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Reversing decisions and the future of Apple

Reversals After buying out Power Computing, Apple now is licensing Power to sell Mac OS 8 until the take-over is official in January. UMAX is also expected to be licensed to sell Mac OS 8.

In another reversal decision, Apple has reportedly decided not to spin off the Newton.

While one can argue that, in all these cases, the initial decision and its subsequent reversal, were the right decision at the time, it still creates the sense that Apple unable to maintain a strategic direction for any length of time.

The future More generally, you might want to check out … Read more

Standalone version of Netscape Navigator is released; initial responses

After many users complained that Netscape Communicator contained too much bloat for people just wanting a web browser - and especially in light of competition from a leaner Microsoft Internet Explorer - Netscape has finally released a "stand-alone" version of Navigator 4.0.3 (the web browser component of Communicator). It is available in 68K and PPC flavors.

Based on initial email here to MacFixIt, most users are pleased with the result, especially if you use the PowerPC version. Even compared to Navigator 3.0 (never mind Communicator), RAM requirements, as listed in the Get Info window of … Read more

RAM Doubler 2.0.2 update: a possible conflict with Netscape (and other bug reports)

Several readers have all claimed the same problem after updating from RAM Doubler 2.0.1 to 2.0.2: An increased frequency of system crashes when using Netscape Communicator or Navigator. Returning to RAM Doubler 2.0.1 eliminated the crashes.

Two lone bug reports (which remain to be confirmed) for RAM Doubler 2.0.2: Garth Magee claims that RAM Doubler still leads to crashes on the receiving machine when transferring large numbers of files over a network. Michiel Houtman claims that background printing with ClarisWorks no longer worked (running Mac OS 7.6.1 on his Power … Read more

Week-end updates

A policy note: While I know that posting update information is of interest to readers, covering the release of program updates is one of the least rewarding things I do. This is because I often have very little to say about the program other than that it is released and because this type of news is the most likely to have already been covered on other web sites - from Version Tracker (which specializes in such listings) to more general news sites (such as MacInTouch and MRP). As such, I am henceforth going to try to restrict my coverage of … Read more

Kensington Mouseworks glitches?

Vellum/Kensington conflict Ashlar's Vellum 3.0 conflicts with Kensington's Startup extension for Mouseworks. As soon as you launch Vellum, it will crash. Upon removing the Kensington Startup extension, the problem went away. Robert Hartung says that this was confirmed by Ashlar.

...and another possible Mouseworks glitch Corky Brown reports that he could not get contextual menus to work in Mac OS 8 after installing Kensington's Mouseworks. However, many readers now report no problem in this regard.

Update: Corky writes: "The problem is solved. Seems I used the 'control-left button' for my slow cursor in the … Read more

Find File minor glitch in Mac OS 8

Readers seem to be having fun spotting minor (either mostly cosmetic or rarely encountered, but easy to replicate) bugs in Mac OS 8. Here is today's bug report from Eric Yang. It deals with Find File. Try this:

a. Open Find File. b. Bring any window to the foreground and cover up the right bottom region of the Find File window. c. While Find File is in the background click on the dimmed More Choices button. d. Find File move to the foreground with an odd incorrect display.

Update: Bobby Roe writes that a simple workaround for this is … Read more

Good news: POWERtools ships Mac OS 8;

Bad news: Other companies' support for Mac may be faltering POWERtools will be the first Mac OS clone to ship Mac OS 8.0. "Beginning on September 8, 1997, POWERtools will include Mac OS 8.0 with every infiniti T2 Mac OS clone that it ships."

Regarding the more general issue of the future of Mac clones, Victor Wong (of POWERtools) states: "POWERtools still retains every single license that it had when it started. We are still shipping, we are still developing new systems, and our contract says that we have at least four more years to … Read more

TechTool 1.1.5 problems continue to get reported

Regarding TechTool 1.1.5, many (though not all) readers are reporting the same problem with saving the desktop files that I noted last time. Others are reporting how almost any modification to the System file (including adding a sound file or, according to one report, modifying the desktop pattern in Mac OS 7) may lead to a report of a damaged file. A few noted more serious problems that, in some cases, required a reinstall of Mac OS 8 to fix. For example, Bob Bauer reports that when he lost all his custom icons after using TechTool to rebuild … Read more

ShrinkWrap 3.0 launch problem to be fixed soon

Aladdin Systems "has become aware that the trialware version of ShrinkWrap 3.0 that was posted on September 3rd does not allow the user to successfully launch the application. Aladdin is correcting this problem and expects to have a new installer posted by the end of this week."

Update: The new version of ShrinkWrap is now available.

RAM Doubler 2.0.2 update patch posted

Connectix writes that they have released the long-awaited RAM Doubler 2.0.2 updater patch. It fixes:

a. An issue mounting floppy disks under Mac OS 8.0 on certain PowerPC configurations is fixed b. PowerMac/Performa 61xx machines with DOS Compatibility cards no longer freeze upon booting Mac OS 8 c. About This Computer in Mac OS 8.0 now specifically recognizes RAM Doubler 2 d. Time Manager routines have been optimized to increase reliability in applications such as Netscape