer that writes teh EEPROM unless you can boot up the machine. I bought some blank EEPROM chips and got them burned with good code and they're in sockets, so they're fairly easy to replace. Some 1 MB SIMMs will corrupt the EEPROM for some reason. I mention this, because I'd hate for someone to find one and then discard it thinking it is dead when it is easily fixable. Oh, and there is a port on the side that looks like it is for a VGA monitor, only hooking a monitor to it will kill the power supply. It's just one diode, and the thing will still run off of battery power (I think), so that's pretty easily fixable too, except that the power supply (the internal bit) is a pain to get to. Oh, one last thing. Let me reemphasize that the Outbound Laptop is a fairly different animal from the Outbound Notebooks. The stuff I wrote is about the Laptop. I don't have a Notebook. Jeff Walther -- PowerBooks is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html PowerBooks list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/powerbooks%40mail.maclaunch.com/ Using a Mac? Free email more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
Re: Outbound
Date: Sun, 11 Aug 2002 20:43:45 -0500 From: Mycroft [EMAIL PROTECTED] I've not followed all of this discussion, and it would be great to have one, but I did run across a link to an Outbound User's Group: http://surf.to/outbound/ There doesn't actually seem to be any User Group to that link though. The guy who runs the site is a former Outbound employee and he's a nice guy who will answer questions and help out, but I've never found any feature to allow members to converse amongst themselves. It would really be more accurate to call it an Outbound Support Site. Jeff Walther -- PowerBooks is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html PowerBooks list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/powerbooks%40mail.maclaunch.com/ Using a Mac? Free email more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
Re: Outbound
From: Cameron Kaiser [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2002 08:35:54 -0700 (PDT) I just joined the list. Are there are any Outbound owners/users here? Hey, happy to see you here! Wish I had an Outbound, myself. Hi Cameron. It's a pleasant surprise to find you here. Jeff -- PowerBooks is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html PowerBooks list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/powerbooks%40mail.maclaunch.com/ Using a Mac? Free email more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
Re: Outbound
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2002 11:29:40 EDT What's an Outbound? Back in the early nineties (late 80's?) Outbound made unlicensed Mac clones by scavenging ROMs from existing Macintoshes. All the clones they made were laptop and notebook models. They had some very cool features. The Laptop Model 125 ran a 15 MHz 68000 which was comparable to Apple's Mac Portable. But the 125 only weighed 9 lbs where the portable weighed 16 lbs. I don't know what the starting list price for the 125 was, but list on the Apple Portable was $6,500. On the other hand, the Apple Portable had that nice active matrix screen (125 was passive) and, I think, longer battery life. But the 125 used standard Camcorder batteries, so for the difference in price and weight, you could carry a few extra charged batteries for the 125. The 125 could only have either a hard drive or a floppy drive installed internally, but here was an external floppy, making it similar to the PowerBook 100 before the PB100 came out. But, the 125 could dock via cable with the Compact Mac from which the ROMs were scavenged, giving you two monitors (albeit, small ones) and access to the Compact Mac's ports. I'm still looking for one of the docking cards, or to borrow one long enough so that I can copy it. The 125 also has a cool detachable IR keyboard which has a very nice feel to it. And there's a port on the keyboard into which you can plug a PS2 mouse. Often overlooked is the Silicon Disk feature. The 125 has four extra 30 pin SIMM slots inside (8 total). The four extras are solely for a silicon disk. So, if you could install up to 16 MB of RAM in the four extra slots and have a 16 MB RAM disk on the machine. When shut down, the battery maintained it's contents and there was a back-up battery to allow you to change the main battery without losing the Silicon Disk contents. Having the OS and applications on the Silicon Disk made the 125 very fast. The link Dave R (Hi, Dave!) put up covers the Outbound Notebook, but not the earlier Laptop 125. The Laptop 125 is described in more detail here: http://www.applefritter.com/macclones/outbound/laptop/ EveryMac says they were only around from 91 - 92 but I could swear they were around longer than that. But that was a long time ago, so maybe the period during which I saw all those ads in MacUser and MacWorld seems longer than it was. EveryMac also says that the PB100 put them out of business, but it wasn't just the PB100. The PB100 could outcompete the Outbound Laptop, but the Outbound Notebooks had 68030 processors and were as light as a normal notebook. It was the whole line of first PBs that ran them out of business. I know they were around before the PowerBooks, and they lasted about six months to a year after PowerBooks were introduced. The Outbound actually had some advantages over the first PowerBooks (less expensive, standard expansion of RAM/hard drive) but they just couldn't compete in users' minds with the sleek PB 100/140 and 170. MacUser and MacWorld of that era had ads from Outbound doing a tabular comparison of the Outbound models to the PowerBooks and showing how the Outbounds were a better buy. The notebook computer in the movie Single White Female is an Outbound. Jeff Walther -- PowerBooks is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html PowerBooks list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/powerbooks%40mail.maclaunch.com/ Using a Mac? Free email more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
Outbound
I just joined the list. Are there are any Outbound owners/users here? I don't have any Outbound questions, I just wonder if there's some place where they gather electronically. I have several Outbound Model 125 Laptops. Jeff Walther -- PowerBooks is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html PowerBooks list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/powerbooks%40mail.maclaunch.com/ Using a Mac? Free email more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
