So why do Web pages aimed at Windows users have such tiny text? Geoff Duncan explains it all this issue, with a look at points, picas, pixels, and how the Mac OS and Windows render fonts differently. Adam weighs in with some thoughts on the permanence of URLs on the Web (and how to deal with broken URLs), and, in the news, we see Macintosh Runtime for Java 2.1, Action Files 1.2, ShareWay IP 2.0, and MasterJuggler 2.0.2.
Action Files 1.2 Usurps Nav Services -- The latest update to Power On Software's popular Action Files now overrides Apple's Navigation Services under Mac OS 8.5 in favor of the enhanced Open and Save dialog boxes provided by Action Files, plus rolls in a handful of fixes
MasterJuggler Catches Mac OS 8.5 Compatibility -- Alsoft has released a free update to its font-management utility MasterJuggler, fixing a few incompatibilities with Mac OS 8.5
Open Door Networks Releases ShareWay IP 2.0 -- Open Door Networks has shipped ShareWay IP 2.0, an upgrade to their useful networking utility for making Macs with Personal File Sharing or older AppleShare servers accessible via TCP/IP (see "Share and Share IP Alike" in TidBITS-436)
MRJ 2.1 Runs Faster, Works with Explorer -- Apple has released Macintosh Runtime for Java 2.1, which offers substantial performance improvements over previous versions of MRJ and can be used with Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser
Last week's issue of TidBITS had the second installment of our sporadic Tools We Use column; the first installment covered NewerRAM's useful little GURU utility
As a technical journalist, I feel compelled to address an unspoken truth of the trade: We sometimes gloss over stuff. In part, it's unavoidable. Just as knowledge can have infinite value, conveying knowledge can require an infinite number of words