This week we explain Ted Nelson’s new plans for Xanadu Light based on his talk at Hypertext ’93. We also clarify the details on the Quadra 610, DOS Compatible that Apple announced recently. Charles Wheeler passes on a true Mac story that might prevent DOSsification, Apple asks for constructive interface suggestions for MacTCP, a free PDA newsletter appears, and Mark Anbinder notes that not all microphones are created equal.
With the approach of the holiday season, we're all looking for Macintosh gifts, ranging from games to books to accessories. I'm probably going to regret this offer, but if you send me a description of the top three items that you plan to give to a friend or relative as a present, I'll compile the best of the submissions and publish it in one of the issues in December
PDA News, a free monthly newsletter covering the world of Personal Digital Assistants (including the Newton and the Tandy Zoomer), is offering free subscriptions to all comers
Tom Phoenix passed on a photocopy of the rebate form you can get from Apple if you purchased At Ease 1.0 (or a system bundled with it) between 02-Aug-93 and 01-Apr-94
Autodesk has announced an upgrade program for users of ClarisCAD, which has slipped ever further from Claris's attention. From 01-Nov-93 to 15-Jan-94, users of ClarisCAD can upgrade to AutoCAD Release 12 for the Macintosh for $995 (normally $2,500)
Pete Chane writes: "It seems that if Centris 660AV users download and install System Enabler 088 v. 1.1, it will change their computer from a Centris to a Quadra in About This Macintosh
Borrowing Microphones -- Mark Anbinder writes:
Purchasers of Apple's new low-end Macintosh systems will be surprised if they try to use a borrowed Apple microphone in the computers' microphone jacks
Jamie McCarthy passed on a quote from the Dec-93 AppleDirections newsletter that might gratify those on the nets who complained vociferously about proposed plans to eliminate the auto-eject mechanism on the SuperDrive.
Just to be crystal clear about this, the new SuperDrive disk drives require no change in the way you deliver your software
Apple has done a tremendous job in producing the updater for MacTCP 2.0.4 (it works on virgin copies of MacTCP 2.0.2, which is the version included with the Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh), and although no one denies that accomplishment, there has been much griping on the nets about MacTCP's interface.
Garry Hornbuckle, Apple's MacTCP product manager, met the griping with a concrete challenge posted on comp.sys.mac.comm - if you don't like how MacTCP is configured, Apple wants to hear your specific suggestions
We've been combing the woods for details about the Quadra 610, DOS Compatible Mac that we wrote about in TidBITS #202, which should ship in early 1994
Although it could have been written by Apple's ad agency, the following is a true story. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent, although the conversation has been shortened for the sake of brevity
The high point of Hypertext '93 was of course the talk given by Ted Nelson after the reception in his honor. Nelson is a thoroughly engaging speaker, and he devoted much of the first half of his talk to providing the audience an overview of the 32-year history of Xanadu, Nelson's electronic publishing world view