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 Welcome to the March 23 issue of Mac Hot Tips. This is a free, weekly,
email newsletter sponsored by Mac Home Magazine - your best Mac resource
in print and on the web!

If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome! If you've been
receiving the newsletter for a while, welcome back! In either case we
think you'll find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely
Macintosh information.

Send all correspondence to:
hottips@machome.com

Edited By: Jeff Battersby
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine


========================================
Mac Hot Tips eNews March 23, 1998
========================================

Welcome back to Mac Hot Tips. I'm your host, Jeff Battersby. In this
segment we'll be discussing the Monica Lewinsky issue as at relates to
both the Presidency and the latest allegations about Kathleen Willey. But
first, the news...

Whoa there. Yes, there have been a few changes here at Mac Hot Tips but
we haven't yet been taken over by the editorial staff at NPR. Of course,
when they catch wind of what we're doing they're likely to want a piece
of the pie. Apple pie that is.

My name really is Jeff Battersby and I really will be your host. And
while you may notice this newsletter changing over the next several
weeks, you can still expect it to be a great source for news about Apple
and the Mac as well as a great place to learn about new commercial
software, shareware and how to make the most out of your Macintosh.

As always, your input is what will make this eZine great. So if you
discover some indispensable piece of software, a cool website, or some
new way of using your Mac let me know about it. Send all your
correspondence to <hottips@machome.com.

=======================================
HOT NEWS

-The End of a Hyphenated Apple

Last week the Wall Street Journal's Susan Pulliam asked an interesting
question:

"Quick, what's the best-performing personal-computer stock this year?

Dell, you say? Wrong!

Try Apple Computer. It's been on a tear since the end of the year
doubling its price since the end of 1997."

The article is interesting in several respects. First, in contrast to
almost every article written in 1997, Apple was never referred to as
"struggling", "beleaguered", or some other equivalently nasty adjective.
This, to me, is as good a sign as any that Apple is on the upswing in the
public perception. Second, not only did the article lack 1997's
adjective-stained editorial ugliness, it included some news on what the
WSJ referred to as Apple's "mysterious so-called 'convergence' product
code-named Columbus that is to be launched some time this year. It would
combine a television, computer and video player in one box."

This new trend of hyphen-less Apple reporting combined with Apple's
downright excellent new advertising campaign and some powerful new
products could well make this a year of "Thinking Different."


=====================================
HOT TIPS

-Keeping Things in Context

This begins what will be three to four weeks of tips on using contextual
menus. One little caveat here: If you're not using system 8 or higher
you've got two choices. Go out and buy it now or skip on to the next
section. Unfortunately contextual menus are limited to users of Mac OS8
and above. (OK, OK there are a couple of shareware programs that will
give you contextual menus in earlier versions of the Mac OS. For now
we're gonna stick with OS 8's built-in contextual menus.)

First let's make sure that you have Contextual Menus turned on. Click the
Application Menu and select Finder. (The Application Menu is the menu in
the upper right hand corner of your screen. It's the icon that's directly
opposite of the Apple Menu. When you're in the Finder the Application
Menu should display the Mac OS smiling face icon.)

Once you're sure you're in the Finder click the Edit Menu and then Select
Preferences. When the Preferences window opens makes sure there is no
check in the box that says Simple Finder. Once you've done this you're
ready to go.

Now, with the Finder still open, press the Control key and look at your
Mouse Pointer. Notice how it changes? A little menu appears to the right
of the menu. This lets you know that you're ready to use a contextual
menu.

Now, while holding down the Control key, click once anywhere on the
Desktop. Hey check it out! You've gotten your first contextual menu. Pay
close attention to the items available in this menu. Maybe even make a
list. Now Control-Click the icon for your hard drive. Notice how the menu
items changed? That's the point of Contextual Menus. They're menus
displayed in context with the item that's being clicked. What's great is
that more and more programs are taking advantage of Contextual Menus. So
try Control-Clicking in one of your favorite programs to see how they
work!

HINT: FileMaker Pro and the new Microsoft Office 98 make extensive use of
contextual menus.
ALSO: If you have a programmable mouse like Kensington's Thinking Mouse
you can program one of the buttons to bring up a contextual menu with one
click.

Go ahead! Play around with it!


=============================================
HOT FILES

One stop this week...

After you've played around with Contextual Menus for awhile you'll want
to download the following Freeware program. (That's right... some things
in life are free!)

Jump out to this website.
<http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Bay/2573/

Here you'll find FinderPop. The best little Contextual Menu program in
the universe. We'll be discussing it in detail next week so you'll want
to have it on hand before we start. (If this starts sounding too much
like school let me know. I've been known to change my ways...)

While you're on the web don't forget to check out the MacHome web site.
MacHome has links to the best All-Mac sites on the web. A great starting
point for any web journey. You can reach MacHome at
<http://www.machome.com.


=============================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

Hey, I love my Mac and I use computers all day long but if that's all you
do with your life, baby you need to get one.

All Mac and No Play are links to the real world. (Sorry... they're not
Hyperlinks.) This is the stuff that real life is made of: Music, books,
movies, art, community events. Basically I'm going to relay to whatever's
in my head, on my CD player or  the books that are next to my bed. While
I may include some links to web sites that relate to what  I'm talking
about they're secondary.

Here's the point: If I tell you about some hot new astronomy web site the
point is not to spend the rest of the night gazing nebulously at your
monitor. Grab a blanket, get your hiney outside and have a look at what
the site refers to. Get the picture? Good.

This week...

Jonatha Brooke - 10¢ Wings
MCA Records

It's rare to come across a musician whose music makes makes you want to
think, act and be artful. Jonatha Brooke is one of those artists. She is
both lyrically compelling and musically moving. Her web site is at
<http://www.jonathabrooke.com. Here you can get concert and album
information as well a look at her lyrics.



Have a great week!!
Jeff


==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright 1998 - Mac Home Magazine

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored
by Mac Home Magazine - your best Mac resource in print and on the web!

<www.machome.com

If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome!  We think you'll
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

Subscription Information:
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select the
link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to
<requests@lists.machome.com with "Subscribe Hottips" as the subject.

Send Problem information to - <listmaster@machome.com.

Edited By: Jeff Battersby
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine


========================================
Mac Hot Tips eNews - March 30, 1998


From the outset let me apologize to all the "Eds" out there. It seems
that I left a note to Mac Home's illustrious editor, Ed Prasek, at the
top of my last missive, requesting information on changes that might need
to be made. If I left you Eds feeling utterly responsible for the
well-being of Mac Hot Tips I'm sorry. This newsletter is supposed to
assist you, not stress you out.

Thanks for all your email messages. Over the next few months we'll finely
tune Mac Hot Tips to meet your needs whether you're using OS8, 7.6, 7.5,
7.0... you get the picture.

Once again, your help is greatly appreciated. If you come across some
great piece of shareware, some hot new tip or if you just want to give me
a piece of your mind (not too much now!) give me a holler at
<hottips@machome.com.

Jeff


========================================
HOT NEWS

-A Little Common Sense Please!

Two interesting, if not bizarre, cases in New York over the last 14 days.
One is a court case in New York City the other is a murder case in the
not-too-far-upstate city of Plattekill, New York. The court case, gentle
reader, is of a somewhat strange sexual nature. Not something we'll delve
into here in any great detail. The murder case is, well, murder. While
both of these cases are of a seemingly disparate nature, they do have one
common thread: The Internet.

In the court case plaintiff "A" met defendant "B" for a little
"get-together" after having met in a chat-room on the internet. First it
was dinner. Then it was dancing. Then it was "dangerous liaisons" at
plaintiff "B's" apartment. You can take that "dangerous" part quite
literally.

The Plattekill incident is a case of "Girl meets boy on the internet.
Girl and boy take a liking to each other. Boy travels from Florida to New
York. Boy gets in an argument with girl's husband. Boy and girl murder
husband and dump him in the river." Not exactly Gershwin.

What's the point? Just a couple of simple reminders:

The Internet, especially chat rooms, can be a bit of a black box. You may
think you know what or who it is you're dealing with, but it's possible,
maybe even likely, that what you think and what's reality, bear no
resemblance to each other.

If you're making plans to meet someone you've met online, be sure to have
a phone conversation or two first. If there's a possibility for trouble
you may be able to pick it up beforehand.

Don't give your address to strangers on the Internet, EVEN IF YOU THINK
YOU KNOW THEM! To use a cliche, "Appearances are not always what they
seem." If you do decide to meet, be sure you meet at a neutral spot
that's convenient for both of you, and let someone else know about the
meeting. Once you've met a few times you can exchange addresses. Better
safe than sorry!

While all of the above may seem obvious, a little bit of common sense is
guaranteed to go a long way!


========================================
HOT TIPS

-Contextual Menus Continued

Last week we began to look at Contextual Menus. This week we'll continue
that look and show you a way to add Contextual Menus to earlier versions
of the Mac OS.

If you haven't already done so, head on out to the following web address
and pick up a copy of FinderPop. FinderPop is freeware Control Panel that
adds a wide range of versatility to Apple's built-in contextual menus.

<http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Bay/2573/

After you download the file you'll need to put FinderPop in your Control
Panel Folder. (The Control Panel Folder is in the System Folder.) Then
you'll need to restart your computer.

What FinderPop gives you, among other things, is the ability to open
contextual menus without pressing the Control key. Just hold down the
mouse button and wait a second. Soon you'll see a contextual menu pop up.
FinderPop also lets you change the Contextual Menu (CM) font, add
programs and folders to the CM, as well as allowing you to trash files
and empty the trash all from the comfort of your CM. Great stuff!

By the way, be sure to read the manual. It gives far greater detail than
I can here.

Oh yeah... FinderPop is for PowerMacs only. Sorry!


-Contextual Menus for the PowerMac-less and Those Without OS8

Have no fear!! You're not left out in the cold if you don't have OS8 or a
PowerMac. PowerMenus is a great Contextual Menu Program that runs on
older Macs and Operating Systems. PowerMenus also lets you launch files
from a CM and can be used within CM savvy applications.

See the Hot Files section for info on where to get PowerMenus.


-Next Week: Apple Data Detectors Make CM's Smart


========================================
HOT FILES

PowerMenus is available directly from the Mac Home web site. Just click
the "Software Center" item under the "Departments" menu.

<www.machome.com

While you're there you should also check out Consultant 2.1.4. This
shareware Personal Information Manager, Mac Home's Hot File of the Week,
is guaranteed to help you get your life in order without taxing your
pocketbook.

For Control-free CM's without the bells and whistles of FinderPop hop out
to Tools & Toys web site to pick up a copy of "Look Mom, No Hands". This
beauty of a program also works with PowerMenus whether you're using OS8
or not.

<http://www.ToolsAndToys.com

Finally, looking for good directions to just about anywhere? Try Maps On
Us. Great turn-by-turn directions all on the web.

<http://www.mapsonus.com


========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

The World of Herb Caen - San Francisco 1938-1997
Barnaby Conrad - Chronicle Press

Herb Caen was a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, he died in
February of 1997. He was a daily mixture of humor, history, honesty, and
conscience. He even coined a word that defined a segment of a generation:
Beatnik. The World of Herb Caen is a distillation of Herb Caen the writer
in Herb's own words, with precious little interference from Barnaby
Conrad the editor.

From the book:

"And a full moon rising over the Bay remains one of the world's most
breathtaking sights. On a recent night from Telegraph Hill, it looked
like a great orange balloon, tied to the Bridge by an invisible string.
It hovered there forever, then suddenly broke away and rose swiftly. In
its eventual whiteness, it belonged to everybody, but for a few harsh
eternal moments, it was our very own." November 1965


Have a great week!

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright (c) 1998 Mac Home Magazine

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Hello MacHome Hot Tips Subscribers,

I thought I'd take a minute to welcome each of you to our new, revamped
MacHome Hot Tips email service. As you know by now, we have a new Hot
Tips editor, Jeff Battersby. Jeff is a longtime freelance writer for
MacHome magazine, and he's very knowledgeable about the Mac platform and
industry. Rest assured, you'll thoroughly enjoy his weekly musings.

And if you like our free MacHome Hot Tips email service, you'll love
MacHome magazine. We have some great subscription opportunities you'll
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Thanks for being a vital part of the MacHome family.

Sincerely,
Ed Prasek
Publisher & Editor in Chief
MacHome Magazine

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 



Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored
by Mac Home Magazine - your best Mac resource in print and on the web!

<www.machome.com

If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome!  We think you'll
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

Subscription Information:
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select the
link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to
<requests@lists.machome.com with "Subscribe Hottips" as the subject.

Send Problem information to - <listmaster@machome.com.

Edited By: Jeff Battersby
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine


========================================
Mac Hot Tips eNews - April 6, 1998

My apologies in advance for the levity... -J


========================================
HOT NEWS


-OK. Someone Call Peepaholics Anonymous.

Ahhh Spring.

Passover.
Easter.
The Robin's return.
First daffodils emerging from the ground.
And...

Ooooh! Peeps!
Soft pink, purple, yellow, marshmallowy Peeps.

Alright. This doesn't exactly qualify as news but hey. Taxes are due and
I uh... just found these web sites that couldn't be resisted. Kind of
like those delicious little marshmallow treats!

Look... I was deprived as a child. My mother ate all the peeps before
they got to my Easter basket.


-The Glories of Higher Education
or
-Little Peep Goes to College

It's amazing what a good educational institution can provide. You'll note
that the vast majority of the following sites are located at Universities
throughout the known educational universe. Nice to know what your tuition
dollars are doing.

The following site is of a "scientific" nature. Those with gentler
sensibilities should perhaps refrain.

<http://www.learnlink.emory.edu/peep/

Here we study Peeps in various stages of artificial environmental
distress: Cold, Heat, Solubility, Low Pressure, and my personal favorite,
The Combined Effects of Smoking and Alcohol.

This site also includes links to dozens of other sites conducting
experiments on common household food items.

Bon Appetit!


-Truman Capote Slept Here?

OK look. I don't believe everything I read on the Internet but the
following site contains literature dedicated to the love of peeps.
Including, can you believe this, a little story attributed to Truman
Capote!

Just a small Sample:

Why such coherence?
Because sticking together
Is what good Peeps do

        Haiku by:
           -Gavin Schnitzler

Have a look at Peep literature.

< http://www.wam.umd.edu/~ejack/peep/peeplit.html



-My Mother Told Me I'd Make it in Hollywood!

This is the final one. (Finally!) Although there are literally dozens of
other sites out there.

"Bad Peeps" is a soon-to-be-released film starring a cast of 50 peeps.
This mega-budget film - production costs have exceeded $11.00! - was
scheduled for release at an earlier date but production was foiled by a
bad hard drive. The director hopes to release the film by Easter 1998.

<http://www.azstarnet.com/~equant/theatre/

Marshmallows anyone?


========================================
HOT TIPS

-Contextual Menus and Apple Data Detectors

This is the third in a four part series on OS8's new Contextual Menu
feature. In order to use Apple's Data Detectors you'll need the following.

OS8
A PowerPC
Apple's Data Detector software, which can be downloaded for free at the
following web site.

< http://applescript.apple.com/data_detectors/detectors.00.html

You'll need to download the Apple Data Detectors v 1.0.2 or later. This
has everything you need to learn about CMs and Apple Data Detectors.

By now you're wondering what the heck a Data Detector is. Simply a Data
Detector is software that's able to detect specific types of text within
a document.

An example...

So far in this issue of Mac Hot Tips I've included about 6 web addresses.
In order to get to those addresses you typically have to select the
address, copy it, open your web browser, paste the address in your
browser's address field and press the return key.

or

You copy the address onto a piece of paper, open your web browser, type
in the address and press the return key.

In either case you're doing an awful lot of work just to trip out to to a
website.

Data Detectors reduce all of that work to a single step by "Detecting"
all of the web and email address within a document. All you need to do is
select the address, Control-click it and your Contextual Menu now
contains the address and about a dozen options for opening it. Using Data
Detectors you can also reply to messages, add names to your address book
or create bookmarks in your web browser. All in a single step!!

Go download and install Apple Data Detectors 1.0.2 and give it a try
right in this issue of Mac Hot Tips!

Next Week: When CM's Don't Work

========================================
HOT FILES

Do you ever feel like you're looking through a keyhole when you're using
an "Open" or "Save" dialog box? Did you ever notice that,even though
Macintosh file names can be 31 characters long, the "Open" and "Save"
dialog boxes only display about 20 characters?

Enter Dialog View, a nifty little Control Panel that lets YOU determine
how big your Dialog Windows are. Just drop Dialog View in your System
Folder, restart, open the Dialog View Control Panel and you've got
complete control over your "Open" and "Save" Dialog Windows.

You can find Dialog View at the following address:
<http://members.aol.com/jwwalker/

While we're on windows... did you ever notice how smart your web browser
is? If you grab the "Thumb" - that's what they call the little square
thing you click and drag to move up and down in a window - the text and
graphics in the browser window actually move while you're moving the
thumb. This is called "live scrolling."

Smart Scroll brings live scrolling to every window on your Mac. Yet
another great little program!!

You can find Smart Scroll at the following address:
< http://www.marcmoini.com

Also, don't forget to check out the Mac Home web site for our Hot
Download of the Week as well as our weekly Mac Talk Radio Show.
<http://www.machome.com

This weeks Hot Download:
Binary Software's KeyQuencer Lite.


========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

Ann Patchett
The Patron Saint of Liars
Ballantine Books

I discovered Ann Patchett about 6 years ago in a collection of short
stories called "The Henfield Prize Stories." Her story, "All Little
Colored Children Should Learn to Play the Harmonica", was perfectly woven
together. Every sentence seemed like it was intertwined with the next.

The Patron Saint of Liars maintains Ann Patchett's intricate writing
style in a strange morality play written from three points of view. It's
a quick little read and well worth every second.

You'll find The Patron Saint of Liars at the following Address:

< http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0449912051/r/001-5931005-3931026


Have a great week!!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 





Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored
by Mac Home Magazine - your best Mac resource in print and on the web!

<www.machome.com

If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome!  We think you'll
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

Subscription Information:
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select the
link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to
<requests@lists.machome.com with "Subscribe Hottips" as the subject.

Send Problem information to - <listmaster@machome.com.

Edited By: Jeff Battersby
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine


========================================
Mac Hot Tips eNews - April 13, 1998


Good Morning (or whatever depending on when you get this thing...) and
welcome. I'm looking for a little input for a future issue of Hot Tips.
As you may know many audio CDs are "enhanced" - meaning that not only do
they play music when you throw them in you CD player but you can also put
them in your Mac and view QuickTime Videos and such.

I'm already aware of several, Charlie Peacock's "strangelanguage", Sarah
Masen's "Sarah Masen", Sarah McLachlan's "Surfacing" and "Rarities,
B-Sides, and other Stuff" among others. I'm also aware of some "reverse
enhanced" CD's - these CD's are designed for use in your computer but
they also include special audio segments that can be heard on your CD
player. You can find some of these on Broderbund's "Living Books" series.

So here's the question...

What other CD's are YOU aware of that have "enhanced" content? Let me
know what your favorites are and why. Send your email to Hot Tips with
"Enhanced CDs" as the subject.

Thanks!

Jeff

========================================
HOT NEWS

Straight off the bat...

Don't miss this week's MacTalk Radio interview with Gil Amelio. Wednesday
April 15th, 6-8 PM PST.


Speaking of April fifteenth, it generally brings one thought to mind:
TAXES. But this April fifteenth also marks another event: Apple's
quarterly fiscal announcement. At present most of the pundits - whoever
the heck they might be - are forecasting that Apple will post about $21
million in profits. As for me, well I'm just going to wait and see. Seems
to me that last quarter they didn't think Apple was going to be anywhere
near the black. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if Apple exceeded
expectations once again, pundits being what they are. But then I suppose
I'm a wee bit biased.

MacHome, in conjunction with Amazon.com, has added a new feature to the
MacHome web site: The MacHome Bookstore. Here you'll find all the best
Macintosh related books in a single location. This month's Book of the
Month is:

On the Firing Line - My 500 Days at Apple Computer by Gil Amelio

========================================
HOT TIPS


This is the final week that we'll be looking at OS8's Contextual Menu
feature.

As I mentioned in the first segment, there are dozens of programs that
take advantage of OS8's CMs.

-Dr. Solomon's "Virex" uses them to let you instantly scan any drive,
folder or document.

-Michael Kamprath's shareware "ProgramSwitcher" lets you switch between
open programs using a combination of keys or CMs.

-FileMaker Pro makes extensive use of CMs. This is especially handy when
you're designing FMP layouts where you can change fields, fonts, text
formatting and alignment all with a single click.

-Microsoft Office 98 also makes use of CMs but there are a few
work-arounds that are necessary. The following was submitted to me by
MarvinT (Thanks Marvin!) and is attributed to the inimitable Christopher
Breen.

Please note that the following tip will require you to install the
"Contextual Menu Enabler" in order for it to work. If you downloaded the
Data Detector mentioned last week you should already have it.

"Contextual menus is one of the finer features of both OS 8 and
Microsoft Office 98. Unfortunately, the two contextual menu standards
found in the Mac OS and Office may not be compatible. A number of
Office 98 users have discovered that when they Control-Click within
one of Office's applications, the Microsoft contextual menus fail to
appear (in my case the screen flashed, the Mac beeped, and I was
presented with Apple's contextual menus).

To make Microsoft's menus function properly you must turn off Apple's
contextual menus within each of the Office applications. To do so,
make sure you have installed the Contextual Menu Enabler extension
(available with Apple Data Detectors 1.0.2 and later) and then select
"Turn off Contextual Menus in Microsoft Word" (or Excel or
PowerPoint, etc.) from the Help menu. Office's contextual menus will
now work as advertised."

Final note:
Those of you who have now found FinderPop to be an indispensable part of
your computing day may want to subscribe to the FinderPop Update Network
(or whatever the heck they call it!) It's free and it's very un-annoying.
No unnecessary messages. Just updates all the time. (By the way, Turlough
O'Connor, FinderPop's creator updates the program about once every two to
three weeks. You've gotta like that!!)

Here's how to subscribe to FinderPop's update email:

Email to: <requests@lists.qwentes.be with "subscribe finderpop" - sans
parenthesis - in the body of your email.


========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


Earlier in Hot Tips I mentioned a program called ProgramSwitcher.
ProgramSwitcher is a Control Panel that lets you switch between programs
by pressing a combination of keys like command-tab or command-tilde. For
me this is a truly indispensable program. (Some of you are now wagging
your fingers and saying that since you bought Office 98 or Square One you
already have this feature. I'm telling you right now... not like this you
don't. That stuff is garbage in comparison.)

ProgramSwitcher can be picked up at the Mac Home web site.

<www.machome.com


Speaking of garbage. did you ever wish you could change the way your
Trash Can looked with out having to mess around with ResEdit? Well now
you can. Dumpster lets you quickly and easily change the appearance of
dozens of folders. All you need to do is choose one of the dozens of
available icons and restart your Mac. What could be easier.

Dumpster can be downloaded at the following address:

<www.thewc.com/dumpster30.html

Last week I mentioned Dialog View, a control panel that changes the size
of your Open and Save dialog boxes. To further enhance Open and Save
dialogs you may want to have a look at Default Folder. Default Folder
makes it a snap to jump from one folder to the next without having to do
a single bit of navigation. No more double-clicking folder after folder
just to find or save a document.

This too can be found at the Mac Home web site.

<www.machome.com

While you're at Mac Home's web site check out this week's Hot Download:

MacDim

This Freeware utility automatically dims your screen during periods of
inactivity.


========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

Scribner's BEST of the Fiction Workshops - 1998
Scribner Paperback Fiction

Scribner started this series in 1997. It's a compilation of the best
fiction written by students from dozens of college writing programs
throughout the US. The writing is excellent and in some cases - like
Richard Elson's "The Shooting" - downright compelling.

You'll find Scribner's BEST of the Fiction Workshops at the following
address:

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0684838362/001-5931005-3931026

Have a great week!!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 


Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored
by Mac Home Magazine - your best Mac resource in print and on the web!

<www.machome.com

If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome!  We think you'll
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

Subscription Information:
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select the
link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to
<requests@lists.machome.com with "Subscribe Hottips" as the subject.

Send Problem information to - <listmaster@machome.com.

Edited By: Jeff Battersby
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine


========================================
Mac Hot Tips eNews - April 20, 1998

From the outset I went to send a note of thanks to all of you who
responded to my request for your favorite enhanced CDs. You definitely
responded! Keep your eye out for an Enhanced CD issue of Mac Hot Tips.

========================================
HOT NEWS

***Don't Miss This Week's MacTalk Radio Show - Wednesday 6-8 pm PST***

APPLE PROFITS AGAIN IN Q2

In case you haven't heard, Apple posted a 55 million dollar profit for
their second fiscal quarter. This was more than two times what many
industry analysts expected. It should also be noted that the
January-March quarter is typically the slowest for the personal computer
industry, which makes Apple's latest profit results a very positive
announcement.

To put this in some type of perspective, Compaq Computer - typically the
#1 Windows95 computer maker - only posted a profit of 15 million. Go
Apple!!


JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO STEP INTO THE BITSTREAM...

The April 20th issue of Business Week reports that your data may not be
as safe - or permanent - as you think. In an article titled "From Digits
to Dust" Business Week enumerates dozens of instances of data - thought
to be permanent - that has disappeared forever.

They report that:

-20% of the Viking mission to Mars data has been lost.
-Some casualty records from the Vietnam war as well some POW/MIA
information can no longer be read.
-Literally thousands of student files and data on school history from the
University of Pennsylvania can no longer be accessed.

The problem?

Actually, it's not just one problem it's several.

First, outmoded software. Many of the programs that created the data are
no longer in existence and new programs are unable to read the files the
old programs created. You've probably experienced this yourself. Ever
tried to open an AppleWorks file in Microsoft Word? Good luck!

Second, old storage media. Think about it. When was the last time you saw
someone using a 5 1/4 inch floppy disk? How about those giant tapes that
used to be synonymous with mainframe and midrange computers. Hey, and
what about those 400k disk you used to use in your original Mac. Did you
know those can't be read by systems running OS8?

Finally, the data on diskettes and other storage media disappears because
the media decays. In fact, even CDROMS - which I was once told would last
forever - can start losing data in as little as 5-10 years. That's about
equivalent with standard quality newsprint. On the other hand, high
quality paper, properly stored, can last for hundreds of years.

Strange as it seems, this could mean that a simple "backup" of your files
may not be enough. At least for the present, if you're only storing
important data in digital format, you may want to back that up with a
"hardcopy" on high quality paper - just to be safe.



========================================
HOT TIPS

***You may want to print this section before continuing.***

RAM DISKS

Click the Apple Menu.
Slide down to Control Panels.
Locate the "Memory" Control Panel.
Look at the very bottom of the Memory Control Panel window.

Did you ever wonder what that "RAM Disk" thing was? Actually it's quite a
powerful little tool. A gift to you from the programmers at Apple. The
RAM disk is a slick application that tricks your Macintosh into thinking
that a portion of your Random Access Memory (RAM) is actually a disk
drive. In fact, an incredibly fast disk drive.

BEFORE WE TRY USING A RAM DISK HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

-RAM Disks are created by using a portion of your existing RAM. So, if
you have 24MB of RAM and you use 10MB for your RAM disk you'll only have
14MB available for your operating system and other applications.

-RAM is a temporary storage place. If you decide to use a RAM disk to
work on important files remember to regularly save your work to your real
hard disk.

-Before you delete a RAM disk created with Apple's built-in RAM Disk
program, you'll need to trash the contents of your RAM Disk.

WHAT ARE RAM DISKS GOOD FOR?

-Storing your web browser's cache files for faster access to web pages.

-PowerBooks and plane flights. The longer your hard disk spins the
quicker your battery will die. Store your files and programs on your RAM
disk before a plane flight for quicker programs and fewer trips to your
hard disk to save and retrieve information.

OK, lets give it a try...

Click the Apple Menu, Select Control Panels and then select Memory.

In the Memory Control Panel click the Radio Button - that's the little
round button with a bulls-eye - that says RAM Disk - On.

Now, drag the Slider from 0% toward 100% until the RAM Disk Size says
2000k. (This will give you just shy of 2MB of disk space.)

Now close the Memory control Panel and Restart your Mac.

When your computer has restarted you'll see a new icon on your desktop
that says RAM Disk. Your Mac now considers this a brand new hard disk.

Now, copy SimpleText from your Hard Drive to your new RAM Disk and open
it.

Create a new document and save it on your RAM Disk. You should notice
that both SimpleText and your document saves seem much quicker.

To delete your RAM Disk, throw everything stored in it into the trash and
empty the trash. Then open the Memcory Control Panel and turn off the RAM
Disk.

Play with your RAM disk using different applications. Try FileMaker,
BBEdit or ClarisWorks. If you're using a PowerBook, spin the hard drive
down and see how long it takes before you need to use it again.  (Forget
about using MSWord. MSword runs to your hard drive for just about
everything. To make it work you'd practically need a 60MB RAM Disk!)

If you really want to get the best use out of your RAM Disk, change your
web browser's Cache Preferences to store cached pages on your RAM Disk.
You should notice a significant speed gain when you reload pages.


========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


This week wouldn't be complete without a piece of RAM Disk shareware. So
here it is...

AppDisk 1.7.2

So, why would you want a shareware RAM Disk when you already have one
built into your Macintosh. Simple. Apple's RAM Disk requires you to
restart your Mac before you can use it. You also need to manually save
any of your RAM Disk data. AppDisk changes all that. AppDisk is actually
an application. You can start it by double-clicking. You quit it by
quitting. AppDisk also has the added advantage of automatically saving
your AppDisk data to your Hard Disk when you quit or at pre-determined
intervals. Download it at the MacHome web site or at the AppDisk web site.

<http://www.machome.com
or
<http://members.aol.com/mavsftwre

BE SURE TO CHECK THE MACHOME WEB SITE FOR THIS WEEK'S HOT DOWNLOAD!

<http://www.machome.com

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

the glory of GERSHWIN
Mercury Records

What can you say about the the music of George and Ira Gershwin? Frankly,
not much more than's already been said. Having aged over 60 years, their
music continues to stand the test of time.

Sting, Peter Gabriel, Elton John, Sinead O'Connor, Elvis Costello, Kate
Bush and others cover some of the best of Gerswhin. Proving that George
and Ira have still got it going.

Just for kicks, without reading the liner notes, see if you can pick
Elton John out by ear. Just might be tougher than you think!

See Ya!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 



Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored
by Mac Home Magazine - your best Mac resource in print and on the web!

<www.machome.com

If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome!  We think you'll
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

Subscription Information:
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select the
link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to
<requests@lists.machome.com with "Subscribe Hottips" as the subject.

Send Problem information to - <listmaster@machome.com.

Edited By: Jeff Battersby
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine


========================================
Mac Hot Tips eNews - April 27, 1998

========================================
HOT NEWS

-BILL BOMBS BIG TIME

As you may already know, Bill Gates faced a major bomb on Monday of last
week. While demonstrating the plug-and-play capabilities of the latest
version of Windows (Windows98) he faced what many users of Windows
experience on a daily basis: The Blue Screen of Death (BSoD). What, you
may ask, is the BSoD? Simply put, it's a major system crash of OS killing
proportions. The way Windows98 (95 & NT) handles said crashes is to
display a giant Blue DOS screen stating that Windows has just fallen to
pieces. User friendly eh?

Now I know that I'm going to be accused of contributing to my own bad
Karma, Mojo or some other such silliness, but truth be told I just
couldn't help it. In the words of Don Imus this was a "Laugh out loud
funny" moment and I found myself rolling on the floor when I saw it
firsthand.

For a laugh of your own, check out the CNN web site for a look at the new
and improved (?) Windows98. Then be sure to remind yourself how smart you
were to choose a Mac.

<http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9804/20/gates.comdex/gates.30.160.mov

-BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT PLAYS BIG BROTHER

Blizzard Entertainment, purveyors of Diablo, Starcraft, and the WarCraft
series, have admitted to grabbing user information - names and email
addresses - from the computers of players battling it out at their
Internet gaming site Battle.net. An apologetic Susan Wooley, a PR manager
at Blizzard, stated that the purpose for gathering the information was to
resolve a technical problem. Whatever the case it's a wee bit chilling
that Blizzard could so easily and willingly copy information from users
connected to their web site.


========================================
HOT TIPS

HANDLING MULTIPLE TCP/IP & PPP CONFIGURATIONS

Occasionally you'll have the need to switch between multiple TCP/IP and
PPP configurations. Maybe you have two or more ISPs or you have to switch
between a LAN and a modem connection. MAC OS8 makes it very easy to
switch between multiple configurations

Open your PPP control panel and press command-K. You'll then see the
available PPP configurations on your Macintosh. (Probably only one at
this point in time.) Select it, press the duplicate button and give it a
descriptive name. (Office, Home, Where I'd Rather Be...) Once it's named,
press the "Make Active" button. When the PPP window comes back to the
front, make the appropriate changes and then save it. (Appropriate
changes being a new phone number, password, user name...)

You'll need to do the same thing with the TCP/IP Control Panel. (The
instructions are exactly the same.) Here the changes will include network
IP addressing and connection type information.

Once you've completed both of these you can use the Location Manager to
create different locations - Home, Work, Where I'd rather be... - then
select the appropriate TCP/IP and PPP configurations for each location
and you're done.

If you don't have the location manager installed it's a relatively simple
task to individually open the control panels and manually choose your
configurations.

Another note... The Modem control panel works in exactly the same way.
So, if for some reason you switch between different modems, you can
easily set up those configurations as well.

QUICK TIPS

Did you know that Option-dragging a file creates a copy of that file?
Option-Clicking a window's close box closes all open windows.
Control-clicking and item brings up a contextual menu.(OS8 only)
Option-Command-Dragging an item creates an alias. (OS8 only)


========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


The best little launcher program in the universe just got better.
DragThing, which used to get updated only once a year, has now entered
Version 2.5. In my mind DragThing is the best launcher program available.

DragThing also includes DragThing Lite. A smaller, easier launcher
program for the rest of us.

<http://www.dragthing.com


Apple has just shipped QuickTime v3.0. This incredibly versatile program
may just eliminate your need for any other multimedia players. It's free
from Apple at

<http://www.apple.com/quicktime

Don't forget to check the MacHome web site for this week's Hot Download
exclusively at:

<http://www.machome.com


========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

Sarah Masen - Sarah Masen
re:think

This album may be a tough find - it was released in the summer of '95.
Sarah's lyrics and her musical style are clearly her own - kind of an
unpretentious, thoughtful avant garde. If you can find it, it's well
worth a listen.


Until next week...

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 



Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored
by Mac Home Magazine - your best Mac resource in print and on the web!

<www.machome.com

If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome!  We think you'll
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

Subscription Information:
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select the
link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to
<requests@lists.machome.com with "Subscribe Hottips" as the subject.

Send Problem information to - <listmaster@machome.com.

Edited By: Jeff Battersby
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine


========================================
Mac Hot Tips eNews - May 4, 1998
========================================

HOT NEWS

APPLE CONTINUES THE PENTIUM BURN

I'm sure it comes as no real surprise, but the April 20th issue of PC
Week reports that Apple's latest 300MHz G3 based Macintosh blows the
doors off of any Pentium. Including Intel's latest 400MHz Pentium II
processor. All of the tests that PC Week performed were Adobe Photoshop
image manipulations, but PC Week was quick to point out that graphics
wasn't the only area in which the G3 shined. "Microsoft Corp,'s Office 98
applications ran uniformly faster on the new PowerMac than on the
previous models, both when we opened and saved large documents and in
processing PowerPoint presentations."

And this from a magazine whose editorial staff routinely hammers Apple.


SO JUST HOW MUCH WILL THE YEAR 2000 COST?

Recently the Securities and Exchange Commission began requiring companies
to disclose their costs for eliminating the imminent Year 2000 (Y2K)
problem. So just how much will it cost?

The Wall Street Journal reported the following: (All numbers reported in
millions.)

Citicorp expects to spend     $600
General Motors                $410-540
BankAmerica                   $380
AT&T and GTE                  $350
Chase Manhattan               $300
Bell Atlantic                 $200-300
J.P. Morgan                   $250
Bankers Trust                 $180-230
Owens Corning                 $179

The Journal also reports that $670 billion is the estimated total cost
for all businesses to make this conversion.

Think it doesn't matter much? You can be guaranteed that the cost of this
conversion will be passed directly on to you the consumer. Also, check
your credit cards and see how many have expiration dates that exceed some
date in 1999. It's been regularly reported that cards with expiration
dates exceeding 1999 are being routinely rejected.

On a Macintosh note, Macs won't face any conversion problems until
somewhere near the middle of the next century.


========================================
HOT TIPS

This weeks tips are all for ClarisWorks. (I'm using version 5 but most of
these tips work in earlier versions as well!)

The ClarisWorks Font menu always displays the actual font when you pull
it down. Sometime you may want to see the fonts without displaying the
actual typeface. How do you do it? Simple! Hold down the Option key while
you're selecting the menu and you'll see the font names without
displaying the type. (Earlier versions may require you to hold down the
Command key.)

Tired of always changing each new document you create so that it's setup
just the way you like it? (Font - Palatino, Size - 11, Spacing - 1.5, 2
spaces between paragraphs) Although it's not obvious ClarisWorks allows
you to create a default template for all ClarisWorks document types. Just
follow these simple steps:

1. Create a new blank document.
2. Without actually typing anything on the page change your
header/footer, font size, type, paragraph settings and line spacing.
3. Select File
4. Select Save As...
5. Click the "Stationary" radio button. (This will move you to the
ClarisWorks Stationary folder.
6. Change your document's name to "ClarisWorks WP Options". (Type this
EXACTLY without quotes.)
7. Click the save button.

You can create default templates for all ClarisWorks document types by
replacing the "WP" with the following letters.

DR - Drawing
PT - Paint
SS - Spreadsheet
DB - Database
CM - Communication

For those of you who use ClarisWorks 5 you can now select a default in
ClarisWorks Preferences.

1. Select Edit.
2. Select Preferences...
3. From the "Topic" Menu choose "Text."
4. From the "Font" Menu choose your preferred font.

Need to create a Callout Box in the middle of a ClarisWorks word
processing document?

1. Hold the option key.
2. Click and drag until you create a box in the middle of your document.
(Let go of the option key.)
3. Begin typing your Callout text.
4. Format your text in any way you'd like.
5. Double-Click the pointer tool.
6. Click your text once.
7. Click the "Option" Menu.
8. Select "Text Wrap."
9. Choose "Regular." You may also select a "Gutter" size of your choice.
(A gutter is the blank space that will surround your Callout text.)
10.Use your arrow keys or the mouse to move your Callout text exactly
where you want it.


========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


FULLWRITE FOR FREE

Akimbo Systems has an excellent word processing program called FullWrite.
At a mere 2.2 MB it packs more features than ClarisWorks' word processor
could dream of and frankly, a few that, for its size, make MS Word look
pretty weak as well. Sadly, the company couldn't afford to do battle with
the marketing machines of Microsoft, Novell (Word Perfect) or Claris. So,
they're giving the program away.

You can get your copy of FullWrite at the following address:

<http://www.akimbo.com/fullwrite/etc/fullwrite_download_page.html

You'll need to email the sales department at Akimbo to get your free
serial number. Send your email to:

<sales@akimbo.com


FREE VIRUS PROTECTION

Disinfectant is one of the best little FREE virus protection programs
around. Small and fast, Disinfectant kills viruses with elan.

Disinfectant has one small caveat: It provides no protection against Word
or Excel macro viruses. So if you're using MS Word or Excel and you need
virus protection you should get a copy of Virex (My personal choice), SAM
or McAfee.

You can get a copy of Disinfectant at the Mac Home web site.

<http://www.machome.com


========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

The Palace Thief
Ethan Canin
Picador USA

The Palace Thief is a collection of four short stories each entirely
different each more compelling than the next. What makes this collection
more amazing still is that Mr. Canin wrote them while he was going
through medical school. (Like he had nothing better to do!)

You can order The Palace Thief online at:

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312119305/001-5931005-3931026


Have a great week!!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 


Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored
by Mac Home Magazine - your best Mac resource in print and on the web!

<www.machome.com

If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome!  We think you'll
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

Subscription Information:
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select the
link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to
<requests@lists.machome.com with "Subscribe Hottips" as the subject.

Send Problem information to - <listmaster@machome.com.

Edited By: Jeff Battersby
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine


========================================
Mac Hot Tips eNews - May 18, 1998


========================================
HOT NEWS

IM-PRESSED

Check your local newsstand. Apple is all over the place this week and
frankly the news is rather interesting. Apple is once again turning
heads: Second quarterly profit. Doubling in stock price since January.
Introduction of the iMac. What's not to like? Why shouldn't Apple turn
heads?

In a Newsweek article Steven Levy,the former columnist for MacWorld ,
takes a second look at Apple. The article is honest and straight forward
but is quick to point out that Apple is regaining some of it's mystique.
According to the article, Steve Jobs appears to be the catalyst behind
the quick turn around. In a quote from the article Larry Ellison, the CEO
of Oracle and Apple board member, states the following, "Steve is
obsessed with with quality, and that can make him uncompromising, but he
gets results."

Meanwhile, Business Week reports that Apple's market share is growing for
the first time in years, up .6% from the beginning of the year. (A time,
we should be reminded, that is typically the slowest portion of the
computer sales season.)

Both articles point out one major weakness in continued stellar growth
for Apple. Software. Levy points out that while the iMac is directed at
consumer/internet users, many consumer products are flat-out missing on
the Mac. Business Week points out that as recently as 1996 nearly 70% of
developers wrote programs for the Mac. Now that number hovers somewhere
near the 20% mark.

No matter how you slice it, Apple is presently accomplishing the
unexpected. Certainly a pleasant surprise from my perspective. But
honestly, not too surprising for Steve Jobs or for Apple.

NEW MAC VIRUS

Viruses on the Mac are relatively rare but there's presently a new one
that's out to whack your Mac.

Here's some information:

A new virus is found which is called Desktop Print Spooler.

Symptom:

When infected, the computer will suddenly hold up for a period of time
then resumes normal operation. If you experience this phenomenon, your
system may be infected by this virus.


What it affects:

The virus does not seem to do any harm to documents. However, it is
extremely annoying. Some operations may be severely affected by it,
though. E.g. scanning, video/audio generation, etc.

This virus only infects PowerPC Mac OS systems (7 & 8) with QuickTime 2.5
or above installed and with CD-ROM AutoPlay enabled. Windows is not
affected.


How does it attack:

The virus masquerades itself as a desktop database document. Whenever a
disk (floppy, MO, etc.) is mounted, QuickTime (with AutoPlay turned on)
will try to run this document, thus infecting the system and all other
mounted volumes.

When first infected, your computer will be restarted automatically. If
you insert a disk and your computer restarts, your system is infected.

If you're experiencing any of the problems associated with this virus and
you currently own a copy commercial virus protection software download
their latest virus update.

If you don't have any virus software download a copy of Eradicator. It's
free.

You should be able to find it at:

<http://www.versiontracker.com

========================================
HOT TIPS

SPRING CLEANING

In case you haven't noticed Spring is here. It's easy for me to tell it's
spring simply by looking in the mirror - Red, white and green. The color
of my eyes during this fair season. Of course Spring means Spring
Cleaning. So let's give it a go on your Mac.  (OK, if you're south of the
equator it's fall. You can save this for September. Although it's a good
idea to perform some of these tasks on a routine basis.)

REBUILDING YOUR DESKTOP FILE

Your Mac contains a special database that stores information about files
that are stored on your hard disk. This database is called the Desktop
Folder. Every now-and-again it's a good idea to clean this baby up. Once
you do it you'll find that your Mac runs a little more smoothly and
generic application icons will be returned to their former, custom glory.
Let's give it a go...

Close all programs and restart your Mac. While the the computer is
restarting hold down the Command (Apple) and Option keys. You'll
eventually be met with a dialog box asking if you want to rebuild your
Desktop File. Let go of the Command and Option keys and click "OK." In a
matter of minutes, depending on the speed of your Mac, your Desktop File
will be rebuilt. Easy eh?

Rebuilding your desktop is a good idea on a pretty regular basis. It
won't hurt your Mac so feel free to do it every 1-3 months depending on
how hard you work your Mac.

ZAPPING YOUR PARAMETER RAM - THE FINAL CURE FOR MACS BEHAVING BADLY

I had a strange problem with my Performa 5250 CD a few weeks ago. Halfway
through a normal startup my Mac would start emitting a high-pitched
scream. Initially I thought it was some Extension or Control Panel that
was causing the problem but after an ear piercing hour with Conflict
Catcher it was clear that I had some other problem. It was time to clear
out my Parameter RAM (or PRAM).

PRAM is where your Mac stores information about itself: Date, time,
location. Sometimes, for reasons unknown to modern science, your PRAM
gets a little screwed up. Fortunately there's a way to cure the PRAM
problem. It's called zapping your PRAM.

CAVEAT: IF YOUR MAC IS ACTING ZANY BE SURE TO CHECK FOR VIRUSES OR
CONFLICTING EXTENSIONS. THAT MAY BE THE ONLY PLACE YOUR PROBLEM LIES.

Once again, restart your computer. This time hold down the
Command-Option-P-R keys while your Mac's restarting. (Yes piano players
will have a distinct advantage over normal people here.)

After restart you'll notice that your Mac repeats the Startup chime. Your
PRAM's been zapped. You can let go of the Command-Option-P-R keys now.
(Some current Mac mythology states that you should hold down the PRAM
keys until you've heard 3 chimes. I subscribe to this little piece of
mythology but then I'm also inclined to wear the same unwashed t-shirt to
consecutive baseball games in order to maintain a win streak. You can use
your own discretion.)

If you'd like to make this cleanup process a little easier download a
copy of MicroMat's TechTool.

<http:www.micromat.com

TechTool lets you zap your PRAM and Rebuild your Desktop from a single
application. Very handy and free too!!

(While you're at it, have a look at TechTool Pro. While this program's
NOT free, it contains disk and system tools that rival Norton Utilities.)

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


NetChronometer

This slick little shareware program makes quick work of synchronizing
your Mac's clock to Greenwich Mean Time, simply by clicking a button.

Download NetChronometer from:

<http://www.kezer.net/index.html

GearBox

Don't think the Location Manager handles your needs the way you'd like it
to? Download a copy of GearBox and you be able to quickly change modem
configurations, email boxes, web bookmarks as well as quickly sign-on to
your Internet account from a handy menu-bar icon.

Download GearBox from Rockstar Studios:

<http://www.rockstar.com


========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

Insanely Great
Hackers
Steven Levy

No mention of Steven Levy would be complete without mentioning either of
these books.

Insanely Great covers the creation of the Mac from idea to
implementation. A must read book for anyone interested in the history of
the Macintosh.

Hackers is a little broader. It covers the development of the PC as we
know it today. From garage mock-ups to Microsoft it's all covered here.


Have a great week!!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 


Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored
by Mac Home Magazine - your best Mac resource in print and on the web!

<www.machome.com

If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome!  We think you'll
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

Subscription Information:
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select the
link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to
<requests@lists.machome.com with "Subscribe Hottips" as the subject.

Send Problem information to - <listmaster@machome.com.

Edited By: Jeff Battersby
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine


========================================
Mac Hot Tips eNews - May 25, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

Memorial Day 1998. A day to remember those who willingly gave their most
precious commodity... their lives.

MASSIVE APOLOGIES

Sorry for the lateness of this issue of Mac Hot Tips. We had a wee mail
server snafu that kept Hot Tips from getting out on time.

Now I suppose we're only luke warm.

Jeff

SHOCKING THE SYSTEM

Strange reporting this last week in the NY Times. It seems there are
literally dozens of people out there who believe their computer problems
are not related to improper usage but to bad "Cyberkarma." Just what
exactly is Cyberkarma? Hear it straight from the mouth of Alyson
O'Mahoney.

"I must have some kind of energy or static field that creates some sort
of force around me that contradicts the computer's magnetic field."

If you think it sounds a little wacky you should have a look at the
entire article. You should also see some of the stuff that people are
willing to do to overcome their "Karma" You can find it online at:

<http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/05/circuits/articles/21bomb.html

The article, titled "Can a Hard Drive Smell Fear?", also includes some
excellent tips to help you ward off bad Cyberkarma.

And to think that all along I've been blaming system crashes on the
system. Silly me. I just needed a micro-shaman.


HOT MACHOME SUBSCRIPTION DEAL

If you don't already subscribe to MacHome you may want to check this out.

You get 12 mags, 12 CDs and our FREE MacHome Tips Guide for $29.95. Go
to our website to subscribe, <www.machome.com or call 800-800-6542.

There's also an excellent two year deal!

========================================
HOT TIPS

This week we have some additional info that enhances an earlier Hot Tip.

The source? Ian Summerfield, a Hot Tips reader.

This is regarding the Hot Tip on creating Log-on scripts. (Mac Hot Tips
eNews - May 11, 1998) This bit of information is especially important
seeing that if you don't heed it you'll be giving away more details about
your cyber-self than you'd truly care to.

Thanks Ian!!

1.  Ensure your account name is keyed in correctly in the PPP box (although
later you'll be entering it manually,  all will become clear).

2.  Ditto with the password.

Now connect and record as before.   BUT,  when you enter your account name
you MUST ENTER IT WITHOUT making a mistake,  e.g.  if you are "solgbj01"
then don't type sok backspace lgbj01.   Providing you type your account
name exactly as it was in the dialog box then the generated script will
  contain a pointer to send whatever is in the account name field in future.
If you made a mistake, well then your entries will be recorded into the
script instead,  in which case sending your script to a service provider
could be a disaster if it contains your password too!

The same applies to entering the password,  it must match exactly.

Bottom line,  before sending the script to anyone, check it,  it opens with
SimpleText.   Make sure you can't see your username and/or password coded
into it.

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


PPPremier Timer 2

This program is still in beta but it's worth a look and it's definitely
worth the $10 you'll have to spend once it's ready for prime time.

What does it do? It's a timer that lets you see how long you've been
online as well as maintaining records for you're daily, weekly and
monthly Internet usage. You can also sign on and off of your ISP with a
single click. Cool Tool!!

<http://www.biggerplanet.com


Vremya

If you liked last week's NetChronometer but don't want to want to fork
out the shareware fee have a look at Vremya. This little program syncs
your Mac's clock to Greenwich Mean Time, but it does it for free.

<http://www.lava.net/~kirill/software/`

Thanks to Christopher Schmidt!


========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

The Soul of a New Machine
Tracy Kidder
Avon

Last week I mentioned two tomes written by Steven Levy. Both looked at
computer development from a PC - and I don't mean politically correct -
point of view. The Soul of a New Machine is the Pulitzer Prize winning
story of Data General Corporations race to bring a powerful new computer
to market. Fascinating reading and insight into what it's like to be a
technological "Garage Band."


Kristin Battersby and her band
Friday, May 29 -  9:45 pm
Hotel Utah - 4th and Bryant
San Francisco, CA

OK. This is blatant sibling promotion (and extraordinarily regional!) but
if you happen to be in, around or near San Francisco on Friday night
you'll want to check this out.  Yes, she is my sister, but I wouldn't
tell you about her if she wasn't fantastic.

Have a great week!!

Jeff

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 



Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored
by Mac Home Magazine - your best Mac resource in print and on the web!

<www.machome.com

If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome!  We think you'll
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

Subscription Information:
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select the
link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to
<requests@lists.machome.com with "Subscribe Hottips" as the subject.

Send Problem information to - <listmaster@machome.com.

Edited By: Jeff Battersby
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine


========================================
Mac Hot Tips eNews - June 1, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

DOWN AND OUT

If you sent mail last week my apologies. Seems we had a mail server
change over the long weekend and Hottips got the short end of the stick.
Couldn't send mail 'til late Tuesday and I didn't start getting mail
until sometime late on Thursday. If you sent something and were expecting
a response please feel free to re-send it.

AND SOMEONE HAD TO TELL YOU THIS?

Anyone who's used Macs for any length of time is pretty well aware of the
fact that Macs are far less expensive to maintain than their Wintel
counterparts. Sure they have their occasional problems. A computer is a
sophisticated piece of electronics. There's no doubt that, from time to
time, your Mac is likely to, well, bomb. But there's also no doubt that
Mac users spend far less time paying homage to the gods of Crash and Burn.

This week MacCentral confirms what we all know to be true. Mac
Information System (IS) managers are, well, bored. You just set 'em up
and they run! Here's a quote straight from the MacCentral article...

Robert Cooper, whose company recently switched to Macs:

"I am the only guy in my IS department and I take care of about 20
end-users and our server," says Cooper. "The most trouble I have is
simply basic printing problems. I can't remember the last time I had to
do something major to one of my computers, and I'll tell you something
else--I get very BORED because of it."

It makes you wonder whether there isn't some serious IS conspiracy going
on. I mean think of it, No Windows. No work. At least for IS people...

Check out the entire article at MacCentral.

<http://www.maccentral.com/news/9805/27.tco.shtml


========================================
HOT TIPS

ALMOST BETTER THAN A RAM DISK

Several weeks ago we talked about using a RAM disk as the cache for your
web browser. Using a RAM disk as cache storage will allow you to reload
web pages at a much faster rate because images and pages are stored in
RAM which is far faster than your hard disk - the place where your web
browser normally stores cached files. Here's another option that will
help to speed the reloading of web pages into your browser.

This tip forces your browser to store cached pages in RAM by setting the
disk cache to 0. To make this work well you'll need to increase the
amouont of RAM your browser uses.

Here's how to allocate more memory to your browser and set your browser's
cache to 0.

CHANGING AN APPLICATION'S MEMORY PARTITION

1. Find your web browser on your hard disk.
2. If you're using OS8 hold down the Control Key and click once on your
browser's icon then select "Get Info" from the Contextual Menu that pops
up. (Otherwise click once on the icon and press command-I).
3. In the browser's information window find the application's "Preferred
Size" field and change it in an increment of 1024. (3072 would change to
4096 and so-on. You should also remember that you shouldn't make the
application's preferred size too large or your Mac may not have enough
memory to open the program!)
4. Close the Get Info window.

(By the way. do you find that a certain application continuously crashes?
Changing the guilty app's preferred memory size MAY resolve that problem
too!)

CHANGING YOUR WEB BROWSER'S CACHING OPTIONS

Netscape:

1. Open Netscape.
2. Select Edit.
3. Select Preferences.
4. In the category window select Advanced.
5. Under advanced select Cache.
6. Change the Cache amout to 0.

Internet Explorer

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Select Edit.
3. Select Preferences.
4. Select Web Browser.
5. Select Advanced.
6. Change the Cache size to 0.

After completing these steps you should notice a significant difference
in speed when you reload web pages. There are a couple of things you
should be aware of though.

Web pages will only be stored in your browser's cache for as long as you
have the browser open. Once you close your browser you're starting from
scratch again. If you often close and reopen your browser this method
will be of little use to you.

Increasing your browser's preferred memory size reduces the amount of RAM
available for other programs. If you have a limited amount of RAM this
may not be your best bet either.


========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


Escape Velocity OVERDRIVE

If you liked Ambrosia Software's original Escape Velocity you'll love EV
OVERDRIVE the EV sequel. Continuing EV's vast planetary escapade EV
OVERDRIVE boasts better graphics and game play. Have a blast!!

<http://www.ambrosiasw.com

CapsLockIsDown
CloseFinderWindows
FileSharingMonitor
WindowPickerCMPlugIn

Four fine FREE files!

CAPSLOCKDOWN SAVES YOU THE PAIN OF LOOKING UP TO DISCOVER THAT FOR THE
LAST TWENTY MINUTES YOU'VE BEEN TYPING WITH THE CAPS LOCK KEY DOWN. CLD
beeps at you once a second to make you aware of your faux pas. (Irritates
the heck out of if you actually want Caps Lock on!)

CloseFinderWindows

Ahhh, a clean Desktop. Don't you find it annoying when some schmuck
leaves dozens of windows open on your desktop and then shuts off your
Mac? OK, you can Option-click to close them all at once or you can let
CFW clean everything up at the start of the day. A guaranteed clean
screen with your morning cup-o-joe.

FileSharingMonitor

Tiny little icon on your menu bar to let you know whether you're sharing
files or not. Simple huh?

WindowPickerCMPlugIn

OS8 only Contextual Menu plug-in that lets you maneuver all open windows
from a Contextual Menu. Quite a handy little feature!

(BTW - if you have FinderPop - that other FREE CM program I keep telling
you about - you already have this feature!)

Take one or take them all. You'll find them at:

<http://www.hi-resolution.com


========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

Atticus
Ron Hansen
Harper Perennial

A moral tale wrapped in a mystery.

A father.
A son.
A suicide.
Or is it a murder?
Or...?

By the way... anybody see my sister?

Have a wonderful week!!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 



Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored
by Mac Home Magazine - your best Mac resource in print and on the web!

<www.machome.com

If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome!  We think you'll
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

Subscription Information:
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select the
link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to
<requests@lists.machome.com with "Subscribe Hottips" as the subject.

Send Problem information to - <listmaster@machome.com.

*****If you don't presently subscribe to Mac Home have a look right
here!****

Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.


Subscribe for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips
booklet all for an unbelieveable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html

Edited By: Jeff Battersby
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine


========================================
Mac Hot Tips eNews - June 8, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL RAVES!

WSJ technology writer Walter Mossberg had nothing but GREAT! to say about
his recent acquisition of a PowerBook G3. His June 4 column entitled "The
Mac Is Back, With an Apple Laptop to Suit Various Needs" enumerates no
less than a dozen reasons why Apple's new PowerBooks are nothing short of
excellent.

Mr. Mossberg states:

"Apple has introduced an elegant new [laptop] model that evokes the
company's great past. Actually, it's not a single laptop model. It's a
whole series of laptops that share the same striking design and speedy
family of processor chips which Apple is willing to customize in just
about every key respect for every purchaser. The result is over 1,000
possible configurations of screens, processor speeds, disk drives, memory
and modems."

Mossberg spends the rest of the column drooling over how well his new
PowerBook works and just how fast it is. His final feeling? "Apple has
hit a home run with these great new PowerBooks, and that's a good omen
for a once-great company that just last year seemed aimless and listless."

Go Jobs Go!


3COM POWERS-UP PALM PILOT FOR THE MAC

Info World reports this week that 3Com is rolling out the red carpet for
the Mac. Starting some time this summer 3Com will roll out a new Palm
Pilot MacPac that will include it's recently purchased Claris Organizer.
3Com has also released a new Mac software developers kit that will make
it easier to create Palm Pilots programs that synchronize with programs
on the Mac.

========================================
HOT TIPS

FANCY YOURSELF A FUNKY FIND FILE USER

So you've pressed the Command-F key a couple of times to find an errant
file on your hard drive. But tell me truthfully, have you used the full
power of your Mac's Find File feature. I bet you haven't!

We're not going to cover every detail here - you'll just need to play
with the program a little more yourself. What we will do is give some
idea of the program's amazing versatility so you can make the most of it.

Open the Find File program on your hard drive. You can do this by
pressing Command-F, selecting Find from the File menu or Find File from
the Apple menu. You'll notice that there are several menus available. The
first is the Find items menu. Click it and you should see a number of
options that are similar to the following:

On all disks
On local disks
On mounted servers
On the desktop
In the Finder selection
On your local hard drive

In all likelihood several of these options, like "in the finder
selection" or "on mounted servers" may be grayed out. Just for fun,
select a folder, like Documents, on your Desktop and reselect the "Find
in" menu and you'll see that "in the Finder selection" is now enabled.
Now you can simply search a single folder rather than your whole hard
drive. A feature that's quite convenient if you have a large hard drive
with thousands of files on it.

Now open the menu that says "Name." You should now see a list of 12 types
of information you can search for on your hard drive:

Name
Size
Kind
Label
Date Created
Date Modified
Version
Comments
Lock Attribute
Folder Attribute
File Type
Creator

Just for fun, select "Date Created."

You should note that Find File automatically enters today's date and the
middle menu says "is." Select that menu and you'll see a list of fourteen
options. Looking for a file that you know you created sometime near the
beginning of March but you can't remember it's name or the date you
created it. Type 3/1/98 in the date field and select "is within two weeks
of" from the middle menu. Now you'll be able to see all the files created
between February 15 and March 14. Not too shabby!

Selecting the "Name" menu with the Option key held down offers you four
more find options the most useful of which is "Contents." Did you once
create a document with a reference to "Lays Potato Chips" in it? The Find
Contents option will search every document on your hard drive to see if
it can find the string "Lays Potato Chips."

Find File's most amazing feature is a fun one too. Drag any file from
your desktop to Find File and it will auto-magically enter find
information that relates to what you've selected in the "Name" menu. This
is especially helpful if you're trying to find all the files on your hard
drive that you've created with a specific program. Just select "creator"
from the "name" menu and drag a document to the Find File window. Find
File will display the document's creator name and locate everything on
your hard drive that has the same creator as that document.

Play around and have some fun!

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


PLAY GOD... ER, GATES

CYBEROPOLY

John Mauro, creator of many a wonderful shareware game and utility, has
now blessed us with Cyberopoly, a modern day version of a game we all
know and love. Have fun conquering the world with a single browser!

While you're there check out some of John's other great stuff.

<http://cs.alfred.edu/~maurojc/software

WHATROUTE?

Ever wonder what paths your data travels as it traverses the net?
WhatRoute tells all tracing exactly where your bits bounce to to get to
where they're going. This little program is free and best of all it's fun
and educational!

Get it from:

<http://crash.ihug.co.nz/~bryanc/

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

China Boy
Gus Lee
Plume

The bittersweet coming of age story of a Chinese-American boy in San
Francisco. Gus Lee tells the story of Kai Ting as if it were
autobiographical.

You can find it online at:

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0452271584/o/002-0483445-7999854

Have a great week!!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 



Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored
by Mac Home Magazine - your best Mac resource in print and on the web!

<www.machome.com

If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome!  We think you'll
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

Subscription Information:
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select the
link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to
<requests@lists.machome.com with "Subscribe Hottips" as the subject.

Send Problem information to - <listmaster@machome.com.

**If you don't presently subscribe to Mac Home have a look right here!**

Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.


Subscribe for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips
booklet all for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html

========================================

Edited By: Jeff Battersby
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine


========================================
Mac Hot Tips eNews - June 15, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

CRASH FREE COMPUTER

I wish I could say that this was a Mac, close, but it's not. In reality
this computer barely exists at all. Read on to see what's in store for
the future.

The AP wire carried a report this week about a computer that has been put
together by researchers at UC Berkeley and Hewlett Packard. It's name is
Teramac and it's about the size of a refrigerator. What's unusual about
this computer is that it was designed and built with defective
"throw-away" chips. That is, chips destined for the dust bin: 864 of
them. If any one of these were a single chip, like you find in most
desktop computers, it would guarantee the failure of the computer. The
beauty of Teramac is that it's able to discover where problems are in the
system and then remember them in order to bypass problems in the future.
Here's a quote taken directly from the article:

"To bypass faults within Teramac's chips researchers used an unusually
large network of wiring. This internal "brain" remembered how to bypass
the bugs. Whenever a new fault appears, such as a cut wire, the
scientists re-map the system to avoid the new trouble."

So will you see a computer like this on your desktop any time soon? Not
likely. Besides it's massive size - at least by today's standards -
Teramac is incredibly expensive. So expensive that Hewlett Packard is
unwilling to disclose it's cost. Time frame? About 10 years. At least
until computers like Teramac hit the mainstream.

========================================
HOT TIPS

WHAT'S INIT FOR ME

How many times have you watched those little icons dance across your
startup screen only to have no clue what it was you were looking at. When
System 6 was king these little icons were known as INITs short for
Initialization Programs. Now we know them as Control Panels and
Extensions. What they do is change the way your Mac functions. They
"Extend" your Macintosh's operating system allowing you to customize it
in myriad ways. The beauty of Extensions and Control Panels is that they
afford you the freedom to make your Mac work the way you want it to. A
feature you will not find on, around or near a Windows95 computer.
(Although I did find a freeware program that makes my PC desktop look
like a Mac!)

The downside to System Extensions and Control Panels is that for every
icon that dances across the bottom of your screen - and for some that you
don't see dancing - a little bit of your Mac's memory is set aside for
that program to use. While it's worthwhile to have that memory set aside
for Extensions and Control Panels you use, it's a complete waste to load
INITs that you'll never use.

Unfortunately, Hottips is not the forum to look at every single Control
Panel and Extension to see whether you need it or not. But it is the
perfect forum to give you the tools to do some discovery on your own.

EXTENSIONS MANAGER

This powerful little tool is itself a system INIT. More correctly a
Control Panel. What it does is give you an overview of all the Control
Panels and Extensions that are enabled or disabled on your Macintosh.
This little tool will be indispensable in your battle to eliminate unused
INITs.

The Extension Manager shipped with System Software version 7.5 but works
perfectly well in any version of system 7. If you don't have a copy you
should be able to find it on the Apple web site. <www.apple.com For
those of you who have upgraded to OS8 you will find a much improved
version of the Extension Manager that allows you far greater control over
your system extensions.

You can find the Extension Manager by selecting the Apple Menu, then
selecting Control Panels and finally, Extension Manager. You can also get
the Extension Manager to open at startup by holding down the Spacebar
while your Mac is starting up.

CONFLICT CATCHER

This little program is the king of Extension Managers. Powerful enough to
detect corrupted extensions, smart enough to help you determine which
extensions might be conflicting with others, Conflict Catcher is a tool
you just may not want to live without. I can't tell you how many times
this program has pulled my behind out of deep water. It's far too
difficult to cover it in any detail here. So download yourself a demo
copy from the Casady & Greene web site and play around a bit.

<http://www.casadyg.com/

INFORMINIT 8.1

Here's everything you need to learn everything there is to learn about
Extensions and Control Panels. InformINIT provides a detailed description
of every available Extension and Control Panel and explains to you
whether or not you need it and why. You will not find a more extensive or
comprehensive coverage of Extensions anywhere. (Which is why it would be
absolutely useless for me to attempt to go into any detail in Hottips!)

You can download a current copy from:

<http://cafe.AmbrosiaSW.com/DEF/InformINIT.html

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


We've already covered several files this week but here are a couple more
to suit your fancy...

CALCULATE SIZE CMM PLUG-IN

An excellent tool for determining how many files, folders and megabytes
are being used on your Mac. This OS 8 only freeware/mailware program is a
fast and efficient way to get the skinny on what's on your hard drive
from one simple Contextual Menu.

Get it from:

<http://www.vcnet.com/hide/download/


SESAME

Ahhh... Butterfly. You're looking for a good, easy way to control access
to your Mac. Sesame gives you simple password protection for your Mac.
Smart enough to overcome Shift-key Extension disabling, Sesame also
includes a decent screensaver that displays until you enter your password.

But remember Butterfly, a password is not a thing to be forgotten!

Download Sesame from:

<http://www.club-internet.fr/tbym/sesame-us.hqx


========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

Just Like You
Keb' Mo'
OKeh/epic

If you EVER discover that this guy is playing somewhere near you, stop
everything and just go see him. I caught Keb' Mo' during a recent House
of Blues tour. He flat out stole the show. Extraordinary stage presence.
Powerful guitar player. Pleasure to watch and listen to. The CD is great,
but if you can catch him live GO!

Have a great week!!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 



Welcome to Mac Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is sponsored
by Mac Home Magazine - your best Mac resource in print and on the web!

<www.machome.com

If this is your first issue of Mac Hot Tips, welcome!  We think you'll
find Mac Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely Macintosh
information.

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

Subscription Information:
To Subscribe to Mac Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select the
link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

You can also subscribe to Mac Hot Tips by sending email to
<requests@lists.machome.com with "Subscribe Hottips" as the subject.

Send Problem information to - <listmaster@machome.com.

**If you don't presently subscribe to Mac Home have a look right here!**

Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.


Subscribe for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips
booklet all for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html

========================================

Edited By: Jeff Battersby
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine


******************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS SPONSORED BY THE LETTER "Q" THE NUMBER "3" AND:

Tracy Valleau, former editor of Hot Tips and publisher of "techNotes."

Hi folks, Tracy here. I was the first editor of Mac Hot Tips, and now I'm
publishing techNotes, the monthly Mac newsletter. Readers say: "techNotes
is...the most concise, common sense, no bull---Mac info." "Absolutely
riveting! A perfect balance of the practical & the academic. And only a
buck an issue! You're selling yourself short".

<http://www.linksware.com/technotes.html

Be sure to give "techNotes" a look. At twelve bucks a year it's an
absolute steal!

========================================
Mac Hot Tips eNews - June 22, 1998

========================================
HOT NEWS

If you find this issue of Hottips a bit truncated there's good reason.
Last week my wife gave birth to:

Colin Muir Battersby
22 inches
10 lbs 1.7 oz

He was happily welcomed home by his sisters Kristin Sierra and Joanna
Reye.

That would be my bit of hot news for the week!

Following you will find a listing of your favorite Enhanced CDs. This
list was collected from submissions that you sent in several weeks ago.
Thanks!

Hottips will return in its usual format next week!


==================================================
THE "NOT AT ALL THAT COMPLETE" LIST OF ENCHANCED CDS

This list was collected beginning sometime around Easter of this year.
Amazingly, the responses kept trickling in for several weeks following
the initial post. While this list by no means contains every available
ECD it is still amazingly diverse!

Many of you had alot to say about ECDs, both good and bad. (Actually,
mostly bad.) so this list wouldn't be complete without hearing from you...

David Chestnut said:
My LEAST favorite are the so-called "enhanced" discs that
contain a link to the artist or group's website... and software for America
Online! Like I didn't get AOL software in my mailbox, in magazines, in cereal
boxes, and everywhere else already. They should be sued for false advertising
when they call them "enhanced".

Many of you were apalled at , so-called, ECDs that were nothing more than
cheap advertising for AOL or cheesy links to the artist's web site.

George Hulseman's response was decidedly ho-hum when it came to ECDs:

I know of a few enhanced CDs offhand...
    * Joe Jackson's "Heaven & Hell"
    * Alan Parson's "On Air"
    * The Cranberries "Doors and Windows"
    * T.S. Monk's "Monk on Monk"

Now, ask me if I care. :-) I'm not being flippant. It's just I've never had
a tremendous amount of interest in enhanced CDs. Call it general apathy,
and the realization that some of these enhanced CDs are not really very
interesting and/or have extremely limited replay value. The fact that these
CDs were "enhanced" did not influence my decision to buy them, with the
possible exception of Parsons' "On Air" which is actually two CDs--one
music and one multimedia.

(George also pointed out that the game "Pirates Gold" can be put in your
CD player so that you can listen to its excellent soundtrack.)

On the other hand, Kurt Harms was very positive about Todd Rundgren's
recent musical releases.

No list of enhanced CDs would be complete without noting the
contributions of rock star/computer whiz Todd Rundgren.  Todd was producing
music videos with computerized digital effects even before the advent of
MTV.  Todd's 1993 "No World Order" CD allowed listeners with a desktop
computer to change his musical compositions by switching producer style,
mood, tempo, etc.  His 1995 enhanced CD "The Individualist" advanced the
standard song and video fare with interactive music/video combinations and
a pretty decent Doom-style game shooting at right-wing extremists to a
wicked head-banging soundtrack.

By the way, Todd Rundgren is most defintely a Mac user. He appeared,
PowerBook in hand, in Apple's old "What's on your PowerBook" print ads.

Several of you also included web sites that contained complete listing's
of available ECDs:

<http://www.musicfan,com
<http://www.planet-earth-music.com/G_EnhancedCDs.htm
<http://www.music.sony.com/MUSIC/CDEXTRA

And now to you... Here's the list of ECDs that you though were worthwhile.

Highlighted titles were mentioned more than once.

**************************************************

The Ultimate Blue Trane - John Coltrane
Sol En Si - Various artists
Film Noir - Carly Simon
Holly Cole - It Happened One Night
Fifth Element - Soundtrack
Romeo And Juliet - Soundtrack
Information Society - self-titled
Gloria Estefan - Destiny
Michael Penn - Resigned
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire - Novel Soundtrack
Highway 101 - Highway 101 & Paulette Carlson Reunited
Keb' Mo' - Just Like You
Barenaked Ladies - Rock Spectacle
Carolyn Arends- Feel Free
Plumb - Plumb
Jars of Clay - Much Afraid (some are, some aren't!)
Jars of Clay - Jars of Clay (special edition only)
Amy Grant - special edition version of some older songs
DC Talk - another special edition CD
Keiko Maitsu - Dream Walk
Fiona Apple - Tidal
Rolling Stones - Stripped
Save Ferris - It Means Everything
James Taylor - Hourglass
The Rankin Family - The Rankin Family Collection
Lou Reed - New York CD
The Sons of Somerled - ?
The Doors - Greatest Hits
Natalie Imbruglia - Big Mistake - UK CD Single
Aerosmith - Nine Lives
Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hot, Self Titled
Dave Koz - Off the Beaten Path
Sarah McLachlan - The Freedom Sessions, Surfacing, Rarities, B Sides and..

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 



Welcome to MacHome Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is
sponsored by Mac Home Magazine - your best Mac resource in print and on
the web!

<www.machome.com

If this is your first issue of MacHome Hot Tips, welcome!  We think
you'll find MacHome Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely
Macintosh information.

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

Subscription Information:
To Subscribe to MacHome Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select
the link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

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<requests@lists.machome.com with "Subscribe Hottips" as the subject Send
Problem information to -
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**If you don't presently subscribe to Mac Home have a look right here!**

Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.


Subscribe for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips
booklet all for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html

*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS SPONSORED BY THE LETTER "Q" THE NUMBER "3" AND:

Tracy Valleau, former editor of Hot Tips and publisher of "techNotes."

Hi folks, Tracy here. I was the first editor of Mac Hot Tips, and now I'm
publishing techNotes, the monthly Mac newsletter. Readers say: "techNotes
is...the most concise, common sense, no bull---Mac info." "Absolutely
riveting! A perfect balance of the practical & the academic. And only a
buck an issue! You're selling yourself short".

<http://www.linksware.com/technotes.html

========================================

MacHome Hot Tips
Edited By: Jeff Battersby
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine


========================================
MacHome Hot Tips eNews - June 29, 1998

Many thanks to all of you who sent kudos and well wishes on Colin's
birth. Thankfully, he is quite healthy, happy and - dare I say? -
sleeping through the night. (OK, it's only 5 hours. But believe you me
that's an awful long time in infant-sleep!)

On another note: apparently a portion of last weeks CD list was lost
in-transit. Look for the list to be re-posted sometime later today.

========================================
HOT NEWS

NO NEWS IS, WELL... GOOD NEWS!

The press has been strangely silent with regard to Apple in the last few
months. (Not a bad problem for a company whose former press coverage
seemed to be written using the same, sorry, three word-thesaurus!)
Happily, you don't have to dig too deep to find news that bodes well for
Apple and the Mac. For instance, last week CompUSA bought out their chief
competitor, Computer City. On the surface that doesn't seem like news
that would be beneficial to Apple but in reality it's an incredible boon.
CompUSA will acquire about 100 stores in the deal. (You may be aware that
CompUSA presently maintains a very successful "Apple Store Within a
Store" throughout their entire chain.) That means that Macs will now have
a presence in nearly 100 stores where they previously had none!

I said you didn't have to dig too deep!


========================================
HOT TIPS

DEVELOPING A BACKUP STRATEGY

You can admit it...

The last time you backed up your computer was... OK, you've never backed
anything up. Does that make you a bad person? Not today. But tomorrow
could be quite a different story. Data lost is just that. Lost. Having a
good backup strategy can save you time money and your sanity. Not to
mention that a wee bit of effort will result in an enormous amount of
data safety. A godsend at any price!

Following are a few tips that will make sanity - and your data- something
you'll keep.

1. BACK UP YOUR DATA REGULARLY. Of course, regularly is likely to mean
different things to different users. In short, you should create a backup
as often as you make changes to the files on your computer. Whether that
be daily, weekly, monthly or yearly.

2. MAINTAIN MULTIPLE BACKUPS OF YOUR DATA. If you're like most people
you're inclined to create backups using the same disk(s) day-in and
day-out. While this seems to make sense it has an inherent weakness:
      If a disk goes bad your data is lost. End of story.
Creating multiple backups allows you to take your current backup and move
it to an off-site location. This way you're guaranteed to have a current,
accessible backup in case of flood, fire, freak accidents or famine. (All
right, famines aren't likely to mess with your data. But it made for good
alliteration!)

3. VERIFY THAT YOUR BACKUPS ARE ACTUALLY WORKING. Woe to the poor soul
who discovers that his backups are WORTHLESS.

Ouch.

Most professional backup programs provide you with some means of
verifying that your backup is actually working. You don't need to use
these tools every day, but it is wise to use them with some sort of
regularity.

4. FIND A GOOD BACKUP PROGRAM THAT SUITS YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS. My personal
favorites are any of the Dantz family of products:
      DiskFit Direct
      DiskFit Pro
      Retrospect
While there are many other products available, from shareware to
commercial, I've found that Dantz products require the least amount of
effort to create and maintain good backups. (Retrospect provides the
added benefit creating backups of multiple computers across a network.
Including Windows95 and NT based workstations.)

Actually, it makes little difference which program you're using as long
as you're backing up your data. Choose the program that works best for
you and use it.

One final thought:

You may not have the money, time or desire to create backups of your
entire system. If this is the case you should at least make copies of
your original program diskettes and then store the originals in some safe
location. At the same time you should make regular copies of the
documents you've created and store them in a safe place as well. While
this strategy will require you to install all your programs from scratch
at least you'll have a semblance of a backup to revert to in case a
problem arises.

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


THE BLOCK

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned a piece of shareware that allows you to
password protect your computer. (See below if you tried to get that file
but the link didn't work. I've provided an updated link.) The Block is a
similar product with similar features. Now you have the freedom to choose
between two different password protection products.

Get The Block at:

<http://www.kagi.com/mennigmann/

PALM BUDDY

Looking for a simple Mac-like way to backup data and install software on
your PalmPilot. Have a look at Palm Buddy. This little program gives you
Finder-like access to your PalmPilot and includes a snappy little backup
program. Great program!

Get Palm Buddy at:

<http://perso.wanadoo.fr/fpillet/

SESAME REDUX

If you tried to download the Sesame password protection program but were
unable to make the connection, please accept my apologies. Apparently I
posted a bad link. The following link is guaranteed to work.

<http://mirror.apple.com//mirrors/Info-Mac.Archive/cfg/sesame-22.hqx

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

NICK LOWE
Dig My Mood
Upstart Records

Minimalist production.
Mellifluous voice.
Sound as rich and sweet as Treacle.

The album has definite retro-Johnny Cash leanings. And boy is it good!

Have a great week!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 




And now to you... Here's the list of ECDs that you though were worthwhile.

Highlighted titles were mentioned more than once.

**************************************************

The Ultimate Blue Trane - John Coltrane
Sol En Si - Various artists
Film Noir - Carly Simon
Holly Cole - It Happened One Night
Fifth Element - Soundtrack
Romeo And Juliet - Soundtrack
Information Society - self-titled
Gloria Estefan - Destiny
Michael Penn - Resigned
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire - Novel Soundtrack
Highway 101 - Highway 101 & Paulette Carlson Reunited
Keb' Mo' - Just Like You
Barenaked Ladies - Rock Spectacle
Carolyn Arends- Feel Free
Plumb - Plumb
Jars of Clay - Much Afraid (some are, some aren't!)
Jars of Clay - Jars of Clay (special edition only)
Amy Grant - special edition version of some older songs
DC Talk - another special edition CD
Keiko Maitsu - Dream Walk
Fiona Apple - Tidal
Rolling Stones - Stripped
Save Ferris - It Means Everything
James Taylor - Hourglass
The Rankin Family - The Rankin Family Collection
Lou Reed - New York CD
The Sons of Somerled - ?
The Doors - Greatest Hits
Natalie Imbruglia - Big Mistake - UK CD Single
Aerosmith - Nine Lives
Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hot, Self Titled
Dave Koz - Off the Beaten Path
Sarah McLachlan - The Freedom Sessions, Surfacing, Rarities, B Sides and...
The Taiko Japanese Drums
The Backstreet Boys - Self Titled
Paul Simon - Graceland (re-release)
Soundgarten - Alive in the Superunknown
Spin Doctors - You gotta believe in something
The Best of Star Trek - 30 years of Music from Star Trek
Star Trek - First Contact
Joe Jackson - Heaven and Hell
Alan Parsons - On Air
The Cranberries - Doors and Windows
TS Monk - Monk on Monk
The Nature of America - Telarc Digital
Bonnie Raitt - Burning Down the House
Cirqu Du Soliel
Kitaro
Benny Goodman - Original Recordings
Michael Bolton - White Christmas
Rolling Stones - Stripped
Rancho Deluxe - Soundtrack
Harry Connick Jr. - Star Turtle
Michael Penn - Resigned
Charlie Peacock - strangelanguage
Sarah Masen - Self Titled

Thanks for all your input!!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 



Welcome to MacHome Hot Tips. This free, weekly, email newsletter is
sponsored by Mac Home Magazine - your best Mac resource in print and on
the web!

<www.machome.com

If this is your first issue of MacHome Hot Tips, welcome!  We think
you'll find MacHome Hot Tips to be the perfect resource for timely
Macintosh information.

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

Subscription Information:
To Subscribe to MacHome Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select
the link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

You can also subscribe to MacHome Hot Tips by sending email to
<requests@lists.machome.com with "Subscribe Hottips" as the subject.

Send Problem information to - <listmaster@machome.com.

**If you don't presently subscribe to Mac Home have a look right here!**

Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.


Subscribe for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips
booklet all for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html

========================================

MacHome Hot Tips
Edited By: Jeff Battersby
Copyright 1998 Mac Home Magazine


========================================
MacHome Hot Tips eNews - July 6, 1998

========================================
HOT NEWS

MACWORLD MEETS MANHATTAN

This week marks Apple lovers annual trek eastward. MacWorld Expo will be
making its Big Apple debut at the Jacob Javitz Convention Center in
Manhattan. The show used to take place in Boston. Seems to me that
Manhattan is the perfect spot though, NYC having the obvious Apple
reference and all. Although I have to admit that Boston seems to have a
far greater "spiritual" kinship with San Francisco - the winter home of
Macworld - than NYC does.

So, what can we expect to find at Macworld this year? Obviously the iMac
will be making a gigantic appearance. Also floating around the rumor mill
is the introduction new Macs with 300+ MHz processors. No new models that
I'm aware of, but perhaps a prototype or two.

With out a doubt next weeks Hot Tips will forego the guesswork and come
up with some actual truth.

========================================
HOT TIPS

MAKING THE APPLE MENU A POWER MENU

The Apple Menu, located in the upper left hand corner of your screen, is
more than just a pretty picture. It can become a powerful tool, making
navigating your Mac even simpler than it already is.

The information you see in the Apple Menu is actually stored in a special
folder within your System Folder appropriately called the "Apple Menu
Items" folder. Anything you place in this folder will appear in the Apple
Menu. As an initial time saving feature try this:

1. Open your Apple Menu Items Folder
2. Create an Alias of your Hard Disk (Click once on your Hard Drive icon
and press command-M.)
3. Move the Alias to the Apple Menu Items folder
4. Remove the word "Alias"

Now select the Apple Menu. You should find an icon of your hard drive
with an arrow to the right. The Arrow lets you know that you'll see more
information if you select the icon. (This is called a hierarchical menu.)
Slide your mouse down to your hard drive icon and you should see another
section of the Apple Menu open up. Now you're one level deeper into your
hard drive. Amazing huh?

Now you may have noticed that your hard drive icon appeared somewhere
near the middle of the Apple Menu. Not very convenient if you want quick
access to your hard drive. If you click on the Apple Menu again you'll
notice that it displays everything in alphabetical order. So "Aardvark"
would appear at the top of the list and "Zachary's Hard Drive" would
appear at the bottom. An absolute pain in the neck, unless you know the
next little trick.

1. Open the Apple Menu Items folder
2. Find the Alias of your hard drive
3. Rename the Alias using a space as the first character
4. Now select the Apple Menu
5. Your hard drive appears at the top of the list!

In the world of text and characters spaces appear before numbers and
letters. So when you add a space to something's name it jumps to the top
of an alphabetical list!

Try adding applications and commonly used folders to the Apple Menu.
Remember that the more spaces you add to the beginning of a file's name
the closer to the top it will appear. (Thus, "space-space Apple" appears
before "space Aardvark.")

Next week: Power Tips using FinderPop

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****

THE ELECTROMAGNETIC POETRY KIT

You know those silly little word magnets that people use to create poetry
on their refrigerators. Well now you can do the very same thing on your
Mac. The Electromagnetic Poetry Kit is magical poetry for your Mac.

Get a copy at:

<http://www.emagoe.com

ALPHA

Looking for a full featured HTML text editor that's as powerful as BBedit
and nearly as cheap as BBeit Lite. Have a look at Alpha. Great little
program packs a lot of punch and can be used to program in virtually any
programming language.

Get it from:

<http://www.esm.psu.edu/mac-tex/#Alpha


========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

The Log From The Sea Of Cortez
John Steinbeck
Penguin

Most of us know the typical Steinbeck drill: East of Eden, The Grapes of
Wrath, Of Mice and Men... the list goes on. But The Log From The Sea of
Cortez? My bet is you've never even cracked the cover.

While, with rare exception, the majority of Steinbeck is truth wrapped in
fiction, TLFTSOC is just plain truth. The journal of a trip Steinbeck
took with Ed "Doc" Ricketts to collect biological samples for Pacific
Biological Laboratories, Inc., Ed Ricketts lab.

Sound like dull reading? Don't be fooled. The book is an absolute
pleasure. Especially if you have the slightest tinge of interest in
scientific adventure/discovery.

See you at MacWorld?
Have a great week!

Jeff

PS - those so inclined can check out Colin Muir at:

<http://www.reyespoint.com/itsaboy

Cute isn't he?

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Magazine

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 




*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS SPONSORED BY THE LETTER "Q" THE NUMBER "3" AND:

Tracy Valleau, former editor of Hot Tips and publisher of "techNotes."

Hi folks, Tracy here. I was the first editor of Mac Hot Tips, and now I'm
publishing techNotes, the monthly Mac newsletter. Readers say: "techNotes
is...the most concise, common sense, no bull---Mac info." "Absolutely
riveting! A perfect balance of the practical & the academic. And only a
buck an issue! You're selling yourself short".

<http://www.linksware.com/technotes.html

**Subscribe to MacHome Journal!**

Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.

Subscribe for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips
booklet all for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html


========================================

MacHome Hot Tips eNews - July 12, 1998

========================================
HOT NEWS

HOTTIPS METAMORPHOSIS

Here's a nod to Tim McBrayer:

By now you've probably noticed a change in the way that Hottips looks.
This is just the beginning of a series of changes that will be taking
place over the next few weeks. I'm trying to avoid as much clutter as
possible at the beginning of the newsletter. From now on the top of the
page will only include MacHome Journal subscription information as well
as one weekly advertisement. Information on how to subscribe or
unsubscribe to Hottips will now appear at the end of the newsletter (By
the way, please make sure that you visit our advertiser's web sites.
They're the ones who make it possible for you to get Hottips for free!)

MACWORLD EXPO

Thanks to all of you who stopped by the the MacHome booth at Macworld
Expo. It was great to meet you and to hear what you had to say about
MacHome and MacHome Hottips!

The Jacob Javits Center was a hive of activity starting with the keynote
speech - given by Steve Jobs - on Wednesday morning. The first big
surprise was that Steve Jobs actually appeared at the Expo. Early reports
stated that he would be delivering the speech via satellite from
Cupertino.

It probably comes as no surprise that the product du jour was the iMac.
There were literally hundreds of the cute little things all over the
Javits Center and getting near them was no easy task. Apple has announced
that all iMacs will now ship with 56K modems rather than the previouslty
announced 33.6K modems. There were also several new products available
with USB connectors - like Iomega Jaz and Zip drives and HP printers. USB
connectors are required to attach external devices to the iMac.

Apple also announced that Mac OS 8.5 will be shipping later this summer
as promised. There were demos of several of the new OS's features
including a very fast network file copy and a brand new Find File program
that's incredibly fast and allows you to quickly search the Internet,
your hard drive or the contents of your documents for specific
information. Searches can also be saved for re-use at a later time.

Overall Macworld Expo was great. Made me even happier to be a Mac user!

========================================
HOT TIPS

THE APPLE MENU CONTINUES...

Last week we looked at how you can make the Apple Menu work for you. This
week we were going to look at FinderPop but so many of you submitted
alternative ideas that I couldn't pass them up. So next week we'll take a
look at FinderPop.

Greg Burgin offered the following means of bringing items to the top of
the Apple Menu. It's really better than using spaces because it doesn't
gunk-up Menu Item names with horrid looking spaces. Here's Greg:

1. Open a new blank text document.
2. Hit the "Return Key".
3. "Select All" thereby copying the invisible return character.
4. Paste the invisible return character as the first character instead of
the space.

This will look cleaner in the menu because the return character will not
use a space but will still put the alias at the top of the menu. You can
also experiment with multiple return character inserts to put items at or
near the top of the Apple menu.

Christopher Schmidt offered the following option for adding an Alias to
the Apple Menu Items folder. Sorry gang, this tip is OS8 only...

1. Open your Apple Menu Items Folder
2. Holding down <command and <option, drag your Hard Drive icon to the
Apple Menu Items folder (creating an alias there without the word 'alias'
appended).

Finally, Farrence forwarded the following:

An even better way to organize the Apple Menu is to use Amico.

So what the heck is Amico? A great little shareware program that allows
you to easily organize all the files in your Apple menu so they display
in whatever order you choose. You'll find the link below.

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****

Once again the transience of the web bites me in the behind.
Electromagnetic Poetry, which I mentioned last week, is now only
available if you pay for it. Amazingly, I had just downloaded it two days
before without a problem. Sorry!

AMICO

As I noted above, Amico is a shareware program that lets you organize
your Apple Menu in any manner you please. Sharp little program! You can
grab it at the following address:

<http://search.shareware.com/code/engine/File?archive=info-mac&file=gui%2fa
mico%2d211%2ehqx&size=106087

PEEK-A-BOO

Ever wonder just what was going on behind the scenes on your Mac. Well
now you can make it all very clear. Peek-a-Boo gives you a peek at every
process that's running on your Macintosh.

Get your copy at:

<http://www.kagi.com/bobc/

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

LARGO
Various Artists
Mercury Records

The liner notes state the following:

"In 1892, Czech composer Antonin Dvorak left his European home to spend
two years in America. The New World inspired him; he loved the big
cities, the open plains, the steam locomotives, the Wild West, and
perhaps most of all, American music. Spirituals, folk ballads and native
dances were some of the influences felt most deeply in his symphony "From
The New World." The familiar "Largo" theme endures to this day...

The Chieftains, Cyndi Lauper, Carole King, Taj Mahal and others combine
to create a wonderfully rich album of original tunes.

Have a great week!!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

Subscription Information:
To Subscribe to MacHome Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select
the link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 



We apparently had a problem sending this yesterday. Please let me know it
the newsletter is missing anything at the end. You should see Copyright
and subscription information at the end of the newsletter.

Jeff

*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS SPONSORED BY THE LETTER "Q" THE NUMBER "3" AND:

Tracy Valleau, former editor of Hot Tips and publisher of "techNotes."

Hi folks, Tracy here. I was the first editor of Mac Hot Tips, and now I'm
publishing techNotes, the monthly Mac newsletter. Readers say: "techNotes
is...the most concise, common sense, no bull---Mac info." "Absolutely
riveting! A perfect balance of the practical & the academic. And only a
buck an issue! You're selling yourself short".

<http://www.linksware.com/technotes.html

**Subscribe to MacHome Journal!**

Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.

Subscribe for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips
booklet all for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html


========================================

MacHome Hot Tips eNews - July 20, 1998

========================================
HOT NEWS

WHOO BOY... WHAT A WEEK

Hot on the heels of an excellent New York MacWorld, it appears that
computer journalists everywhere are drooling over the iMac. One guy said
"Everywhere I looked at MacWorld, I saw people who love their computers.
I found myself longing to have the same relationship with the little box
under my desk at home. But that won't happen with this machine."

He got that right.

Then, out of nowhere comes the announcement of Apple's third quarter
profit. A whopping 101 Million dollars. So now what say the naysayers?
The first quarter was an anomaly. The second, dumb luck. The third? Have
a nice day...

Oh, and did I mention that Apple's stock is currently WELL OVER $30 a
share?

Did I also mention that Apple is receiving tons of pre-shipdate orders
for the iMac.

Can you say... Quarter 4?


WELLS FARGO DROPS MAC/QUICKEN ACCESS THEN... RETHINKS

I got an email message from Jamie Trevino regarding Wells Fargo dropping
online banking support for their Macintosh Quicken users. (I stopped
liking this bank when they started charging me 5 bucks a month to
maintain a meager $50 bank account. Too big for their britches they
were!) No sooner had the email hit my mailbox than Wells Fargo was
recanting. Apparently there's some sort of Intuit flu going around. The
influx of cash into Apple appears to be an effective vaccine. Either that
or a massive migration of Mac users from Wells Fargo to other banking
institutions.

========================================
HOT TIPS

APPLE MENU ITEMS GOES ON AND ON AND...

Here are a couple more Apple Menu Items tips before we move along. The
following is from Jim Barker:

To create a clean divider between sections in your newly-organized Apple
Menu folder: in any draw program, copy into your clipboard any small square
you've created filled with white and no border. In your Apple Menu folder,
create a new folder, go to "get info" of the folder, click once on the
folder icon to highlight it and paste your small white square. Close the
"get info" window and name your new folder "- - - -" or "* * * * *" or
somesuch (or just leave it blank). Now you have a divider without any
annoying icon. It looks cool, too.

Not only does Jim's trick work well, if you use dashes "-----" you get a
very slick looking divider rather than a bunch of ugly asterisks.

Barry/Muriel Wilkinson/Turner-Wilkinson (phew) suggested the program
BeHierarchic. In their words:

I have had great success with this shareware product (see enclosure) in
organizing my apple menue and the nice thing is I don't screw up the
computer as much with too  many pathways.

BeHierarchic also provides ContextualMenu support for users of Mac OS8.

You'll find BeHierarchic listed in the Hot Files section.

Next week I swear we'll get to FinderPop.

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


BEHIERARCHIC

The program couldn't have a worse name, to spell at least. But it will
definitely make your Apple Menu happy.

Get it from:

<www.artecnet.com/BeHierarchic/BeHierarchic.html

INTERNET LAUNCHER 1.1.1

Gabriele de Simone has written a slick little replacement for the
"Connect To..." applet that Apple places in the Apple menu. Internet
Launcher lets you create shortcuts to oft' used sites. It's a great
replacement applet. And it's free.

You find Internet Launcher and a few other cool tools at:

<http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Bay/8749/

MINDTHUMP

A smart little game the object of which is to select matching sets of
objects from a large group of objects. You'll be wasting hours with this
one.

Get it from:

<www.stairways.com

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Harper Lee
Warner Books

This book is obviously old news. I reread it last year to my great
pleasure. Still powerful some 38 years after its publication. Perfectly
suited for a hot, sticky summer nights.

As an aside, Harper Lee said she wrote To Kill a Mockingbird as a simple
love story.

Have a great week!

Jeff
==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

Subscription Information:
To Subscribe to MacHome Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select
the link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

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*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

OneClick. A powerful little program that makes life, well... easier!

Over 100+ time-saving enhancements and shortcuts for only $29.98!

Discover OneClick, one of the most remarkable Mac utilities you'll ever
use. Don't install dozens of memory-sapping, wallet-sucking utilities.
Get OneClick.

For 72 hours only get OneClick for only $29.98 (Regularly $69) with a NO
RISK, 60-day money back guarantee. Visit our web site at
<http://www.westcodesoft.com/offers/machome/ or call 800-448-4250.


**Subscribe to MacHome Journal!**

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for an unbelievable $59.95!

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========================================
MacHome Hottips - July 27, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

YALE GOES AGNOSTIC

Some of you may recall that last year Yale University suggested to their
incoming students that the Macintosh was not a platform their Information
Systems (IS) staff would be supporting. All students were encouraged to
purchase ANOTHER platform. (Scuttlebut was that the head of the IS
department was cozying-up to Microsoft. But that's just scuttlebut...) It
just so happens that Yale has a very strong Mac contingent who, shall we
say, railed at the portent of a lack of Macs. (Yale has also sired some
pretty Mac saavy Alumnis including the ubiquitous David Pogue, who, by
the way, picked up his first Mac while attending said University.)

This year Yale has changed its tune, or, at least come to "Middle C." The
school will no longer be suggesting ANY platform to incoming students. If
you bring it they'll support it. Good news for Macophiles and Yalies
alike.

iMAC SATISFACTION

Informal survey here. Several technology reporters have stated that the
iMac's great downside is its lack of a floppy disk drive. Steve Jobs has
stated that a floppy drive is nothing more than last years technology and
a waste of money to add to the iMac.

So what say you? Answer the following questions and then add a paragraph
or two of your own thoughts. When you reply include "iMac" (sans quotes)
in the subject field. I'll post the results in next week's Hottips.

1. When was the last time you used a floppy disk?
# of Days - Weeks - Months - Years

2. Currently, the way you are most likely to transfer files between
computers is:
Network - Floppy - Email - Zip, Jaz or other

========================================
HOT TIPS

THE POWER OF FINDERPOP

For the last two weeks we've been looking at the Apple Menu and how it
enhances your work environment. If you're using OS 8 there's another
program that takes what we've done with the Apple Menu to a completely
new level.

FinderPop is a freeware control panel written by Turlough (Ter-Lock)
O'Connor that adds many enhancements to OS 8's Contextual Menus.
FinderPop has many more features than we will can possibly cover here so
we want to focus strictly on the program's Apple Menu-like features.

In order to use FinderPop you'll need to download the program (listed
below) and then restart your computer. To see how FinderPop works just
click and hold your mouse button on your desktop. Within a few seconds
you should see a Contextual Menu pop up. (You've just discovered one of
FinderPop's great features: Contextual Menus (CMs) without holding the
Control key down!) If you haven't seen a Contextual Menu before you won't
notice anything new. If you have used CMs you'll immediately notice a few
new additions:

Processes
Finder Windows
Desktop

Feel free to play around with all of them, but for now we're going to
focus on the Finder Windows item and more specifically the FinderPop
Items Folder submenu. This one folder adds all the functionality you've
come to expect from the Apple Menu Item folder.

First, we need to add some items to this folder. Here's what we want to
add:

1. Your Hard Disk
2. Two applications (your choice)
3. The Documents Folder (Or any other folder of your choosing.)

Here's how to add them:

1. Click-and-hold or Control-click on your Hard Disk icon. (From this
point on Control-clicking or clicking-and-holding will simply be referred
to as Bringing up a CM.)
2. When the CM appears, navigate to the Finder Windows item and them to
the FinderPop Items Folder.
3. Let go of your mouse button.

Now bring up your CM. At the top of the menu, just below Help, you should
see an icon for your hard drive with an arrow pointing to the right. You
can now navigate your hard drive from your CM!

Now, using the instructions above, add the other items to your FinderPop
Items Folder. (For your own reference, the items that I added to my
folder were: My Hard Drive - named "Western Flyer," My Documents Folder,
FileMaker Pro, ClarisWorks)

Now bring up your CM. At the top of the menu you should see all of the
items that you've just added to the FinderPop Items Folder. But there's
probably a problem. In my case Western Flyer, my hard disk, appears at
the bottom of the list and ClarisWorks at the top. Pretty inconvenient!
Fortunately, FinderPop makes it possible to easily rearrange the menu to
suit your needs. For the sake of this article we'll assume that I want
"Western Flyer" at the top followed by the "Documents Folder" and then by
FileMaker Pro and finally ClarisWorks. Here's how to do it:

1. Bring up your CM.
2. Navigate to and select the FinderPop Items Folder and let go.
3. You should now see an open folder containing an alias for each item
you added to this folder.

To sort the items you're going to add some text to the beginning of each
alias. The text should be any range of numbers and letters from "00" to
"zz" with a closed parenthesis (shift-0) to the right. The text you
choose should look like this:

00)
01)
-thru-
zx)
zy)
zz)

Or any thing in between.

Here's what to do next:

1. Add "00)" to the beginning of your hard drive.
2. Add "55)" to your documents (or other) folder
3. Add "aa)" to the Application that you want to appear first in the menu.
4. Add "zz)" to the Application you want to appear last.

Now bring up your CM.

Your items should now appear in the order that you wanted them to. (If
you don't notice an immediate change, give it a couple of minutes and try
again. Sometimes it takes FinderPop a few minutes to update the menu.)

Now, to make the menu easier to read, we need to add some dividers.
Dividers are created by adding "-***" to the end of any item name. Here's
how to create your dividers:

1. Create two new folders within the FinderPop Items Folder.
2. Name the first one "01)-***"
3. Name the second one "56)-***"
4. Close the FinderPop Items Window and open your CM.

You should now see your items sorted with dividers neatly separating your
hard disk from your Documents folder and your list of applications.

Using these tricks you should be able to easily create CMs that work for
you. Keep in mind that this is just one of FinderPop's many FREE
features. Play around with the program to see how you can make it work
for you.

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


FINDERPOP

Ok, Ok this one has been listed before. But it applies! Amazing
functionality fernuthin'.

Get FinderPop from:

<http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Bay/2573/


MARINER WRITE

Need a word processor that could fit in a thimble but that doesn't
sacrifice anything you need? Have a look at Mariner Write. This little
program just be all the word processor you'll ever want, and then some!

Get a demo copy from:

<http://www.MarinerSoft.com


PPC CD PLAYER

Think the Mac's current CD Player program is a little tired? Have a look
at PPC CD Player. Not only is it free, it makes your home stereo look
pretty sorry! (As the name implies, this program is PowerPC only.

Get your copy at:

<http://xroadstx.com/~bwaight

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

VERTIGO
ALFRED HITCHCOCK

Amazingly I never even saw this movie until I was in my mid-twenties.
What a waste! This movie is quite the mind-bender! Grab a bucket of
popcorn and be prepared to think again!!

Have a great week!!

Jeff
==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION:
To Subscribe to MacHome Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select
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*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Over 100+ time-saving enhancements and shortcuts for only $29.98!
Discover OneClick, one of the most remarkable Mac utilities you'll ever
use.

Steve Wozniak, Apple Co-founder says, "I am amazed and fascinated with
OneClick... I recommend it to any Mac user."

For 72 hours only get OneClick for only $29.98 (Regularly $69) with a NO
RISK, 60-day money back guarantee. Visit our web site at
<http://www.westcodesoft.com/offers/machome/ or call 800-448-4250.


**Subscribe to MacHome Journal!**

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for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips booklet all
for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html

========================================
MacHome Hottips - August 2, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

ADVERTISERS

Please note that we have 3 advertisers for Hottips this week. Be sure to
visit our advertiser sites and take advantage of their special Hottips
deals!

iMAC SURVEY

Wow! What an overwhelming response! Within the first two hours of Hottips
delivery I'd received nearly 120 responses. All told there were over 300
responses which is about 2.5% of the entire Hottips mailing list.

As you might guess, there were as many opinions as there were responses.
Some favorable toward and others absolutely infuriated with the fact that
the iMac is shipping without a floppy. Since the response was so large
this week's Hottips will focus solely on last week's survey. Next week
we'll return to Hottips as usual.

But first, a message from one of our sponsors...

Turn your Time Into Money with Timeslips

Timeslips Deluxe is the best-selling, most award-winning time tracking and
billing application for the Mac. With its customizable navigator interface
and unique billing assistant, Timeslips helps you easily account for every
billable minute and quickly create attention-getting invoices.

For more information, call 1-800-285-0999 or visit our web site at
<www.timeslips.com.

Now back to our show...

THE SURVEY

As I stated earlier, there were over 300 responses, OK, barely over 300
responses. 301 to be exact. As to be expected, the results were not
entirely too surprising. In case you don't remember the questions here
they are in shortened form:

1. When was the last time you used a floppy disk?
  Days - Weeks - Months - Years

2. In what manner are you most like to transfer files from one computer
to another?
Network - Email - Floppy - Jaz, Zip or other

The answers to the first question leaned heavily toward the floppy.
Please keep in mind that while 301 people responded not everyone answered
every question, so the numbers won't add up perfectly. Also, the results
are by no means scientific and probably have no significance.

Here are the responses:

When was the last time you used a floppy?

Days
203 - 67.44%

Weeks
49 - 16.28%

Months
33 - 10.96%

Years
5 - 1.66%

The reasons that you gave for using floppies varied widely. Many of you
still use floppies as your only means of backing files up. Others stated
that they were sharing files between Windows computers and Macs and found
that floppies were the most convenient method of transferring files.

Interestingly, many of you stated that you just happened to use a floppy
recently to run programs like SpeedDisk or to update drivers or other
software. Many of you in this category stated that prior to that time you
hadn't used a floppy in months.

The second question didn't have quite as wide a disparity although the
results still lean heavily toward the floppy.

How do you usually transfer files?

Floppy
144 - 47.84%

Jaz, Zip or other
54 - 17.94%

Network
46 - 15.28%

Email
35 - 11.63%


While floppies still hold a significant lead in this area it's less than
50%. In fact, all other types of file transfer - Network, Email and
Jaz... - actually add up to 44.85%; nearly equal with the total who
transfer by floppy disk.

Most telling were your responses and there's no better way to detail the
responses than to let you do it yourselves...

First, Don Smith:

I agree with Jobs on weaning from the floppy disk, but I still
need a cheap, quick and easy way to back up my Quicken data file on a
disk OTHER than the internal boot disk. After all, in making a backup,
I'm guarding against disk failure or corruption. It would make no sense
to put the back up on the same disk as the primary data file.

Michael Bautz makes his living with Macs and he has some very strong and
valuable opinions. Here he is:

I use and need a floppydrive EACH DAY in my Macs. And that is despite
the fact I have all my Macs connceted via 10BaseT-LAN and use MOD in
addition. Reason: I get floppies from my customers!
...I think
leaving out a floppy is a very BAD IDEA ... it'll stop many people from
further considering an iMac (I hear it everyday). The better solution
would be an alternative drive (like a better but downward compatible
floppydrive with 120/1.44MB).

While many of you thought that leaving a floppy out of the iMac was
complete idiocy others felt they had to concede that Steve Jobs was on
the right track, even if they had used floppies in the recent past.

Here's Jeff Foote:

I agree with Jobs... even though it's a tough statement. We
continue to purchase refurbished 040 machines for classrooms because we
can afford them, but neither the floppy included, nor the lack of a cd
on them is a big deal because we can do file transfers and installs via
the network.

I hope Apple does a good, comprehensive job of waking potential Mac
customers up to the fact that there's more to computing at this time
than floppies will facilitate or even allow!

Others, like Ebbtide45, were ambivalent:

For those who haven't had a computer, this will be a great computer. Most of
the external HardWare will have been upgraded by the time the imac is
released, but for the millions who already own external HardWare, such as
printers, CD-R's, Scanners, etc. upgrading will be a real pain....new
drivers, new cables....is the benefit worth the annoyance....

David Keesey was downright ecstatic:

I applaud Apple for discontinuing use of the floppy disk with the iMac.
The floppy is old technology and should be eliminated because of its
limited utility. What the industry needs is a push from vendors to
finally kill it. With e-mail, networks and modern removable media there
is no role for the 1.4MB floppy disk in modern computing.

Overall one thing seems pretty clear, people who currently own computers
and who have collections of floppies are far less likely to consider an
iMac. Which brings up an interesting point: Who is the iMac really geared
toward?

The answer? It's people who aren't currently using a computer or who are
only using their computers to access the web, play games and correspond
with people via email.

So, what's my personal opinion? One more Advert and I'll let you know.

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OPINIONS OPINIONS

I'm probably not the best subject for a survey of this sort. Prior to
last week I hadn't used a floppy in weeks. The only reason I was using
floppies last week is because I was setting up a used LC III for my
sister. My primary computer is a PowerBook Duo 2300c. Duos have no floppy
disk drive, unless you use a docking station. When I do connect a disk to
my Duo I use a Zip drive.

How do I install software that comes on floppies? Network! I hook my
PowerBook to my Performa 5215CD and install the software that way.
Otherwise I install most of my software directly from files downloaded
from the Net.

Is it silly to ship a computer without a floppy? It was pretty silly to
ship a computer without a 5 1/4 disk drive in 1984. The Mac was the only
computer on the block that had what we now know to be an industry
standard: a 3 1/2 inch disk. (As an aside, you could purchase an optional
5 1/4 disk for the original Macs much like you can for the iMac.)

For a temporary period of time the iMac's lack of a floppy will appear to
be complete idiocy. Shortly thereafter it's going to be pure genius.

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


I made a little mistake last week. The correct URL for PPC CD Player is:

<http://www.xroadstx.com/~bwaight

Have a great week!!

Jeff
==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION:

To Subscribe to MacHome Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select
the link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 




*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Over 100+ time-saving enhancements and shortcuts for only $29.98!
Discover OneClick, one of the most remarkable Mac utilities you'll ever
use.

Steve Wozniak, Apple Co-founder says, "I am amazed and fascinated with
OneClick... I recommend it to any Mac user."

For 72 hours only get OneClick for only $29.98 (Regularly $69) with a NO
RISK, 60-day money back guarantee. Visit our web site at
<http://www.westcodesoft.com/offers/machome/ or call 800-448-4250.


**Subscribe to MacHome Journal!**

Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.Subscribe
for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips booklet all
for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html

========================================
MacHome Hottips - August 2, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

ADVERTISERS

Please note that we have 3 advertisers for Hottips this week. Be sure to
visit our advertiser sites and take advantage of their special Hottips
deals!

iMAC SURVEY

Wow! What an overwhelming response! Within the first two hours of Hottips
delivery I'd received nearly 120 responses. All told there were over 300
responses which is about 2.5% of the entire Hottips mailing list.

As you might guess, there were as many opinions as there were responses.
Some favorable toward and others absolutely infuriated with the fact that
the iMac is shipping without a floppy. Since the response was so large
this week's Hottips will focus solely on last week's survey. Next week
we'll return to Hottips as usual.

But first, a message from one of our sponsors...

Turn your Time Into Money with Timeslips

Timeslips Deluxe is the best-selling, most award-winning time tracking and
billing application for the Mac. With its customizable navigator interface
and unique billing assistant, Timeslips helps you easily account for every
billable minute and quickly create attention-getting invoices.

For more information, call 1-800-285-0999 or visit our web site at
<www.timeslips.com.

Now back to our show...

THE SURVEY

As I stated earlier, there were over 300 responses, OK, barely over 300
responses. 301 to be exact. As to be expected, the results were not
entirely too surprising. In case you don't remember the questions here
they are in shortened form:

1. When was the last time you used a floppy disk?
  Days - Weeks - Months - Years

2. In what manner are you most like to transfer files from one computer
to another?
Network - Email - Floppy - Jaz, Zip or other

The answers to the first question leaned heavily toward the floppy.
Please keep in mind that while 301 people responded not everyone answered
every question, so the numbers won't add up perfectly. Also, the results
are by no means scientific and probably have no significance.

Here are the responses:

When was the last time you used a floppy?

Days
203 - 67.44%

Weeks
49 - 16.28%

Months
33 - 10.96%

Years
5 - 1.66%

The reasons that you gave for using floppies varied widely. Many of you
still use floppies as your only means of backing files up. Others stated
that they were sharing files between Windows computers and Macs and found
that floppies were the most convenient method of transferring files.

Interestingly, many of you stated that you just happened to use a floppy
recently to run programs like SpeedDisk or to update drivers or other
software. Many of you in this category stated that prior to that time you
hadn't used a floppy in months.

The second question didn't have quite as wide a disparity although the
results still lean heavily toward the floppy.

How do you usually transfer files?

Floppy
144 - 47.84%

Jaz, Zip or other
54 - 17.94%

Network
46 - 15.28%

Email
35 - 11.63%


While floppies still hold a significant lead in this area it's less than
50%. In fact, all other types of file transfer - Network, Email and
Jaz... - actually add up to 44.85%; nearly equal with the total who
transfer by floppy disk.

Most telling were your responses and there's no better way to detail the
responses than to let you do it yourselves...

First, Don Smith:

I agree with Jobs on weaning from the floppy disk, but I still
need a cheap, quick and easy way to back up my Quicken data file on a
disk OTHER than the internal boot disk. After all, in making a backup,
I'm guarding against disk failure or corruption. It would make no sense
to put the back up on the same disk as the primary data file.

Michael Bautz makes his living with Macs and he has some very strong and
valuable opinions. Here he is:

I use and need a floppydrive EACH DAY in my Macs. And that is despite
the fact I have all my Macs connceted via 10BaseT-LAN and use MOD in
addition. Reason: I get floppies from my customers!
...I think
leaving out a floppy is a very BAD IDEA ... it'll stop many people from
further considering an iMac (I hear it everyday). The better solution
would be an alternative drive (like a better but downward compatible
floppydrive with 120/1.44MB).

While many of you thought that leaving a floppy out of the iMac was
complete idiocy others felt they had to concede that Steve Jobs was on
the right track, even if they had used floppies in the recent past.

Here's Jeff Foote:

I agree with Jobs... even though it's a tough statement. We
continue to purchase refurbished 040 machines for classrooms because we
can afford them, but neither the floppy included, nor the lack of a cd
on them is a big deal because we can do file transfers and installs via
the network.

I hope Apple does a good, comprehensive job of waking potential Mac
customers up to the fact that there's more to computing at this time
than floppies will facilitate or even allow!

Others, like Ebbtide45, were ambivalent:

For those who haven't had a computer, this will be a great computer. Most of
the external HardWare will have been upgraded by the time the imac is
released, but for the millions who already own external HardWare, such as
printers, CD-R's, Scanners, etc. upgrading will be a real pain....new
drivers, new cables....is the benefit worth the annoyance....

David Keesey was downright ecstatic:

I applaud Apple for discontinuing use of the floppy disk with the iMac.
The floppy is old technology and should be eliminated because of its
limited utility. What the industry needs is a push from vendors to
finally kill it. With e-mail, networks and modern removable media there
is no role for the 1.4MB floppy disk in modern computing.

Overall one thing seems pretty clear, people who currently own computers
and who have collections of floppies are far less likely to consider an
iMac. Which brings up an interesting point: Who is the iMac really geared
toward?

The answer? It's people who aren't currently using a computer or who are
only using their computers to access the web, play games and correspond
with people via email.

So, what's my personal opinion? One more Advert and I'll let you know.

9 Big Ones--the most star-studded compilation of Mac games ever
released.

Each game voted "Best Game of the Year"

-Warcraft
-Marathon
-A10 Attack! LE
-F/A 18 Hornet Classic
-Crystal Caliburn Pinball
-Pathways into Darkness
-Pegleg
-Glider Pro
-Loony Labyrinth Pinball

All games are full versions.
Special Offer only $29.99 + $5 s/h   ($39.99 regular price)

Order NOW!  Call Masque Publishing at 800-765-4223 or 303-290-6303,
  9am-5pm
MST and mention this MacHot Tips special offer.

OPINIONS OPINIONS

I'm probably not the best subject for a survey of this sort. Prior to
last week I hadn't used a floppy in weeks. The only reason I was using
floppies last week is because I was setting up a used LC III for my
sister. My primary computer is a PowerBook Duo 2300c. Duos have no floppy
disk drive, unless you use a docking station. When I do connect a disk to
my Duo I use a Zip drive.

How do I install software that comes on floppies? Network! I hook my
PowerBook to my Performa 5215CD and install the software that way.
Otherwise I install most of my software directly from files downloaded
from the Net.

Is it silly to ship a computer without a floppy? It was pretty silly to
ship a computer without a 5 1/4 disk drive in 1984. The Mac was the only
computer on the block that had what we now know to be an industry
standard: a 3 1/2 inch disk. (As an aside, you could purchase an optional
5 1/4 disk for the original Macs much like you can for the iMac.)

For a temporary period of time the iMac's lack of a floppy will appear to
be complete idiocy. Shortly thereafter it's going to be pure genius.

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


I made a little mistake last week. The correct URL for PPC CD Player is:

<http://www.xroadstx.com/~bwaight

Have a great week!!

Jeff
==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION:

To Subscribe to MacHome Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select
the link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 



*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Over 100+ time-saving enhancements and shortcuts for only $29.98!
Discover OneClick, one of the most remarkable Mac utilities you'll ever
use.

Guy Kawasaki, Apple Fellow, says, "OneClick has turned into one of the
most valuable pieces of software I use."

For 72 hours only get OneClick for only $29.98 (Regularly $69) with a NO
RISK, 60-day money back guarantee. Visit our web site at
<http://www.westcodesoft.com/offers/machome/ or call 800-448-4250.

**Subscribe to MacHome Journal!**

Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.Subscribe
for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips booklet all
for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html

========================================
MacHome Hottips - August 10, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

NY TIMES DETAILS HOW CHIAT DAY "THOUGHT DIFFERENT"

So how do you create an ad campaign like Apple's critically acclaimed
"Think Different"? Stuart Elliott gives us the details in his NY Times
look at how Chiat Day brought it all together.

Here's a quote from the article:

"At first, the agency wanted to show "people currently using Apple
technology to articulate the 'think different' concept," Mr. [Lee] Clow
[chief creative officer at Chiat Day] said, such as animators at
Dreamworks SKG, "but that didn't seem quite a big enough statement."

Then one weekend, he added, "we walked into a room and saw 'Think
Different' attached to Ghandi and Martin Luther King and Einstein,"
paying tribute "to creativity and genius by saluting the kind of people
who think and change things."

This excellent article clearly details everything that went into "Think
Different." You should be able to find the entire article at the NY Times
website <www.nytimes.com. Once you're there you need to search for an
article called "Apple Endorses Some Achievers Who 'Think Different'.

So which of these ads are my personal favorites? Hitchcock, Einstein and
the adorable elf-like Ansel Adams.

****************************************
This week's Hottips also Sponsored by:

For as little as $99.95 you can put the leading time and billing solution,
Timeslips Deluxe for the Mac, to work in your company. Easily track time,
create custom invoices, and generate detailed reports. Improving your
productivity and profitability has never been easier.

Learn how Timeslips Deluxe can help your business succeed; call
1-800-285-0999 or visit our web site at http://www.timeslips.com

========================================
HOT TIPS

Did you know that double-clicking a word in your word processor will
select that word? Also, triple-clicking selects an entire line and
quadruple-clicking selects an entire paragraph.

Want to select the entire document? Press command (apple key)-A.
Command-B bolds the selected text. Command-I italicizes it and command-U
underlines it.

Want to close a window without touching the mouse. Command-W closes the
front-most window. Option-clicking a window's close-box (the square in
the window's upper left-hand corner) closes all open windows. Likewise,
option-clicking the Collapse Box (upper right-had corner) collapses all
open windows. (You can also accomplish this by option-double-clicking a
window's title bar.)

Did you know that holding down the command key while using ClarisEmailer
will display all current command-key combinations available for the
currently open window? Also, holding down the command-key in most
Claris/FileMaker dialog boxes will display command-key equivalents for
each available button.

Finally, pressing the power button in any open program will display a
dialog box that lets you Shut Down, Restart, or put you Mac to sleep.
And... pressing the key that matches the first letter from the text on
any button performs that command. (i.e. "R" restarts, "S" shuts down and
so forth.)

****************************************
Hottips also sponsored by:

  Alley 19 Bowling now only $19.99!

  "Runner Up, Best Sports Game of the Year"  Inside Mac Games

  Let the good times roll with Alley 19 Bowling.  Set to a rockin' 50's
  soundtrack, this pin-bashing spectacle is a software package not to be
  missed.  Includes network and modem play.

  Special Offer only $19.99 + $5 s/h   (normally $29.99)

  Order Now, call 800-765-4223 or 303-290-6303, 9am-5pm
  MST and mention this MacHot Tips special offer.

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


YA CALCULATOR

Looking for another calculator to replace the cheesy little one that
appears in the Apple Menu? Try YA (Yet Another) Calculator. YA is a
guaranteed great replacement and it's free!!

Pick it up from:

<ftp://ftp.amug.org/pub/amug/bbs-in-a-box/files/recent/ya-calculator-1.31.s
it.hqx


MACSOFTWARE

How many times have you heard people say that there isn't any software
for the Macintosh? Too may right. Well, thanks to Apple, there's now a
complete listing of every legitimate software title available for the
Mac. So, whenever anyone says there's no software you can just say, "Yea
RIGHT!", then point them to this site. (more than 12,000 titles!!)

<http://www.macsoftware.apple.com

ANTIBODY 1.0

Did you love the movie Fantastic Voyage? Then antibody is the game for
you. Inject yourself into an alien body and see if you can wipe out some
extraterrestrial virii.

Get Antibody from SlimyFrog Software:

<http://www.slimyfrog.com/

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Sarah McLachlan
Arista

Sarah McLachlan has gotten some pretty good top 40 play with her most
recent album but she's been creating great music for quite some time now.
Her 1993 release, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, is beautifully done and
sports lucious bass lines and McLachlan's rich, ethereal vocals.
Definitely top-notch!

Have a great week!!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION:

To Subscribe to MacHome Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select
the link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 




*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

For as little as $99.95 you can put the leading time and billing solution,
Timeslips Deluxe for the Mac, to work in your company. Easily track time,
create custom invoices, and generate detailed reports. Improving your
productivity and profitability has never been easier.

Learn how Timeslips Deluxe can help your business succeed; call
1-800-285-0999 or visit our web site at http://www.timeslips.com

Also brought to you by:

Special Offer from Masque Publishing:

World Series of Poker Deluxe Casino Pak only $19.99

Great casino action, with over 16 games.  Includes Craps,
Roulette, Keno, Blackjack, Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, 7 Card
Stud, Slots and others.

Special Offer only $19.99 + $5 s/h   (normally $29.99)

Order Now, call 800-765-4223 or 303-290-9853, 9am-5pm
MST and mention this MacHot Tips special offer.


**Subscribe to MacHome Journal!**

Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.Subscribe
for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips booklet all
for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html

========================================
MacHome Hottips - August 16, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

HELLO WALLSTREET!

Well what more can you say. Somewhere around January of this year Apple's
stock price was hovering right around $12. As of Friday of last week the
price had pressed past $40. Not only that, but as the DOW was sinking and
nearly every other tech stock was taking a dive, Apple still pushed ahead!

And why not? G3 desktops and towers are still selling like hotcakes.
PowerBooks? Uniformly listed in the press as some of the best machines on
the market. But to top everything off the iMac had pre-orders of more
than 150,000 units before last Saturday's ship date.

So how do you like them apples?

CORRECTIONS

Whoo boy! There's nothing like making a mistake publicly. And I sure
enough did. As many of you were quick to point out. In last week's
Hottips section I said that pressing the power key and then pressing the
"S" key would shut you Mac down. To the contrary, pressing the power key
and then pressing the Return key shuts your Mac down. Pressing the "S"
key puts your Mac to sleep if that option's available on your Mac.

Sorry!!

========================================
HOT TIPS

Those of you who are using OS8 may be aware that instead of using
patterns for the background on your desktop you can use pictures. What
you may not know is that you can have a new picture appear randomly every
day.

What you'll need:

1. A single folder that contains the pictures that you want to have
appear randomly.
2. Desktop Pictures Control Panel

Here's how to do it:

1. Open your Desktop Pictures Control Panel.
2. Press the button that says "Picture"
3. If you already have a picture displayed press the button that says
"Remove Picture"
4. Find the folder that contains your pictures and drag it from the
Finder to the picture of your desktop in the Desktop Pictures Control
Panel.
5. After a couple of seconds a picture will display and the text below
the picture will say "Picked randomly from <your folder.

Now every time you restart your Mac you'll see a new desktop picture!

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


YA CALCULATOR

Last week's link for YA Calculator appeared to be a bit slippery. We
found a new link that should prove to be a little less difficult. Last
week's description still applies.

<http://hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/HyperArchive/Archive/sci/calc/ya-calculato
r
-12.hqx

Special thanks to Joel Mueller at Macupdate! <www.macupdate.com

RAM DOUBLER VERSION 8

If you're currently using RAM Doubler 2.0 you've got a treat in store.
Run on down to the Connectix web site to pick up your free upgrade to
version 8.0. What you'll get is a new improved interface and the same
great RAM doubling.

<http://www.connectix.com

CUSTOM MENUS

Wouldn't it be nice if you could customize your menus? What if you could
tear any menu off and keep it easily accessible? well now that's possible
with Custom Menus. Custom Menus does just what the name implies. It
allows you to customize your menus in virtually any manner you choose.

Get you copy from:

<http://www.marcmoini.com

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

OPHELIA
Natalie Merchant
Elektra

This is probably old news to many of you. But hey, it's a great album.
Natalie Merchant perfectly mixes thoughtful lyrics with her sad, rich
voice. The production is transparently smooth making for a thoroughly
enjoyable album.

Have a great week!!

Jeff
==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION:

To Subscribe to MacHome Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select
the link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 




*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Solitaire Antics only $9.99.

The best 21 SOLITAIRE games ever invented, each with three
levels of difficulty.  Over 55 entertaining animations.  Double
click interface greatly facilitates game play.

Special Offer only $9.99 + $5 s/h   (normally $19.99)

Order Now, call Masque Publishing at 800-765-4223 or 303-290-9853,
9am-5pm MST and mention this MacHot Tips special offer.

AND...

"OneClick has turned into one of the most valuable pieces of software I
use." Guy Kawasaki, Apple Fellow

Automate and simplify your Mac for only $29.98! Discover OneClick, one of
the most remarkable Mac utilities you'll ever use.

For 72 hours only get OneClick for only $29.98 (Regularly $69) with a NO
RISK, 60-day money back guarantee. Visit our web site at
<http://www.westcodesoft.com/offers/machome/ or call 800-448-4250.

AND...

Act now and save over 66%! Put the leading time billing solution,
Timeslips
Deluxe, to work in your company. Track time, create custom invoices, and
generate detailed reports quickly and easily. Our special $99.95 offer
ends
August 31, 1998.

Learn how Timeslips Deluxe can help your business succeed; call
1-800-285-0999 or visit our web site at http://www.timeslips.com.


**Subscribe to MacHome Journal!**

Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.Subscribe
for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips booklet all
for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html

========================================
MacHome Hottips - August 24, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

i THINK i LIKE IT i LIKE IT - iMAC

Andrew Welch, Howard Shere, Michael Rodgers, Scott Scheinbaum Doug
Zartman and Chris Larson.

What does this motley crew of individuals have in common? In some way or
another all of them are bringing games to your Macintosh and, to an
individual, they're very excited about the recent release of the iMac.

Why?

Since 1984 Apple treated game developers as if they were second class
citizens. There was a general fear that the Mac would not be seen as a
business machine if Apple pushed games. That's no longer a problem. The
iMac is being touted as the perfect personal computer for everyone -
gamers and all.

Mark Gavini, Apple's "Partnership Manager of the Worldwide Developer
Relations Group", is responsible for game developers and music/audio tool
developers. He unequivocally states that Apple is on the game track,
"...the attitude now is 'Look, the Mac OS and the PowerPC G3 are an
awesome platform for games' We just need to help developers realize that
and to help publishers get access to all the iMac customers that are
flocking to retail stores... to buy that little blue box."

That my friends is a 180.

Thank you very much.

========================================
HOT TIPS

RAM DOUBLER 8 DOES A DISAPPERAING APP

So you've just installed Connectix free RAM Doubler 8 upgrade. You fooled
around in the Control Panel to get everything just right but suddenly
there's a whole lotta strangeness goin' on. Every time you switch between
applications the last application you were in completely disappears.
What's worse, when you click on the your Desktop applications disappear
as well. What's the problem? Well, as they say, it's a feature not a bug.

Among RAM Doubler 8's many new features is one that's hidden behind the
"Advanced" tab in the RD8 Control Panel. On that tab there is a section
called "Advanced Controls." The second check box says "Hide Background
Applications." When this is checked it hides every application that you
are not currently working in. Removing that check will alleviate the
disappearing app problem.

MOM, MY MAC IS SCREAMING AT ME

There is a strange bug that afflicts some 5xxx and 6xxx series Macs after
OS8 has been installed. Occasionally during startup a high-pitched scream
is emitted from the speakers. Apple acknowledges that this bug exists but
there is currently no Apple provided fix for it. Apparently the sound is
the result of the Mac's volume being set to an even number during
startup. So, while there's no OS upgrade to fix the bug, there is one
simple step you can take to rid yourself of the problem. To use this
you'll need to have AppleScript installed.

1. Open the AppleScript Editor and create a new document.
2. In the main Editor window type the following script:

set volume 3

3. You can put anything or nothing in the description field.
4. You can choose any volume level you want as long as it's an odd number.
5. Once you're done typing the script select File and Save
6. Type anything you like as the file name but be sure that "Application"
is selected in the Kind drop down menu. You also need to be sure that the
"Never Show Startup Screen" checkbox is checked and that the "Stay Open"
checkbox is not checked.
7. Navigate to the System Folder
8. Navigate further to the "Shutdown Items" folder which is in the System
Folder.
9. Click the "Save" button.

Now every time you shutdown your Mac the volume will be set to an odd
number and the whining will cease.

Oh and by the way, you may have just created your first Macintosh
application! Isn't programming great?

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


COLORSWITCH PRO

Do you find yourself bouncing around to two or three different Control
Panels just to get your Mac set up to play your favorite game? Wouldn't
it be better if there were a program that allowed you to make the changes
with a single click? What if that program also handled your PPP and
network settings as well as providing you with instant access to all your
monitor settings. Oh, and what if it was also the perfect CD Player
control center.

What program could possibly do all of that? Ambrosia's  ColorSwitch Pro.
The perfect companion for any multi-tasking user like yourself.

Pick it up from:

<http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com

CHRONOS CONSULTANT

If ACT! for Macintosh costs over $150 dollars and the new Eudora Planner
costs nearly as much, what would you call a program that's equally as
powerful as Eudora and ACT! but costs less than 1/3 the amount?

You'd call it Chronos Consultant! Powerful contact database. Integrated
word processing. Gantt charting. Multi-user networking. All of this and
more for a mere $39.95. $49.95 if you want a user manual and CD.

Where do you get it?

<http://www.chronosnet.com

It's a "no foolin' full workin' demo." Believe me, you'll want to pay for
it!

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

MILLER'S CROSSING
The Cohn Brothers

So you think the Cohn brothers are a wee bit too wacky for you? This may
be your perfect introduction then. Miller's Crossing is an offbeat but
interesting view of the Irish mob. It has it's typical Cohn brother
quirks but it's powerfully played with an interesting twist added by John
Turturro. The first time I saw it I watched it twice in one night. Then
again, I didn't have any children then...

Have a great week!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION:

To Subscribe to MacHome Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select
the link for Hot Tips.

To Unsubscribe - send email to <requests@lists.machome.com with
"Unsubscribe Hottips" as the subject.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 




*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Solitaire Antics only $9.99.

The best 21 SOLITAIRE games ever invented, each with three
levels of difficulty.  Over 55 entertaining animations.  Double
click interface greatly facilitates game play.

Special Offer only $9.99 + $5 s/h   (normally $19.99)

Order Now, call Masque Publishing at 800-765-4223 or 303-290-9853,
9am-5pm MST and mention this MacHot Tips special offer.

AND...

"OneClick has turned into one of the most valuable pieces of software I
use." Guy Kawasaki, Apple Fellow

Automate and simplify your Mac for only $29.98! Discover OneClick, one of
the most remarkable Mac utilities you'll ever use.

For 72 hours only get OneClick for only $29.98 (Regularly $69) with a NO
RISK, 60-day money back guarantee. Visit our web site at
<http://www.westcodesoft.com/offers/machome/ or call 800-448-4250.

AND...

Act now and save over 66%! Put the leading time billing solution,
Timeslips
Deluxe, to work in your company. Track time, create custom invoices, and
generate detailed reports quickly and easily. Our special $99.95 offer
ends
August 31, 1998.

Learn how Timeslips Deluxe can help your business succeed; call
1-800-285-0999 or visit our web site at http://www.timeslips.com.


**Subscribe to MacHome Journal!**

Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.Subscribe
for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips booklet all
for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html

========================================
MacHome Hottips - August 24, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

i THINK i LIKE IT i LIKE IT - iMAC

Andrew Welch, Howard Shere, Michael Rodgers, Scott Scheinbaum Doug
Zartman and Chris Larson.

What does this motley crew of individuals have in common? In some way or
another all of them are bringing games to your Macintosh and, to an
individual, they're very excited about the recent release of the iMac.

Why?

Since 1984 Apple treated game developers as if they were second class
citizens. There was a general fear that the Mac would not be seen as a
business machine if Apple pushed games. That's no longer a problem. The
iMac is being touted as the perfect personal computer for everyone -
gamers and all.

Mark Gavini, Apple's "Partnership Manager of the Worldwide Developer
Relations Group", is responsible for game developers and music/audio tool
developers. He unequivocally states that Apple is on the game track,
"...the attitude now is 'Look, the Mac OS and the PowerPC G3 are an
awesome platform for games' We just need to help developers realize that
and to help publishers get access to all the iMac customers that are
flocking to retail stores... to buy that little blue box."

That my friends is a 180.

Thank you very much.

========================================
HOT TIPS

RAM DOUBLER 8 DOES A DISAPPERAING APP

So you've just installed Connectix free RAM Doubler 8 upgrade. You fooled
around in the Control Panel to get everything just right but suddenly
there's a whole lotta strangeness goin' on. Every time you switch between
applications the last application you were in completely disappears.
What's worse, when you click on the your Desktop applications disappear
as well. What's the problem? Well, as they say, it's a feature not a bug.

Among RAM Doubler 8's many new features is one that's hidden behind the
"Advanced" tab in the RD8 Control Panel. On that tab there is a section
called "Advanced Controls." The second check box says "Hide Background
Applications." When this is checked it hides every application that you
are not currently working in. Removing that check will alleviate the
disappearing app problem.

MOM, MY MAC IS SCREAMING AT ME

There is a strange bug that afflicts some 5xxx and 6xxx series Macs after
OS8 has been installed. Occasionally during startup a high-pitched scream
is emitted from the speakers. Apple acknowledges that this bug exists but
there is currently no Apple provided fix for it. Apparently the sound is
the result of the Mac's volume being set to an even number during
startup. So, while there's no OS upgrade to fix the bug, there is one
simple step you can take to rid yourself of the problem. To use this
you'll need to have AppleScript installed.

1. Open the AppleScript Editor and create a new document.
2. In the main Editor window type the following script:

set volume 3

3. You can put anything or nothing in the description field.
4. You can choose any volume level you want as long as it's an odd number.
5. Once you're done typing the script select File and Save
6. Type anything you like as the file name but be sure that "Application"
is selected in the Kind drop down menu. You also need to be sure that the
"Never Show Startup Screen" checkbox is checked and that the "Stay Open"
checkbox is not checked.
7. Navigate to the System Folder
8. Navigate further to the "Shutdown Items" folder which is in the System
Folder.
9. Click the "Save" button.

Now every time you shutdown your Mac the volume will be set to an odd
number and the whining will cease.

Oh and by the way, you may have just created your first Macintosh
application! Isn't programming great?

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


COLORSWITCH PRO

Do you find yourself bouncing around to two or three different Control
Panels just to get your Mac set up to play your favorite game? Wouldn't
it be better if there were a program that allowed you to make the changes
with a single click? What if that program also handled your PPP and
network settings as well as providing you with instant access to all your
monitor settings. Oh, and what if it was also the perfect CD Player
control center.

What program could possibly do all of that? Ambrosia's  ColorSwitch Pro.
The perfect companion for any multi-tasking user like yourself.

Pick it up from:

<http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com

CHRONOS CONSULTANT

If ACT! for Macintosh costs over $150 dollars and the new Eudora Planner
costs nearly as much, what would you call a program that's equally as
powerful as Eudora and ACT! but costs less than 1/3 the amount?

You'd call it Chronos Consultant! Powerful contact database. Integrated
word processing. Gantt charting. Multi-user networking. All of this and
more for a mere $39.95. $49.95 if you want a user manual and CD.

Where do you get it?

<http://www.chronosnet.com

It's a "no foolin' full workin' demo." Believe me, you'll want to pay for
it!

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

MILLER'S CROSSING
The Cohn Brothers

So you think the Cohn brothers are a wee bit too wacky for you? This may
be your perfect introduction then. Miller's Crossing is an offbeat but
interesting view of the Irish mob. It has it's typical Cohn brother
quirks but it's powerfully played with an interesting twist added by John
Turturro. The first time I saw it I watched it twice in one night. Then
again, I didn't have any children then...

Have a great week!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
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========================================
MacHome Hottips - August 30, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

CONFESSIONS OF A CONE HEAD

No this is not a Saturday Night Live retrospective, it's simply a
massively large correction to a small but significantly imbecilic
mistake. The name of the Coen brothers, mentioned in the All Mac and No
Play section of last week's newsletter, is not spelled Cohn but Coen -
just like I spelled it above.

To those of you who noticed my mistake and dutifully beat the heck out of
me. I knew better. I deserved it. I thank you.

To those of you who didn't notice...

Never mind. (Do see the movie though!)

THE TALES OF WALTER S. MOSSBERG

The technological prose of Walter S. Mossberg appears in quite a few
publications these days. Most notably the Wallstreet Journal and its
monthly sister publication Smart Money.

For awhile there Mr. Mossberg was spouting the typical press party-line
when when it came to Apple. But lately there's been a change in the
flavor of Mr. Mossberg's writing. He's become decidedly pro-Mac.

A perfect example of this change can be witnessed on page 139 of the
August issue of Smart Money. It appears to be a compilation of two of his
weekly columns that appeared recently in the WSJ. Following is a small
sample:

" ...this summer Apple is enjoying a modest rebound, and some key omens
are favorable. thanks to Steve Jobs, the hemorrhaging has stopped, at
least for now. ...It's become much easier to buy new Macs, and the flight
of outside software developers has at least slowed down.

Clearly the company has new momentum and deserves another look."

The balance of the article speaks favorably of the G3 PowerBooks the
recently released iMac and the forthcoming Mac OS X.

I, for one, am definitely looking forward to more pleasantries from Mr.
Mossberg.

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========================================
HOT TIPS

I'M JUST STAMPIN' OUT THOSE UNWANTED EMAIL BLUES...

So you signed up for AOL, setup your user profile and suddenly you found
yourself to be the most popular emailee in the entire cyber-universe.
Your mailbox is now is chock full of messages that are, well...,
unwanted. So what's a soul to do?

Here are a couple of suggestions to block unwanted email.

1. If you haven't created a personal AOL user profile DON"T! Once you've
created a profile detailing who you are and what you do you've suddenly
become subject to a barrage of email advertisers who know your name and
your email address. It's now open-season on you and your email box.

2. If you HAVE created a user profile, don't use that address any more.
AOL will allow you to create multiple mailboxes. Chooses a new user name
and only give the address to people that you want to have send you email.

3. AOL now has a new feature that allows you to block email from coming
to you unless expressly state that you want to receive it. Turn the
feature on.

Users of AOL are not the only ones who suffer from a junk email overload.
Here are a couple of tricks for the rest of us (which can also be used by
AOL users!)

1. Don't allow your web browser to accept Cookies. Cookies are files that
websites leave on your computer to identify who you are. Some of the more
unethical web sites will also grab information, like your email address,
when you visit their sites. That information is then used to bombard you
with junk mail.

To limit your browser's acceptance of cookies you'll need to change the
program's preferences. Typically you can select Edit and then Preferences
from the program's menu.

2. Filter your email. Most email programs, like Eudora, Claris Emailer
and Mailsmith, allow you to create filters that will throw specific types
of email directly in the trash. Following you'll find a sample of how to
filter email in Emailer. While most of the other programs will be similar
to this. You'll need to check the documentation for your own email
program to learn how to create filters.

SAMPLE JUNK EMAIL FILTER

1. From the menu bar select Setup  and then select Mail Actions.

2. Click the "New" button.

3. Type a name for this filter in the "Name" field.

4. From the "Field" drop-down menu select "Subject."

5. From the second drop-down menu select "Contains."

6. In the text box type a dollar sign ($).

7. Click the "Define Actions" button.

8. Put a check in the box that says "File In." When that checkbox is
selected a button will appear that will allow you to select a folder to
deposit the mail in. Choose the folder called "Deleted Mail."

9. Save your mail action.

Now every time you receive an email message with a dollar sign in it it
will automatically be transferred into the trash and will be deleted when
you close Claris Emailer.

You can also modify this filter or create new filters to meet your
specific junk-email needs.

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========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****

WAPP PRO

Wapp Pro is an amazing little $5 dollar shareware program that gives you
complete control over all your open programs and access to every open
window, even in programs that are hidden. It's smartly designed and easy
to use.

You can pick it up from:

<http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Network/5213/download.html

SWITCH-IT

Switch-It takes the Wapp Pro idea a step further. With this little
freeware program you can switch between open programs with a simple
key-press. Fast and sweet this program is a little gem.

Get it from:

<http://perso.wanadoo.fr/mmariani/soft/soft.html

POWERSWITCH

So you want to have the power of mouse-less program switching as well as
Wapp Pro's cool window switching in all in a single package? Well you've
come to the right place! PowerSwitch provides window and program
switching all from your keyboard. As well as myriad other features too
numerous to mention. This is an inexpensive commercial program that you
will soon find to be worth every penny.

Download a demo copy from:

<http://www.binarysoftware.com

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

THE PUGILIST AT REST
Thom Jones

This is a collection of short stories the most notable of which bears the
same name as the title. Each story is well crafted and has a dark
edginess that is terrifying and powerful. Epileptics, boxers and
ex-marines all combine to make a single, powerfully complete story.

Have a great week!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

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THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Just Launched! iMacs4U.com, the web store just
for iMac owners.
iMacs4U.com specializes in all of the latest and the hottest products
just for iMac.

To kick off it's launch, iMacs4U.com is offering TechWorks memory at
insane prices! Plus, the shipping of your memory order will be upgraded
to FedEx overnite for FREE! Check out the great deals now! Jump on over
to <http://www.iMacs4U.com.


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========================================
MacHome Hottips - September 7, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

Y O Y2K

So begin the troubles that will result from the impending Y2K problem.
The New York Times reports in their August 31st issue that the first
major litigation with regard to the Y2K problem is hitting the courts.
The story goes like this:

J. Baker, a large apparel firm, purchases an extensive retailing system
from Andersen Consulting. Installation of said retail system was
completed in 1991. Somewhere along the line the J. Baker company is made
aware that their system needs to be changed to accommodate the problem.
Upon realization that they've been sold a bill of goods, J. Baker demands
reimbursement for the ill-programmed system. Andersen Consulting refuses.

The Times reports Andersens Consulting's written response:

"J. Baker is unreasonably demanding reimbursement for a system they used
successfully for nearly a decade."

In my mind it appears that J. Baker could have continued using the
Andersen Consulting software for another decade if Andersen had been a
little more forward looking. If I'm on the jury Andersen loses...

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========================================
HOT TIPS

SEARCHING TO QUELL THOSE BACK-TO-SCHOOL BLUES

School's back in and of course that means it's time to rev up your
favorite search engine. Problem is you may be stuck looking for info from
just one site - which is not only boring, it may be inefficient!

There are quite a few web search/directory engines out there for your use
and edification.

As a matter of definition, search engines actually search the web and
compile databases of what currently exists on the web. Directories, like
Yahoo, are typically collected and classified by humans rather than
computers.

Following is a list of several of those engines:

1. Alta Vista - <www.altavista.net
My personal favorite. Powerful fast and efficient

2. Hotbot - <www.hotbot.com
Another of my personal favorites and typically my second stop if I can't
find what I want with Alta Vista.

3. Yahoo - <www.yahoo.com
The sine qua non of search engines. It was the first well known site and
provides far more than just a listing of what's available on the web.

4. Northern Light - <www.nlsearch.com
The NY Times states that "In addition to its index of web pages Nothern
Light also searches pay-per-view article from books not generally
available on the web."

5. Ask Jeeves - <www.askjeeves.com
A great starting point for novice web searchers.

6. Excite - <www.excite.com
Standard search engine.

7. infoseek - <www.infoseek.com
Same only different.

8. Lycos - <www.lycos.com
The Times says, "Lycos provides a good selection of advanced search
capabilities..."

9. Metacrawler - <www.metacrawler.com
A search site that searches other search sites.

10. Dogpile - <www.dogpile.com
OK, I'd never heard of this site until this very minute... Much like
Metacrawler, dogpile searches several existing search engines to bring
you back the best of what they've got. Sounds like they should have
called it Fetch.

11. Internet Sleuth - <www.isleuth.com
The Times says, "...a 3,000-strong collection of specialized on-line
databases..."

HOTTIPS IS ALSO BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

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========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


POWERSWITCH

Mistaken and misguided URL last week. Binary Software's web address is
<www.binarysoft.com

MCHURRICANE

This slick little program allows you to track the progress of storms as
they brew out over your preferred body of water. The program also
includes maps from all of 1997's major storms. It's like the weather
Channel, only better!

You'll find it at:

<http://members.aol.com/stormeye/
or
<http://mchurricane.emcst.com

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

THE PERFECT STORM
Sebastian Junger
WW Norton and Company

How powerful is a hurricane? How devastating is its destruction?
Sebastian Junger follows the last hours of the Andrea Gail, a Gloucester,
Mass based sword fishing boat that was lost at sea in the fall of 1991.
Powerfully compelling reading.

Have a great week!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
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THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

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========================================
MacHome Hottips - September 14, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

I'm on vacation this week. So these Hottips have been shamelessly
purloined from Alan Stafford's up-coming MacHome article "Tap These
Tricks." 105 tips and trick to tickle your Mac. This article will be
appearing in your mailboxes and at your newstands within a week or two.

========================================
HOT TIPS

THE OS

6. With OS 8, you don't have to drag windows just by their title bars;
you can use the thin frame on the other three sides as well.

7. Remember that with OS 8 you can store windows as pop-ups by dragging
them to the bottom of your screen. To access a pop-up window, just click
on its tab, or drag a file onto the tab to make the window roll onto your
screen.

10. You can make a folder of aliases for frequently used applications and
documents and access it through the Apple Menu. Just drag an alias of the
folder itself into the Apple Menu Items folder inside the System folder.

15. A big memory suck is Apple's Enegery Saver. many hard drives will
spin down on thier own after a period of inactivity, and monitors that
are labled Energy Star will go into sleep mode to conserve energy. Remove
both the Extension and the Control Panel if you don't need the
customizable features of Energy Saver.

16. Another memory hog is File Sharing. If you aren't on a network you
don't need to run File Sharing, so you can disable the the extension and
Control Panel and save memory.

24. If your control Strip has suddenly risen to midscreen, you can move
it back down (or somewhere else on the screen) by holding down the Option
key and dragging the Control Strip to a new location.

"OneClick has turned into one of the most valuable pieces of software I
use." Guy Kawasaki, Apple Fellow

Automate and simplify your Mac for only $29.98! Discover OneClick, one of
the most remarkable Mac utilities you'll ever use.

For 72 hours only get OneClick for only $29.98 (Regularly $69) with a NO
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<http://www.westcodesoft.com/offers/machome/ or call 800-448-4250.


THE INTERNET

48. If your Internet browser crashes often, you may not have enough
memory allocated. Increase it by single-clicking on the applications icon
(while the application isn't running), hit Get Info (Command-I), and
increase the preferred an=mount by 25% or more.

57. Some sites, including Apple's, offer binary files in addition to
BinHex files for download. The binary files are smaller, and most
browsers can read them. If your browser isn't set up to handle a binary
file, download it anyway and double-click it when the downloaded file is
finished; that should launch StuffIt Expander (if you have it on your
system). Or drag and drop it onto Expander's icon. Expander comes with
most browsers, or you can get the latest version on the MacHome CD.

60. Lost that e-mail address? You can set Claris Em@iler to capture and
store the e-mail addresses of anyone who sends you a message.

APPLICATIONS

74. To open multiple documents (of the same of different applications),
highlight all the documents and double-click one of them. Or, highlight
then and hit Command-O (Open).

77. Many software installer automatically install a copy of SimpleText
(or TeachText with older applications); you may have multiple copies on
your hard drive. Use find file (Command-F) and search for the duplicates.

83. Most applications run more slowly off a CD than a hard drive. If you
can, copy at least the application itself to your hard drive and run it
from there.

Win a SuperDrive!! iMacs4U.com, the web store just for iMac owners.
iMacs4U.com specializes in all of the latest and the hottest products
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HARDWARE

86. Are the videos and sounds on your CDs skipping? Perhaps your drive's
lens is dirty. Try a CD-ROM drive cleaner. Same for the floppy drive.

91. If you only have one printer, you can trash all the printer files
within your Extensions folder in the System Folder, except the one for
your printer. That'll save disk space and cut down on scrolling in the
Chooser.

MAINTENANACE

101. For most hard disk repairs, the disk to be repaired can't be the one
you started up from. so, start up from your system CD or another boot
disk, such as the Norton AntiVirus or Norton Utilities CD.

103. Don't want to pay $60 an hour for tech support that may or may not
fix your problem? Try MacHome and No Wonder's free web-based tech support
(www.machome.com/techsupport.html).

========================================
HOT FILES

Hot Files will return next week...

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

GLACIER POINT, YOSEMITE, CA - SUNRISE

What a rare and glorius site.

Yosemite by itself is an absolute beauty. Glacier Point at sunrise is
something you can barely begin to quantify. I had the opportunity to
witness a sunrise there on Sunday as my brother was getting married. If
you ever find yourself in a position to witness the glories of morning
from high above Yosemite Valley don't think twice - just go.

Have a great week!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com
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*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

"Ah, how did we live without OneClick? Clean design, high speed, easy to
use - this is the macro program for the efficiency freak." David Pogue,
Macworld columnist and author of Macworld Mac Secrets

Automate and simplify your Mac for only $29.98! Discover OneClick, one of
the most remarkable Mac utilities you'll ever use.

For 72 hours only get OneClick for only $29.98 (Regularly $69) with a NO
RISK, 60-day money back guarantee. Visit our web site at
<http://www.westcodesoft.com/offers/machome/ or call 800-448-4250.


**Subscribe to MacHome Journal!**

Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.Subscribe
for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips booklet all
for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html

========================================
MacHome Hottips - September 20, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

BILL, BRILL AND THE PR CAMPAIGN

If you've been perusing the magazine shelves at your local bookstore you
may have noticed a rather titillating cover. No, not Cosmo, the September
issue of Brill's Content. On this cover are two pictures of Bill Gates.
One in a tuxedo and the other from the archives of the Albuquerque, NM
police.

While the cover is sure to grab your attention what's inside is likely to
make you shiver. In an article titled, "Making Bill," Elizabeth Lesly
Stevens details Microsoft's rise to power, not on the laurels of its
software, but on the wings of its powerful PR machine.

Here's a small excerpt:

"Stewart Alsop had covered Gates [in the computer media] for a decade
when, as editor of industry trade magazine InfoWorld, he drew Gate's
wrath by publishing a 1993 story critical of the just-released Microsoft
DOS 6.0. InfoWorld's testing lab found DOS 6.0... to be riddled with
bugs. As the story went to press, Microsoft,'dropped on us like a ton of
bricks,' Alsop recalls. 'Three Microsoft employees came to InfoWorld's
lab to scrutinize its testing procedures.' Alsop says that the chief
intent was to prove InfoWorld's testing lab inept, rather than try to fix
bugs in an already-shipped product."

Believe me, the entire article  is very interesting indeed!

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creating impressive multimedia presentations.
If you are an Apple educator, home schooler,
multimedia storyteller, or a PowerBook Professional,
YOU NEED THIS SOFTWARE!

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========================================
HOT TIPS

MASTERING MACINTOSH KEYBOARD COMMANDS

Getting a little tired of reaching for your mouse every time you need to
create a new folder? Well, you're in luck! With a minimal amount of
effort you can easily master a multitude of keyboard commands. (Keyboard
commands are keys that you press that allow you to perform tasks you
typically use your mouse for.)

While this list only applies to the Finder, every program provides a bevy
of keyboard commands to perform many standard tasks. Once you master the
Finder you'll find it a simple task to pick up the commands for other
programs.

The Command key is the key with the Apple and cloverleaf on it.

THE FILE MENU

1.  Command-N creates a new folder within the current Finder window.
2.  Command-O opens the currently selected item.
3.  Command-P prints the currently selected item.
4.  Command-Delete moves the currently selected item to the trash. (OS 8
only)
5.  Command-W Closes the current window.
6.  Command-I opens the Get Info window for the currently selected item.
7.  Command-D duplicates the currently selected item.
8.  Command-M makes an Alias for the currently selected item.
9.  Command-Y puts the currently selected item away. (Like a Zip disk.)
10. Command-F opens the Find File program.
11. Command-R shows the original item connected to the selected Alias.

THE EDIT MENU

All of the keyboard commands listed below will also work in many of the
programs you use.

1. Command-Z undoes the last thing you just did. Like deleting selected
text.
2. Command-X cuts the currently selected text.
3. Command-C copies the currently selected item. (In the case of a file
or a folder it will copy the text of the item's name.
4. Command-V pastes whatever is on the clipboard wherever the cursor is
currently located.
5. Command-A selects everything in the current window. If you're working
in the text window of a word processing document all the text will be
selected. If you're working on the Desktop every icon will be selected...

SPECIAL AND HELP MENUS

1. Command-E ejects the currently selected disk.
2. Command-? brings up the help screen for the current program.

Once you've mastered the Finder commands dig around in your favorite
applications and find the most useful keyboard commands. Once you do,
you'll notice how much easier it is to use the keyboard than it is to use
the mouse.

Win a SuperDrive!! iMacs4U.com, the web store just for iMac owners.
iMacs4U.com specializes in all of the latest and the hottest products
just for iMac.

Enter to win an Imation SuperDrive for iMac! We will be giving a
SuperDrive to a lucky winner, plus iMac T-shirts to 5 runners up. Enter
by jumping over to <http://www.iMacs4U.com.

Secure credit card ordering using your MC, VISA or AMEX.


========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


ANARCHIE (Pronounced anarchy)

FTP, or File Transfer Protocol, is the most common way to transfer files
on the web. An FTP program provides the most efficient way to transfer
files. Anarchie is by far the best FTP program available for the Mac.

Some of Anarchie's features?

Mirror Upload - Maintain your web or FTP site from a local folder while
Anarchie Pro uploads only the changed files and deletes files that are no
longer used.

Get Entire Web Site - Download an entire web site for local viewing or
just to see how it all fits together.

Resume failed FTP and web transfers.  Assuming the server supports it,
you should be able to abort and restart transfers without having to
download the entire fire again.

These are just a few of the features available with Anarchie.

Get your copy from:

<http://www.stairways.com/

MX BOOKFINDER

Looking for that old book and you just can't seem to find it anywhere? MX
Bookfinder (MXB) is the place to go. MXB simultaneously searches several
antiquarian book sites including Interloc, Advanced Book Exchange,
Bibliofind, Bibliocity and Book Search Online. Not to mention that
not-so-antiquarian Amazon.com.

Check it out at:

<http://www.mxbf.com/

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

APPLE PICKING

Call me cheesy - not a bad choice with apples by the way - but in my neck
of the woods fall is in the air and apples are ripe on the tree. (Not to
mention that my uncle makes some wicked-good cider that I can't quite get
enough of!)

Get out and make a weekend of it!

Have a great one!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
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THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:



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Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.Subscribe
for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips booklet all
for an unbelievable $59.95!

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========================================
MacHome Hottips - September 27, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

iMAC CONTINUES TO PUSH THE SALES BARRIER

There's no doubt that the iMac has been selling well. But you may not be
aware just how well that is.

The October 5th issue of Business Week, in an article called "Oh, do I
Love my iMac", makes no bones about how many iMacs have sold and to whom.

"...it's not just hard-core Apple lovers that are buying. More than 15%
of iMac buyers are first-time PC owners, and an additional 12% were
converts from "Wintel" models based on Microsoft's Windows, according to
ComputerWare, a West Coast chain."

The article also quotes Harold F. Compton, chief operating officer at
CompUSA as saying, "We sold more iMacs in a short amount of time than any
other computer we've ever sold." In fact, Apple is likely to sell as many
as 1 million iMacs by then end of the year.

Now... how do you like THEM Apples?!

You should be able to view the entire article at:

<http://www.businessweek.com

or

at Keyword: BW on AOL.

========================================
HOT TIPS

INVESTMENT SITES ON THE WEB

So you're a wee bit late to jump on the Apple stock gravy train.
(Remember? It was hovering just below $13 at the end of last year.)
Fortunately, the web has literally dozens of ways to track how much money
you might have made if you hadn't wasted grandma's nest-egg on those 10
shares of Microsoft stock. By the way... this isn't an endorsement of
these sites; just a listing. Play with them for awhile to see which one
works best for you.

YAHOO!
<www.yahoo.com

This pops in as my personal favorite. Easy to use. Quick access to the
Motley Fool. And flat-out free. While Yahoo! may not satisfy the most
sophisticated of users, it's guaranteed to get the neophytes - like me -
started on tracking their investments.

ETRADE
<www.etrade.com

eTrade has just recently updated their site so I haven't had much time to
play with it. The new eTrade appears to have everything that anyone might
need to cover the investment bases - including the ability to make trades
using the main eTrade site.

QUICKEN.COM
<www.quicken.com

Who else! If you're like most of us, you've been tracking your finances
with Quicken nearly since the beginning of time. Quicken's online site is
a literal treasure-trove of investment tools - a perfect mesh with the
Quicken product you may already be using on your desktop.

PERSONALWEALTH
<www.personalwealth.com

Sometimes you've just got to pay to get something worthwhile. And while
there are dozens and dozens of free sites on the web, Personal Wealth
gives you everything you need to research mutual funds, stocks and IPOs.
The only downside? It'll cost you about 9.95 per month.

INVESTORAMA
<www.investorama.com

This site is business as usual - portfolios, stock research, yadda,
yadda, yadda - with one rather large exception. From Investorama you have
access to Drip Central; a continuously updated database of every stock
that has a dividend reinvestment program. It also includes listings of
stocks that can be purchased directly from the issuing company.

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


Boatloads of stuff this week. So hold on to your seats...

NISUS WRITER

You might not know this but there's a word processing program out there
that eats MS Word for lunch. Nisus Writer is a powerful program that
packs an amazing array of features. In order to pique your interest Nisus
is offering a "day-old" version of Nisus Writer for absolutely zilch,
zero, zip. Chances are, once you've used this program, Word, WordPerfect
or whatever else you happen to be using may wind up in the trash.

Have a free spin at:

<http://www.nisus.com/nisusdl/login.asp?new=yes

SIMPLEEDIT 3.3.3

Growing a little tired of SimpleText - all sixteen copies of it?
SimpleEdit is a free replacement for SimpleText brought to you from the
folks at Evatac. Great little program at a perfect price: FREE.

This, by the way, has become my one and only basic text editor. In fact,
the vast majority of this week's Hottips was written using SimpleEdit.

Pick up a copy from:

<http://www.evatac.com

PREDITOR

Programmer? Webmaster? Looking for an excellent text editor? Have a look
at Preditor. Also from Evatac, Preditor may be all the text editing tool
you need.

You can also pick this up from:

<http://www.evatac.com

URBAN LEGENDS

So, you've gone and swallowed a package of Pop-Rocks and chased it down
with a can of soda?

Decided to dry off your pooch in the microwave?


The Mining Company maintains a growing database of urban legends (UL).
(This may well be the place where the new movie "Urban Legend" was born.
Say it enough and it's true. Right?) If you have any interest in ULs or
if you're just up for a good laugh, this is the place to go.

Have a look (behind you??) at:

<http://urbanlegends.miningco.com

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

SAM PHILLIPS
Omnipop (It's Only a Flesh Wound Lamb Chop)
Virgin Records America

Sorry boys and girls. This isn't the infamous manager/handler of "The
King". No indeed. Sam Phillips is a unique voice, both lyrical and
musical, and you may need to think thrice to get to the bottom of what
she's (yes she!) saying. Great music, but not for everyone.

BTW - anybody know what her name was in another time and place?

Have a great week!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

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========================================
MacHome Hottips - October 4, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

CH CH CHANGES (TURN AND FACE THE STRANGE)

How about this little piece of reporting from the NY Times this week. In
a small article named "High Failure Rate for New PC's Is Found In a
Magazine Survey" is a tasty little tidbit of news. To start, the article
states that "13 percent of ... new computers had come out of the box with
a major hardware failure, most often the modem, hard drive or monitor."
It appears that most manufacturers of inexpensive computers are skimping
on the quality of the components being used.

So what's strange? Try this on for size...

The article also quotes an editor at Windows Magazine, the magazine that
compiled the survey data. What was the editors advice for first time
buyers of inexpensive computers? Buy an iMac. "It's a good solution for a
lot of people. Especially novices."

Sheesh, the iMac is getting such good press now that not even a Windows
Mag will speak poorly of it. You've gotta like that.

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========================================
HOT TIPS

THAT URBAN LEGENDS THING AGAIN...

So you probably laughed me off last week. How could this doofus possibly
waste my time with something as ridiculous as an urban legends web page.
What? Am I going to run out there to read something about teenagers
necking and hooks caught in car doors? Not a chance bucko.

Shortly after you blew me off you received the following missive in your
burgeoning email box:

Fwd: (Fwd) Fw: FW: Free trip to Disney

Apparently this is true and worth a shot!!!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Folks,
I called Disney my damn self.  It's no lie.  GET IT DONE!  You all
owe me.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disney message & $5,000.00
If you read below you will see the note from Walt
Disney Jr. & Management at Disney World.
Basically if this messages reaches 13,000 people,
everyone will receive $5,000.00 or a free, all expenses paid,
trip to Disney World in anytime during the summer of 1999.

See the note below - its worth it!!!!

Everyone is to resend to 15 individuals.
Please read and forward to as many friends as
possible...we've checked up on
this and this is no joke of a chain letter or something
  if this reaches 13,000 people...duplicate entries don't
count, though...So, please help & pass on...
thank you, and here you  go!!!


WALT DISNEY JR.
GREETING
Hello Disney fans,
And thank you for signing up for Bill Gates' Beta
Email Tracking
My name is Walt Disney Jr.
Here at Disney we are working with Microsoft which has just
compiled an e-mail tracing program that tracks everyone
to  whom this message is forwarded to. It does this
through an unique IP (Internet Protocol) address log book
database.
We are experimenting with this  and need your help.  Forward
this to everyone  you know and if it reaches 13,000 people, 1,300
of
the people on the list will receive $5,000, and the rest will
receive a
free trip for two to Disney World for one week during the summer of
1999
at our expense.  Enjoy.

Note: Duplicate entries will not be counted. You will
be notified by email with further instructions once this  email
has reached 13,000 people.
Your friends,
Walt Disney Jr., Disney, Bill Gates, & The Microsoft
Development Team.


You can't believe your luck! 5000 smackers or a free trip to Disney
Land/World: if you're lucky enough to get the email off in time.

Within moments you've forwarded the message to everyone in your address
book. You can practically smell the money.

As the days pass by you begin to notice a strange phenomenon; every day
your email box has at least one copy of this very same message. You smack
your head in derision. You've fallen prey to the web equivalent of a
chain letter.

the web has spawned literally dozens of scams and digital equivalents to
chain letters. Most of them are pretty obvious, but sometimes it's not
too clear whether you're reading a legitimate news item or another web
farce.

So what does this have to do with the Mining Company and their Urban
Legends web site? Well, not only do they maintain a listing of present
day "ghost stories", they also compile a list of every Internet chain
letter that's currently available. So have another look this week. You
may discover that waterproof sunscreen really doesn't cause blindness in
children.

<http://urbanlegends.miningco.com

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========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


PEOPLE LISTER

Forget your mother's birthday again? Afraid that you'll be forever in the
maternal doghouse? Never fear People Lister is here! People Lister is a
simple address book that also automatically reminds you of important
events.

Pick a copy from:

<http://www.cam.org/~cwatson/people_Lister.html

INTERNET AND EMAIL SCRIPTS 1.1

Have you ever noticed how PPP doesn't quit when you close your web
browser or your email program. What a pain huh? Well, FogCity Software
(the creators of Claris Emailer) have come to the rescue. Among the many
free email tools available at their web site are Internet and Email
Scripts 1.1. While there are several scripts in this collection my
favorite is OT/PPP Disconnect. With a simple click you'll be able to
close your Internet connection.

You'll find a copy at:

<http://www.fogcity.com

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

BRILL'S CONTENT

A magazine that watches the media? You gotta be kidding me? Well that's
exactly what Brill's Content is setting out to do. Be prepared to read
some rather in depth reporting on a number of subjects. And, no matter
what your political persuasion, you'll find the reporting to be pretty
well balanced.

Pick it up at your local newsstand or subscribe online at:

<http://www.brillscontent.com

Have a great week!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com
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========================================
MacHome Hottips - October 10, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

MISSING LINK

Gracious apologies to those of  you looking for People Lister last week.
An inadvertant spell checking error raised the lowercase "l" in the URL
to an uppercase "L". The URL should have been:

<http://www.cam.org/~cwatson/people_lister.html

OF MICE AND MANIFESTOS

The September 23rd issue of Business Week ran a column by Stephen H.
Wildstrom called "A Computer User's Manifesto." The October 19th issue of
Business Week contains a follow-up article as well as both a magazine and
web page devoted to the responses to the original article. The gist of
the original "manifesto" was that computer/software manufacturers should
pay more attention to the end user and make programs and hardware more
appliance-like.

According to Mr. Wildstrom, the response to the article was overwhelming.
Not surprisingly, many people felt that their computers were less than
friendly devices: certainly not anything equaling the ease-of-use one
would expect from an "appliance." But the creators of both software and
hardware were quick to point out that a few moments spent reading a
manual would lead to an exceedingly enhanced user experience. A point
well taken, even if you're using a Macintosh.

The bottom line? Throughout the article, and in the subsequent section
that contains a small sampling of the many  responses the Business Week
received, there was one overwhelming thread:

"While both IBM and Microsoft would be loath to admit it, a system that
meets your listed [manifesto] requirements already exists: the Macintosh."

But you knew that already didn't you.

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========================================
HOT TIPS

HAPPY HARD DRIVE HEALTH PLAN

Next to your CPU your hard drive is one of the most important portions of
your computer. With that in mind, it's important to keep your hard drive
happy and healthy. Here are some tips to keep your hard drive at its peak
efficiency.

1. Rebuild your desktop folder regularly.
Your desktop folder is a database that maintains information on where
everything is stored on your hard drive. Occasionally the desktop folder
takes a beating - like when your Mac crashes and you can't restart
normally. In order to fix the problems you need to rebuild your desktop.
You should probably do this about once a month. Here's how:

Restart your Mac. While it's restarting hold down the Command (Apple) and
Option keys until you see a message asking if you're sure that you want
to rebuild your desktop. Answer the question and go grab a cup of coffee.
Your desktop will be rebuilt in a moment.

2. Repair your hard disk.
For the very same reasons that you have to rebuild your desktop you also
need to repair your hard disk. First, pick up the latest copy of Apple's
Disk First Aid 8.2.

<ftp://mirror.apple.com/mirrors/Apple_Software_Updates/English-North_Americ
an/Macintosh/Utilities/Disk_First_Aid/Disk_First_Aid_8.2.smi.bin

Once you download Disk First Aid open the program and click the "Verify"
button. If there are problems that need to be repaired Disk First Aid
will let you know. Choose the "Repair" button and Disk First Aid will
repair your hard disk.

3. Select a Default Start-up Disk

This actually doesn't speak to the health of your hard disk, it will just
make your Mac take less time to startup. Choosing a default start-up disk
means your computer doesn't have to look at all your attached disk drives
before it actually starts up.

From the Apple Menu select Control Panels and then Startup Disk. When the
Control Panel opens select the disk that you want to start from and close
the Control Panel.

4. Defragment Your Hard Drive

This will make your hard disk zippy. But it requires that you buy a
secondary program like Norton Utilities or TechTool Pro. Each of these
programs contain utilities that re-organize the data on your hard disk in
a more efficient manner. You'll need to follow the instructions provided
with your program in order to do this.

WARNING: If you're using Mac OS 8.1 and its new HFS+ format make sure
that your utility is designed for HFS+ format. Otherwise... you'll be
using Disk First Aid.

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It will display your desktop picture after your Mac has been idle for
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It will also run a slide show of your Desktop Pictures.
$10.00 Shareware
Requires OS 8
Works great with iMac too!

Go to our web site at
http://www.carnation-software.com
and click on the Desktop Screen Saver link.
While you are there, check out Carnation Desktop Pictures.

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


WEATHER TRACKER

My mom says that all the little boys (and girls!) who were liars when
they were little, grew up to be weather men (people/persons/whatever). An
astute observation if I may say so myself. Well, now you can be a liar
too! Weather Tracker is a shareware program that provides you with the
latest Weather Service information from zillions of places throughout the
country including - among other things - humidity and current barometric
pressure. My, now won't you be the center of attention at your next
dinner party...

Pick up your copy from:

<ftp://chem-177.umd.edu/WeatherTracker_2.3.1.cpt.hqx

MCPOET

I wish I could say I found this little tidbit of a program all on my own.
McPoet was featured at length in last week's NY Times Circuits section.
McPoet can only be quantified as wonderful fun. The program works exactly
as advertised, generating absolutely random but completely (mostly?)
coherant prose. All in all it's just plain, good fun. Ah, an did I
mention it was free? No, more directly, it's Dadaware. Which, of course,
is the same as free.

Get your copy from:

<ftp://wuarchive.wustl.edu/systems/mac/info-mac/game/word/mcpoet-44.hqx

BEWARE! - This appears to be a somewhat slippery URL. In the event that
you can't find the file, delete the mcpoet-44.hqx and try again.

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

430 N. HARPER AVE.
Jude
Fish of Death Records

Good luck finding this, which in one sense might not quite be fair.

Jude appeared on the City of Angels soundtrack. He'll have a new CD out
sometime this fall on Madonna's label which, maybe, lends some hope to
the situation. Yours, that is, assuming that you can't get a copy of 430
N. Harper.

Pure poetry put to music, Jude will tickle you.

Hope you can find it...

Have a great week!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION:

To Subscribe to MacHome Hot Tips -  go to <www.machome.com and select
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*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Solitaire Antics only $9.99.

The best 21 SOLITAIRE games ever invented, each with three
levels of difficulty.  Over 55 entertaining animations.  Double
click interface greatly facilitates game play.

Special Offer only $9.99 + $5 s/h   (normally $19.99)

Order Now, call Masque Publishing at 800-765-4223 or 303-290-9853,
9am-5pm MST and mention this MacHot Tips special offer.


**Subscribe to MacHome Journal!**

Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.Subscribe
for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips booklet all
for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html

========================================
MacHome Hottips - October 19, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

THIS IS ALMOST GETTING BORING

I have to say, the critics are still out there stating that a full year
of profit is an anomaly. A big joke. A mistake. But hey, it's happened.
One more quarter of profitability making this a full year of Apple black.

By the way... did anyone notice that it wasn't just Apple's
run-o-the-mill dyed-in-the-wool user base that went out and bought Mac's
this last quarter? No siree! Quite a large portion of the people buying
iMacs were FIRST TIME EVER computer buyers. And, are you sitting down,
another, rather large, portion were CURRENT WINDOWS USERS. Sure some of
us will buy Macs until you have to rip our cold, dead fingers from the
mouse, but you've just got to love that it's not just us buying
Macintoshes. IT'S EVERYONE!

TECHNO-GEEKISM TAKEN TO THE Nth DEGREE

OK, I have to admit I feel a certain thrill every time I drive around or
near Cupertino. There's a certain, awe-inspiring attraction that I have
to the place. Something akin to moths and flames. But when push comes to
shove I'd rather hit the Steinbeck Museum or the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Apparently, though, I'm out of the loop. The NY Times reported this week
that there is a tour company that will drive you around to see all of the
sites in, uh, Silicon Valley.

According to the article they're not exactly filling up the buses. And,
gee, I wonder why. Frankly you can take a trip down the freeway, formerly
known as the Nimitz, and see just about as many, "High-Tech" buildings as
you can handle in any given year. Why pay to pack your fanny into a bus
just to have some guy drone on about "the Sun Microsystems building on
your left."

No thanks.

SNAIL MAIL TALE

The snail mail I'm referring to is my responses to your questions. Right
now I'm having a little trouble sending responses through the Mac Home
mail server. Eventually (shortly?) the problem should be resolved. In the
mean time, I've answered your questions. The answers are just sitting,
slug-like, in my Out-box.

HOTTIPS IS MADE AVAILABLE BY A GRANT FROM:

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Secure credit card ordering using your MC, VISA or AMEX.


========================================
HOT TIPS

SQUEALING MAC REDUX

I've been getting so many questions about this lately that I think I need
to briefly cover it again:

Several 5xxx/6xxx Macintosh models were having some intermittent trouble
after installing OS 8.1. What happens is that, on startup, the Mac begins
emitting a high-pitched squeal. The problem appears to be because the
volume is set to an even number when the computer is shutdown. Here's the
quick fix. (By the way, this problem should be fixed in OS 8.5.)

1. Open your AppleScript Editor. (Usually in the Apple Extras Folder on
your hard drive.)
2. Type "set volume 3" (without quotes) in the Editor's window and save
the file as an Application in your Shutdown Items Folder. (Which is in
your System Folder.)

Now every time you shut down your Mac the volume will automatically be
set to an odd number which should solve the squealing problem.

COOL SCREENSHOT TRICKS

Many of you may already know that by pressing the key combination
Command-Shift-3 you can take a picture of your current desktop - complete
with single-reflex camera sound-effects. What you may not know is that
with OS 8 you can press Command-Shift-4 and instead of just getting a
picture of your entire desktop you can select the portion of the screen
that you want to take a picture of.

Better yet, head out to the Ambrosia Software web site
<www.ambrosiasw.com and pick up a copy of SnapzPro. This little tool
will let you take screenshots in more ways than you can imagine. Very
useful tool.

SCREENSHOT TIP

Does it drive you nuts to see a cluttered desktop behind what would
otherwise be a gorgeous screenshot? (OK it's only obsessive-compulsive
me. I'll go wash my hands now.) Well there's a simple way to keep your
screenshots absolutely beautiful.

Before taking your shot do the following:

1. From the Apple Menu select Control Panels and then select General
Controls.
2. When the Control Panel opens remove the check from the item that says
"Show Desktop when in background."
3. Now go back and take your screenshot and Voila! Perfect pictures.

(Alright. At least I feel better now.)

HOTTIPS IS ALSO BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Desktop Screen Saver from Carnation Software

Desktop Screen Saver uses your currently selected desktop picture as the
screen saver picture.
It will display your desktop picture after your Mac has been idle for
awhile.
It will also run a slide show of your Desktop Pictures.
$10.00 Shareware
Requires OS 8
Works great with iMac too!

Go to our web site at
http://www.carnation-software.com
and click on the Desktop Screen Saver link.
While you are there, check out Carnation Desktop Pictures.


========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


iMAC MODEM UPDATE

Many of you may now have iMacs and you've noticed a disturbing problem.
You're having difficulties making a connection to your ISP. Never fear!
Help is on the way. Pick up the updated modem script from the Apple web
site. I promise you'll be much happier.

Get the script from:

<http://swupdates.info.apple.com/cgi-bin/http_lister.pl?Apple_Support_Area/
Apple_Software_Updates/English-North_American/Macintosh/iMac

NETCD

Wouldn't it be great if there were a program that could catalog your
music CDs and display something other than, "Track 01, Track 02, Track
03..." Well you're in luck. Run out and pick up a copy of NetCD. Every
time you insert a CD, NetCD can run out to a web-based database and
collect information about the CD you've currently inserted.

Get NetCD from:

<http://members.xoom.com/tobyrush/software/netcd.html

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

WORLD SERIES

It is the bittersweet last rite of Spring. The melancholy end to perfect
summer days. A gentle reminder that all good things must come to an end.
Don't miss it. (Make sure you do it soon! Looks like the Yankees are
going to put an old-fashioned whupping on the San Diego Padres.)

Have a great week!

Jeff
==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
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*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Order Alley 19 Bowling for only $19.99!

"Runner Up, Best Sports Game of the Year"  Inside Mac Games

This super-realistic bowling simulation is fun for the whole family!
Up to 4 players can play at a time.  Includes a rockin' 50's soundtrack
and network and modem play.

Special Offer only $19.99 + $5 s/h   (normally $29.99)

Order Now, call 800-765-4223 or 303-290-9853, 9am-5pm
MST and mention this MacHot Tips special offer.


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for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips booklet all
for an unbelievable $59.95!

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========================================
MacHome Hottips - October 25, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

CONTINUING APPLE NEWS

So what are the actual numbers for Apple? The Wall Street Journal
reported the following:

Net income of $106 Million or 68¢ a share for the fiscal quarter ended
September 25th. Analysts had been expecting earnings 49¢ a share.

Last year in the same quarter Apple lost $161 million.

Apple's total revenues dipped 3.6% to $1.56 billion from $1.61 billion
the previous year.

Over that same period unit shipments grew from 652,000 to 834,000. An
increase of 28%. 278,000 of those shipments were iMacs.

The computer industry as a whole experienced an average growth rate of
15% meaning that Apple may have gained 1/2% of total market share.

Last year in the same quarter Apple lost $161 million.

THIS EDITION OF HOTTIPS IS ALSO BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

iMacs4U.com, the web store just for iMac owners.
Go to: <http://www.iMacs4U.com

Imation USB SuperDrive for iMac - In Stock! only $145.95
Epson Stylus Color 740 with USB cable - In Stock! only $279.95
HP Printer Connection Kit - Just Arrived! only $69.95
Go to: <http://www.iMacs4U.com

LAST WEEK TO ENTER!! Win a UMAX USB Scanner in our October Contest.
See our site for details. Enter today!

Go to: <http://www.iMacs4U.com
Secure credit card ordering using your MC, VISA or AMEX.


========================================
HOT TIPS

JOB SEARCHING ON THE WEB

Remember the days when the only way you could look for a job was to
peruse the want-ads, hi-lighter in hand, in hopes that you'd find the job
of your dreams? For the most part, the only place you could look was in
your local paper. If you wanted to search for a job outside of your own
city you'd have to head out to your library to pick up a copy of the LA
Times or the San Jose Mercury News. My how things have changed!

PC Week recently ran a story about recruiting employees using the web.
The obvious corollary here is that if you're looking for a job,
especially a high-tech job, the web is a great place to look. The PC Week
article included a list of seven job-search sites on the web. I
personally checked out each site and here's what I thought.

America's Job Bank
<www.ajb.dni.us

This site has excellent search capabilities returning hundreds of results
in specific locations throughout the US. The only downside to this site
is that it's difficult locating the search feature. All-in-all one of the
best sites available.

CareerCity
<www.careercity.com

This site is likely the best of the bunch. Using the advanced search you
can find jobs using keywords and by selecting specific locations
throughout the country. This site also returned hundreds of job
possibilities throughout the country.

Career Mosaic
<www.careermosaic.com

This site also allows keyword searches but the results were fairly
limited. Where the other sites provided several pages of jobs, Career
Mosaic only returned one or two. That said, the site is well designed and
easy to use.

CareerSite
<www.careersite.com

CareerSite has the most unique and potentially powerful search engine
available. Unfortunately, the results gleaned from a CareerSite job
search were almost worthless. It only returned two results for the same
search that had the other engines returning at least 50.

Online Career Center
<www.occ.com

Most underwhelming of all the sites. Searching features were not great
and the returned results were less than stellar. You could easily skip
this site.

Data Processing Independent Consultant's Exchange
<www.dice.com

This strictly high-tech job search site includes advanced search
functions and an excellent database for consultants. Definitely a top
site for those looking for a high-tech job.

Virtual Job Fair
<www.careerexpo.com

Exactly what the name implies. A job fair on the web. Unfortunately
there's more self promotion here than there is quick access to new job
information. Still, once you get through the muck and down to the actual
job stuff you'll find some pretty good information.

Strangely missing from any of these sites is a single site that searches
all the others. If anyone out there is listening, a single site that
searches all the others is sure to be a winner.

FINALLY, HOTTIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Discover OneClick, the top-rated macro utility--one of the most
remarkable Mac utilities you'll ever use.

Steve Wozniak, Apple Co-founder says, "I am amazed and fascinated with
OneClick... I recommend it to any Mac user."

Order today - only $29.98 (Regularly $69) with NO RISK, 60-day money back
guarantee. Visit our web site at
<http://www.westcodesoft.com/offers/machome/ or call 800-448-4250.


========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****

iTYPE

How about this for a great concept? A program that reads every word you
type, remembers them and then automatically completes them the next time
you type them. iType does just that.

Pick it up at:

<http://www.scriptsoftware.com/itype/index.html

TRASHBAG

TrashBag does what everyone wishes their garbage would do: empties
itself. TrashBag is a trash bag that sits right next to your Trash Can.
If you're certain that you want to delete an item just drop it in
TrashBag and it will automatically be deleted every time you shut down.

Get this free program from:

<http://www.magma.ca/~awolsp/

1800SAYWHAT

Don't you hate phone numbers that don't have any numbers in them?

1800SOSAPPL
1800LAWAMPM.

Easy to remember but pretty darn tough to dial. 1800SAYWHAT will cure
what ails you. Just type in the phonetic phone number and you'll get back
a real number that you can actually dial. Fun huh?

Get a copy from:

<http://www.mauisoftware.com/

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

JUDE
No One Is Really Beautiful

A couple of weeks back I suggested that you check out Jude's live CD 430
N. HARPER AVE. Well his new CD was released earlier this month and it's
probably much easier to get a copy of. Many of the songs on the earlier
album are here as well as well as about a half-dozen new ones. (Of
particular interest is RICK JAMES!) Take my word for it, there's not a
bad song on the disk.

Have a great week!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 




*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Order Alley 19 Bowling for only $19.99!

"Runner Up, Best Sports Game of the Year"  Inside Mac Games

This super-realistic bowling simulation is fun for the whole family!
Up to 4 players can play at a time.  Includes a rockin' 50's soundtrack
and network and modem play.

Special Offer only $19.99 + $5 s/h   (normally $29.99)

Order Now, call 800-765-4223 or 303-290-9853, 9am-5pm
MST and mention this MacHot Tips special offer.


**Subscribe to MacHome Journal!**

Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.Subscribe
for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips booklet all
for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html

========================================
MacHome Hottips - November 1, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

WHEEL OF FORTUNE

The November issue of Fortune magazine contains a huge and highly
favorable article on Steve Jobs and his current tenure at Apple. "The
Three Faces of Steve" is an article written by Brent Schlender and covers
just about anything you'd want to know about the current Steve Jobs
including answers to questions about Pixar and what it has been like to
retake the helm at Apple. Here's an interesting twist on an answer Steve
gave about Apple moving into consumer electronics:

"If Mercedes made a bicycle or a hamburger or a computer, I don't think
there'd be much advantage in having its logo on it. I don't think Apple
would get much equity putting its name on an automobile either...

Here's a problem I see in spotting new products. People focus too much on
entirely new ideas, as if that's what's required to grow a new business.
Maybe that's not the right way to do it. Most good products are really
extensions of previous products...

People are still making automobiles after nearly 100 years. Telephones
have been around for a long time, but even so the cellular revolution was
pretty exciting. That's why I think the computer revolution is still in
its early stages. There's a lot of room for doing new and exciting things
with the same basic product."

Catch this and more in the November 9 issue of Fortune.

<http://www.fortune.com

APPLE AND BIG JUSTICE

Reps from Apple computer showed up this week at the Microsoft/Justice
Department court battle. What's new? Apparently Microsoft told Apple that
if they didn't make Microsoft Internet Explorer the default browser in
the Mac OS they would abandon software development for the Macintosh. In
a quote from the article Fred Anderson, Apple's chief financial officer
said, "Microsoft had threatened to stop developing its word processor,
Microsoft Word, and other crucial programs for Macintosh computers."

Friendly aren't they?

IN THE LAUGH DEPARTMENT

Did anybody catch Rush Limbaugh railing against the release of Bill
Gates' taped Justice Department testimony last week? Isn't he the same
guy who pushed for the release of the President's taped testimony? While
it may have all been tongue-in-cheek it certainly makes you scratch your
head?

THIS ISSUE OF HOTTIPS IS ALSO BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

iMacs4U.com, the web store just for iMac owners.
Go to: <http://www.iMacs4U.com

This Week's features: MacAlley products - All In Stock Now!
iMouse - Single Button USB Mouse - only $26.95
iBall -  USB Trackball - just $44.95
  iHub - 4 Port USB Hub - just $79.00
Go to: <http://www.iMacs4U.com

NEW CONTEST!! Win a Connectix QuickCam VC in our November Contest.
See our site for details. Enter today!

Go to: <http://www.iMacs4U.com
Secure credit card ordering using your MC, VISA or AMEX.

========================================
HOT TIPS

OS 8.5 TIPS

TEAR OFF APPLICATIONS MENU

I'm willing to bet that many of you have never made use of the - ever
utilitarian - Application Menu. This poor little guy used to sit all
alone in the upper right-hand corner of your Macintosh screen. No longer
content to remain a wallflower, the Application Menu is prepared to make
itself more than useful. Now the Application Menu can be torn off and
placed anywhere you please for easy access to any and all open programs
on your Mac. Here's what to do:

1. Open the Application Menu (This is the right-most icon at top of your
screen.)
2. Drag all the way to the bottom of the menu that appears and then drag
your mouse below the menu. (You should now see an outline appear.)
3. Let go of your mouse button and "lookee here!" A palette appears
displaying all of your currently open programs.

Now all you need to do is click on any of those buttons to bring an open
program to the front.

COMMAND-TAB PROGRAM SWITCHING

If you held off on purchasing Binary Software's PowerSwitch you may be in
luck. Your Mac now makes it possible to switch between open programs
simply by pressing Command-Tab. While the Mac OS's built-in program
switching capabilities have nothing on the likes of PowerSwitch it does
have one distinct advantage... it's free.

POWERFUL NEW APPEARANCE MANAGER

Just like the girl next door who grew up to be - well - out of reach. OS
8.5's new Appearance Manager has taken on a distinctive new look.
Thankfully it's freely available to all. The new Appearance Manager now
integrates features from the Desktop Pictures Control Panel as well as
new, customizable themes. Check out your OS 8.5 CD for a boatload of
patterns, pictures and themes.

(While you're in the Appearance Control Panel don't forget to turn on the
Platinum Sounds. Good fun added to you're already enjoyable Macintosh
experience.)

FINALLY, HOTTIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Discover OneClick, the top-rated macro utility--one of the most
remarkable Mac utilities you'll ever use.

Steve Wozniak, Apple Co-founder says, "I am amazed and fascinated with
OneClick... I recommend it to any Mac user."

Order today - only $29.98 (Regularly $69) with NO RISK, 60-day money back
guarantee. Visit our web site at
<http://www.westcodesoft.com/offers/machome/ or call 800-448-4250.

========================================
HOT FILES

****Unless Otherwise Noted All Listed Files Are Shareware****


ZIPIT

Have you ever tried sending a file to one of your PC using friends? If
you're lucky they'll be able to open it. In most cases they just don't
have what's necessary to get the job done.

Enter ZipIt. ZipIt compresses Macintosh files in the PC Standard ZIP
format. It's glastnost for computers!

Get ZipIt from:

<ftp://ftp.awa.com/pub/softlock/mac/products/zipit/zipit-138.hqx


FINANCE

Finance is a great little program that handles your finances. (You were
expecting it would give you money?) In principal it's just like Quicken.
A smart and easy way to track your financial well-being. And all for a
slim $20.

Get Finance from:

<http://www.ziplink.net/~mhyenco

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

JENNIFER KIMBALL
Veering From the Wave
ImaginaryRoad
<http://www.jenniferkimball.com

Jennifer Kimball proves that, while breaking up may be hard to do,
sometimes you're the better for it. Formerly co-writer/collaborator with
Jonatha Brooke and the Story, Jennifer Kimball brings down the house with
excellent lyrics and a tender soulful voice. I'll be the first to admit
that I didn't appreciate her when she was with The Story. Now I'm
thinking different...

Have a wonderful week!
(November already?)

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 






                   MacAddict CD-ROM Virus Alert!
            ========================================
                       November 4, 1998
            ========================================



Caution: MacAddict's December CD-ROM contains AutoStart Worm

If you have the current (December 1998) issue of Imagine Publishing's
MacAddict, please take caution not to use the included CD-ROM as the disc
harbors a variant of the AutoStart 9805 Worm virus. If you have the disc,
it's advisable to destroy it so that no one tries to use it in the
future. The AutoStart Worm virus typically copies itself onto user's hard
drives when a disk (floppy, CD-ROM or other removable such as Zip or Jaz
drives) is mounted, and thus can spread very quickly.

Although MacAddict, like other publishers, takes precautions against such
infections by using virus-scanning and eradication software, at times
viruses like AutoStart are capable of altering themselves into variants
of the original program to avoid detection. Thus the profile of the
virus' code does not always match that stored in anti-virus packages,
which is why updates to the packages are constantly being made available.
It  appears that in MacAddict's case a variant appeared just before the
discs went into production.

This is not an isolated case. Recently there have been several other
infections on commercially duplicated CD-ROMs, including discs from Corel
and Agfa.

MacAddict believes the variant is harmless, but it is not certain that
this is the case. This particular version, variant D, is said to be one
that seeks out other variants of the worm and destroys them on or before
December 24th, 1998. Nonetheless, given the worm's ability to replicate
and mutate itself to avoid detection, we believe it is important to take
steps to avoid infecting other systems. According to the MacVirus
website, possible symptoms of an AutoStart infection include damaged,
unrecoverable files, unexplained restarts and continuous disk activity
for long periods.

The worm installs itself with the help of the "AutoStart" feature present
in QuickTime 2.0 or higher; this function is designed to automatically
mount CD-ROMs when they are inserted into the drive.

You can disable the AutoStart feature through the QuickTime Settings
control panel: open the panel, select the "AutoPlay" option from the
pop-up menu, and uncheck the two check boxes entitled "Enable Audio CD
AutoPlay," and Enable CD-ROM AutoPlay." IMPORTANT: this step does not
safeguard your system entirely - several variants are around, and they
may also attach themselves to your hard drive through another AutoStart
system designed to start up applications on a regular hard drive.

If you have already run the disk, we advise scanning your system with an
antivirus package such as Dr. Solomon's/Network Associates' Virex, or
Norton AntiVirus for Macintosh (formerly Symantec Ant-Virus (SAM) for
Mac). Be certain you obtain the latest virus definitions from the
manufacturers. Virex has just been upgraded to version 5.9, owners of
5.8.1 can get a free upgrade from the company. MacAfee (publisher of
MacAfee Virus Scan for Mac) was recently acquired by Network Associates,
and is no longer being updated, so users of that package should consider
upgrading to a more recent program such as Virex 5.9 - the company has
special deals for MacAfee users.

Alternatively, you can download a shareware or freeware antivirus program
such as WormFood, WormGobbler, WormScanner or AutoStart Hunter. The
MacVirus website has links to all of these packages plus a comprehensive
discussion of AutoStart Worm at
http://www.macvirus.com/reference/autostart.html.

MacHome's Website (http://www.machome.com) has the following files
available for download:

WormScanner, to scan and disinfect:
http://www.machome.com/virus/WormScanner221.sit.hqx

WormGuard, to protect from worms before damage occurs:
http://www.machome.com/virus/WormGuard102.sit.hqx

Innoculator, another virus scan/disinfect tool:
http://www.machome.com/virus/Innoculator.html

Virex 5.9 definition updates for november 1998
http://www.machome.com/virus/virexnovember.html

Symantec anti-virus for Mac November 1998 updates:
http://www.machome.com/virus/samnovember.html

See also these pages:

Virex webpage
http://www.nai.com/products/antivirus/virex_mac.asp

Symantec Norton Anti-virus for mac(formerly SAM)
http://www.symantec.com/nav/fs_navmac5.html

MacVirus, for a comprehensive look at AutoStart and other viruses:
http://www.macvirus.com

MacInTouch special report on AutoStart:
http://www.macintouch.com/hkvirus.html

Definition notes: The AutoStart Worm is not a true virus, in that it does
not attach itself to a host program. Rather, as a "worm" it exists as a
separate entity. However, its behavior and characteristics are otherwise
identical to a virus.

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hot Tips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

New Address!!!
To Unsubscribe - send any email to: notips@machome.com, the sender of the
message will be automatically unsubscribed from the hottips list
Note: this is an automated system, the body and the subject of the email will
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 




*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOT TIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Order Alley 19 Bowling for only $19.99!

"Runner Up, Best Sports Game of the Year"  Inside Mac Games

This super-realistic bowling simulation is fun for the whole family!
Up to 4 players can play at a time.  Includes a rockin' 50's soundtrack
and network and modem play.

Special Offer only $19.99 + $5 s/h   (normally $29.99)

Order Now, call 800-765-4223 or 303-290-9853, 9am-5pm
MST and mention this MacHot Tips special offer.


**Subscribe to MacHome Journal!**

Get Mac Home for one year - Monthly CD included - only $29.95.Subscribe
for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips booklet all
for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html

========================================
MacHome Hottips - November 9, 1998
========================================
HARD DRIVE OF THE DAMNED

This week will be a little different as Hottips goes. Last week, just hours
after I sent the last issue of Hottips, the hard drive on my PowerBook 2300c
went the way of all flesh. I knew that I had a problem when I was greeted
with that gloriously pleasant blinking visage we all know but hope we never
encounter: the flashing disk with a question mark.

Several of you may remember several months back when I suggested to all of
you that you should make regular backups of your hard disks or, at the very
least, backing up your important data files. I'm here to admit to you now
that, as far as my PowerBook goes, I had been less than diligent about
making regular backups. There are reasons, even good ones. It's a pain to
connect a Zip drive to my PowerBook. It requires a little extra effort and
frankly, I didn't take the time to do it. Fortunately, most of my critical
data was backed-up on another Mac that I own. Although my fine archive of
Hottips is - well... gone.

So... what tools does a foolish man use to bring his ailing Mac back to
life? Standby while we take a look at what's necessary to get your system
back up and running.

Since most of what I do is done on a PowerBook without a floppy disk (can
you say iMac?) what I did may be slightly different than what you may have
to do. Nonetheless the necessities are pretty much the same.

First, I needed to check my disk to see if there was some way to recover the
data. This required three tools, one part hardware and three parts software:

Zip Drive
TechTool Pro - <http://www.micromat.com
OS 8.5

As I said before my PowerBook lacks a floppy disk and for that matter it
lacks a CDROM. So I needed to devise a way to check my hard disk and if
possible fix the disk and recover files. My solution was simple. I installed
OS 8.5 on a Zip disk and then I installed TechTool Pro on the same disk. I
should note that a basic install of OS 8.5 is rather large. So large that I
was unable to boot my PowerBook from the disk without first removing several
unneeded files. This is due in large part to the fact that I only have 20MB
of RAM on my PowerBook and the Zip disk did not have enough room for the
necessary virtual memory allotment.

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS

iMacs4U.com, the web store just for iMac owners.
Go to: <http://www.iMacs4U.com

This Week's feature: NEW Agfa SnapScan1212u USB Scanner
600 X 1200 resolution for just $142.95 WOW!
Go to: <http://www.iMacs4U.com

NEW CONTEST!! Win a Logitech QuickCam VC in our November Contest.
  See our site for details. Enter today! Go to: <http://www.iMacs4U.com

Secure credit card ordering using your MC, VISA or AMEX.


Once I could boot my PowerBook using the Zip disk I attempted to repair my
hard drive. Using TechTool Pro. Unfortunately my worst fears were realized,
TechTool was unable to even see the disk. Although, for some strange reason,
the Mac OS would recognize the disk upon initial startup. At that time I was
met with a message stating that the drive could not be read, would I like to
initialize it. I rebooted my Mac and initialized the drive.

Once the disk was initialized I used TechTool to check the drive for
problems. Fortunately there appeared to be no problems with the disk itself.
Apparently some other problem had occurred, most likely of my own doing,
that caused the drive to go south. (I've occasional messed with files that
are better left untouched. I once completely wiped out a database that I
needed to provide my employer with a report the next morning. I spent a good
portion of the evening reconstructing the damage and was somehow able to
recreate the necessary items. Of course, that was using DOS. An evening of
complete bliss I can assure you.) Now it was time to reinstall the System
software.

As I pointed out before, with no CDROM or floppy disk, I had to come up with
another way to get the System software on my PowerBook. The only logical
solution was to use AppleTalk to connect my PowerBook to my 5215CD.
Fortunately, when I was trashing unnecessary files I was smart enough to
keep all the networking files. After starting File Sharing on my desktop
computer I could connect to the OS 8.5 CD and begin installing OS 8.5 on my
PowerBook. Since AppleTalk is rather slow this process took about 3 hours. I
trotted off to bed and let the job commence on its own. When I woke the
Powerbook was working normally.

To date I still don't have all my software reinstalled. The important stuff,
like email and Internet access, has been taken care of as well as
ClarisWorks and a complement of necessary utilities. (DragThing -
<http://www.dragthing.com, ColorSwitch and SnapzPro -
<http://www.ambrosiasw.com, PowerSwitch - <http://www.binarysoft.com and
FinderPop - <http://www.versiontracker.com.

While for the most part my experience worked out well - hey, I wanted to
format my hard drive - a simple backup may have saved me all the trouble
that I had. So, another word to the wise... at the very least, be sure to
backup all your critical data. Disaster can - and does! - strike.

WE'RE ALSO BROUGHT TO YOU THIS WEEK BY...

Discover OneClick, the top-rated macro utility--one of the most
remarkable Mac utilities you'll ever use.

Steve Wozniak, Apple Co-founder says, "I am amazed and fascinated with
OneClick... I recommend it to any Mac user."

Order today - only $29.98 (Regularly $69) with NO RISK, 60-day money back
guarantee. Visit our web site at
<http://www.westcodesoft.com/offers/machome/ or call 800-448-4250.

ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

HOMICIDE - A YEAR ON THE KILLING STREETS
David Simon
Houghton Mifflin

Homicide is David Simon's birds eye view of a year working with the
Baltimore Homicide Division. This book is the basis for the NBC series
Homicide - Life on the Streets and is equally, if not more compelling than
the show. (I watch about three hours of television. Homicide is one of them.
I highly recommend that as well. NBC Fridays at 10 pm.) I should add that
the book is not for the faint of heart. True to life in detail and language,
it is to police work what The Soul of a New Machine is to computing.

Have a great week!!

Jeff

==================================================
Mac Hot Tips Copyright © 1998 Mac Home Journal Magazine

==================================================
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*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOTTIPS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

"Runner Up, Best Sports Game of the Year"  Inside Mac Games

This super-realistic bowling simulation is fun for the whole family!
Up to 4 players can play at a time.  Includes a rockin' 50's soundtrack
and network and modem play.

Special Offer only $19.99 + $5 s/h   (normally $29.99)

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========================================
MacHome Hottips - November 15, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

I WANT MY, I WANT MY, I WANT MY TECH SUPPORT

This is probably not really news at all. The NY Times reported last week
that what most people look for in a software product - and what they are the
least pleased with - is tech support. Here's a quote from the article:

"Mutual frustration between callers and company representatives is not the
only problem in technical support. In the past few years, high-tech
companies have steadily reduced their technical support offerings. In the
late 1980's, the Wordperfect Corporation provided free phone support through
a toll-free number. Nowadays, hardware and software companies alike are
reducing the scope of their free technical support offerings. And toll-free
support lines are almost non-existent."

The entire article titled, "Your Call Is Important to Them" can be find at:

<http://www.nytimes.com

**Please note that the Times archives their files after 7 after which there
is a fee to retrieve them.**

HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR GATES-OMETER LATELY?

The New York Post has a clever little bit in their business section on a
regular basis called the Gates-Ometer.  It's designed to rate Mr. Bill as he
battles his way through the Justice Department labyrinth. This last week
they had him leaning a more toward the "lose" end of the scale. The reason?
Apparently Microsoft wasn't only laying a heavy hand on their software
competitors they also pounded pretty hard - can you believe this? - Intel.

With friends like this...

STANDARD & POOR'S UPGRADES APPLE

Not that I have the first clue what any of this means, other than the fact
that I know it's good. Standard & Poor's upgraded Apple's debt rating. Their
senior debt was raised from single-B-Minus to single-B-plus and their
subordinated debt was upgraded from triple-C to single-B-minus.


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HOTTIPS

MORE MARVELOUS OS 8.5

There is no question in my mind that OS 8.5 is a worthwhile upgrade. The
simple fact that it includes the full professional version of QuickTime 3.0
makes it an especially juicy deal. (QT Pro was a $29.95 upgrade just a few
months ago.) That aside... what are some other compelling reasons to
upgrade? Step into my parlor...

SHERLOCK

Sherlock is obviously the biggest news on the OS 8.5 front. But besides
having a cute little names, what's the value here? Sherlock is your
Macintosh's Find File feature on steroids.

First: Sherlock is able to create an index of all the files on your hard
disk. This greatly speeds up the find process; especially if you need to
look for files on a multitude of disks. But where it's especially useful is
while using Sherlock's new Find by Content option. Find by content searches
within the files on your hard drive to locate words. So when you're
searching for Aunt Mabel's famous fried chicken recipe you can search for
the word "Crisco." Because Sherlock has indexed your hard drive a search
like this will take seconds instead of hours. The indexing feature can also
be scheduled to run while you're away from your Mac.

Here's how to use Sherlock's Indexing feature.

1. Open Sherlock (Sherlock from the Apple Menu or Command-F from the
Finder.)
2. Select the Menu called "Find."
3. Choose the Item called "Index Volumes...
4. Select the volume(s) that you want to index and press the index button.

A word to the wise here...

If you have a large hard disk with an enormous amount of data be prepared to
wait awhile. Since the indexing program is looking at every word in every
file on your hard drive the initial indexing process can take some time.

SHERLOCK INTERNET SEARCHES

Have you ever noticed how - when you're searching the web - you typically
have to schlep from one web site to another in search of your desired
information? Sherlock does away with all of that. Now, using any number of
your chosen search engines, you can look for anything on the web using
Sherlock. Not only will you be able to find the information, Sherlock will
also sort the information according to relevance. Not too shabby huh? So,
you want to search for a new book by your favorite author at both Amazon.com
and Barnes & Noble. Using Sherlock plug-ins for both sites you'll be able to
search both sites simultaneously.

There are literally dozens of Sherlock plug-ins available for almost
anything imaginable (See the Hot Files section.) And also a cool, free
plug-in manager ala ConflictCatcher called Sigerson. Combined these make a
powerful web-searching pair.

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========================================
HOT FILES

**Unless Otherwise Noted All Hot Files are Shareware**

SIGERSON

Mentioned earlier, Sigerson is a Sherlock plug-in manager. (The name,
according to Sigerson's About Box, is the name Sherlock Holmes used after
escaping from Moriarty at Richenback Falls.) This program lets you create
plug-in sets for Sherlock making it simple to manage your web searches.

Get your free copy from:

<http://www.wwa.com/~sentman/sigerson/

APPLE DONUTS

Looking for the latest Sherlock plug-in? How about some new sounds for your
Mac's Appearance Manager? You'll find them all here. Plus much, much more.

You'll find Apple Donuts at:

<http://www.apple-donuts.com/

REALBASIC

Several months ago I mentioned the beta of this Visual Basic-like
programming environment for the Mac. Now it's out as a commercial release
and man is it good. Pick up a demo copy that can be used free for 30 days.
While you're at the site pick up a copy of the tutorial. The tutorial will
give you a good glimpse of what the program can do. (When's the last time
ANY programming class had you create a full-blown word processing
programming program in your first 3-4 hours?) My bet is you'll be hooked!

Get RealBasic from:

<http://www.realbasic.com

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

BASEBALL - On Compact Disc
Ken Burns
Random House Audio

The Ken Burns baseball series appeared on PBS several years ago. Random
House Audio has captured a good portion of that on CD. Narrated by Ken
Burns, these CDs capture some of the best portions of the entire television
series. These CDs are sure to keep you satisfied until the off-season -
alternately known as football - is over.

Have a great week!!

Jeff

========================================
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1998 MacHome Magazine
========================================

PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

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*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOTTIPS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

"Runner Up, Best Sports Game of the Year"  Inside Mac Games

This super-realistic bowling simulation is fun for the whole family!
Up to 4 players can play at a time.  Includes a rockin' 50's soundtrack
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Special Offer only $19.99 + $5 s/h   (normally $29.99)

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========================================
MacHome Hottips - November 22, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

MORE TROUBLE WITH Y2K

It's hard to know whether this is a Red Herring or if it's a legitimate
problem. According to the November 9, issue of the NY Times, a history
teacher and a computer programmer may have discovered a NEW Y2K problem
which is now being referred to as one of the following: the "Crouch-Echlin
Effect" Time Dilation or simply TD. Apparently this problem can't be handled
by current software and it's been stated that, at least in one case, this
problem has effected a Macintosh.

According to the article the problem arises from a glitch in what is known
as non-buffered real-time clocks. In a quote from the article here's how it
effects some computers:

"Non-buffered real-time clocks cannot be read for an instant as their own
second counter clicks over to the next second. Because computer designers
know of this limitation, all computers are programmed to avoid checking
non-buffered real-time clicks during that update.

...All this works fine until the computer reaches the year 2000, according
to Mr. Echlin. After that, he says, computers with non-buffered real-time
clocks may trip up if an unlucky user turns [the computer] on at the wrong
instant in the update cycle."

According to the article, if encountered, this problem can result in severe
data loss. Of course, Echlin and company are selling software that can
resolve the problem which brings up another related question. Is this simply
a cash-cow built upon scare tactics or is it a legitimate problem that needs
to be addressed. The answer? Remains to be discovered. There are now several
independent groups looking further into the problem to determine its
legitimacy.

To read the entire article head to <http://www.nytimes.com and search for
an article titled "Dispute Over New Wrinkle In Problem Of Year 2000."
Because this file is over a week old it will only be available in the
pay-per-view archive section.

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Learn more, visit our web site at
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$14.98.

========================================
HOT TIPS

WORKING CROSS-PLATFORM

If you're working and sharing files in a cross platform environment don't
forget to add the three character extension to your file names. Even though
it's not often displayed Intel based systems still work on a FileName.xxx
format. You;ll make your co-workers much happier if you help them out.

DESKTOP PRINTERS

That printer icon on your desktop isn't entirely useless. Dragging files
from the Finder to the printer icon will automatically print them. Better
yet, if you're using OS 8.5, dragging JPEG, EPS, PICT or PostScript files to
the printer icon will print the file without having to open the accompanying
parent program.

CLARISWORKS DIALOG BUTTONS

Pressing the Command key when greeted with a dialog box in ClarisWorks will
display the command key equivalents for those buttons. (By the way,
virtually every other program on the market will let use the same keys to
respond to dialog boxes. They just don't display the information when you
press the Command key.)

DON'T ASK ME QUESTIONS, JUST TAKE OUT THE TRASH

Hey  tough guy... you don't let the kids ask questions when you tell them to
take out the garbage. So why let your Mac ask you if you're sure? Don't!
Click once on the Trash icon. Press Command-I (letter i) and un-check the
box that says warn before emptying.

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Just In! The first USB/Serial Adapter to hit the streets! Keyspan USB
Serial Adapter, only $79.95! Hookup printers, tablets, cameras, PDAs and
more to iMac!
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Secure credit card ordering using your MC, VISA or AMEX.

========================================
HOT FILES

iMAC FLOPPY .COM

So there was a giant uproar over the fact that the iMac came without a
floppy disk. (hear much about it any more?) Well, if you still think you're
going to have a problem this is the site for you. iMac Floppy .com will give
you 3 MB of free disk space to do what you'd typically do with a floppy.
Hey, you can even share files with your friends!

Check it out at:

<http://llosa@iMacFloppy.com/

I LOVE NATIVE
You are the happy owner of a PowerPC based Mac. So why do so many programs
also insist on installing program code that can run on older non-PowerPC
based Macintoshes? No good reason at all! Now you can get rid of that extra
unneeded code by using I Love Native. This little program will remove the
extra program code and free up a little more space on your hard drive. (FYI
- if you own an older Mac, this program will also remove code designed for
PowerPC based Macs.)

Get your copy from:

<http://www.dragonone.com/pages/softwarepages/native.htm

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

THE SOUL CAGES
Sting
A&M Records

I read somewhere that Sting was not as happy with this album as he was with
many of his others. Still, I think it's one of the best he's done. Sometimes
dark, introspective and full of imagery I personally think the album is one
of his best.

Have a great week!

Jeff

========================================
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1998 MacHome Magazine
========================================

PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hottips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

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*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOTTIPS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

"Runner Up, Best Sports Game of the Year"  Inside Mac Games

This super-realistic bowling simulation is fun for the whole family!
Up to 4 players can play at a time.  Includes a rockin' 50's soundtrack
and network and modem play.

Special Offer only $19.99 + $5 s/h   (normally $29.99)

Order Now, call 800-765-4223 or 303-290-9853, 9am-5pm
MST and mention this MacHome Hottips special offer.

**Subscribe to MacHome Magazine**

Get MacHome for one year - Monthly CD included _ only $29.95. subscribe for
two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips booklet all for an
unbelieveable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/subscribe/subhome.html

========================================
MacHome Hottips - November 30, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

Since this is the weekend following Thanksgiving, this "triptophane
enhanced" version of Hottips will be slightly shorter than usual. But of
course, it will still contain amazingly useful information!

OH THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN'

What a wild couple of weeks this has been. First, Microsoft continues to get
pounded in the press and in the courtroom. Then, out of the clear blue sky,
AOL gobbles up Netscape and strikes a huge deal with Sun Microsystems: a
deal designed to knock the wind out of Microsoft in their quest for the
'Net. If the pundits are correct, this digital marriage could change the way
you do business on the Internet. In fact, rather than doing business using
Microsoft - as many suspected would be the case, you may well be buying,
selling and trading using some hodge-podge of AOL/Sun/ Netscape.

This begs a rather large question: Do you feel any better about AOL holding
the key to your digital future than you do about Microsoft holding the same.
Personally, if AOL the net-king ends up anything like AOL the the online
maven, I don't know if I want any part of it. But then again, that's only
me.

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documents with little more than a mouse click.

Learn more, visit our web site at
<http://www.westcodesoft.com/ungarbleit. Special introductory price
$14.98.

========================================
HOT TIPS

QUICK TIPS

Using OS 8.5? Have you noticed the little folder/disk icons that adorn the
Title Bar in open Finder Windows? Now, if you drag that icon to any folder
the entire folder you're working in will be moved. Here, give it a try:

1. Create a new folder on your Desktop and give it a unique name.
2. Double-click the folder so that it opens on your Desktop. Make sure that
you can still see your Documents folder.
3. Click and hold the folder icon in the Title Bar.
4. Drag the icon to the documents folder and close the window.

Take a look around your Desktop... no more folder. Now have a look in your
Documents folder. Thar she blows.

LEAVE A WINDOW OPEN FOR ME

Have you ever noticed how when you insert some CDs into your CD drive they
automatically open a window for you. Wouldn't it be nice if your Zip, Jaz
and floppy disks would open a window for you when you insert them too?
Here's the trick. Don't close open windows when you eject those disks. Then,
when you insert the disk, your windows will be open again.

BOOKMARKS DELUXE

Have you ever noticed that you can't access bookmarks if your browser's not
open? If you're using Internet Explorer and DragThing you can make your life
much simpler.

1. Open your Favorites folder in IE.
2. Drag any of your favorites to a new DragThing layer.
3. You now have a new DragThing button for that favorite.

If IE is closed, clicking on the URL in DragThing will open IE and then open
the page.

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========================================
HOT FILES

FINDIN' FILES TAKIN' NAMES

Trying to figure out if your version of the infamous "Whoonan Bandit" is the
latest version? You can find updaters for virtually any program known to man
by checking out VersionTracker. VersionTracker maintains a database of every
new version of every program available. Updated daily.

Check it out at:

<http://www.versiontracker.com

DRAGTHING

Mentioned in the Hottips section, DragThing can be grabbed from:

<http://www.dragthing.com

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

ANATOMY OF A HOMICIDE - LIFE ON THE STREET
PBS

I'm deeply in debt this week to Mark Madsen, a Hottips reader. A few weeks
ago, when I suggested that you check out David Simon's "Homicide - A Year on
the Killing Streets" Mark was one of several readers who wondered if I'd
seen the PBS special dedicated to the show. He was the only one who offered
to send me a copy.

This two hour PBS special follows a single, powerful Homicide episode -
originally called "The Subway" - from inception to culmination. If nothing
else it's an interesting look at what goes into making a television show. If
you're the least bit interested in what makes compelling television, you
should check this out.

Have a great week!

Jeff

========================================
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1998 MacHome Magazine
========================================

PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hottips correspondence to:
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*************************************************************************
THIS ISSUE OF HOTTIPS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

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New Product! PowerPrint USB to Parallel - connects over 1500 PC printers
to iMac - just $99.95  Go to: <http://www.iMacs4U.com

Back in Stock! Imation USB SuperDisk Drive  only $149.95
Don't wait! Quantities are limited! Get yours today!

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========================================
MacHome Hottips - December 7, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

OS 8.5 UPDATE DUE SOON

Apple has announced that they will be releasing an OS 8.5 update, possibly
within a matter of days. According to MacWEEK the update will fix some
problems with: AppleScript, Third-party dongles and joysticks that were
disabled under OS 8.5, FileMaker Pro and OS 8.5. The Update will also
include a new version of Apple's Disk Utility. There should also be some
fixes for other, unnamed minor bugs.

POGUE PONTIFICATES POSITIVELY

David Pogue, the prolific "Dummies" writer and columnist for MacWorld
Magazine, has a column in the latest issue of MacWorld that makes some
needed corrections to the editorial insanity that was taking place a while
back. Remember when: Apple was dead? Apple was about to be bought out by ???
Apple stood a snowballs chance in _____ of making it past 1995, 96, 97?

What David Pogue was quick to point out, that has been left unsaid by most
of the press, is Apple is more than making it. In fact, many places where it
was supposed that Apple was completely gone - can you say Yale - are now
back into a full Apple swing. While Pogue admits that there are some places
that the Macintosh battle has been lost, he provides some poignant examples
of the Mac's virtual Lazarus experience.

You should be able to see the entire column at:

<http://www.macworld.com

MAILORDER MAGS CROSSOVER

When was the last time you saw something like this? A PC mailorder catalogue
with a Macintosh product on the front cover. Well take another look! Several
of these catalogues are now sporting iMacs on the cover.

Mmm, Mmm, Good!

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messages practically impossible to read because of broken lines, reply
characters, etc.?

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documents with little more than a mouse click.

Learn more, visit our web site at
<http://www.westcodesoft.com/ungarbleit. Special introductory price
$14.98.

========================================
HOT TIPS

MORE QUICK WEB TRICKS

OS 8.5, as many of you may know, has a new feature that can come in quite
handy: URLs - or web addresses, in English - and eMail addresses now have
their own icons when they're dragged to a folder or to the desktop. (As
opposed to being saved as a text-clipping, which is what would have happened
in previous versions of the Mac OS.)

First, let's test this little trick out, then we'll show you how to make
them useful.

1. Open SimpleText, or your favorite drag-and-drop saavy text editor, and
type out the following web address:

http://www.machome.com

2. Select the text and drag it to your desktop.
You should now see a new document on your desktop with the Mac OS's new
Internet address icon. Simply double-clicking this icon will open your web
browser to the Mac Home web page.

Cluttering your desktop with dozens of these little babies would leave your
desktop pretty messy. So here's how we can make these little guys a bit more
useful and maintain a clean desktop too.

1. Create a new folder on your desktop (command+N) and name it "Favorite Web
Sites."
2. Drag the Mac Home Internet Address icon to your newly created folder.
3. Click once on the folder to select it.
4. Open the Apple Menu.
5. Select "Automated Tasks."
6. Select "Add alias to Apple Menu." (Once the alias is added you will see a
message stating that an alias has been added. Click "OK.")
7. Open the Apple Menu again to see if the Folder is there.
8. Double-click the folder to open the window.
9. Open the "View" menu and select "View as Pop-up Window" item.
10. Drag the original folder to your documents folder.

You should now see a Pop-up folder at the bottom of your screen. To add URLs
or eMail addresses to your favorites folder simply select the address and
drag it to the "Favorite Web Sites" tabbed folder at the bottom of your
screen. It's immediately added to your Apple Menu, available for access from
any program!


========================================
HOT FILES

MINDVISION - VISE INSTALLER

You've got to like a company that hasn't forgotten their roots. MindVision
is one of those companies. They make a powerful, commercial installer
program that you've probably seen and used if you've installed programs like
FileMaker Pro, Anarchie, SimpleEdit or literally dozens of other programs.
What you may not know is that MindVision started out as a shareware company.
What you also may not know is that MindVision remembers what it's like to be
small and just getting on your feet. Freeware and Shareware companies who
are looking for a program to install their software, on either the Mac or
the Windows platform, can use MindVision's "Vise" Installer for free.

Companies like these just thrill me!

Check out the MindVision web site at:

<http://www.mindvision.com

DAVID'S BACKGAMMON

Boy, I'd forgotten just how much fun Backgammon was! (I hadn't really played
since about 1980. Used to play with an old girlfriend... she took the
board.) David's Backgammon puts the fun back into the game.

Get you copy from:

<http://members.aol.com/wingammon/backgammon

ALL THE TECH NEWS ALL THE TIME

The New York Times - All the News That's Fit to Print - has come quite a
long ways in the last couple of years; Sports section. Tech section. (OK,
still no comics.)

Now you can check up on the latest tech news straight from the web, brought
to you by the NY Times. The best reporting on earth!

Have a look at:

<http://www.nytimes.com/tech

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

THE GREAT GATSBY
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Alright, I had some wickedly ignorant English teachers. (With the exception
of the one I had my sophomore year of High School.) Basal readers, for
Shakespeare even! (Alright, I'm sure 90% of the problem was me! Lazy
student!) I finally decided, about a month ago, that it was time to read
Fitzgerald. Hadn't read a lick prior to that time. Boy was I missing it!

Fully enjoyable reading. Smooth and clean and quite a bit of fun. While
you're at it, have a look at these three short stories:

Winter Dreams
Dice, Brassknuckles & Guitar
Absolution

All three were where Fitzgerald began to hashing out the material forThe
Great Gatsby.

Have a great week!

Jeff

========================================
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========================================

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MacHome Hottips - December 14, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

iBOOK RUMORS ABOUND

We're now just a few weeks shy of MacWorld Expo in San Francisco and, of
course, news is beginning to leak out all over. SFGate.com, the web outlet
for the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner, had news
this week that there is to be an iMac-like version of the PowerBook
available some time very soon. In fact, it may even make an appearance at
MacWorld Expo. This new road-warrior will have all the standard amenities
and
a lightning-fast processor starting at around $1500.

Where do I sign up?

Check out the entire article at:

<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1998/12/1
0/BU21619.DTL&type=tech_article

SPEAKING OF THE iMAC...

There's a new version out now. More Video RAM. Better graphics card. Same
low price. And, in case you haven't heard, several of the catalogue houses
are giving away boatloads of stuff with the iMac now. 64MB of RAM. Scanners.
You name it. All for just $1299. My-oh-my what a steal.

Happened into a CompUSA the other day and started to play with the little
guy again. Boy what a slick machine.

Sure hope I've been a good little boy this year!



========================================
HOT TIPS

I love it when you send tips my way. Especially when they're really great.
This week's tip comes from KHAM. And what a slick little trick it is!

Kahn, I wish I had a t-shirt to send you. I guess you'll just have to settle
for seeing your name in print.

BTW - to use this tip you'll need to be sure you have the Speech Control
Panel loaded and you'll also need to have Speakable Items option activated.

Thanks again Khan!

I would like to share this neat little web trick with my fellow MacOS 8.5
users.  This trick allows you to open your favorite bookmarks with your
voice.  That's right, surfing the Internet with your voice. How
cool can that be!

1.  Type http://www.websitenamehere.com in SimpleText or stickies.
2.  Select the entire URL and drag it to your Desktop or better yet, a
folder named bookmarks.
3.  Select the URL icon, change the name from www.websitenamehere.com to
something shorter, like, websitenamehere.
4.  Again select the icon, say "Computer, make this speakable." (Assuming
Speakable Items in the Speech Control Panel is activated and you name your
speech assistant Computer.)
5.  Then,when you're surfing the net, if you want to get to your favorite
sites, just say their names.

For example, say, "Computer, MacHome, please" and your web browser will
instantly take you there.

========================================
HOT FILES

**UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, ALL HOT FILES ARE SHAREWARE**

SNOW

My mother loves this program! Snow falling on your desktop.
Sleigh-bells and Christmas music playing in the background. What's not to
like?

Get your copy from:

<http://www.warker.com/dl/snow-23.hqx

ICONFACTORY

Wouldn't it be great if there was some really simple way to change all the
icons for all your folders and files? And what if you could have themes -
like a desktop of spaghetti and meatballs! And what if all the icons you got
were FREE? Just because some silly people had fun making them? Well that's
what Iconfactory is for. A great little program for changing every little
icon on your desktop.

**By the way - Iconfactory is NOT free. Just the zillions of icons available
at the Iconfactory website are.**

Quick! Get you copy from:

<http://www.iconfactory.com

SNITCH

Remember that kid in grade school? The one who tattled like nobodies
business? (The one who had you sitting outside the principal's office on a
regular basis!) Well now there's a Snitch for your Macintosh. (Who ever
though snitching could be good?) This little program will give you the
inside scoop on all your files and programs. (All that secret stuff that
only programmers know!)

Fun Stuff!

Pick Snitch up from:

<http://www.niftyneato.com

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

Current spin on my CD player. Shuffle mode of course!

Nick Lowe - Dig My Mood
Upstart Records

keaggy, king, dente / invention
Sparrow Records

Jennifer Kimball - Veering From the Wave
ImaginaryRoad

The Story - the Angel in the House
Elektra

Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet - The Juliet Letters
Warner Brothers

Shuffle mode? Of course!

Have a great week!

Jeff

========================================
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========================================

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MacHome Hottips - December 21, 1998
========================================
HOT NEWS

MICROSOFT MAKES A WITNESS DISAPPEAR

Taken straight from the mouth of Business Week, apparently a Microsoft
witness was pulled from testifying shortly after he was deposed because he
stated that web browsers were applications not an integral part of the
operating system. Business Week states that, "Michael Dertouzous, Director
of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Laboratory for Computer Science,
[was called] as a technical expert. Two weeks later, after he was deposed,
he was quietly dropped as a witness." When questioned about why he was
dropped Dertousous stated that he was "a little too independant."

The article, titled "Microsoft Makes a Witness Disappear" can be found at
the Business Week website. Access to this site may require a fee if you're
not currently a Business Week subscriber.

<http://www.businessweek.com

AND THEY SAID BREAKING UP WAS HARD TO DO

In more Microsoft news, the Wall Street Journal reported that a Princeton
University professor was able to remove Internet software from Windows 98.
In a quote from the article the professor stated that, "There is 'no reason
why Microsoft was technologically compelled to design things that way.'"

========================================
HOT TIPS

THE GLORIES OF DRAGTHING

So you haven't upgraded to OS 8.5. Well never fear... here are some tricks
that will give you some of the same functionality using the shareware
program DragThing.

APPLICATION SWITCHING

One of OS 8.5's great new features allows you to drag the Application Menu -
the little icon in the upper left-hand corner of your screen - onto your
desktop. From there you can quickly and easily switch between open
applications with a single click. DragThing will let you do the same thing!

First you'll need to download your copy of DragThing.
<http://www.dragthing.com

Once you've installed the program here's how to create the least annoying
application switching palette.

1. By default DragThing opens a Process Dock. (This is the dock that shows
all your open applications) Select this dock by clicking it one time.
2. From the menu bar select Edit and then select Dock Options.
3. Select the option that says "Float Dock Window."
4. Select the option that says "Use Single-click to open items."
5. Close the window.
6. Select the View menu and then select "Small Icons."
7. Select the View menu and then select "Hide Names."
8. Move the Dock to a convenient spot on your desktop and you're good to go!
One click will open any application that you have open.

ONE-CLICK EMAIL MESSAGES AND WEB FAVORITES

Those of you who aren't using OS 8.5 may have been a little disappointed
when you found that you couldn't use the URL and eMail shortcuts that are
now available with the new OS. Fortunately you don't have to live without.
DragThing, the world's best desktop organization tool, will let you store
shortcuts no matter which OS version you're using. Here's all you have to
do.

1. Create a new dock. (Command-N with DragThing to the fore.)
2. Add a new layer to the Dock. (Command-K.)
3. Title the layer URLs
4. With DragThing visible drag this address to the URL label
http://www.machome.com
5. Now one-click will open your web browser to the MacHome web page! (the
same is true of email address. Just one click will open your email program
addressed to the email stored in DragThing!)

========================================
HOT FILES

PPPop 2.0.2

Over the past several weeks many of you have asked for a program that will
allow you to disconnect a PPP connection quickly and easily. PPPop 2.0.2 is
just such a program. One click will connect or disconnect you from the
Internet. Plus, the program will keep track of how long you're spending on
the web.

Get your copy from:

<http://home1.gte.net/frie/

MACCHESS

Seems like it's time for games!! MacChess is a powerful chess program with
levels for complete beginners as well as the Kasparovs in the crowd. Best of
all the program is free!

Get yours from:

<http://members.aol.com/Macchess/

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

ADAMS GALLERY

There's something about Ansel Adams' photography. The depth of the greys are
so rich that you almost believe you're seeing color. I happened upon a
little gallery on the web a few months back. I was looking for a gift for my
brother and his wife for their wedding. (You may recall that they were
married in Yosemite.) My hope was to get them an original Ansel Adams
photograph. (No I'm not rich and I half expected that my desire was more a
hallucination than a potential reality.) Much to my surprise I discovered
the Adams Gallery, a spot on the web where you can pick up Adams photos (not
the prints you see in the mall) for far less than you might expect.
(Although original photos, developed by Adams did cost big bucks.)

Have a look at:

<http://www.adamsgallery.com

Have a great week and a wonderful Christmas!

Jeff


========================================
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1998 MacHome Magazine
========================================

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MacHome Hottips - December 28, 1998
========================================

Being that this is the final Hot Tips newsletter for 1998 I thought that I
would dance to the beat of what must be thousands of other year-end drums:
we'll be taking a brief retrospective through 1998 from a Hot Tips
perspective. But before I begin a word of thanks...

Writing Hot Tips this year, while certainly challenging, has been nothing
short of sheer pleasure. This has been due in large part to you. I've
appreciated your insights, tips, corrections and kudos. So thanks for making
this as much of a blast for me as I hope it is for you. I can assure you
that if I were writing in a vacuum it would have been far less pleasurable.

========================================
HOT NEWS

THE PUNDITS WERE RIGHT... NOT

About this time last year Apple appeared to be in a death spiral. Their
stock price was in the tank. Rumors of imminent demise were proclaimed in
every news-rag from the Wall Street Journal to Pravda. (All right, probably
not Pravda but it sounded clever!) Ah, what a difference a year makes.

Apple's stock price currently sits at three times what it was at the end
1997 - a fat $39+ a share. Steve Jobs at the helm has instilled a palpable
confidence in Mac-o-philes everywhere not to mention that Apple is not too
mentioned in the manner they were just a year ago. In fact, if Apple or the
Mac are mentioned negatively in the press it's pretty clear that the writer
is taking a page from last year's lexicon.

Bottom line? Apple's back. Thank you very much.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES OUT

Granted it is easy to hate Microsoft. It doesn't take a college degree, just
a few hours with Windows 95/98/NT/(2000?).

Microsoft's fall from grace is nowhere more evident than in the DOJ's court
case against the almighty software giant. It's hard to know exactly where or
how the whole ordeal will end but at least one thing is clear: Microsoft
will look different in the future. It may not be an actual structural
change, but you better believe that the blinders are off. And nobody likes a
bully.

THE EMPIRE MAKES GOOD

Hey it's easy to like Microsoft too, especially if they're finally producing
software for the Mac that actually works. While you might not like Microsoft
the company, you can't help but like products like Internet Explorer and
Outlook Express. Not to mention that the Mac version of Office actually
works well and has features currently unavailable on the "Dark Side."

By the way, I'm no lackey. I use IE and Outlook Express because they're
great programs not because I have some undying love for Microsoft. If
there's a Microsoft product making an appearance on my Mac there's got to be
a good, scratch that, great reason.

FOX MULDER WHERE ARE YOU

You can rack this one up with a dozen of your favorite conspiracy theories:

Has anybody noticed how Apple's positive appearance in the press is
inversely proportional to Microsoft's need to appear really "nice" to the
DOJ. Could Microsoft perchance have been trying to "spin" Apple out of
existence?

I'll leave that for another episode of the X-files.

========================================
HOT FILES

Hot files and not-so-hot files... how many of these do I see in a single
year. Many, many more than I actually post.

But there are three programs stand out as must-have appliances for your Mac;
the best little utilities of the entire year.

FINDERPOP

Someone out there is likely to throw stones at me for this one. How many
times did I mention this program in the last year? Suffice to say that I
promised one reader that I would cease-and-desist - or at least create a
separate "Hot FinderPop Tips" newsletter. Here though is one final mention
until something better comes along:

If you're using OS 8.x you need to run out and grab this FREE utility
straight away. FinderPop turn OS 8.x's Contextual Menus into pure wizardry.
Gain access to folders, files and applications with a single mouse-click.
and oh so much more.

Go!

Now!

Get FinderPop.

Change your life. (I know, I must have no life...)

<http://www.kagi.com/turly/

DRAGTHING

I know, you probably use the Launcher because it's free. No, it's not very
versatile. No, it's not very pretty. Yes, it's big and fat and gets in the
way. Free is always good right? Don't fool yourself!

DragThing ranks as one of the best shareware launcher utilities on the
planet. Not only can it make your non-OS 8.5 Mac more 8.5-like, it will make
the rest of your life that much simpler. You'll be able to spend more time
with your children. Raccoons will no longer tear through your garbage can.
The boss will give you that long-awaited raise. You get the picture!

In truth, DragThing makes simple work of organizing files, folders,
applications, eMail addresses and URLs. A true delight. And DragThing's
Process Dock makes OS 8.5's Application Switcher look like swill. Oooh what
a program!

<http://www.dragthing.com

POWERSWITCH

You were probably hoping there was some 12-step program for Mac users who
longed for Windows' Alt-Tab program switching feature. Believe me, I've been
there.

PowerSwitch is guaranteed to cure what ails you, and then some. How about
program switching, program launching, window switching all in a slick little
program that more than pays for itself. In my mind it's absolutely
indispensable.

<http://www.binarysoft.com/psmac/psmac.html#top

OS 8.5

If you haven't gotten it and your Mac can use it run right out and get it.
Sherlock alone is worth the upgrade, but there are literally dozens of other
features that will bring an ear-to-ear Macintosh smile to your face. I mean
it!

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

  By design, All Mac and No Play is meant to get you out of the digital world
into the one that really matters. Here are the best of several items
mentioned in this section over the past year:

10 CENT WINGS
Jonatha Brooke
MCA Refuge

When I first mentioned Jonatha Brooke, and this CD in particular, I said
that Jonatha Brooke was the kind of musician that, both lyrically and
musically, pushes my artistic buttons. Not just in an, "Oooh, I like that
music" sense, but in a, "Man, I really want to create something." I can't
exactly put my finger on why other than that Jonatha Brooke writes
thoughtful, intelligent, literary lyrics underscored by a lush musical
background and a delicious voice. For me it all just adds up.

THE SHOOTING
Richard Elson
Short Story found in:
Scribner's Best of the Fiction Workshops - 1998

Perfectly written and emotionally powerful, this story will chill you and
quite likely tear your heart out. By far the best short fiction that I've
read all year.

THE PERFECT STORM
Sebastian Junger
WW Norton and Company

Remember all of that "romance of the sea" stuff? Well you can just check
that at the door. Imagine yourself pounded by hundred-foot waves as your
ship is tossed like a cork off the coast of Nova Scotia. Then imagine that
you're never coming back.

The Andrea Gail was a sword fishing boat that was lost at sea off the coast
of Massachusetts in the late 1980s. Somehow Sebastian Junger works his way
into the mind of the sailors of the the Andrea Gail, then he works their
mind into yours. I don't believe you ever feel quite the same way about the
sea again. Amazingly, it's all true.

Have a safe and wonderful New Year!

Jeff

========================================
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1998 MacHome Magazine
========================================

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MacHome Hottips - January 4, 1999
========================================
HOT NEWS

This week's Hot Tips comes to you from the golden shores of the San
Francisco Bay Area - where MacWorld Expo is about to open its doors. What's
in store this week? While several rumors are floating around - an iMac-like
PowerBook? A Palm Pilot-like device with Newton roots? - the answers still
lie a few days away.  What's very clear is the fact that Apple is back in
stride. Stock is up. Confidence is up. Mac programmers are up - at least 60
new products released in time for MacWorld. All-in-all the week should shape
up to be quite a bit of fun. And you can be sure that next week's Hot Tips
will be overflowing with new news.

If any of you plan to be at MacWorld be sure to come over the the Mac Home
booth and say hello. The entire Mac Home staff will be there - not all at
the same time of course - and it might be fun to attach a verb to a face.

========================================
HOT TIPS

MANAGING SHERLOCK ".src" FILES

So you've had OS 8.5 for a few weeks now and you want to take advantage of
every Sherlock search file available. Lucky for you, the Apple Donuts web
site - <http://www.apple-donuts.com - has literally dozens of new search
files with more being added daily. Not content to waste your time
downloading individual files of your choosing you decide to go for the whole
banana: you download the entire collection of Internet Plug-ins.

Like a child on Christmas morning you can't wait to un-stuff the file. You
are not disappointed. The expanded file contains over 250 new plug-ins.
Greedily you drag every file to your System Folder and prepare to search.
But what you discover once you re-open Sherlock is something akin to
complete chaos; Sherlock provides no means to organize your plug-ins.

Fortunately there are two free programs available to help you organize your
Sherlock search-life: Sherlock Assistant - from Casady & Greene, the
creators of Conflict Catcher - and Sigerson. Both programs allow you to
create plug-in sets - groups of plug-ins organized on some logical manner
like "Book Sites," "Music Sites," "Software Sites" and so forth.

Sherlock Assistant doesn't stray far from its ConflictCatcher roots and
anyone familiar with the latter program will find themselves right at home.
Sigerson was the first Sherlock plug-in organizer available and bears a
striking resemblance to the later-arriving Sherlock Assistant. In truth,
there is virtually no difference between the two programs in terms of what
they do. (Although you will have to put up with a wee bit of advertising for
C&G's commercial programs if you choose to use Sherlock Assistant.) In
either case you'll be able to quickly organize your plug-in files and enter
your search criteria right from within each program.


========================================
HOT FILES

SIGERSON

This program has been mentioned in Hot Tips late last year. The latest
version proves to be much improved over the original making organizing your
Sherlock plug-ins a cake-walk.

Get a copy from:

<http://www.wwa.com/~sentman/sigerson

SHERLOCK ASSISTANT

Ditto on the organization stuff. Better yet, the interface is
straightforward and easy to use.

Go get it!

<http://www.conflictcatcher.com/sherlockassistant/default.html

iMAC PLAINTALK ENABLER

A couple of weeks back we had a tip that showed you how to talk your Mac
around the Internet. Unfortunately, iMac users were unable to sue this
tip... until now.

Head on out and pick up your copy of the iMac PlainTalk Enabler. This free
utility will give you the power to speak to your Mac. (PlainTalk microphone
not included.)

Tell your Mac to head here:

<http://www.macspeech.com/default.tmpl

MAC TICKER

Stock quotes instantly updated while you work. No more schlepping out to
Yahoo Finance to see how your personal fortune (or misfortune) is doing.

Get it from:

<http://www.galleon.com/macticker/

========================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

XO
Elliott Smith
DreamWorks

You've got my sister to thank for this little gem... my Christmas present
this year.

Glistening vocals and lush harmonies are the nougat wrapped up in Smith's
excellent lyrics. I've been pleasantly surprised each time I listen to the
CD. You will be too!

Have a great week!!

See you at MacWorld.

Jeff


========================================
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1999 MacHome Magazine
========================================

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MacHome Hottips - January 11, 1999

========================================

HOT NEWS

This week we have a follow-up to last week's precursor to the opening
of MacWorld Expo. (Anybody looking for a political speechwriter?) So
step right up while we rehash all the latest Mac news. (Sorry gang...
barely had enough time to eat this week much less peruse the web for
the latest shareware or some heretofore unknown Mac tip. Back to the
normal format next week.)

iCEO

Can I just say that I'm thrilled about this. You may not like a Mac
without a floppy. You may also be privy to rumors (perhaps
salacious?) of iron-handed terror on the Apple campus. But you just
can't argue with success. As of the beginning of MacWorld Expo Steve
Jobs has been officially named the CEO of Apple Computer.

Just one question... are we going to be seeing Think Different ads
with Jobs and Woz any time soon?

iSALES

See if you can say this with me now. It's not that difficult to move
your lips...

800,000 iMacs shipped since August. 800,000! Makes you wish they'd
been released in June!

The numbers break down (roughly) as follows: (Roughly because my tape
of the speech is currently in the possession of another unnamed
MacHome Editor.)

37% of the iMacs were purchased by people who, prior to their iMac
purchase, had never owned a computer.

18% (Are you listening?) were purchased by Intel/Windows users.

The balance were purchased by the rest of us.

So fully 45% of iMac purchases were made by new or former non-Mac
users. It's a wonderful life eh?

iPOWER

OK, not quite iPower - although, as you'll read a little later, even
the iMacs got a power boost - but instead, new G3 power. 400 MHz
worth to be exact. In a box similar in color and pure design panache
to the iMac. In a brief demonstration given during the keynote the
new G3 absolutely whooped a similarly equipped 450 MHz Compaq Pentium
in several speed tests. (This brings up a very important point
regarding the relevance of processor speeds to the actual speed of
the computer. Processors are just a single, albeit important, portion
of the speed equation. Don't let numbers fool you.) These new
whiz-bang machines are capable of of utilizing 100 GB of internal
storage and 1 GB of memory, without any external drives. These new
G3s also provide extraordinarily simple access to the internal
components via a door. Just lift the latch and you have perfect
access to all of the machines internal components.

Along with these new G3s Apple also released 3 new displays: one 21
inch, one 17 inch and a 15 Inch flat screen, all with perfectly
wonderful pictures. (And yes, they too bear a striking resemblance to
the original iMac.)

iSERVER

I'm not going to bore you with the details here but just let me say
that what Apple released in the form of a server is absolutely
amazing. OS X (ten) server is a derivative of the upcoming OS X
product and it packs a mighty punch. It's most shining performance
came when 50 iMacs, all without their own operating system, booted
and and began streaming live video. Where did they get their
operating system? Where did they get the video they were streaming?
From the OS X server. Absolutely amazing. Amazingly fast.

iMACNIFICENT

I believe this is called the "icing on the cake." The
perfect end to a wonderful beginning; to a wonderful year. The final
product that was introduced was five new iMacs, all with faster
processors - 266 MHz -, more disk space - six gigs - and FLAVORS!
Five wonderful flavors. (All right. They're only colors but what
tasty colors they are!) Orange, green, red, purple and blue to be
exact. And what a tasty treat to see! (Actually, the colors do have
flavorful names: Tangerine, lime, strawberry, grape and blueberry.
And, as Steve Jobs joyfully stated, you should, "Collect all
five!")

Here's to another soon-to-be successful and financially lucrative
year for Apple!

========================================

ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

SHE'S COME UNDONE

Wally Lamb

Washington Square Press

Nothing less than engrossing, She's Come Undone follows the maturing
of one Delores Price from her early childhood through her late
thirties. She is caustically funny, sad and obsessive. Ultimately,
she's impossible to live without; I couldn't put the book down until
well after my eyes told me I was too tired to read any further.

Have a wonderful week!!

Jeff

========================================

Mac Hottips Copyright © 1999 MacHome Magazine

========================================

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MacHome Hottips - January 18, 1999

========================================

HOT NEWS

BUT FIRST, A WORD FROM THE MATH-LESS WONDER

Actually the problem wasn't so much bad math as poor typing and worse
editing. As many of you were kind enough to point out 37% + 18% does
not equal 45%. The actual numbers were 27% new Mac users and 18%
conversions from the dark side.

Now the math should work.

FURTHER REPENTANCE

On two fronts here. First, if you've emailed me and gotten nothing in
return please accept my heartfelt apologies. We've been going through
a mail-server hell of sorts. As of this mailing all should be...
well... better.

DITTO

The same applies to the one day delay in the delivery of Hot Tips.

Here's to better, um... everything.

APPLE FINANCIALS

I believe we're getting a little bit too predictable here. On the
13th of January Apple released their First Quarter earning results.
The bottom line? A profit of $152 Million dollars.

Total number of iMacs sold during this quarter? 519,000.

Geez. And they did that without a floppy disk drive.

MAC SPEECH

There's a positive dearth of speech recognition products on the Mac
market, but not for any lack of desire on the part of users or
developers. MacSpeech wants to change all of this. They're attempting
to develop a critical mass of support so that they can finalize their
development of a Mac-based continuous-speech product.

Interested? If you are head out to the MacSpeech web site to learn
how you can help make continuous speech recognition for applications
a reality on the Mac.

<http://www.macspeech.com

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========================================

HOT TIPS
<blockquote type="cite" cite<tt

WINDOW DRAGGIN' - OS 8.5

If you're still clicking arrows and dragging thumbs in order to see
what's in an open Finder window you better just cut that out. Now you
can drag the contents of an open window. Just hold down the option
key while clicking your mouse. Suddenly you'll see that cute little
Mac "fist." Move your mouse and the entire contents of the
window will move.

FIND AND SAVE - OS 8.5

Now you can save your searches for future use. After entering
"warthogs and wallabies" in the Find field press Command-S.
A standard dialog box will appear and you'll be able to save your
search criteria as a double-clickable document.

POWERSWITCH WINDOW SWITCHING - 7.x and above

PowerSwitch, the cool little application switching utility from
Binary Software, not only quells your application switching
"Jones" it also lets you switch document windows within an
application. This is unbelievably useful if you find yourself
switching between several open document windows while you're working
during the day. Simply open the PowerSwitch Control Panel to
determine (or change) the key combination that will switch your
windows. Once you get used to it I don't think you'll be able to live
without it.

========================================

HOT FILES

POWERSWITCH

Get a free demo from BinarySoftware:

<http://www.binarysoft.com

PLANET EARTH

Planet Earth gives you a satellite's view of the earth, cloud cover,
lights and all. (Cloud cover info is downloaded from the net at
regular intervals.) It'll make you feel just like the "BIG"
weathermen. (And probably equally as accurate! Can anyone please
explain to me the "Lightning in January" phenomenon we're
enjoying in the Northeast this week? Y2K problems will not be an
acceptable answer.)

Feel like an astronaut at:

<http://www.lunarsoft.com

<tt

DUMPTRUCK

DumpTruck provides one-stop posting of web sites to all the major
search engines. A good piece of software at a very reasonable
price.

Get you copy from:

<http://members.aol.com/dump1truck/mac

<tt

========================================

ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

ALL THIS USELESS BEAUTY

Elvis Costello and the Attractions

Warner Brothers

This was Elvis Costello's last release on the Warner Brothers label.
Hence it pretty much got lost in the transition. Nonetheless it
shouldn't be missed. It's perfect Costello.

Have a great week!!

Jeff

========================================

Mac Hottips Copyright © 1999 MacHome Magazine

========================================




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========================================

MacHome Hottips - January 25, 1999

========================================

HOT NEWS

CORRECTIONS AGAIN...

Thanks to all of you who were quick to point out that to grab and
move the contents of a window you need to press and hold the Command
key and click your mouse button. I mistakenly wrote that you needed
to press and hold the Option key.

Sorry!!

IT JUST BUGS ME!

On January 18th the New York Times reported that Bruce Brown,
purveyor of the online software bug tracking web site Bug Net
<http://www.bugnet.com, would not be presenting its annual
award to the company with the most improved software quality/repair
performance. Mr. Brown stated that, "This year we just couldn't
do it in good conscience. What we saw in 1998 was a significant
increase in the misery quotient."

Brown is hoping to send a message to the industry in an effort to
encourage them to quickly respond to customer needs. "Our view
is that bugs are going to happen. The issue for us is how the vendor
is responding."

KENNEDY'S UNDERWEAR ON THE WEB

This isn't quite the truth but hey... you never know. Sotheby's, the
255-year-old auction house, has decided to set up shop on the web.
What prompted this foray into the, not-so-traditional, untamed wilds
of the web? According to the New York Post it's the likes of eBay and
uBid - Internet-based auction sites that are performing phenomenally
both from an auction and a stock perspective.

And what benefits can Sotheby's provide not currently available from
any of the other services? Diana Brooks, President and CEO of
Sotheby's, stated that, "only acknowledged experts will be
offering property."

Ouch!

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===========================

HOT TIPS

DECONSTRUCTING THE CRASH

Next to smashing your fingers with a hammer there's nothing quite as
frustrating, or as likely to fill the air with a bluish haze, as an
unexplainable crash. Whether it's that nasty sad Mac - which we won't
be covering here - or an application that seems to bomb every time
you fire it up, a bomb is definitely NOT "The Bomb." So
stick around while we look at some ways to pin the little sucker
down.

SYSTEM EXTENSIONS

Conflicting Extensions are one of the most common reasons for system
crashes and bombs. Extensions can provide an amazing amount of
customizability to the Mac OS. Unfortunately this same openness
can also lead to a plethora of problems if programmers aren't as
careful as they should be. So how do you determine if a crash you're
experiencing is caused by an Extension? Just pay attention to some of
these clues.

NEWLY INSTALLED SOFTWARE

If your Mac began crashing immediately after you installed some new
piece of software there's a good chance that the culprit is an
Extension. Especially of the new software forced you to Restart your
Mac after it was installed. Here's what to do to try to eradicate the
problem.

1. Restart your Mac with the Extensions turned off. (You do this by
holding down the Shift key while your Mac is restarting.)

2. Find the folder containing the newly installed software and look
through it to see if there's an installation log. If there is it may
tell you what Extensions were installed with the program. You should
then be able to find and remove them.

If this fails:

1. Open your Extensions Folder.

2. Change the folder so that you can view the contents as a list.

3. Sort the folder by date.

4. See if there are any Extensions that were installed close to when
you installed your new software package.

Or:

1. Re-run the installation program to uninstall the problem
program.

While you won't be able to use the program at least you'll be able to
use your Mac.

Finally:

1. Pick up a copy of ConflictCatcher from Casady & Greene
<http://www.casadyg.com.

This slick little program will help you to discover the source of
your trouble and it will do it AUTOMAGICALLY! It's simply the best
program for locating and eradicating Extension conflicts.

THE POWER OF THE PREFERENCE FILE

If you're having some difficulty trying to open a specific program it
may simply be because the program's preference file has been
thrashed. How do you beat a problem like that? Repeat this with me
now: "Trash the thrashed file!"

1. Open the Preferences Folder, which is in your System Folder.

2. Again, view the folder as a list but this time sort the window by
name.

3. Look for for the preference file for the specific program that
you're having trouble with.

4. Trash the file and empty the Trash.

5. It's not necessary, but you may want to restart your Mac.

Try opening the program again. In all likelihood the problem will be
resolved.

THE ZAPPING OF THE PRAM

Last resort but certainly a good one.

At times your PRAM, a.k.a. Parameter RAM, can lose its connection to
the real world. It can't be explained - at least by me - but these
things do happen.

To bring your PRAM back to its senses and making all things right
with the world again do the following:

1. Restart your Mac.

2. When the screen goes dark hold down the Command-Option-P-R keys
until you hear THREE startup chimes.

Your PRAM is has now been refreshed. It's kind of like a digital walk
on a cool crisp evening. Just clears your Mac's head.

===========================

HOT FILES

MACVIRUS

Looking for the latest information on the worst of the web? Have a
look at MacVirus. This site provides amazing detail on all of the
viruses currently causing havoc on the Macintosh. Sad to say, the
list is large.

Have a look at:

<http://www.macvirus.com/

PAC THE MAN

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machine for hours on end? Well now you can do it all over again only
this time it's free!

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<blockquote type="cite" cite<tt

DESKTOP MAGICIAN

This program from Aladdin Systems will let you create multiple
Desktops of every person who uses your Mac. Makes it a piece of cake
to people from messing with what you don't want them to.

Pick up a copy from:

<http://www.aladdinsys.com

===========================

ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

PLUMB

Jonatha Brooke

Blue Thumb

This album is from 1995 but it still merits a weekly if not a daily
spin for me. I've said this about Jonatha Brooke before, but she is
the kind of musical artist that makes her listeners want to be
creative. Both her music and her lyrics are quite distinctive: you
won't hear anything here that you've heard anywhere else.

Have a great week!

Jeff

========================================

Mac Hottips Copyright © 1999 MacHome Magazine

========================================


===================================
MacHome Hottips - February 1, 1999
===================================
HOT NEWS

HEY HEY GOOD BYE...

In the long run this probably amounts to nothing more than a good chuckle.
Then again...

This past week Info World reported that "An online group of non-Windows
users is seeking refunds from Microsoft for their unused, unwanted copies of
the Windows operating system that shipped with their PCs." This group,
consisting of a cross-section of Linux, BeOS, BSD, OS/2 and NetWare users,
claims that paying for the Windows OS with every PC they buy is tantamount
to a "'Microsoft tax' on all computers."

Microsoft claims that these non-Windows "gripers" really have nothing to
take up with Microsoft. Instead they need to deal with the computer
manufacturers that are installing the Operating System on each new PC.

Is there any foundation for this battle to build on? Apparently Toshiba has
issued a refund to at least one user,but others may face an uphill battle.

Check out the details for yourself at:

<http://www.thenoodle.com/refund

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==============================
HOT TIPS

5 QUICKIES

WINDOW DRAGGING

OS 8.x new lets you drag windows from any "edge." So you're no longer
limited to using the Title Bar when you want to move a window around. Simple
grab the nearest edge and move that window to the side!

CONTROL STRIP DISAPPEARING ACT

Do you find that the Control Strip - that little bullet that appears at the
bottom left-hand side of your screen - sometimes gets in the way? Well you
can make it appear and disappear with a simple combination of keys.

1. Open the Control Strip Control Panel
2. Select the radio button that says "Hot key to show/hide"
3. Choose your "Hot Key."
4. Close the Control Panel

CLOSE ALL THE SHADES

If you want to expand or collapse all the open windows in an application
simply hold the option key while clicking on the Collapse Box. All open
windows will immediately close giving you quick access to the desktop.

WHAT'S IN A NAME

Need a complete listing of every item within a folder?

1. Open the folder you want a listing from
2. Press Command-A to select all the files within the folder.
3. Press Command-C
4. Open your favorite text editor - like SimpleText - and press Command-V

A complete listing of every file will be pasted into the new document.

EASY TRASH REMOVAL

New to OS 8 is Command Key deletion of files. Just select the file you want
to delete and press Command-Delete. (Delete being the Delete key.) The file
will instantly be moved to the trash.

==============================
HOT FILES

Kind of a slow week here...

APPLEWORKS 5

Want to change your version of ClarisWorks 5 into AppleWorks 5? Download the
converter!

Get your copy from:

<http://download.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Apple_Software_Updates/En
glish-North_American/Macintosh/Application_Updates/ClarisWorks/ClarisWorks_5
/AppleWorks_5.0.3_Updt.smi.bin

PS - if you have trouble with this link you may need to type it directly
into your browser. It's a wee bit long.

RISESETCALC

Want to know if the sun still shines on the guy/gal you knew in school?
(Chances are it still does!) RiseSetCalc will let you know what time so that
you don't call too early.

Get it from:

<http://members.macconnect.com/users/r/red/sw/RiseSetCalc.sit.hqx

==============================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

FELIX MENDELSSOHN
Violin Concerto in E Minor, op.64

It won't really matter who you hear play this - unless perhaps it's your
local elementary school. I have two copies both equally delicious.

Have a great week!!

Jeff

========================================
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1999 MacHome Magazine
========================================

PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hottips correspondence to:
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==========================================
Mac Home Hot Tips eNews - February 8, 1999
==========================================
HOT NEWS

WEB STALKING

Newsweek reported a rather strange - if not terrifying - phenomenon in their
February 8 issue this past week. In an article titled "You Could Get Raped -
the inside story of one young woman's terrifying ordeal at the hands of a
cyberstalker" Newsweek details the horrifying experiences of Randi Barber
who suddenly found herself the victim of lewd phone calls and obscene
solicitations.

"Now," you might say to yourself, "that's just one of the dangers you have
to face if you're going to go online." But Randi Barber had never been
online. She never owned  computer. Didn't have so much as an email address
at her office. And this is what makes her tale so terrifying. Apparently, in
rebuffing a would-be suitor, Randi had made an enemy. In turn this "enemy"
set up email addresses in Randi's name including profiles that contained
Randi's address and phone number as well as specific directions to her house
and instructions on how to bypass her security system. He then proceeded to
post ads on the web stating that Randi was interested in all manner of
sexual behavior, including "surprise" sexual encounters with strangers -
read that rape. One law enforcement official stated that, "This person was
sitting in his house before a computer screen moving would-be rapists around
like chess pieces. It's one of the scariest things you can imagine."

What's even scarier is that one wicked man could so easily control the lusts
of other men in order to perform his bidding.

You should be able to find the entire story at:

<http://www.newsweek.com

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===================================
HOT TIPS

SPRING-LOADED FOLDERS

Here's an OS 8.x tool that you may not have taken much advantage of:

When dragging files if you hold the item on top of a folder it will
automatically pop open. You can continue to navigate multiple sub-folders by
continuing to "pop" open folders until you find the one in which you want to
place your file. And just like any normal neat-nik, your Mac will close all
the open folders that you didn't drop the item into. (Excluding the final
folder where you finally drop the file.)

SPRINGLOADED PREFERENCES

If you find that this feature either works too slowly or too quickly for
your liking you can easily change the speed with which the folders open.

1. While you're in the Finder select the Edit menu and then select
Preferences...

2. Move the Slider Bar under the Spring-Loaded Folders option to either
"Short," "Long," or somewhere in between.

SPACEY SPRING-LOADED FOLDERS

If you prefer not to use Spring-Loaded Folders on a regular basis but still
want to take occasional advantage of it, turn the Spring-Loaded Folder
preference off. Then when you want a folder to pop open just press the Space
bar while holding a file on top of a folder. (This can also be used if you
have your "Spring" preference set to "Long.")

===================================
HOT FILES

MUSASHI

Look for a review of this in a future issue of MacHome. In the mean time
check out this slick little shareware email program. You certainly won't be
disappointed!

Grab a copy from:

<http://www.sonosoft.com/musashi/index.html

FOOD CHAIN

If you're looking for a pleasantly compelling waste of time you've come to
the right place. (No, I'm not speaking of Hot Tips!) Food Chain is an
addictively enjoyable games that pits you against life itself.

You can get Food Chain from:

<http://www.CajunGames.com

EXTENSION OVERLOAD

Too many extensions too little time. How could you ever know just what's out
there? Extension Overload. A complete compendium of all Extensions and
Control Panels.

Now you'll know everything...

<http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/Node/4994/eo33demo.sit

This is a direct download. About 360k.

===================================
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

FOR KINGS AND PLANETS
Ethan Canin
Random House

Ethan Canin writes beautifully. What more can be said? The tale of two men,
one bent on destroying himself and the other bent on being himself.
Compelling writing as usual.

Have a great week!

Jeff

========================================
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1999 MacHome Magazine
========================================

PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

Send all Hottips correspondence to:
<hottips@machome.com

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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 



Dear Hot Tips Subscriber:

We need your help. Each year we rely on you to tell us about yourself and
your computing experience: Who you are, what you use, what you're
interested in.

We use this information in planning editorial content for MacHome, and we
also pass the information on to software and hardware companies to use in
their planning process as well.

If you've not done so already, please take a few minutes to fill our our
1999 survey. You can find it at http://www.machome.com/ninetynine.html and it
shouldn't take more than 10 minutes.

Thank you,

Susan Ford
Publisher, MacHome
susan@machome.com

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  just ask Dr. Farallon!

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*****************************************
MAC HOME HOT TIPS eNEWS - FEB 14, 1999
*****************************************
HOT NEWS

IF THEY CAN'T USE IT WHY SHOULD YOU?

Steven Levy, former MacWorld and current Newsweek writer, recently pointed
out a tasty tidbit from the Microsoft DOJ trial. What transpired was
something that could have been taken straight from an episode of the
Twilight Zone and, as Mr. Levy points out, is a direct reflection on what
computer users are willing to put up with (but shouldn't have to).

What makes this little episode especially delicious is the victim in the
whole ordeal: Jim Allchin. The man at Microsoft known as "the Windows Guy";
Microsoft's Ayatollah of ease-of-use. In order to demonstrate how Windows 98
can't be separated from the browser Mr. Allchin had to learn how to use a
new laptop, install a new program and make a connection to the Internet. The
following is an excerpt:

"He had a devil of a time hooking up his new ThinkPad, blaming the problem
on local phone lines. 'I'm going to take my life in my hands,' he announced
when the tape began, 'and connect on, hopefully, the Internet.'"

"The connection kept dropping out. Then came a weird error message he
attributed to the IBM machines. And then there were things that were not
errors, but simply the sorts of annoying user-hostile phenomena that are all
too familiar: endless dialogue boxes, loud unwanted music, annoying
rebooting, cluttered menus, even tough-to-open shrink-wrapped software
boxes. At one point Allchin wanted to install a Microsoft program that would
not work until he keyed in the 11-digit number on the license agreement,
written too small for him to see without his glasses (his assistant read the
numbers to him). Then the Windows Guy didn't know what to do next. 'It
didn't tell me to reboot,' he mused. 'But I thought you were supposed to
reboot...'"

The bottom line on Steven Levy's article is that computers are still too
complicated.(Of course, based on Levy's previous predilections, the subtext
could clearly state that Windows 98 is still too difficult!)

And then there's the obvious question: has Apple co-opted this video for
advertising purposes? Please say yes!!

This of course also begs another question:

Where do you want to go today?

The entire article can be found in the "Current Issue" section of the
Newsweek website. <http://www.newsweek.com The article is titled, "A Window
on their World".

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  iMacs4U.com, Secure credit card ordering using your MC, VISA or AMEX.

*****************************************
HOT TIPS

ADDENDUM TO LAST WEEK

With regard to last week's tip on spring-loaded folders many of you were
quick to point out another fancy OS 8.x feature:

One-and-a-half clicks (click, click and hold) on a folder will also cause
them to spring open, allowing you to navigate multiple sub-folders without
having to double-click every folder.

Slick eh?

Thanks to all who reminded me of this little tidbit!

GLOBAL VILLAGE SECRETS

Sending a fax via your fax modem can sometimes seem to be a pain, unless of
course you're using a fax modem from Global Village (Boca). The genius
programmers at GV have made faxing as simple as humanly possible.

When preparing to fax all you need to do is act like your going to print
only hold down the "Option" key while selecting the "File" menu. Suddenly
"Print" is changed to "Fax". You'll then be greeted with a dialog box for
your fax modem instead of your printer. Just enter a fax number and you're
on your merry way!

OS 8'S (NOT SO) STUPID FILE TRICKS

In case you haven't noticed the title bar on every open OS 8.x file window
has a Folder icon next to the title. Dragging this icon anywhere on your
computer will move the original folder to that new location. As and added
special feature holding down the "Option" key while dragging the folder will
make a copy of that folder in the new location. Also, holding down the
Command and Option keys while dragging the folder will make a shortcut to
the folder in the new location.

Try using this in tandem with last week's Spring-Loaded folder feature for
added productivity!

*****************************************
HOT FILES

POWERMENU

Cool tool for users of OS 7.x through 8.x. Cheif advantage? Gives OS 7.x
users access to contextual menus just like OS 8.x users. (Cool stuff for 8.x
users too!)

Got your copy from:

<http://www.kagi.com/authors/marka/

GAME DOCTOR

Everything you wanted to know about Macintosh games but were afraid to ask.
Fixes, tricks, and Easter eggs all in a slick easy-to-use interface. Whoa!

Pick up game doctor from;

<http://members.aol.com/illumesoft/illume.html

MUSASHI

Sushi, sashimi, Musashi. Not noun-based wordplay but, if you're looking at
the last word in the list, a rather slick little shareware email program.

Quick! Write your mom!

Get your copy from:

<http://www.sonosoft.com

*****************************************
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

THE CHARITY OF THE NIGHT
Bruce Cockburn
Rykodisc

Haven't heard of Bruce Cockburn? It's about time that you did. This Canadian
born singer-songwriter slams more meaning into a single verse than most can
hope to build into a lifetime of writing.

"There's a wealth of amputation
Waiting in the ground
But no one can remember where they put it down
If you're the child who finds it there
You will rise upon the sound
Of the mines of Mozambique"

The Mines of Mozambique
Bruce Cockburn

Have a great week!

Jeff

==============================================
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1999 MacHome Magazine
==============================================

PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

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   on building your very own network at home.

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*****************************************
MacHome HotTips eNews - February 21, 1999
*****************************************
HOT NEWS

FREE PC BUT AT WHAT PRICE

If you haven't heard the news yet it's entirely possible that you've spent
the last week or two hiding under a rock, or at least carefree behind your
Macintosh. A new startup company called Free PC has decided to give PCs away
for the asking. The initial roll-out was expected to be just 10,000
distributed within the first 90 days; the company received 375,000 the first
day alone.

There is a caveat in all this though. And a question you should ask yourself
any time you see the word "free" pasted into the middle of a marketing
blitz. True, you won't have to spend a penny to get Free-PC Inc.'s deal but
you will have to give away an awful lot of information including, among
other things, your income and your Social Security number. You'll also have
to put up with a non-removable advertisement that will run endlessly while
you use your new "free" PC.

So, I ask with a very large smirk on my face, just how free is this PC?
Certainly not as cheap as an iMac...


THIS ISSUE OF HOTTIPS IS ALSO BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

  WESTCODE INTRODUCES SYSTEM BAR, a collection of several essential tools
  to simplify everyday tasks. Use this handy floating palette to launch
  URLs, autosave your work, navigate your hard drive, type predefined text
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  You'll find it indispensable for saving time and effort. Visit us at
  <http://www.westcodesoft.com/systembar/ to learn more and order now for
  only $19.98!


*****************************************
HOT TIPS

SPRING IS IN THE AIR...

In some states - not including the one I live in - you can actually begin
gardening now. So what does the web have to offer for the digital
green-thumb? Quite a lot actually! (This information originally appeared in
the 2/18/99 NY Times.)

THE GARDEN GATE
<www.prairienet.org/garden-gate

A non-commercial service that provides links to gardening sites including
non-profits and extension services.

GARDEN ESCAPE
<www.garden.com

The web home of Garden Escape, an online gardening retailer that works in
conjunction with nurseries country-wide. This site includes gardening
chat-groups and a plant-finder that aids in garden-design assistance.

PLANTAMERICA
<www.plantamerica.com

Touted to be the most comprehensive, garden-related search-site on the web.

SIRRA HOME/GARDENING
<www.gardening.com

Part of the Sierra Home web site that includes a monthly to-do list for
every region.

NATIONAL GARDENING ASSOCIATION
<www.garden.org

Research materials, links to other gardening sites and even an on-line
botany course.

MINING COMPANY/GARDENING
<http://home.miningco.com/home/garden

Just one more of a wealth of sites maintained by the Mining Company.

GARDEN NET
<www.gardennet.com

Detailed information on plants, including roundtables and an area to order
free seed and gardening catalogues.

THE VIRTUAL GARDEN
<www.vg.com

Many sources including the Time-Live Plant Encyclopedia and a summary of
what gardening magazines are offering.

Don't forget to send me fresh tomatoes when when you're done.

*****************************************
HOT FILES

DIALOG VIEW 2.3.2

Indispensable! Especially if you find that your Save and Open dialog boxes
are much too small. This is a new OS 8.5 saavy version but it plays well
with prior System Software too!

You'll find the latest version here:

<ftp://users.aol.com//jwwaiker/pub/

DOCK MANAGER

You may not know it but OS 8.5 has many features that are invisible to the
human eye. That's why you need Dock Manager. Now you can change the way you
switch applications, manage your Sherlock better and have more fun too! (I
should be writing ad copy...)

Get Dock Manager from:

<http://www.public.iastate.edu/~cosy/everyday.html

YOSEMITE

Everybody needs a vacation but not every vacation gives you a glorious
glimpse of Half Dome (updated every three minutes from 6 PM to 5 PM PST!)
Plus, get QuickTime VR panoramas of about a half-dozen sites around Yosemite
Valley. (Don't miss Glacier Point the exciting location of my brother's
pre-dawn, early-fall wedding. Mmmm nice!.)

Have a look at:

<http://www.yosemite.org

Thanks Mom!

*****************************************
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

SIX PENCE NONE THE RICHER
Six Pence None the Richer
Squint Entertainment

All right, I'm a wee bit behind the curve here seeing as this band has
already been nominated for a Grammy Award - I believe for best new artist.
If they do win the award it most certainly won't be a waste. Compelling
lyrics wrapped in an unusually distinct musical style.

Have a great week!

Jeff

==============================================
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1999 MacHome Magazine
==============================================

PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO

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<hottips@machome.com

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  and files with other Macs. Farallon’s iPrint adapters are easy to
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**************************************************
MacHome HotTips eNews - February 28, 1999
**************************************************
HOT NEWS

CORRECTION

Last week I mistakenly stated that Free PC was requiring applicants to
divulge their Social Security numbers. That was incorrect.

INTEL (NOT) INSIDE

Interesting news on two Intel fronts this last week. First: for the first
time (ever?) Intel was not the chip found inside most of the PCs shipped and
sold. AMD chips, found in less expensive "Wintel" PCs, have crept slightly
ahead of the more well known Intel brand. Second, to further exacerbate
Intel's problem, Gateway has now announced that they have agreed to use AMD
processors in future PCs. Looks like there's trouble on the Intel front.
(And this doesn't even take into account the hundreds of thousands of
PowerPC chips shipping in every iMac!)

SPEAKING OF iMACS

Have you attempted to order an iMac in the recent past? While it's
relatively easy to grab a Tangerine, Lime or possibly even a Strawberry iMac
you can forget about Grape or Blueberry. Of the three mail-order companies I
called no one had anything but Tangerine or Lime. Two had Strawberry. But
Blueberry and Grape were backordered for several weeks. In one case the
company I called had over 250 backorders for the Blueberry version.

Can anyone say 600,000 more iMacs sold by the end of the next fiscal
quarter?

I can.

THIS ISSUE OF HOTTIPS IS ALSO BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE EQUALLY FINE FOLKS AT:

  iMacs4U.com, the web store just for iMac owners.
  Go to: <http://www.iMacs4U.com

  GAMERS! Connectix Virtual Game Station Now In Stock!! Just $49.95!
  Plays Sony Playstation CDs on your iMac or G3 Mac! Totally Cool!
  Check it Out at: <http://www.iMacs4U.com

  LaCie External USB Hard Drives now in Stock!
       4GB $289.95      6GB $339.95

  Coming soon: USB CDR Drives - SCSI/USB converters

  iMacs4U.com, Secure credit card ordering using your MC, VISA or AMEX.


**************************************************
HOT TIPS

ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME

Here on the East cost we have an irritating radio station whose jingle
spouts "Give us 10 minutes and we'll give you the world." On the other hand,
if you have an Internet connection,you can do yourself one better. You've
got all the latest news all the time; and it's all just a URL away. Of
course these are limited to some of my favorite news spots but hey... you
can make them yours too.

THE NEW YORK TIMES

The Times is the Grey Lady of the print news industry. And while the paper
still won't print a comic they do have some great writing, excellent book
movie and theatre reviews. Also, don't miss Tuesday for the Science Times
and Thursday for Circuits.

Keep this in mind though: the Times has recently changed their online news
policy. If an article is in today's paper it's yours to read for free. If
you want anything older than that you'll need to run to the library or pay
the Times for the privilege of reading yesterdays news.

Get the Times at:

<http://www.nytimes.com

THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE and EXAMINER

I'm a west coast boy born and bred. San Francisco Bay Area to be exact.
While there's only one of these papers that I'm really in love with (it's
delivered in the morning) they're both available on the web. Unfortunately
Herb Caen's no longer around to make the morning bright.

You'll find the Chronicle and the Examiner at:

<http://www.sfgate.com

BRILL'S CONTENT

Sick and tired of the way the press handles the news? A little more than
concerned that there's too thin a line between news and entertainment? So is
Steven Brill. And his magazine makes a point of goring a few bulls on every
side of the media fence.

You'll find Brill online at:

<http://www.brillscontent.com

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO

NPR is my morning wake-up call. Great in-depth news with virtually no
commercial interruptions. Much of what you hear on the radio is also
available on the web with a little help from Real Audio.

Listen to NPR at:

<http://www.npr.org

NEWSWEEK

Used to be that Steven Levy could only be found in MacWorld Magazine. Then
he disappeared only to reappear occasionally in the New York Times Magazine.
Now you can read him nearly every week in the Technology section of
Newsweek. Newsweek also maintains a searchable archive of many of their past
issues and the entire content of their current issue. Great mag both in
print and on the web.

<http://www.newsweek.com

HOTTIPS IS ALSO MADE POSSIBLE BY:

  WESTCODE INTRODUCES SYSTEM BAR, a collection of several essential tools
  to simplify everyday tasks. Use this handy floating palette to launch
  URLs, autosave your work, navigate your hard drive, type predefined text
  and more!

  You'll find it indispensable for saving time and effort. Visit us at
  <http://www.westcodesoft.com/systembar/ to learn more and order now for
  only $19.98!


**************************************************
HOT FILES

MANUAL MAKER

Looking for a quick and easy way to create that manual for your latest and
greatest shareware program. Look no further than Manual Maker. This slick
little program will take SimpleText files and turn them into super manuals.

Get your copy from:

<http://users.aol.com/jwwalker/

MACTICKER

This program will make you feel like one of the big boys (and girls!) and
the stock market floor. All the prices of all your favorite stocks zinging
past you on the top of your screen. (20 minutes delayed of course!)

Get a copy of MacTicker from:

<http://www.galleon.com

JUMP!

Looking for web-based email that works just like a normal email client? Then
what you're looking for is Jump! It's the perfect interface married to an
excellent contact manager and calendar. All on the web!

Jump on over to;

<http://www.jump.com



**************************************************
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

JONATHA BROOKE - LIVE
Jonatha Brooke
Bad Dog Records

Gleaned by Jonatha from concerts recorded over the last year or so. This is
a do-it-yourself publishing job. Up until about a week ago it was only
available on the web. But her web distribution was so good that she got
picked up again for national distribution.

Get your copy directly from the Jonatha Brooke web site at:

<http://www.jonathabrooke.com

You can also find the CD at Amazon.com.

<http://www.amazon.com

Have a stellar week!

Jeff

**************************************************
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1999 MacHome Magazine
**************************************************

**PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO**

Send all Hottips correspondence to:

<hottips-editor@machome.com

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<hottips-on@lists.machome.com.

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<hottips-off@lists.machome.com

Is This All?
     Can I Go Now.
         Is This All?

Visit <http://www.jonathabrooke.com

This is all...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 




THIS ISSUE OF HOTTIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FINE FOLKS AT:

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  Consultation today! <http://www.farallon.com/machome/doctor.html
  Dr. Farallon's FREE Network Clinic can help with planning and
  building your home network to share an Internet connection
  transfer files, play network games and share printers and peripherals.
  Whatever questions and concerns you have about Home Networking,
  just ask Dr. Farallon!

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Subscribe for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips
booklet all for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

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**************************************************
MacHome HotTips eNews - March 7, 1999
**************************************************
HOT NEWS

HELLO! (again)

Well... this probably doesn't qualify as news. At least not real news in any
significant sense. But hey... it's news to me.

By some great and glorious encounter with serendipity I was able to locate
an iMac. A Grape iMac no less. And at a discount price! (No, I'm not giving
up my sources. Besides, it was the last one!) Having spent the better part
of the weekend with my toy... er, Business Tool, I have several thoughts
regarding the iMac that may be of interest.

First, the setup. Quite in line with the advertising setup was a complete
snap. In fact, it took me more time to untangle and disconnect my 5215CD
than it did to get the iMac up and running. (By the way, the 5215CD
currently sits about 12 feet away... networked to the iMac and sharing
files. Also quite a snap!)

The mouse takes a little getting used to. As you may already know the mouse
is round, which makes it difficult to determine which way is up by tactile
sense alone. But it didn't take long to "get a grip" on how to use it. The
keyboard reverts back to the days of the smaller Mac keyboards. Although
unlike that keyboard it does include Function keys.

The flavor? Well, it really only disappointed one person in my house, and
that was only temporarily. Upon viewing the choices displayed on the outside
of the box my oldest daughter determined that she would be happy with any of
the iMacs she saw... with the exception of Grape. She was soon comforted and
by the time I returned from work she was completely happy.

Speaking of my daughters, and my burgeoning, soon to be iMac using, son, I
do have one concern about the iMac: the CDROM drive is not necessarily
designed for little people both from an ease-of-use or from a strength
standpoint. This CDROM is the same type that you'll find in a PowerBook or
any other type of portable computer. The CD actually snaps into place rather
than being dropped into a dish. And the drawer seems less likely to
withstand the downward pressure of unguided little hands. So, at least in my
house, there will be a little more supervision required than usual.

Overall the experience has been wonderful. In fact, especially from a
price-point perspective, the iMac is darned near perfect. Fast as a rocket.
(Don't let anyone tell you that a 266 MHz G3 isn't fast. It'll turn you on
your ear.) Cheap enough and cute enough to have an iMac in nearly every room
of the house. Something akin to the way people currently have TVs strewn
throughout the house only significantly more useful.

Which brings me to my final thought...

When Apple first went about creating Macintosh there was a general principal
guiding them: make a computer cheap, appliance-like and easy-to-use. (Which
is perhaps a synonym for appliance-like.) Just about the time that the Mac
was to be released Steve Jobs was given the boot from Apple. John Sculley
took the helm and determined that the Mac, rather than being an inexpensive
appliance for the masses, should be a lever for wide price margins. You know
the rest of the story.

Enter Steve Jobs and the iMac. It's almost like deja vu all over again. Only
this time it's a killer machine at a killer price.

Steve sir, you've done a mighty fine job. And may I say that there's no
better revenge than a job well done.

By the way... I've done quite well without the floppy.


**************************************************
HOT TIPS

ZIP IT STUFF IT AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS YOU USED TO EAT SOAP FOR

How many times have you downloaded a file with an extension that was spelled
something like this:

.SIT
.ZIP
.SEA

While attempting to open one of these files you may also have been greeted
with a message stating that the your Mac can't find the program that created
the file and therefore you can't open it. What you've encountered is a
compressed archive.

Compressed archives are files, typically large files, that have been made
smaller so that they can travel across the Internet more quickly or be
stored more efficiently on some type of removable media like a Zip disk. So
how do you open one of these files? Easy!

There are currently several programs, from commercial to freeware, that
allow you to open any of these files. But first a world of explanation:

SIT files are files typically created by Stuffit Deluxe or DropStuff. Each
of these programs are the creation of Aladdin Systems. The vast majority of
Macintosh archives you'll encounter on the web will have been created by
some version of Stuffit. These files need to be opened with the freeware
program StuffitExpander or the new, and also free, MindExpaner from
MindVision Software

.ZIP archives are PC files that have been created by the shareware program
PKZIP. Or some other program that uses the PKZIP compression standard. Zip
files are just about the only way you'll find PC files compressed. These too
can be expanded using StuffitExpander or the other Mac program designed to
unleash zip files: ZipIt.

.SEA files are "Self Extracting Archives" which means that they SHOULD open
with a simple double-click. If they don't do not despair. A simple
rebuilding of your desktop file should straighten everything out.

So where can you find these files? Have a look at the Hot Files section!


HOTTIPS IS ALSO MADE POSSIBLE BY:

  WESTCODE INTRODUCES SYSTEM BAR, a collection of several essential tools
  to simplify everyday tasks. Use this handy floating palette to launch
  URLs, autosave your work, navigate your hard drive, type predefined text
  and more!

  You'll find it indispensable for saving time and effort. Visit us at
  <http://www.westcodesoft.com/systembar/ to learn more and order now for
  only $19.98!


**************************************************
HOT FILES

SIGERSON 2.0

Looking for a great program to help you manage the gazillion Sherlock
plug-ins you have. Sigerson will do the trick... Perfectly. And for free
too! (By the way... I wrote the manual!)

You'll find Sigerson at:

<http://www.wwa.com/~sentman/sigerson/


STUFFITEXPANDER, DROPSTUFF AND STUFFIT DELUXE

What a collection! All available for varying prices, from free to $50.

Get them all from the following sites:

<http://www.aladdinsys.com
<http://www.aladdinsys.com/dropstuff/
<http://www.aladdinsys.com/expander/index.html


MINDEXPANDER

This too will expand files but keep this one tidbit in mind... it only
expands Mac files.

Get MindExpander from:

<http://www.mindvision.com/consumer/


ZIPIT

So you want to CREATE zip files? Sheesh, what kind of crazy person are you?

Well, if you insist you can do it with this program. (Or you can purchase
the full version of Stuffit Deluxe.)

Get ZipIt from:

<http://home.earthlink.net/~thomasabrown/zipit/zipit.hqx

**************************************************
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

DUBLINERS
James Joyce

Classic writing from a classic writer. Decided to pick it up after I heard a
two-part reading of "The Dead" broadcast on NPR's Selected Shorts. Amazingly
contemporary for something published 85 years ago.

Enjoy!

Jeff


**************************************************
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1999 MacHome Magazine
**************************************************

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Is This All?
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This edition of HotTips was created using an iMac.

This is all...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 



THIS ISSUE OF HOTTIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FINE FOLKS AT:

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**************************************************
MacHome HotTips eNews - March 15, 1999
**************************************************
HOT NEWS

HELLO (again) II - INTO THE DEN OF UBIQUITY

This is part two of the new iMac saga. And an interesting saga it is...

Scene I: My Office last week.

One of the big bosses - complete non-techie - comes to me to talk about
purchasing a new computer. One of the partners in the firm has suggested
that he buy an iMac but the big boss is not too sure. What do I think?  Of
course I concur! (By the way, this firm is a big IBM house. AS/400, Compaq
desktops the whole deal.) The big boss wants to see pictures and wants to
know if I'll set the new iMac up for him if he decides to make the purchase.
No problem!

One problem. The big boss is not too certain he likes the idea of a lollipop
colored computer. Plus, it only has a 15" monitor. Could be too small. "I
know how to solve the problem" I say. "I have a brand new iMac at home. I'll
bring  it in after lunch and you can have a look and see if it will work
out."

Great idea! Boss concurs.

Scene II: Same office after lunch.

After lovingly removing my iMac from its seatbelt (hey, I do the same for my
babies!) I proceed to the inner sanctum of the IS department. (Just so
happens that it's the department I work in.) I quickly set up the iMac and
call the boss.

He looks.
He loves.
I order.

iMac is slated to arrive at his home on Friday afternoon.

Scene III:  Computer room 20 minutes after boss' mail-order purchase.
(Remember, this is an IBM house. Programmers, staff, even the printer repair
guy are IBMers.) There is a literal swarm of IS people standing around the
iMac. Touching. Feeling. (All right, I told them to touch it. Just couldn't
resist!) Cruising the Internet. Everybody is ooo-ing and aaa-ing. They
absolutely love this little guy. Practically have to beat them to let me
take my iMac back home. Whole experience leaves quite an impression.

Scene IV: My House Saturday

The Phone Does Not Ring.

Scene V: My House Sunday

Same Story.

Scene VI: Monday AM, back at the office

Big note on desk "Come See Big Boss"

Fear and trepidation. (Make mental notes of every one I know who might be
hiring. Visions of wife and children sleeping in car.)

Enter boss' office. Boss has rather large, sheepish grin on his face. "I set
it up myself" he says." Even connected to AOL. It works great!"

Leave office happy to have a job and amazed, once again, at just how slick
this little bugger of an iMac is.


THIS ISSUE OF HOTTIPS IS ALSO BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE EQUALLY FINE FOLKS AT:

  iMacs4U.com, the web store just for iMac owners.
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  Buy Myth II Soulblighter and get Bungie's Strategies & Secrets guide FREE!
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  WIN an Agfa SnapScan 1212u! Enter on our site today!
  <http://www.iMacs4U.com

  iMacs4U.com, Secure credit card ordering using your MC, VISA or AMEX.


**************************************************
HOT TIPS

A LITTLE BIT OF MUSIC WITH QUICKTIME 3

You may or may not be aware that if you registered QuickTime 3 you were
given several new features that, if nothing else, are fun to play with. If
you're a budding (or budded) musician who wants to get your music out to the
web, well, you've purchased a gold mine. QT 3 contains some amazing tools
for helping you to get high quality sound to the web in a very small
package.

Here's how to get it done:

**Quick note... if you recently upgraded to OS 8.5 you got the full version
of QT 3 for free. Just register OS 8.5 at the apple web site and you
immediately get your  QT 3 registration #.**

First, put a music CD in your CD ROM drive and open the QuickTime 3 Movie
player.

Select "File" and then select "Open."

Navigate to your Audio CD and then open the track that you want to convert
to QT.

Press the "Convert" button.

You should now see a standard "Save" dialog window. Press the button that
says "Options."

A new dialog box will appear that's called "Audio CD Import Options"

In the settings section make sure the "Rate" menu says 44.100 kHz and the
size is set to 16 bit and "Use" is set to "Stereo."

In the "Audio Selection" section grab the slider at the far right-hand side
and drag it to the left until "End" says 1:30.

Click "OK."

Give your audio file a name and then click "Save."

After the file is saved check to see how large it is using Get Info.
(Command-I in the Finder.) It should be somewhere around 15 MB. Much much
too large to post on the web. (Unless, of course, everyone you know has T1
connections.)

Now comes the fun (and the long!) part.

If it's not already open, open your QT audio file and then select "Export"
from the "File" menu.

In the "Save" dialog select the "Options" button.

You should now see a "Movie Settings" window. Press the "Settings" button.

Change the Compressor to "QDesign Music"

Set the "Rate" to 48.000. (or as high as you can.)

Set the Size to 16 bit.

Set "Use" to Stereo.

Press the "Options..." button.

In the QDesign Music Encoder set the Bitrate to 48 kbits/s.

Keep on clicking the "OK" button until you get to the "Save" dialog. Then
name your new audio file and press "Save."

Depending on the speed of your computer you can grab a cup of coffee. Take a
shower, or if life's really bad, go to bed. This part can take a little
while.

Once the job is complete have a look at the size of the file. It should be
around 550K. Pretty darn small. Certainly small enough for someone to
download, even if they have a slow web connection.

Double-click the movie and have a listen. The quality should be the same as
what's on your CD. Beats the heck out of RealAudio. Maybe not as good as
MPEG.

Pretty slick eh?

**************************************************
HOT FILES

**Unless Otherwise Noted All Hot Files are Shareware**

HARDWOOD SOLITAIRE II

Looking for something to while away the time. Try this new solitaire
package. Great graphics. Fun sounds. And now FORMERLY only available for the
PC.

Don't waste too much time now!

<http://www.silvercrk.com/


ANARCHIE PRO

Newly updated and very fast Anarchie Pro (pronounced anarchy) is bound to be
the best download tool you've ever met.

Get you copy from:

<http://www.stairways.com/


THE NEW STAR WARS MOVIE TRAILER

This one may be tough but heck, it's worth a try. And it's way cheaper than
paying $7.50 to see it in a theatre.

Get it from:

<http://www.starwars.com

or

<http://www.apple.com

**************************************************
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

SELECTED SHORTS

Selected Shorts is NPR's weekly radio story hour. So grab the milk and
cookies and get set to hear the best of Beckett, E. Annie Proulx,F. Scott
Fitzgerald and literally hundreds of other writers.

You'll be able to find a schedule and local radio listings at:

<http://www.symphonyspace.org/1998-99.html

Have a wonderful week!

Jeff
**************************************************
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1999 MacHome Magazine
**************************************************

**PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO**

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<hottips-editor@machome.com

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THIS ISSUE OF HOTTIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FINE FOLKS AT:

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  iMacs and Power Mac G3s with LocalTalk printers and older Macs
  or "serial" StyleWriter printers so you can share existing printers
  and files with other Macs. Farallon’s iPrint adapters are easy to
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**************************************************
MacHome HotTips eNews - March 21, 1999
Edited by: Jeff Battersby
**************************************************
HOT NEWS

WINDOWS TIME WARP

The NY Times reported this interesting little tidbit:

Apparently Microsoft has admitted to yet another bug in their delightfully
bomb-prone Windows95/98. This one, while not particularly insidious, could
be a pain if you decide to keep your computer running for any extended
period of time. 49 days, 17 hours, 2 minutes and 47.296 seconds to be exact.
Or, for those who prefer appended notation: 49.7 days.

The Times article continues:

"Why 49.7 days? Because computers aren't counting the days. They're counting
the milliseconds. One counter begins when Windows starts up; when it gets to
2 (to the 32 power) milliseconds -- which happens to be 49.7 days -- well,
that's the biggest number this counter can handle. And instead of gracefully
rolling over and starting again at zero, it manages to bring the entire
operating system to a halt."

Here's to NOT leaving the computer on for you.

If the article hasn't been archived yet you'll find it at:

<http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/03/biztech/articles/21product.html

If it has been archived you'll need to search for it under the title:

Broken Windows Theory

(Remember, you have to pay to view archived NY Times articles.)


THIS ISSUE OF HOTTIPS IS ALSO BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE EQUALLY FINE FOLKS AT:

  **************    B E S T   M A C   D E A L S    *****************
            Get System 8.5 for Free*  , G3 upgrades $259
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     64mb dimm's from $98.99 , iMac floppys, Voodoo, and SCSI in stock,
    Ask for a free gift with every order. Check out BottomLine.
  http://www.bldistribution.com/     mailto:sales@bldistribution.com


**************************************************
HOT TIPS

PROGRAMMING TIPS IN THE WEB

So you've got an itch to begin programming Mac apps but you have no idea
where to begin. Have a look at these sites and you're sure to find some very
useful information. (Not to mention maybe a slice or two of source code to
help you make your start!)

REALBASIC

REALBasic is a new visual programming environment brought to you by the
folks at REAL Software. It's amazingly simple and yet, if you're a newbie,
it can be as difficult as any text-based programming language. Fortunately
there's help!

Matt Neuberg is currently in the process of writing a book on programming in
REALBasic. He's also offering a few tidbits for public consumption as well
as several programs and their source code at his web site.

Take a gander at his web site:

<http://www.tidbits.com/matt/sethsdefault.html


METROWERKS

Want to learn how to program using CodeWarrior? This is the place to go. The
MetroWerks website is where you can purchase "Discover Programming", a
complete guide to programming everything from Pascal to C++ using MetroWerks
CodeWarrior. Not only do you get to use MetroWerks top notch IDE you get
darn nearly every book available about programming for the Macintosh. (All
in PDF format of course!)

Have a look around at:

<http://www.metrowerks.com/discover/


INSIDE MACINTOSH

In order to program Mac apps you need to know what's going on inside your
Macintosh. You have two options: you can go to your local bookstore and
order every volume. (Very expensive) Or you can go to the Apple Developer's
website and get them all for free! (Tough choice eh?)

Pick up the whole pile at:

<http://www.apple.com/developer/


MACINTOSH PROGRAMMER'S LINK LIBRARY

Last but certainly not least a complete selection of programming links for
everything from FileMaker Pro to ADA. (If you have to ask... don't.) It's
all right here!

Hit the links at:

<http://www.macinsearch.com/users/programmer/


**************************************************
HOT FILES

**Unless Otherwise Noted All Hot Files are Shareware**

REALBASIC

Can't talk about it without telling you where to get your fully-functional
demo copy. It's a great little program with which you can program greatly.
(Ouch, what a sentence!)

You'll find REALBasic and several great resources at:

<http://www.realbasic.com


TURTLE DICE

Want to see just what you can do with a program like REALBasic? Have a look
at Turtle Dice. This Yahtzee-like program was created using REALBasic. Play
with it for awhile and then see what you can do.

Get Turtle Dice from:

<http://www.turtleprod.com/products.html


CAPSOFF

Ever typed sixty-gajillion pages of text only to look up and discover that
somewhere during the process you accidentally hit the Caps Lock key?

Ever had to explain to your children why you DON'T need to have your mouth
washed out with soap?

CapsOff will cure what ails you. This nifty little control panel will cure
the curse. No more accidental yelling in your email. No more re-typed term
papers. Hey! This ought to be great!

Get CapsOff from:

<http://sodium.ch.man.ac.uk/pages/redpoint/capsoff.html


**************************************************
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
Arthur Golden
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

I rarely suggest a book until I've read it completely, Memoirs of a Geisha
is an exception. This books is so beautifully written that I can't put it
down. I'm certain that you'll feel the same way too.

Have a wonderful week!

Jeff

**************************************************
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1999 MacHome Magazine
**************************************************

**PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO**

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<hottips-editor@machome.com

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  Consultation today! <http://www.farallon.com/machome/doctor.html
  Dr. Farallon's FREE Network Clinic can help with planning and
  building your home network to share an Internet connection
  transfer files, play network games and share printers and peripherals.
  Whatever questions and concerns you have about Home Networking,
  just ask Dr. Farallon!

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**************************************************
MacHome HotTips eNews - March 28, 1999
Edited by: Jeff Battersby
**************************************************
HOT NEWS

MITNICK PLEADS OUT

If you're familiar with Kevin Mitnick it's likely to be due to the fact that
he made national news a few years back by hacking his way into the North
American Air Defense Command; no small task for any twenty-something hacker
poster-boy. What you may not know is that he's spent the last four years and
a month sitting behind bars for these misdeeds. (Not to mention a few
million dollars worth of cyber-theft. If you're really interested in the
gory details you should have a look at <www.takedown.com.)

What's new on the Mitnick news-front is this:

As of Friday of this week, Kevin Mitnick has had a plea agreement accepted
by a judge. Under the agreement Kevin will be allowed to leave federal
prison within the next couple of months, although he will still be facing
more potential jail time from the state of California. Mitnick will also
remain under supervised release and will not be allowed to use a computer or
access a computer network for three years.

For the complete details on Kevin Mitnick's plea agreement head on out to:

<http://www.zdnet.com/zdtv/cybercrime/features/story/0,3700,2232644,00.html

For further details on the life and times of Kevin Mitnick open Sherlock
(or, if you don't have OS 8.5, any reliable web search engine) and search
the web for Kevin's name. You should find enough reading material to keep
you occupied for a good long time.


**************************************************
HOT TIPS

SIGERSON

Sigerson is a slick little program that makes Sherlock work even better. By
organizing all of your plug-ins, Sigerson lets you get down to the business
of searching the web. Here are a few tricks to help make the most out of
this excellent program.

INSTALLING SHERLOCK PLUG-INS

If you're using Sigerson, installing new plug-ins is a snap. Simply drag
your files from the Finder into the main Sigerson window and you're done.

If you have a folder full of plug-ins you can drag those on the window as
well. Sigerson is able to pull all the plug-ins out of the folder (even
nested folders!) and put them into their proper place.

QUICKER QUICKLOAD

After you've created search sets using Sigerson you can turn Quickload on to
make searching even faster. Just click the arrow in the upper-left-hand
corner of the Sigerson window to turn Quickload on. Now every time you start
Sigerson you'll only load your saved search sets. (You can also make
Quickload start by holding down the Command key when you double-click the
Sigerson application icon.)

EDITING SHERLOCK PLUG-INS

Want to edit a plug-in or copy the information so you can learn how to
create your own?

Select a plug-in and press Command-O or "Open In Editor" from the "Sites"
menu. You'll be met with Sigerson's plug-in editor. Be careful though! It's
just as easy to destroy a plug-in as it is to create one.


EARLY EASTER EGG HUNT

And now the fun begins... just in time for Easter.

The Sigerson program contains an Easter Egg (a special surprise created by
the programmer for the swift of mind and keyboard.)

No hints here... can you find it?

**************************************************
HOT FILES

**Unless Otherwise Noted All Hot Files are Shareware**

SIGERSON 2.01

Get the slickest plug-in manager known to man. Organize your life. Spend
more time with your dog. (And discover the Easter Egg!)

Pick up your copy of Sigerson from:

<http://www.wwa.com/~sentman/sigerson/index.html

Ummm... did I mention that Sigerson is free?

Now I did.

MINDLESS GAMES: POP & CROP CIRCLES

Two fun ones here... In the first you're a balloon dog, (You know... the
kind created by clowns at birthday parties.), attempting to navigate a
balloon world. 70+ puzzles that'll burn multiple hours.

Game number two is for the X-files fan in all of us; from an alien
perspective.

Eat a cow.

Circle a crop.

Be an alien.

All at:

<http://www.zeroentertainment.com

Oh yeah, you Windows guys out there. (And we know who you are!) You can play
these games too.

NETCD

Net CD is a powerful CD cataloging tool that has been updated. Don't miss
it!.

Get yours from:

<http://macinsearch.com/users/tobyrush/software/netcd.html#download

By the way... this too is free.

**************************************************
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

JAKI BYARD AT MAYBECK
Jaki Byard
Maybeck Recital Hall Series
Volume Seventeen
Concord Jazz

Jaki Byard was a brilliant pianist. (He was murdered in his home a little
over a month ago.) This live session at the Maybeck Recital Hall in Concord,
CA is sure to tickle your piano fancy. Great music from a great musician.

Have a lovely week!!

Jeff

**************************************************
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1999 MacHome Magazine
**************************************************

**PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO**

Send all Hottips correspondence to:

<hottips-editor@machome.com

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This is all...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 


THIS ISSUE OF HOTTIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FINE FOLKS AT:

  **************    B E S T   M A C   D E A L S    *****************
            Get System 8.5 for Free*  , G3 upgrades $259
       Virtual Game Station $45.99 , CDR Media/Drives $1.29/$199
     64mb dimm's from $98.99 , iMac floppys, Voodoo, and SCSI in stock,
    Ask for a free gift with every order. Check out BottomLine.
  http://www.bldistribution.com/     mailto:sales@bldistribution.com

**Subscribe to MacHome Magazine**

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Subscribe for two years and get an Apple Logo baseball cap and Mac Tips
booklet all for an unbelievable $59.95!

Get the whole deal at:

<http://www.machome.com/

**************************************************
MacHome HotTips eNews - April 3, 1999
Edited by: Jeff Battersby
**************************************************
HOT NEWS

This week's HotTips is somewhat truncated due to the Holiday weekend. Hope
yours was great!

Jeff


**************************************************
HOT TIPS

WEB TRAVEL

You may already be aware that the web has nearly unlimited resources in a
wide variety of interest areas. What you may not know is that it's possible
to book plane flights, rental cars and even tours all from the comfort of
your Mac. So step right up while we take a look at just a few of the sites
that are available to help make your travel planning easier.

EXPEDIA

Expedia is another portion of the growing Microsoft Network. From this site
you can easily locate the cheapest plane and rental car prices. From this
site you'll also find links to travel agents and travel deals as well as
maps and useful "mileage trackers" for keeping tabs of your frequent flier
mileage.

Start your trip from:

<http://expedia.msn.com/


CHEAP TICKETS

Looking for a great deal on airline tickets? Want to find a great hotel room
without forking over the big bucks? Cheap Tickets has everything you need.
While it's not a full-service travel site like Expedia, Cheap Tickets will
work its tail off to find you the best travel deals available on the web.

Fly on the cheap at:

<http://www.cheaptickets.com/


BIZTRAVEL.COM

Biztravel is a mecca for business travelers; especially if you're looking to
rack up the most frequent flier miles with the least amount of effort.
Biztravel will search for plane flights, rental cars and hotel rooms that,
combined, will pile on the most possible FF miles. Sure beats the heck out
of doing it yourself!

Piles and piles of F-flier miles at:

<http://www.biztravel.com/


THETRIP.COM

This site is my personal favorite, and the only one I've ever actually
ordered tickets from. theTrip is likely to be the easiest site to navigate
and, when I had to speak with customer service, they were incredibly
helpful. This site will also allow you to track a flight's progress as it's
making its way form one destination to another; the real way to find out if
aunt Millie's flight really is arriving on time.

Take theTrip at:

<http://www.thetrip.com/

TRAVELOCITY

This site is also excellent and extraordinarily well organized. Quick access
to all available flight information makes Travelocity a near mouse-down
winner for the best reservation site on the web.

Travel on at:

<http://www.travelocity.com/


HOTTIPS IS ALSO MADE POSSIBLE BY:

  iMacs4U.com, the web store just for iMac owners.
  Go to: <http://www.iMacs4U.com

  iMacs4U.com exclusive GAMER SPECIALS!
  Buy Myth II Soulblighter and get Bungie's Strategies & Secrets guide FREE!
  a $19.95 value!
  Check it Out at: <http://www.iMacs4U.com

  CH Products Gamestick 3D  - The coolest joystick we've tried! just $49.95

  WIN an Agfa SnapScan 1212u! Enter on our site today!
  <http://www.iMacs4U.com

  iMacs4U.com, Secure credit card ordering using your MC, VISA or AMEX.


**************************************************
HOT FILES

**Unless Otherwise Noted All Hot Files are Shareware**

ADOBE ACROBAT READER 4.0

New an improved, this all-purpose, all-platform document reader is pretty
much the web standard for portable documents; with a single caveat. If
you're used to searching your PDF files for specific you'll need to stick
with 3.x. The 4.0 version doesn't currently support text searching within
documents.

Get your update from:

<http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html


JEFF'S CALCULATOR

No... I haven't programmed a new calculator. (Sheesh, I can hardly balance
my check book!) But Jeff Dietz has! This slick little calculator, programmed
with RealBASIC, is guaranteed to tickle you. Especially if you have a
penchant for metric conversions.

Check out this liter calculator at:

<http://www3.tky.threewebnet.or.jp/~lundietz/jeffsoft.html


MARINER WRITE 2.0

Mariner Write is an excellent word processor with a very small price tag and
an even smaller footprint. What's more, it doesn't skimp on features. In
fact, you'll find it to be downright powerful!

While you're at this site be sure to check out Mariner LE 3.14; Mariner
Software's top-notch spreadsheet program.

Write-on at:

<http://www.marinersoft.com/MWrite.html

**************************************************
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

FRESH AIR with TERRY GROSS
NPR and WHYY in Philadelphia

Fresh Air is consistently one of the best contemporary radio talk shows.
Terry Gross interviews a cross-section of individuals from a multitude life
experiences. I'm sure you'll find it quite compelling.

You can find a local radio listing at:

<http://whyy.org/freshair/

Have a wonderful holiday week!

Jeff

**************************************************
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1999 MacHome Magazine
**************************************************

**PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO**

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<hottips-editor@machome.com

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Is This All?
     Can I Go Now.
         Is This All?

Visit <http://www.jonathabrooke.com

This is all...

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**Subscribe to MacHome Magazine**

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**************************************************
MacHome HotTips eNews - April 11, 1999
Edited by: Jeff Battersby
**************************************************
HOT NEWS

MELISSA GETS BACK TO HER MAKER

You've gotta love the irony. Some geeky (I should talk) programmer gets it
in his head to create a little virus. Smart little virus in fact. All
imbedded in a Microsoft Word document using Microsoft's powerful Visual
Basic for applications programming language.

This little virus smart. It poses as a document that you actually want
attached to an email you get from a friend. It says, "Here is the document
you asked for... don't show anyone else ;-)" Attached is a file called
"list.doc." Innocently, you open it... and that's when the fun begins.

The document contains a list of passwords for pornography sites on the web.
While you scratch your head wondering who you requested this from and why,
Melissa goes about her personal business on your computer. She grabs the
first 50 names from your Outlook Express address book, creates an email
message from you and attaches the "list.doc" file successfully propagating
herself once again. And in this case, unlike the usual virus scare, it
actually works; infecting over 100,000 machines and wreaking havoc on
private computers and at companies like Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

Here's the irony: Microsoft has perpetuated a little hack of their own. A
digital fingerprint, called a GUID, that uniquely identifies every document
created by a computer. And, akin to a physical fingerprint, no two GUIDs
will ever be alike. (Mind you, this stinks of Big Brother, but that's
another story. This is one instance where Big Brother loses its Orwellian
smell.)

Well, someone was able to extract the fingerprint and they posted it to the
Internet and that was the beginning of the end. By matching the GUIDs from
other documents created by a hacker with a similar MO, it was determined
that Melissa's creator was a programmer from Jersey named David L. Smith.
His real name was embedded in the document as well.

The moral? Well, that's pretty clear now isn't it?

**************************************************
HOT TIPS

USB TREATS DU JOUR

If you're the proud owner of an iMac or one of the new G3 Macs you're also
the owner of a pair of USB ports. These have replaced SCSI ports and are
infinitely more stable than their predecessors. Following are a few tips
that will help you make the best of an already excellent feature.


REBOOTING THE USB

USB ports can have an astoundingly unusual collection of items attached to
them. From keyboards and mice to printers, scanners and disk drives.
Occasionally one of these items might not work: the keyboard won't allow you
to type or a disk won't mount on your desktop. Never fear! Devices attached
to a USB port can be "rebooted" by unplugging them, waiting 10 seconds and
then plugging them back in. And no, there's no reason to power-down your
Macintosh. USB ports can be plugged and unplugged at will while the power is
still on.


KISS YOUR SCSI GOODBYE

Well I think not! There are a couple of USB to SCSI converter manufacturers.
So all you need to do is buy the converter and all of your SCSI equipment
can still be used. Who creates this stuff? Check out the following two
sources:

<http://www.newertech.com and <http://www.microtechint.com

Both manufacture USB to SCSI converters. So you can still use your ZIP drive
without having to purchase a new USB ZIP.


THE SAME GOES FOR ADB PORTS

Yup! There are plenty of USB to ADB converters available as well. Check out
the following:

<http://www.griffintechnology.com and <http://www.keyspan.com



**************************************************
HOT FILES

**Unless Otherwise Noted All Hot Files are Shareware**

THE NATIONAL PARK TOUR

Looking to book a camping trip to your favorite National Park. Feel free to
do it all from the comfort of your Mac! Check out the NPS online reservation
site. It even includes up to the minute availability at all the camp sites.

Sleep under the stars at:

<http://reservations.nps.gov


HIGHWAY NAVIGATOR

Speaking of summer vacation, how about a program that will provide
directions to durn near everywhere? Highway Navigator will do just that.
Simply enter your starting and ending points and this little gem will plot
your course for you. The program comes with roadmap databases of Washington
and Oregon but you can download other states from the Highway Navigator
site.

Get lost at:

<http://www.beaverbear.com


LUPE

It's like an old Bogart movie for your Mac. Only, instead of examining some
fine piece of purloined jewelry you can take a closer look at everything on
your desktop.

All right, it's not as good as Bogart.

Get luped for free at:

<http://www.artissoftware.com


**************************************************
ALL MAC AND NO PLAY...

TRY WHISTLING THIS
Neil Finn
Work

Even if you don't remember Crowded House you won't want to miss this. Neil
Finn turns out a debut solo album flavored with everything from Modern Rock
to R&B and Hip Hop. A very comfortable musical fit.


Have a great week!

Jeff

**************************************************
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1999 MacHome Magazine
**************************************************

**PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO**

Send all Hottips correspondence to:

<hottips-editor@machome.com

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<hottips-off@lists.machome.com

Is This All?
     Can I Go Now.
         Is This All?

Visit <http://www.jonathabrooke.com

This is all...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 




THIS ISSUE OF HOTTIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FINE FOLKS AT:

  Networking Newcomers - Get your FREE personal Network
  Consultation today! <http://www.farallon.com/machome/doctor.html
  Dr. Farallon's FREE Network Clinic can help with planning and
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  transfer files, play network games and share printers and peripherals.
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  just ask Dr. Farallon!

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**************************************************
MacHome HotTips eNews - April 18, 1999
Edited by: Jeff Battersby
**************************************************
HOT NEWS

ALL GOOD THINGS...

A couple of extra inches around the holidays.

That inexorable "pinging" sound that your car makes until you pull into the
the mechanic's shop.

It's inevitable. Some things you just can't get around. Sadly, all good
things must come to an end.

Such is the case with my tenure here at HotTips.

I've spent over a year here searching the net for cool tools, hot software,
inane news and bits of (I hope) helpful information; all items that I hoped
would make your Macintosh experience more enjoyable.

I know this is going to sound cliche, (it always does when I hear other
people say it), but you, the readers, are what really made writing HotTips
enjoyable. I was always surprised at the number of responses I got from each
issue of HotTips. I was consistently amazed at how strongly some of you felt
about issues that I thought were almost non-issues. (Can anyone say
"iMac-sans-floppy?") Many of you helped me to personally clarify issues that
were not specifically computer-related. (FreePC anyone?) Overall, you
challenged me to think and write more clearly. (A special word of thanks to
V.J. Spindler III. Although I'm sure that you're not completely satisfied
with your student, your student is more than appreciative! Feel free to
contact me any time.)

All Mac and No Play... filled a special place in my heart. Many of you felt
the same way, offering several other musical/reading/life paths for me to
consider traveling. I was especially moved by Al Hollin who shared with me
the story of his first experience with the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto.
Thank you! I continue to be touched not only by your story but your
willingness to share it with me.

Finally, to all of you who wrote to say how much you enjoyed HotTips, Thank
you! There are far too many of you to name, ( Hi Mom, Dad, Greg, Jacob,
Kristin, Kathy, Joanne, WordyJan! Some people you can't leave out!) but
please be assured that if it were reasonably possible to do so, I would.

Final HotTip...

Don't forget to break away from your smiling little Macintosh to enjoy the
real world. Digits don't amount to much in the grand scheme of things.

Thanks for everything!

Jeff

You can continue to reach me at:
<jeff@machome.com

Keep your eye out for the web version of All Mac and No Play...
<http://www.reyespoint.com

**************************************************

THIS ISSUE OF HOTTIPS IS ALSO BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE EQUALLY FINE FOLKS AT:

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  Best Data Products was the first to offer:
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  rebate; and
  --56K PCMCIA modem for $89.99.

  Go to: http://www.bestdata.com/store/emMachome.html


**************************************************
Mac Hottips Copyright © 1999 MacHome Magazine
**************************************************

**PERTINENT HOTTIPS INFO**

Send all Hottips correspondence to:

<hottips-editor@machome.com

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION:

To subscribe to MacHome Hottips - send email with 'Subscribe' as the subject
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<hottips-off@lists.machome.com

Is This All?
     Can I Go Now.
         Is This All?

Visit <http://www.jonathabrooke.com

Actually, this really is all...

Thanks again!
-J

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -