Early today, Apple Computer and Power Computing announced plans for Apple to purchase important Macintosh-related assets from Power Computing in exchange for $100 million in Apple common stock. Included among those assets are Power Computing's Mac OS license, customer database, and key personnel. Power Computing will continue to sell Mac clones through 31-Dec-97, after which the company will concentrate on a line of PC clones. Apple will provide ongoing Mac OS support to Power Computing users, whereas Power Computing will continue to provide hardware and warranty service for the machines it has sold. Although no comments were made surrounding the other clone manufacturers, it appears that Apple has started down the road toward elimination of clone licensing. The question is, which of the negatives discussed in A Case for Clones (TidBITS 395, 01-Sep-97) will come to pass and which will Apple avoid?
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Open Files with Finder's App Switcher
Say you're in the Finder looking at a file and you want to open it with an application that's already running but which doesn't own that particular document. How? Switch to that app and choose File > Open? Too many steps. Choose Open With from the file's contextual menu? Takes too long, and the app might not be listed. Drag the file to the Dock and drop it onto the app's icon? The icon might be hard to find; worse, you might miss.
In Leopard there's a new solution: use the Command-Tab switcher. Yes, the Command-Tab switcher accepts drag-and-drop! The gesture required is a bit tricky. Start dragging the file in the Finder: move the file, but don't let up on the mouse button. With your other hand, press Command-Tab to summon the switcher, and don't let up on the Command key. Drag the file onto the application's icon in the switcher and let go of the mouse. (Now you can let go of the Command key too.) Extra tip: If you switch to the app beforehand, its icon in the Command-Tab switcher will be easy to find; it will be first (or second).
Written by
Matt Neuburg
Apple to Acquire Power's Mac Assets
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