Volume 8

April 1992

The total number of end-user connections to PennInfo for the month of March was 5,500.

For the best service from off campus, dial 898-3517 (1200 baud) or 898- 8670 (2400 baud) to get the PennNet annex: prompt. Only if these numbers are busy AND you want to connect to pennlin, umis, penndrls, or pennsas, should you try dialing 898-4781 to get a DIAL: prompt.

The largest known prime number is (2 ^756839 - 1, discovered by Cray scientists Gage and Slowinski. The number was verified in about 16 Cray hours using NeXT software.

When upgrading to Word 5 (Mac) beware that some of your favorite Word 4 keyboard shortcuts may have changed. For example, <Command-A>, which repeats a command in Word 4, selects the entire document in Word 5. <Command-Y> replaces <Command-A> for repeating a command, and <Command- J> replaces <Command-Y> to show/hide paragraph marks and other formatting symbols.

Ethernet (Mac) security problem: NCSA Telnet enables FTP access to the files on your Macintosh by default. This means that whenever you are running NCSA Telnet, anyone with Ethernet access can read or write to your hard drive. To change the default, use a word processor to modify your Config.Tel configuration file, adding the line ftp = no. To enable FTP access as needed, check/uncheck FTP enable under the File menu. To limit access to your hard drive when FTP is enabled, make sure you use the Telpass application to set up a password for each person to whom you want to grant access to your machine.

To change the way Lotus 1-2-3 (v. 2.2 or later) displays zeros in a worksheet, type / Worksheet Global Zero, then choose No to display the zero in a cell, Yes to show a blank cell instead of a zero, or Label to display some text in place of the zero.

Apple will provide PowerBook owners with a protective carrying case for the rechargeable battery. Touching the ex-posed terminals to metal causes an electrical discharge that could damage the batteries, start a fire, or cause physical harm.

Start Windows by typing WIN : (space before the colon) instead of WIN: to circumvent the Microsoft logo.

The phone number for the Penn's Landing BBS (for IBM/compatibles and DEC Rainbows) is 898-8511. Settings are 8 databits, No parity.

If an application bombs or freezes on a Mac running System 7, type <Command-Option-Escape> to force the application to quit without restarting the Macintosh. You can then make sure you save the work in other applications you may have open.

The computing profession remains male-dominated. A recent survey puts the percentage of female and male computer systems analysts/scientists at 34.5% and 65.5%, respectively, out of a total of about 605,000 individuals.

When you log on to PennInfo, check the "What's new on PennInfo" folder to discover the wealth of new information that's posted to the system.

Tired of itty bitty cursors? Microsoft Mouse driver v. 8.1 allows DOS and Windows users to increase the size of the mouse cursor and make the cursor transparent so that text shows through.

Definitions from Computerworld magazine: Groupware is vaporware for more than one person; flash memory is where the Windows/OS2 agreement is stored.

Why are the RISC (Reduced Instruction Set) chips used in some workstations faster than CISC (Complex Instruction Set) used in PCs, Macs, and NeXT machines? They are optimized for a smaller set of instructions, and they don't have the overhead of the microcode layer, which tells a CISC chip how to implement complex instructions.

The new Mac LC II will include an 030 process direct slot that is compatible with cards designed for the original LC's 020 Direct Slot.

A quick way to copy files under Mac System 7 is to hold down the Option key while dragging the selected file(s) to the desired destination. The file(s) will then be copied instead of moved.

The recently released Alpha Four 2.0 provides network support, improved memory management, data security, and a flexible script language that allows for more complex scripts.

Two 19-year old Cornell students, David S. Blumenthal and Mark A. Pilgrim, were arrested and charged with releasing the recent MBDF A virus and a "Trojan Horse" carrier of the virus-a game called Tetricycle. The new virus is not lethal, but it can cause a variety of minor problems that may lead to users accidentally corrupting their system files. Disinfectant 2.7.1 can remove the MBDF A virus.

By the beginning of next year, Apple Computer, Inc. plans to deliver a handheld computer that uses a pen input device and costs less than $700. Currently called the Personal Digital Assistant, the device will include a number of built-in personal organization applications such as time management, expenses, appointments, contacts, and an address book. A more powerful version of the Personal Digital Assistant, code-named Newton, will have its own fully developed mobile, object-oriented operating system.

March 1992

Hewlett-Packard announced an Ethernet version of the popular LaserJet III Si. It comes equipped with 5 Mbytes of memory and 35 Adobe fonts. Info: call 800/752-0900.

It's gotta fit! A customer who received a 5.25" disk of information after having requested a 3.5" disk reportedly returned it to the vendor folded in half-after having fit the disk into a 3.5" disk drive.

To activate the button bar in WordPerfect 5.1 for Windows, choose Button Bar from the View menu.

The "f" in Apple LaserWriter IIf stands for Fine Print, a new smoothing technology that significantly reduces the jaggedness at a character's edges-great when using large sized fonts!

Researchers working for IBM have announced a new transistor technology, "lateral bipolar" fabrication, which more than triples the speed of a transistor. The technology will eventually lead to high-performance, low-power computers, i.e., notebook-sized scientific workstations.

Symantec plans to merge its SUM and Norton Utilities packages for the Macintosh into a single Norton Version 2.0. The new product will retain the look and feel of the current Norton Utilities but incorporate high- powered disk recovery technology from SUM.

Local weather forecasts are now available in the Usenet network news group upenn.weather.

To customize page numbers in WordPerfect, press >CTRL-B< instead of using the Format menu. This method allows you to place words before and after the page number.

To select an entire paragraph in WordPerfect for Windows click in the paragraph four times using the left mouse button.

When addressing a message in ALL-IN-1, type after the addressee's user ID if you are unsure of it. Pressing automatically addresses the message to the first person in the online directory whose user ID matches the character string you typed.

WordPerfect for Windows allows up to nine documents to be open at one time.

Those interested in maintaining/learning the proper posture for sitting at a computer may want to try Backup, a sling-like device that supports both your back and legs in the proper sitting posture. Contact Nada Concepts, Inc. at 800/722-2587.

"Of course I'm working; I'm at home, aren't I?" The number of workers who "telecommute"-work at home but stay in contact with the office via fax, e-mail, and remote computing-is expected to grow to 11.2 million by 1995, according to LINK Resources.

PC Sources magazine estimates that more than 10 million networks will be installed worldwide by 1995.

February 1992

An IRS freebie: DOS-based tax-preparation software for Delaware Valley residents who wish to file their return electronically. Call the IRS, 215/969-7533, for information.

Under System 7, holding down the ≶Option> key while clicking and dragging a document or folder to another location on the same drive will copy instead of move the document or folder.

You can install the MS-DOS 5.0 upgrade over almost any existing version of MS-DOS already on your system without reformatting your hard drive. The only exception is MS-DOS 1.x.

Free POP (Post Office Protocol) mail accounts on the ISC server are still available for students, faculty, and staff with PennNet-connected Macintoshes and IBM-compatibles. Call Pat Powell, 898-2883, or send mail to postmaster@pobox to request an account.

Both the Macintosh Quadra 700 and the Quadra 900 run on the 68040 processor at 25 MHz-the fastest Macs available!

The campus electronic mail directory has recently been updated. It can be accessed from the TO: line of ALL-IN-1 message headers, by typing whois at the DIAL: prompt, and by typing telnet whois (or t whois) at the annex: prompt.

If you change the options in an Excel (Macintosh) dialog box and realize some of your changes are incorrect, click on the dialog box title to reset the options to the way they were previously set. This method resets the dialog box without returning you to the worksheet.

WordPerfect for Windows allows you to choose between keyboard layouts. The standard layout-Common User Access (CUA)-is similar to the key equivalents for other Windows software. The optional WordPerfect 5.1 key layout allows you to use the familiar WordPerfect 5.1 keystrokes.

Interested in making your HP printer or other non-PostScript laser printer emulate a PostScript printer? Read the review article about PostScript emulation cartridges in PC Week, November 25, 1991, page 59. The command get filename - at the ftp< prompt often allows you to view the contents of an ASCII file on a remote host.

Xenix, AIX, A/UX, Sun OS, and ULTRIX are all brands of the UNIX operating system. Which one you use depends on which machine you will run it on.

WordPerfect for Windows and WordPerfect 5.1 (DOS) use the same file format. No file conversion is needed when sharing files between the two.

Lotus 1-2-3 Release 2.3 includes such new features as WYSIWYG capability, mouse support, file linking, and 3-D-effect graphs.

To exit an ALL-IN-1 EDT session without saving your work, type instead of , which files the message with the changes. The key is the <clear> key on a Macintosh keypad or the <F1> key on a PC.

All DCCS network documents, including TCP installation guides, can be viewed in PennInfo. Instructions for retrieving the documents using FTP can be found in the "About PennInfo" directory under the PennInfo Main Menu.

With the new Apple PowerBooks, portable computer users no longer have to bump elbows. With an eye towards ergonomics, the keyboard for all three PowerBook models has been pushed up toward the screen, allowing users to maintain the correct arm position-a boon for those concerned about carpal tunnel syndrome.

The "g" in Apple LaserWriter IIg stands for Photograde, a new technology that supports up to 67 levels of gray, thus allowing near-photographic- quality reproductions of scanned images.

November 1991

To protect the "welfare of the citizens" of New Jersey, state legislators are pondering a bill requiring the licensing of individuals who "practice software engineering."

A DOS Shortcut: You can often substitute a period (.) for *.*, so Copy a:. can stand in for Copy a:*.*

The Font/DA Mover is no longer needed in System 7.0. Fonts, DAs, INITs, and other System documents can now be dropped directly into the System Folder. There is a sub-folder for Extensions, as these extensions to the basic operating system are now called.

The CRC offers training in a number of different ways. You can take hands-on classes and small-group lecture/demonstration seminars, rent training videotapes from The Movie Ticket in Houston Hall, sign up for computer time to use a tutorial, or just sign up for time to get acquainted with software from the evaluation library.

Hewlett-Packard will supply free AppleTalk interface kits and Adobe PostScript cartridges to LaserJet IIIP users who are currently using older versions designed for the LaserJet IIP. The new products will support the resolution-enhancement technology built into the LaserJet IIIP. Call (503) 750-2002 with your IIIP serial number for instructions.

PC users: Ever have trouble with cursor keys on the numeric keypad sending numbers instead of cursor commands because you forgot to turn <Numlock> off? Instead of setting <Numlock> on, hold down <Shift> while typing numbers.

Group schedulers are programs that you can use to schedule appointments for several people. Running over local area networks, they can help ease scheduling headaches. The September, 1991 issue of Byte magazine reviews 16 group schedulers for Mac, PC, and Unix (page 250). Wait before you drag the Excel 3.0 icons to your Macintosh. The new Excel requires that you run a setup program. Insert the Setup disk, and double-click on the Microsoft Excel Setup icon.

When setting the Sharing attributes for a folder in System 7.0 for the Macintosh, be sure to check the "Make all currently enclosed folders like this one" box if you want to change all the folders located within the selected folder. If you do not check this box, only the outermost folder will have the selected sharing attributes. In Windows 3.0, if you drag a program file (or PIF file) name from the File Manager to a window in the Program Manager, an icon for the file is automatically created in the Program Manager window.

The SEARCH-FOR utility in ISPF (option 3.14) allows you to search a PDS for a string of text. To speed things up, you can limit the search to members with a certain prefix. For example, you can look for all occurrences of "TERM" in members that begin with "SRS." To do this, leave the member name blank on the main utility screen. When you get the member list, type SELECT SRS* and press <End>.

With DOS 5.0 try some of the new switches available for the format command. For example, use FORMAT A: /Q to quickly format an old disk, erasing only the root directory and the FAT table.

Lotus 1-2-3 for the Mac can directly read .wk? files from DOS-formatted disks in an FDHD. The translators are built into the application.

According to the Software Publishers Association, its members lose an estimated $2 billion a year in the United States, due to the widespread use of pirated software.

The DOS 5.0 Format command allows you to specify the capacity of the floppy disk you are formatting using the /F switch. To format a 360 Kbyte DS DD 5.25" disk in a high-density 5.25" drive use the command FORMAT A: /F:360. For a 720 Kbyte DS DD 3.5" disk in a high density 3.5" drive use FORMAT A: /F:720.

Tired of using <Option-8> bullets? Try using Zapf Dingbat characters such as a triangle (press <T>), or a diamond (press <U>). To add a little pizzazz to bullets, raise them above the text baseline by superscripting them.

October 1991

The Chinese did their national census with an abacus until 1982, when they replaced the abacus with computers.

DOS 5.0 performs a "safe" format; that is, the effects of an accidentally issued FORMAT command can be reversed by an UNFORMAT command executed immediately following FORMAT.

In Excel 2.2, use <Ctrl-Shift-8> to highlight a range of cells. Excel will immediately select all cells in the current continuous series of rows and columns.

Environmentally conscious users of Dell Computer's family of battery- operated portable computers: Dell will take back your dead nickel cadmium batteries for proper disposal. Contact Dell Computer at (800) 283-2266.

In IOF you can FIND ALL occurrences of a string of characters. Unlike the FIND ALL command in Browse or Edit mode, the IOF FIND ALL presents a list of lines containing the string, along with the page and line number for each occurrence.

Version 2.1 of the DeskWriter driver for the Macintosh will not work properly under System 7.0 with virtual memory turned on. HP is developing a new driver that will solve the problem.

Windows 3.0 Print Manager has a limit of 20 jobs per queue. No more jobs can be sent to the queue until one of the queued jobs has been sent to the printer.

To convert a formula into a number in Lotus, select /Range Value at the cell in which the formula is located. The number is converted into the same cell.

In a DOS batch file, a line with an @ character in the first column will not be echoed to the display.

The "Index of Known Malicious Software: MS-DOS Systems," published by experts in the field of virus control, reports a total of 998 pieces of "malware" in the DOS arena.

Apple has released new versions of its print drivers for both the StyleWriter and the LaserWriter LS. The drivers will let the printers run at a higher speed.

When you use FTP TCP/IP, V. 2.03 to connect to e-mail over Ethernet with a monochrome display, certain highlighted fields are unreadable. Before loading, try typing SET FTP_ATTR=0,1,0 at the DOS prompt. This tells FTP to display highlighted fields as underlined if your monitor can support underlining. (It works with VGA, but not with MCGA.)

In Excel 3.0 running under System 7, the buttons on the new tool bar will have a 3D look. Users running System 6.0.x can achieve the same look by holding down <Shift-3-D> when starting up Excel 3.0.

If an object jumps rather than moves smoothly when you drag it in MacDraw II, check to see if the Caps Lock key is depressed. The Caps Lock and Shift keys put mouse constraints into effect, forcing objects to snap to the grid when moved. These constraints also force lines to be drawn at 45 degree angles, and rectangles to be squares.

Do I get credits for PacMan? Students at Elizabethtown College use SimCity and SimEarth, two personal computer-based simulations/games by Maxis, as a part of their coursework in several classes.

Citibank is developing an artificial intelligence computer system that scans daily headlines, decides which nations' economies are doing better or worse, and recommends currency trades, according to the Wall Street Journal.

According to PC Sources magazine, 37 percent of the computer firms located in the United States are in California.

The "blue-green" laser chip developed recently by 3M Corporation has the potential to triple or quadruple the storage capacity of optical or compact disks.

WordPerfect 2.1 for the Mac, due out in late December or early January, will support System 7.

September 1991

The Curtis Organ, which resides in the Irvine Auditorium at the University of Pennsylvania, is the world's largest MIDI instrument. Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is the standard computer interface for digital musical instruments such as synthesizers. The MIDI interface allows a computer to play the instrument.

Microsoft does not recommend using Windows 3.0 on an IBM PC clone running IBM PC-DOS. Install MS-DOS instead.

To delete all the documents within an ALL-IN-1 folder, go to the folder (e.g., ir), type all , then type xd . After you answer y to the prompt, all the messages in the current folder will be deleted.

If you use TCP/IP over Ethernet on a Mac, be aware that the compatibility checker reports that MacTCP is incompatible with System 7.0, so programs which use it (such as NCSA Telnet, Xferit, and HyperFTP) won't work with System 7.0 either. Although Apple recommends not upgrading to 7.0 if you use MacTCP, note that MacTCP does seem to work if you put the MacTCP item into the Control Panel.

System 7.0 for the Macintosh names duplicate files "filename copy," "filename copy 2," etc. instead of "copy of filename," "copy of copy of filename," etc. as in previous system versions. Hence, copies will appear near the original file in alphabetical listings.

Graphical images are generally of two types-raster or vector. Raster formats define the graphical image dot for dot. Vector formats define the image according to mathematically described objects, such as a circle or line.

If you're editing a TSO data set and want to change the sequence of records, enter <SORT start-column end-column> at the command line. When you save the file, the new command will be saved with it.

To recall the last DOS command line entered, press <F3>. Pressing <F1> (or the right arrow key) will recall the last command as well, one character at a time.

The Intel 486sx chip, available in new IBM and compatible microcomputers, is a 486 chip with the built-in math coprocessor disabled. The coprocessor cannot be re-enabled.

Mac users can automatically place the current date or time into a cell in an Excel worksheet. To enter the date, press <Command-hyphen>. To enter the time, press <Command-semi-colon>. These keystrokes will also work within a field in FileMaker Pro.

System 7.0 for the Macintosh does not empty the Trash unless you choose Empty Trash from the Special menu. Files remain in the Trash even if the computer is turned off or a new application is started.

Before Mitch Kapor founded LOTUS, he used to teach Transcendental Meditation.

In FileMaker Pro you can eliminate spaces between a city name and the following comma in a mailing label by using a calculated field named, for example, CITYcomma, and defined as CITY & ",". Use the CITYcomma field in the label layout instead of the CITY field.

The ATTRIB command in DOS 5.0 now allows you to hide and "unhide" files, as well as change their read and archive status.

To refresh a screen in ALL-IN-1, in ProComm, press <Control-W>; in MicroPhone, press <Command-W> or <Control-W>, depending on your keyboard.

J. D. Powers, of the well-known automotive satisfaction surveys, has now begun surveys of personal computer users. The winner of the initial survey was Dell Computer.

DOS 5.0 includes the new UNFORMAT and UNDELETE commands which will undo a previous FORMAT or DELETE command and save the day!

The 16.7 million colors of 32-bit QuickDraw on the Macintosh are the product of the combination of 256 reds, 256 greens, and 256 blues.