Cover by Lonnie Houghton
MyMac Magazine #54, October 1999

Lessons of a Lifelong Learner:
A Conversation with Jeffrey McPheeters
http://www.psalm1.com

I became acquainted with Jeffrey McPheeters by reading his unusual contributions to the TidBITS Talk List, available at http://www.tidbits.com. His writing jumped out at me, with rare clarity of thought infused into extensive essays on the ways Macintosh and Internet technology pervade and evade our existence.

Jeffrey is not a philosopher. He is a 24/7 technology guru, helping local and international users to brave the crevasse between power user and power expert status. His dozens of postings to TidBITS Talk are freely available, by searching for “McPheeters” from the TidBITS Talk page.

He is an avid reader of My Mac Magazine and the Nemo Memo, and we correspond regularly. I treasure his email messages, with their thought-provoking approach to simple and deep issues. I persuaded him to discuss his background and future plans, in an extensive email interview.

We welcome your comments and responses. Here goes:

MEET JEFFREY McPHEETERS

JOHN: Are you in or out of the mainstream these days, Jeffrey?

JEFFREY: I retired from the “regular” way of doing things some time ago, but at no special risk, with thanks to my wife for encouraging me to do it and supporting the decision.

JOHN: Does this mean you are hanging around the house most of the time?

JEFFREY: Besides taking the bulk of the responsibility for teaching our three sons at home, handling our home-office business affairs, and assisting my wife with some publishing, presentation, and training projects, I am a student of the Internet and personal computing in general.

JOHN: In what way?

JEFFREY: It’s hands-on mostly, as I try and test my knowledge by applying what I “think” I’ve learned to helping other organizations and businesses utilize the Internet in various ways.

JOHN: How do you identify yourself?

JEFFREY: My short signature is simply: Jeffrey McPheeters, Internet Services Designer.

LIFELONG LEARNER DEFINED

JOHN: You often refer to yourself as lifelong learner. What does that mean?

JEFFREY: As a teacher by education, an entrepreneur by profession, and a home schooling father of three boys, I’ve found that what I once thought I knew pales in comparison with what there is yet to learn and understand. In so doing I’ve come to love the whole process of learning as much, if not more than, the supposed “end result.”

JOHN: Please expand.

JEFFREY: A child’s love of learning is too quickly replaced with the idea that learning is simply a means to an end. Applying what we learn is important, but the process of learning as a lifelong occupation should not be diminished or overshadowed by our perceived need for an answer; otherwise we tend to become more focused on what we have obtained/understood than on what there is yet to obtain/understand.

JOHN: Do you have a role model?

JEFFREY: Yes, several, especially my parents and my wife. But in regard to my identity with lifelong learning I’ve adopted some quotes to challenge me which I obtained from Michael Bryant, of Baltimore, author of the book Lessons on Life. Bryant has this to say about being a lifelong learner:

Good students are passive recipients of information. Lifelong learners are active pursuers of knowledge.

Good students ask “When?” and “How?” Lifelong learners ask “Why?” and “Why not?”

Good students color inside the lines. Lifelong learners color outside the lines.

Good students run the world. Lifelong learners change the world.

JOHN: Very ambitious! On a more practical topic, how is your day structured, as a sole-practitioner?

AT WORK AT HOME

JEFFREY: With Timbuktu access to our cable Internet system, online is 24/7 but my personal availability is not 24/7! I’m usually checking email around 5:00 a.m., and depending on the day of the week, I have some early morning meetings outside the house around 6:30-8:30. Then I’m usually doing real work on the computer from 9:00 a.m. onward through the day.

JOHN: Can you be a bit more specific about some of the typical activities?

JEFFREY: Mornings are usually spent checking the news, doing a few beta tests for developers, and gathering info for various projects. I try and take care of some maintenance tasks that come in from people whose lists and/or sites I manage. I also receive reports from my wife’s business via their secure intranet. This is where I get to use Windows. Oh, fun!

JOHN: Where do your children fit in?

JEFFREY: During the “school year” the morning tasks take a back seat to the homeschooling priorities. The older boys like to get started by 5:00 a.m. (their choice, not mine), so with a 7:30 break for breakfast, they are usually done by around noon.

JOHN: A busy fellow. How about the rest of the day?

JEFFREY: After lunch it really varies. During crunch times I’m usually here wrestling with Quark and Photoshop along with bookkeeping chores via Quicken. I prefer to do my phone work then as well.

JOHN: You recently moved to a country house, and needed to construct a new office environment, didn’t you?

JEFFREY: Indeed! I converted a 6-car garage into a 2+ car garage, workshop, and office/homeschool with large attic for storage. I still have to figure out some issues in connecting the separate buildings. Some major construction plans are a couple of years away and I’m hoping that wireless networking finally comes of age.

JOHN: Long live Steve Jobs, right?

JEFFREY: I had no clue earlier this summer that Apple would be incorporating the AirPORT wireless technology into their entire line so quickly. I used to tell people that due to the nature of our profession, we could live anywhere we wanted as long as we had good telephone service and reasonable access to an airport. Now I can say that with double meaning.

JOHN: Now that summer has gone and the school year is here again, do you miss the long days with no home-school instruction by Professor McPheeters?

JEFFREY: I really prefer the “school schedule” as it provides some structure that infuses necessary variety into my day as well as providing opportunities for me to learn new things and, in some cases, re-learn old things.

NODE WARRIOR

JOHN: Back to the topic of 24/7. Why did you choose a cable service provider instead of a DSL phone system?

JEFFREY: We won’t see DSL for at least a year here, even though locally we’re already putting in place the Internet II infrastructure. Lawrence, Kansas was one of the first to have Internet access as well as one of the first to offer true cable modem access. I’ve used cable modems for three years now.

JOHN: So what’s the holdup on the DSL?

JEFFREY: One problem we have is we’re all fiber-optic here as far as the main trunks are concerned, and DSL is optimized for copper. We’re already too advanced for our own good! Kansas City is getting DSL tested with full deployment later in the fall and winter. Not here. Bummer. Since moving out to our country property, I’ve found that the cable network is within 1.5 miles and they expect to come on out here within the next year to year and a half.

JOHN: Tell our readers more about Internet II, or whatever it is called.

JEFFREY: Lawrence is one of the original nodes on the Internet and will have a node on the “Next Generation” Internet as it’s being called now. A lot of this is directly related to the local presence of the University of Kansas and their history with the Internet. In addition, the local newspaper is a regional publisher for USA Today, which means they have incredible bandwidth directly into the Internet, which they need for their specialized services. And since the owners of the newspaper also own the cable service… well, you see the connection.

JOHN: Sounds like a very savvy community.

JEFFREY: We have local access to skilled networking programmers, Internet bandwidth, Internet backbone, and a larger than average ratio of students+teachers which makes for heavy demand for Internet services. What it boils down to is that the communities that have access to Internet II will have access to broadcast-quality networking at reasonable prices.

JOHN: What do you see in your crystal ball?

JEFFREY: My guess is that once Internet II becomes widely available, Internet I will exist as a basic, nearly free and ubiquitous service for conventional messaging and text-based resources. Higher level communication and information capacity will be available on the fee-based Internet II network. But I’m not a prophet so it’s anyone’s guess as to the timing and effectiveness of all this.

MIDLIFE CRISIS?

JOHN: At the risk of being provocative, Jeffrey, you come across as a home-based workaholic. Am I jumping to conclusions?

JEFFREY: Some people need to interrupt themselves to get fresh air and break the monotony. I, on the other hand, seem only to be able to squeeze bits of work in between interruptions! But, yes, I do like my work and I probably fit the profile of a workaholic. I need to have lots of irons in the fire, always. Some are hotter than others.

JOHN: That can be dangerous. Is this a good time to get some sort of perspective on where you are heading at a gallop?

JEFFREY: You said it! Seriously, I think I’m in an in-between place in my life and not sure what I want to do when I grow up, but I’m doing a lot of serious thinking. I spend a lot more time now just walking around our property and enjoying the peaceful solitude it offers.

JOHN: Didn’t I write an article on that subject a few months ago?

JEFFREY: Yes, John. It was called “GOFAW&T,” meaning “go for a walk and think.” Great advice from the Nemo Memo, partner. It works wonders. The evenings here are incredible, as are the early mornings before sunrise. I just need to keep reminding myself to take that advice.

JOHN: You are fortunate to be able to have that new house out in the country.

JEFFREY: Our humble place gives us access to family within walking distance, and our friends can easily find us by just traveling five miles straight west of town on paved highway. We’re just three miles from the I-70 interchange and 40 minutes from Kansas City International airport. We couldn’t have planned it better ourselves. Now, to get a local AirPORT hub installed in my office and a wireless-networkable PowerBook!

JOHN: How much work is being done, as part of the transition from town to country living? I recall that you spent years in construction management business.

JEFFREY: Moving from the city to the country is a major step in acquiring equipment and tools. Fortunately, I’ve kept a lot of stuff I had from my days in the building business. Now that the office area is nearly completed, I’m ready to tackle the shop area which will have state-of-the-art woodworking tools for everything from basic molding creation to complete cabinet making potential.

JOHN: I’m sitting here in the Arizona desert, Jeffrey, not one bit jealous of your big lawn to care for.

JEFFREY: “Big lawn” is right. With three riding mowers and two walk-behinds, none of which are new, I’m now a part-time mechanic. I’ve already completely taken apart and cleaned and adjusted a carburetor, replaced the brakes, and various other adjustments. It’s quite a bit different from working on the inside of a computer, let me tell you!

JOHN: Speaking of computers…

JEFFREY: …I know! What to do with myself once we’re all settled in… still thinking.

JOHN: But on a practical level?

JEFFREY: I’ve already relocated my servers in town with the help of the cable ISP. I need to complete some software and hardware upgrades both there and here in the country. Since I prefer to purchase pre-owned Macs, I seem to always be in the market for various parts and upgrades. It’s time to catch up on both deferred acquisitions and past due projects.

JEFFREY GETS SERIOUS

JOHN: Future enterprise plans?

JEFFREY: Okay if I number them? It helps me stay organized.

JOHN: Sure.

1) Use my “jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none” background to help small, local companies, non-profit organizations, work-at-home or work-from-home businesses, and homeschooling families to incorporate or migrate to a concept of the Internet-as-OS. It would bring my computing, architectural, teaching, training, and networking skills into useful collaboration.

2) Build up my remote administration skills using Perl, Applescript, and some combination of FileMaker Pro/Lasso/Tango.

3) Figure out this XML business and how to incorporate it into future website development more effectively. Since we do a lot of print publishing using Quark and Photoshop, but also publish electronically using Acrobat and HTML, there needs to be better ways to transition from one to the other and back again. It needs to be more transparent than it is currently. I’m still listening closely to the experts out there who work in both color ink and color phosphors simultaneously.

4) Advance our homeschooling and small business intranets using tools like Acrobat 4, JAVA, and QuickTime to make online teaching/training/testing more interactive, especially considering those with small budgets. I never liked Acrobat until version 4. I despised versions 1 and 2, tolerated version 3, but version 4 seems indispensable. JAVA has great potential for web infrastructure. It’s a natural for the behind-the-scenes stuff and someday will have a prettier face. The great thing about it is it is portable and “fat-free.” But beyond all these, QuickTime is by far the most intriguing. I think it’s going to be more significant to future web development than Postscript was to desktop publishing.

5) Finish two complete remakes of http://www.kansashomeschool.org and http://www.lawrence.com/teach as well as the database that drives the content so that I can assign various people tasks for updating them using standard web forms (they won’t have to learn HTML). Add in the calendaring and feedback CGIs. Deploy the chat CGI. My house moving schedule keeps pushing all these time-intensive projects back.

6) Deploy a new domain I’ve registered: http://www.homeschoolcomputing.com as a site to offer tips and links to using computers in home school environments. Apple finally brought the estimated 1.5 million homeschoolers into the Apple Education fold in August http://www.apple.com/education/k12/homeschool, so I’m rethinking this site to make it more evangelistic on behalf of Apple.

7) Register and deploy a domain for my own net-services business with examples of various capabilities such as DNS serving, list, chat, mail services, custom forms, surveys, feedback setups, archiving mail/feedback systems, and mixed-media publishing help.

Set up a small training camp out here with a Mac OS X Server and some iMacs teaching a) familiarity with computers including the Mac OS and Windows; b) basic graphics and web publishing skills; c) introductory programming skills in JAVA or REAL BASIC; and d) basic networking fundamentals including security and using Mac OS X, Linux, and possibly NT.

9A) While I’m always looking for a truly portable workstation that could replace my huge desktop RAM-rich triple-monitor workstation, I realize this is probably not practical yet. I despise working on multiple computers because of the problems with keeping data synchronized and minimized. So my focus is primarily wireless these days: getting the workstation, printers, modem, and backup drives all available to a wireless hub of some sort.

9B) The second part of the equation is a little foggier. I need the ability to do a lot of my work detached from the office. I crave the capability to do a substantial amount of work from the shade of a tree, enjoying the breeze across the meadow, or from the enclosed deck during a gentle downpour… without wires. And I’d like to access the local server, the servers in town, and the Internet and various peripherals. Should I buy an iBook? The discussion in My Mac’s iBook Talk http://www.mymac.com/exclusives/web_only/ibook.shtml was very helpful. Should I save some money and get an older G3 PowerBook with a 14″ screen at closeout pricing and add wireless networking via the card slot for a little more money–but greater expandability? I’ll let you know where I put my money when it happens.

10) Get a G4/Sawtooth, what else! AND remember that my dear wife, who refuses to touch a computer, helps me to keep things in perspective: “Don’t be a slave to technology… make technology serve the user above all else.”

JOHN: Does all this heavy artillery over the horizon allow you to keep your personal site current?

JEFFREY: Almost. I do most of my work building secure password protected sites, so I can’t exactly “display” my talents easily unless I take the time to build some demo sites (which I have not yet done). But I really need to do that sometime soon.

JOHN: Using what applications?

JEFFREY: I use Tango and FileMaker Pro for rapid development projects, Adobe GoLive, BBEdit, and sometimes DreamWeaver and FireWorks.

WHOWHATWHERE

JOHN: You list a bunch of addresses and numbers as part of your email signature, Jeffrey. What do they all mean?

ICQ Address: 10187794…………….AOL IM: JSM1955
TIMBUKTU ACCESS……………….204.77.126.226
PGP Public Key Location:
http://www.psalm1.com/pub/pubkey.txt

JEFFREY: Those are just ways to access me if we need to chat. I run ICQ, AOL Instant Messenger, and Timbuktu so it’s not too difficult for most people to find me if they need. Since I’m so easy to locate I try not to offend any serious hackers! I long for a common standard that all these separate tools could use.

JOHN: You’re way over my head. We’ll need to have another long conversation to bring me up to speed. Did you leave anything out?

JEFFREY: Yep. The PGP file is for people who want to do collaborative projects and need to verify that it’s really me who submitted the proposal or whatever.

JOHN: Are you still active on America Online?

JEFFREY: JSM1955 is my AOL nick. Been on AOL since I bought my IIci in 1989 and got a Practical Peripherals 2400 to go with it. I finally gave up my CompuServe account (since 1984) about three years ago but have kept AOL around just in case. I find the old proprietary bulletin boards kind of nostalgic, I guess. I’ve added you to my IM Buddy list so I’ll try and keep it running and watch for you.

JOHN: Seems to me that you are the one to watch out for. Many thanks, Jeffrey.

JEFFREY: It has been my pleasure, John. My best to you and everyone associated with My Mac Magazine.

Sincere regards,

Jeffrey McPheeters
Internet Services Designer
jeffreym@lawrence.ks.us

John Nemerovski
nemo@mymac.com

Websites mentioned:
http://www.psalm1.com
http://www.psalm1.com/pub/pubkey.tx

Benwin BW2000 Flat Panel
Multimedia Speaker System
Company: Benwin
Estimated Price: $99.00
http://www.benwin.com

During the past year I have spent a lot of time considering audio speakers. My faithful JBL stereo speakers from the early 1970s died several months ago, and I was determined to replace them with the best possible speakers for sound and my budget.

Being a musician and music instructor, I have high standards for sound reproduction. After a lengthy search, my wife and I are now happy with our tower-design speakers from Cambridge SoundWorks http://www.hifi.com.

Seeing an advertisement in a Macintosh print magazine for Benwin’s new computer speakers aroused my appetite for more comparative testing, and the company http://www.benwin.com provided their “flat panel multimedia system” and extensive promotional literature for our evaluation.

I have been listening to them under a variety of conditions, and offer the following report.

APPEARANCE: Speaker panels are very thin, light, and silver-beige in color. The sub-woofer “brick” is semi-round, attractive, and “matte grey.” Black speakers are also available, but I have not seen them. You want blueberry? iMac colored speakers will be available by the first quarter of 2000.

INSTALLATION: A breeze, but please follow the simple instructions. All hardware should be this easy to install!

CONTROLS: Three of them, mounted on the sub-woofer: one knob each for volume and tone, and a push-button to activate 3D surround sound.

MOUNTING: I’m using the slide-in desk/shelf speaker stands. Optional brackets for attaching the speakers to a monitor or fixed surface are included. A $20 carrying case is available.

SPECIFICATIONS: 6W (rms) total power output, 50-20KHz frequency response, 5×7″ flat panels, 4″ woofer driver.

HOW THEY WORK: Benwin uses NXT technology, with the panels vibrating in three dimensions across the 7mm flat surface.

SPEAKER VOLUME: Users will need to play around with their computer system volume levels, because the BW2000 has a rather quiet sound, unless you crank up all the controls. Don’t overdo it at first, or the booming bass and piercing treble levels will make your Macintosh startup chime crack the fine china in your house, and have you jumping out of your skin each time you do a Restart!

HOW THEY SOUND: Good, but not great. Benwin advises that “The audio quality experienced from the Benwin Flat Panel Speakers may not be suitable for the most discriminating audiophile,” which is me, I suppose. Bass and treble response are robust, while the important midrange feels like it’s hiding in the background.

I’m testing the system with a variety of musical styles, and the results are consistent. The sound is clear and crisp, but I remain disappointed with the essential “melody” midrange frequencies. Gamers may not have the same experience as music-lovers do. The 3D surround sound is impressive, and I keep it on all the time.

SUMMARY

Built-in Macintosh speakers are lousy, and even the cheapest powered third-party speakers make music and games sound great in comparison. My $30 Labtec http://www.labtec.com speakers from Circuit City http://www.circuitcity.com provide enjoyable, conventional music listening. If Benwin improves their 3D speakers I’ll gladly switch. I urge them to keep the quality high, the price low, and give the midrange more presence.

Kimanh Moreau from Benwin offers this explanation, via email:

The BW2000 multimedia audio system was designed as a new look in speaker systems for use as a business tool with personal computers in offices and laptops taken on the road. Benwin defines multimedia as any personal and portable electronic product with the capability to produce sound. A portable CD player, walkman and personal TV are great examples of multimedia products.

The BW2000 was not designed with gamers in mind. The BW2000′s do not have the wattage and total power output needed for use with most high tech gaming programs. The system cannot handle most of the heavy bass a majority of these games feature.

We are currently in production of another speaker system that will satisfy the gaming community.

MacMice Rating: 4

John Nemerovski
nemo@mymac.com

Websites mentioned:
http://www.benwin.com
http://www.hifi.com
http://www.labtec.com
http://www.circuitcity.com

SimCity 3000
Company: Maxis/Electronic Arts
Estimated Price: $49.95
http://www.simcity.com

SimCity, first released in 1989, is believed by many to be the greatest simulation game of all time. Revised as SimCity 2000 in 1993, sales eventually exceeded an incredible 5 million copies to devoted fans worldwide. With a customer base like that, it’s easy to see how 1998′s announcement of an even better version was anticipated by some of its fans with jubilation; the game that gave them complete charge of the fate of a virtual city was going to get a healthy boost of realism, detail, and control.

Unfortunately, for almost a year now, the only people cheering about SimCity 3000 have been PC users. Now, with the release of the Mac version, Maxis has shown a renewed commitment to Macintosh development, and Mac users have been introduced to the new king of simulation games, SimCity 3000.

Background
The third incarnation of SimCity is still based around the same principles and fundamentals as the original SimCity. You are the mayor of a city, and your job is to make the city grow and flourish. The ride is not an easy one, however. Along the road you will have to keep up with the demands of your sims, in categories such as education, transportation, and utilities, all while maintaining a balanced budget.

Improvements
What makes SimCity 3000 different from its predecessor is the interesting way it draws players into the game. The user interface has been completely redesigned to be more intuitive and now features buttons that group options together, thus making it much easier to build what you want. For example, under the transportation button, you can build roads, highways, rail, subways, and more (see following screenshot).

It’s now also easier to monitor what is happening within your city. The newspaper has been replaced by a news ticker, and new advisors and petitioners give a whole new meaning to “hot under the collar.” If you’re not doing something right, they’ll let you know! You can now select a building map up to four times as large as SimCity 2000, and new zoning options, business deals, and disasters make the gameplay all the more involved. Additionally, one of my favorite improvements is the ability to fully interact with your neighboring cities, connecting water and power as well as roads and rail to them. Once connections are made, you can buy and/or sell water, power, or even garbage to neighboring cities. As I quickly found, it’s a great way to make some extra money!

Undoubtedly the most significant improvements, however, are the new close-in zoom levels and awesome graphics and sound effects. All of the buildings are 3-D rendered, and the map now offers full rotation (unlike SimCity 2000 where this was “faked”). SimCity 3000 includes 5 zooming levels, allowing you to see individual sims and their vehicles traveling around the city. As you can see in the screenshot below, the detail of the zooms is incredible!

The new 3-D sound engine is equally impressive. It reflects the type and condition of the part of the city you’re viewing. For example, if you’re in a residential zone, you’ll hear birds singing and children playing, while in industrial zones you may hear the sounds of chemical manufacturing and other types of blue-collar jobs.

Making the transition
Switching from an earlier incarnation to the updated version is hard with any computer program. Fortunately, Maxis has done everything they can to make the switch to SimCity 3000 as seamless as possible. They have included a great tutorial especially for SimCity 2000 players, noting the differences and improvements. They have also given players the ability to import their SimCity 2000 cities into the new version, all while retaining the majority of its infrastructure. The imports of a few of my SimCity 2000 cities went well, yet all of them still needed some touching up and adjusting to life in 3000.

Ported
My one and only complaint with SimCity 3000 is that it was ported directly from the Windows 9x platform, with no thought given to adjustments that need to be made for the Macintosh. From the very start the crudeness of the port shows because of the Windows mouse pointer! That’s right: it’s a big, all white pointer, not the black pointer we have all grown to love. All of the game’s dialog and information boxes take on a very Windows 9x feel, and pressing the Return key for the default option does not work in most of the windows. Even scrolling around your city without the keyboard is now only accomplished by depressing the Control key while holding down the mouse button, the equivalent of a Windows 9x “right-click.” Fortunately, Maxis has included a host of hot key combinations which make navigating around SimCity 3000′s new interface much easier.

Requirements/Availability
SimCity 3000 includes dramatic improvements, and with those improvements come steep system requirements. The list of minimum requirements requested a 200MHz PowerPC (G3 recommended), 32MB RAM (64MB recommended), 128MB RAM with Virtual Memory enabled, and 260MB of hard disk drive space.

My system exceeds the recommended requirements, so I figured it would stack up nicely. I have a 250MHz PowerPC G3 processor, 192MB real RAM, and a 10GB hard disk. The city pictured in the screenshots, called “Second to None,” is the city I created for this review. It is now almost halfway developed, and has a population of just under 500,000 sims. While the gameplay is not sluggish, it could be much better, especially considering my system configuration exceeds the recommended requirements. A bit of advice: If you really want to upgrade to SimCity 3000, make sure you have the system to handle it!

SimCity 3000 is available immediately at the price of $49.95, and can be ordered direct from the EA store, at http://www.eastore.ea.com. Additionally, the SimCity web site, at http://www.simcity.com includes tips, tricks, and other features to maximize your SimCity 3000 experience, and features a city exchange section, amongst others.

The Summary
SimCity 3000 is a vast improvement over its predecessor. Its new zooming levels, advisors, and simulation elements give you a whole new sense of reality, and its interface and navigation improvements make managing your masterpiece a whole lot easer. Unfortunately, with these vast improvements come steep system requirements, and if your system is not up to par, the game will cause you more headaches than fun.

However, if you have a G3 and a good chunk of RAM, the upgrade to SimCity 3000 is a must. Despite the less-than-stellar port from the PC platform, new users and old veterans alike will agree: nothing matches the reality and detail that SimCity 3000 brings. Now, thanks to Maxis, SimCity 3000 brings this reality to your Macintosh. The thrill that such an in-depth simulation game provides is the reason I Recommend SimCity 3000 for Macintosh users with adequate systems.

MacMice Rating: 3

Adam Karneboge
webmaster@mymac.com

Websites mentioned:
http://www.simcity.com
http://www.eastore.ea.com

SimCity 3000
Company: Maxis/Electronic Arts
Estimated Price: $49.95
http://www.simcity.com

I’m not a typical computer gamer. Doom, Quake, Marathon, Tomb Raider, strategy titles, and role-playing games bore me. My Super Nintendo has been dusty for years.

But I have a weakness for the Sim games, and especially SimCity, the classic title that lets you build detailed virtual cities and watch them grow and mutate over decades of Sim time. It started when I pushed the limits of my Mac Plus after the release of the original (Mac only!) SimCity in 1989, sometimes letting my metropolises run overnight to see how they’d turn out.

Sim Expectations

1993′s SimCity 2000 was a marvel, a whole new Sim world, with its new 3D views, wonderful 256-color graphics, huge playing area, vastly expanded repertoire of infrastructure and building options, cool music and sound effects, and “real-life” city scenarios. After I somehow lost my original copy of SC2000, I tracked down another one at a used software shop in 1997 and started playing all over again.

As you’d expect, I was pretty hyped-up about the Mac version of SimCity 3000 which arrived this summer about a year after its Windows sibling. And though I can’t say I’m genuinely disappointed, the new version of SimCity isn’t the knockout I expected, like SC2000 was in its day.

First of all, the game is obviously a port from Windows. That’s not entirely terrible. The fine folks at Software MacKiev in Ukraine–some of them former Russian nuclear scientists–are known as some of the best software port programmers anywhere, and they have done an excellent job with their SimCity 3000 contract from Maxis, especially in making sure that keyboard shortcuts and the installer, for example, work in a sufficiently Mac-like way.

But the port has its prices. Although SC3000, like the previous games, has its own interface standards separate from the operating system, this time that interface has a decidedly Windows feel, including white Arial-font text on blue window title bars, filenames with cryptic extensions like “.sc3″, and Windows 95-clone Open and Save screens.

Sims Great, More Filling

The Windows port has made the system requirements hefty too, even in these days of 500MHz G4 chips and 10GB hard drives. For comparison, SimCity 2000 needed a Mac II or better (even six years after the Mac II was introduced) and 8MB of RAM (pretty standard in 1993), and once installed, you could run it from your hard disk. SimCity 3000, on the other hand, requires at least a 200MHz PowerPC processor (excluding anything more than a couple of years old), 128 MB of RAM under Virtual Memory (with at least 32MB of real RAM–64MB recommended), and a titanic 260MB of hard disk space–even though the game requires its CD in the drive to run!

The second thing that makes SC3000 a bit of a letdown is that it is exactly what its name suggests: another version of SimCity, but no more. Yes, the simulation area is four times the size, and you can now zoom in far enough to see individual cars and people moving around. Yes, the music is much more realistic, and there are more landmarks you can place. Lots more landscapes are available, including real cities such as my home town of Vancouver, and the interaction with your advisors, neighboring cities, and Sim citizens is more detailed.

But it’s still basically SimCity 2000, with more. If you played SC2000, you’ll know exactly what to do. Some things are new: you have to manage garbage now, for instance, and you can make deals with neighboring cities beyond the edge of your map. Some things are easier: power lines only have to cross open non-zoned terrain, not connect every building. Some things are more annoying: disasters like fires and earthquakes switch to slow speed so you can respond to them, but you can’t speed them up and watch them run wild either; and you can no longer build hydroelectric power plants.

There’s No Such Thing as Too Much Sim

If I sound like I dislike SimCity 3000, I’m misleading you. None of the problems I’ve mentioned detracts from the gameplay. If you have a sufficiently beefy Mac and don’t mind seeing the occasional Windows-style interface element, you’ll have a great time. On my beige Power Mac G3/266, zoning and building are occasionally a little jerky, but otherwise the program runs smoothly and the simulation engine certainly seems to take advantage of the PowerPC processor: if you set its speed to maximum, the months fly by. The graphics are great fun, with lots more animation and four full sides of detail to each structure. The more you play, the more subtle and ingenious detail you discover.

SimCity 3000 is just as addictive as its predecessors, and offers an even deeper canvas on which to let your city-building dreams play out. With the explosion of the Internet since SC2000′s release, you can now find a lot more neat stuff, from pre-built cities to new buildings and landmarks to the inevitable cheat codes, online both at the official SimCity site and at dozens of fan sites such as the SimCity 3000 Resource Center. You can even import cities from SimCity 2000–although you’ll probably have to make some major alterations for them to work well in the new environment, and some elements disappear entirely during import because they work differently in the two games.

Apparently, Maxis originally wanted to make another quantum leap from SimCity 2000, taking you right down to street level where you could roam the sidewalks of your city and talk to people face to face. Yet they realized early on that the hardware requirements for such a game would be so steep that almost no one could run it. They wisely chose instead to improve on the masterpiece they already had. Anyone who liked the previous SimCities will love this one, too.

I wish SimCity 3000 had been more revolutionary, true. But I still can’t stop playing it!

Derek K. Miller
dkmiller@mymac.com

The world of computer users can be divided into two types: those who understand how computers work and those who merely use computers. I am of the second type, but I’m diligently studying and learning so I can be one of the first type. I have two Macintosh computers. The one at work is used mostly for the daily chores that we require of our computers, such as accounting, word processing, graphic design, net research and such. The one at home is used mostly for play; correspondence via email, chatting, cruising the net for interesting information, reading my personal’s ad responses, (*blush*…now y’all know), and things of that nature.

I spend a fair amount of time in technical chats which relate to the Macintosh computer. I’m hungry to learn things which will make me productive and able to troubleshoot problems which crop up occasionally–without my having to be rescued. I also lurk about the technical self-help boards. Over the past few months, I’ve been adding to my library of third-party technical books. Last but not least are those few dear friends who will rescue me when things get so bad that I can’t fix it myself. I find that I have to call on them less and less, and I’m certain they are grateful not to be receiving “ohmygawdwhatdidIdonow?” emails in the middle of their work days.

I guess you could call me a self-educated, low-tech computer user, if labels are important to you. I plod along slowly but surely and learn a bit as I go. Often my best learning experiences come from what one techie described as the “poke and hope” method. I rely on that a lot, the only downside being I can’t always remember exactly what I did to fix the problem. The upside is that I own a Mac. I can poke and hope to my heart’s content, and still be confident that I haven’t erased my hard drive.

One of the most wonderful points of owning a Macintosh computer is the vast amount of helpful, informed, and patient folks out in computer land who are willing to lend a helping hand. And this, dear readers, is the point of my article this month. In the past few months I have seen these wonderful helpful, informed, and patient souls turn into raving and ranting maniacs.

With the advent of the iBook and the G4, the friendly Macintosh gear heads have gone PC, and I don’t mean politically correct. Sometimes I think I’m talking with the likes of those PC users who endlessly argue the superiority of their processor’s design and speed. I hear people talk and I read articles and I visit the discussion boards and wonder about these so called Macintosh aficionados who all of the sudden don’t have a good enough computer. It’s not FAST enough; it’s not POWERFUL enough; I want my RAM to be bigger than your RAM. Wah, wah, the new G4 isn’t what they promised it would be! Wah!

Now you could have all the money in the world and give yourself the biggest and baddest Macintosh out there. You can scream your way through the Internet and play your games in 3D-raging color at the speed of light. You can also call up your friends and say, “My RAM is bigger than your RAM.” But hey, with all of that, does your big bad computer make you more productive?

Imagine me with a new G4, or even a nice used loaded-to-the-max G3. If this computer doesn’t make me a more productive user, then all I’ve bought are bragging rights. Have we all forgotten the fact that no matter which Macintosh computer we own, we still own the best computer on the planet?

I have always ascribed to the notion that more is less. Imagine me with bragging rights.

“Hey dude, I got me a new G4! *smirk*. My new G4 can complete over 1 billion floating point computations per second, but hey, all I really needed to know was the square root of 16 divided by 4.”

Then I imagine my time at work. With a new G4, I could cut 23 seconds off the time it takes for a Photoshop filter to finish. What could I do that was more productive in that 23 seconds? Well, let’s see… 23 seconds times the maybe four times I would use it in one day would equal, what… a minute and a half. Personally, I enjoy my Mac working a little bit slower. I can sit back, relax, look around, hum a tune, daydream, take my eyes away from my monitor and … hey! the pic is done. Back to work.

Can you type one billion words per second?

If Apple wants to make a computer for me to be most productive, it would make a crash proof computer. I get nervous over the fact that I view the Apple corporation trying to increase stock prices and market share to compete with the perceived notion that they have to “beat” Microsoft, Intel, eOne, Gateway, and everyone else out there. Yikes! You’ve lost the entire point, people.

An integrated system, that’s what Macintosh builds. Each part in these computers integrates with style and panache with the next part. If I want to buy RAM, or VRAM, or even upgrade my motherboard, I know that the parts I purchase will seamlessly interact with the other internal parts of my computer. I know that if I want to turn someone with limited funds onto a good, solid working machine, I can point them to places where they could purchase a used but not abused Mac, that would take them places and make them into productive computer users, with fewer hardware calls, with fewer software calls, and with less hassles then they could get if they spent the same amount of money on a “brand new computer!” from their local put-the-parts-together-and-get-the-system-the-salesman-makes-the-most-commission-on computer.

This is the beauty of the Macintosh computer.

Now I do want to give you all a little break here, because for years the only thing we’ve had to go on is the seamless integration/ease-of-use issue. Now our Macs can go “vroom-vroom.” My request is that when you are done revving up your Macintoshes, could you please go back to being not only the best computer operators in the world… polite, helpful, informed, and patient, but a little more mature about it?

Chill out, fellow Maccies. You will never be able to buy fast enough or powerful enough to keep up with technology. As soon as you get the newest and brightest, something better will come along. Take a deep breath, love and cherish the Mac you have, learn it to the maximum of your productivity, and stop whining! This is the way we best support our platform.

Beth Lock
beth@infowest.com

MacDrive 98 3.0
Company: Media4 Productions
Estimated Price: $65.00
http://www.media4.com

File and Disk Translation Utility for IBM Compatible PCs

Finally, somebody has made a utility that makes using your Mac-formatted disks on your PC as easy as using PC-formatted disks on your Mac. Media4 Productions has released MacDrive 98 3.0 and I’ve got nothing but raves for it.

You know you’ve done it. You work on a file at home on your Mac. You save it to a floppy and take it to work and try to load it on your PC. Only to remember you didn’t use a PC formatted disk. Absolutely maddening. Especially if this is a hot project.

Well fret no more! MacDrive 98 not only allows a PC to read your 1.44MB floppy, but will allow a PC to read and see your Mac formatted Zip, Jaz, EZFlyer, EZ-135, SyQuest, SyJet, CD-ROM, even hard drives! MacDrive 98 even in HFS+ format. This is one nifty utility.

One of the best things about MacDrive 98 is its “set it and forget it” nature. Once you have MacDrive 98 loaded, you’ll be able to begin using Mac-formatted disks right away. 99% of the time you won’t even have to worry about mapping file extensions for your cross platform programs. Word 97/98, Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop, PageMaker, PDF… even SimpleText–you name it. MacDrive 98 lets your open and work with these files from your Mac-formatted disks instantly and transparently.

Don’t worry, MacDrive 98 has the ability to manually set your file mapping extensions. And if you have no idea what you just read, don’t worry about that, either. Once loaded, you will most likely never have to worry about file mapping extensions again. MacDrive 98 just works!

Another plus with MacDrive 98 is the ability to use a PC to copy Mac files from one Mac disk to another without any modifications made to the files. That is a treat. If you work in a cross-platform atmosphere, sometimes you need to copy a Mac disk for another Mac user. Problem is, there is no Macintosh close by. So rather than trucking over to the art department where most of the Macs are, you can copy the Mac disk on your PC even if no PC will ever read that data. Handy!

MacDrive has some nifty additions as well. Check out their “downloads” web page at http://www.media4.com/downloads.htm for up-to-date file mapping extensions and a terrific text converter utility that allows you to switch between Mac OS and Windows character sets. Stop by even if you don’t plan to purchase MacDrive 98! You can download and use the text converter for free.

MacDrive comes with a real honest to goodness “User Manual” printed on paper. Maybe our kids won’t like using paper printed manuals but I still do, and I wish more software came with printed, rather than “online,” documentation. Media4, thank you. This manual answered every question I had and was easy to read and use, even for a Windows or Mac novice.

I tested MacDrive 98 3.0 on a PC running NT 4.0. You can also use it on a Windows 95 or 98 machine (Windows 3.1 and 800k Mac disks not supported).

Overall, this is one terrific product. The best kind. It just works, and it works well!

Now if only Media4 would write a utility for the Mac that would let me access NTFS-formatted disks and drives. Now that would be killer!

Great Job, Media4! I Highly Recommend MacDrive 98 3.0 as probably the handiest utility for PC people who also use a Mac.

MacMice Rating: 4.5

Bob McCormick
bob@mymac.com

Websites mentioned:
http://www.media4.com
http://www.media4.com/downloads.htm

Cythera 1.0.2
Author: Ambrosia
Shareware: $25
http://www.ambrosiasw.com

Mike: Every game that Ambrosia Software releases is met with great anticipation and expectation, and their latest offering is no different. This time, Ambrosia breaks from their usual mold of fast-paced arcade games to give Mac users a complex, elaborate role-playing game called Cythera.

Adam: I’ll be the first to admit that Cythera was not what I was expecting… and while I’m a bit disappointed with the role playing-oriented game, it does show the polish that we have come to expect from Ambrosia.

Mike: I’m not a big role-playing aficiondo either, so Cythera did have a tough time keeping my interest. The pace of the game is slow and meticulous, but so are most RPGs, and fans of the genre should find plenty to like with Cythera. In terms of quality, it is everything we’ve come to expect from Ambrosia.

Adam: In the game, you have been transported away from your home by Cythera’s inhabitants, and your job now is to save the land. In order to do that, you must explore the city while solving challenging puzzles and battling enemies along the way.

Mike: The graphics aren’t flashy, but are well-done. The three-quarters aerial view is similar to that of games like Diablo. In fact, the entire game can be compared to Diablo, but with a bigger story, more talking and interaction among characters, and less hack-and-slash fighting.

Adam: The music is also pleasant, and the controls are fairly intuitive. But then again, we’ve come to expect nothing less from Ambrosia.

Mike: Cythera does a good job of holding your hand early in the game, requiring you to get the hang of basic commands and actions before you can advance too far. The puzzles start out fairly simple and get increasingly harder. Overall, the learning curve is nearly perfect, and the difficulty level will keep even the most seasoned RPG veterans coming back for more.

Adam: But what makes Cythera really shine is the way it captivates even the fiercest arcade gamers around. Whether or not you like role playing games, you’ll like Cythera because it doesn’t immediately seem like one, and before you even call it a role playing game you’re already way too immersed in it to stop.

Mike: Agreed. The storyline is rich and full of twists‹you’ve been presented with a possible double-cross by one of the major characters before you’re even five minutes into the game. Cythera’s plot is as good as most mystery novels, and even if you’re not a RPG fan, you find yourself playing just to find out who’s the good guy and who’s the bad guy.

Adam: Cythera is also very interactive‹decisions you make early in the game can effect who characters treat you and what help you receive later in the game!

Mike: Cythera was written using a versatile game engine named Delver, and if Cythera turns out to be the rousing success that it should be, you can expect other role-playing-games based on the Delver engine to start appearing soon.

Requirements/Availability
Cythera requires a 68040 or better processor, 12 megabytes of hard disk space, and 12 megabytes of free RAM. It can be downloaded directly from Ambrosia’s website, http://www.ambrosiasw.com, or from any other Internet software library, such as CNET’s Download.com http://www.download.com.

The Summary
Mike: Cythera is a very rich, immersive role-playing game that fans of the genre will love. Personally, I tend to like my battles in real-time and my action a little more twitch-oriented, but I still liked Cythera nonetheless. It’s another good game from the pros at Ambrosia that deserves a look.

Adam: Immersing fans of arcade games into a totally different genre is never easy, but Ambrosia has taken that task head-on and succeeded. It’s for this reason that The Game Guys RECOMMEND Cythera for Macintosh gamers near and far.

Mike Wallinga
mikew@mymac.com
Adam Karneboge
webmaster@mymac.com

Websites mentioned:
http://www.ambrosiasw.com
http://www.download.com

Terry Morse GoClick 3.0
Company: Terry Morse Software, Inc.
Estimated Price: $159.00
http://www.terrymorse.com

I must admit I was skeptical when I began this review. It was just a year ago that I had my first encounter with Terry Morse Myrmidon 2.0 right here in My Mac Magazine. Unfortunately, at that time I found it caused me more headaches than converted documents. But Web publishing has come a long way since then, and new products have emerged tempting even the most experienced webmasters into laying down their tried and true text editors in favor of easier WYSIWYG applications. GoClick 3.0 is Terry Morse Software’s latest product, and unlike previous versions, it doesn’t disappoint.

1-2-3
Like Myrmidon, GoClick is really a chooser extension that is treated as a printer. When you select “print” from the file menu of your application, GoClick can easily convert the document into HTML for you. This approach is particularly advantageous because any program you select “print” from will allow you to convert its document into HTML.

After selecting “print,” you can easily fine-tune GoClick 3.0 to your exact specifications. You can have it use HTML 3.2 instead of 4.0/CSS for example, allowing you to make your pages compatible with the majority of 2.x and 3.x browsers. Other options include the ability to specify color palettes and link colors. And just like Myrmidon, GoClick includes a superb HTML-based manual with instructions on how to get the most out of converting documents with GoClick.

However, some people are impatient and don’t like to mess with petty options just to get the program to work. This is one of GoClick’s biggest improvements. It now correctly converts documents straight out of the box, and its options are simply that: options that can be adjusted if you want. If not, you’re good to go in just one click, just as advertised. I like that!

Into the Code
GoClick’s other huge improvement over Myrmidon‹and huge advantage over almost every other WYSIWYG-type program out there‹is that the HTML it produces is relatively clean. Bloated code has long been a webmaster’s biggest excuse for not using WYSIWYG editors, but GoClick has made quantum leaps in its code-creation which now makes it a viable option for web content creators near and far.

Requirements/Availability
GoClick 3.0 requires a 68020 processor or better, and is fully optimized for the PowerPC. It needs System 7.5 or higher and any version of QuickTime to function. A free, fully-functional demo of GoClick can be downloaded at http://www.terrymorse.com and used for 30 days, at which time you can immediately register online and obtain a serial number.

The Summary
GoClick 3.0 is one of the most useful applications I have used in a long time. True to its name, it converts any Macintosh document into a web page with a single click. Only this time around, it really works. Not only does it fully support CSS and the latest advances in HTML 4.0, it converts documents flawlessly, separating graphics and text with ease, and saves you countless hours converting your documents into HTML.

Terry Morse Software claims that GoClick 3.0 is not a replacement to Myrmidon, and that it’s only a “professional version.” While I haven’t used Myrmidon in quite some time, previous experience tells me that GoClick is a “must” upgrade. One-click web publishing has finally been made a reality by GoClick. Best of all, the price is right for this professional-quality product. Perhaps WYS can be WYG after all. Highly Recommended for webmasters everywhere.

MacMice Rating: 3.5

Adam Karneboge
webmaster@mymac.com

Websites mentioned:
http://www.terrymorse.com

Photoshop Bible 5 Gold Edition
by Deke McClelland

IDG Books Worldwide

ISBN 0-7645-3372-X, 944 hardcover pages plus two CDs
$59.99 U.S., $89.99 Canada, £49.99 U.K.

“What,” you ask, “is the Gold Edition of Deke’s heavyweight Photoshop 5 Bible?” I was curious too, so I asked the author. Deke told me:

The Gold Edition is a cross-platform version of the soft cover Bible with some full-color creative chapters mixed in. I also added six of what I considered to be the best articles I had written for Publish magazine. Then I tossed in a bunch of PDF notes I had created for conferences to the CD. All in all, it’s kind of a “Best of” compilation of everything I’ve written on Photoshop.

In quality, weight, and cost, this is the finest book on Photoshop in existence. Because it technically is an “upgrade” to the original P5 Bible which we reviewed previously, the Gold Edition would normally be mentioned in a Bonus Book Bytes, but it’s such a remarkable book that I’m giving it special attention this month.

If you already own both the softcover Photoshop 5 Bible and the second edition of Deke’s Photoshop Studio Secrets, keep the latter and give the former to your best buddy at holiday time. The hard-earned $$$ required to pay for this Gold Edition is worth the cost. Book Bytes raved about Photoshop Studio Secrets, and you can read the archived reviews and the original Photoshop 5 Bible review in the Book Bytes archives at .

Working digital artists will appreciate the “new and improved” text, lessons, tips, and contents of both CDs in the Gold Edition. Deke is the best Photoshop writer on the planet. His knowledge and ability to communicate place him on the all-time Olympic team of Macintosh authors. When I consider the years of experience and preparation that have gone into Photoshop Bible 5 Gold Edition, I’m stunned. The value of this book far exceeds the purchase price.

My personal favorite parts are the “new to Photoshop 5” tips and witty insights Deke drops in to make the reading more enjoyable, such as this little critique of one of P5′s so-called “improvements”:

The untimely demise of floating selections

One brief note before I move onto my long and glorious explanation of paths: It is with sad heart that I announce the near death of floating selections. As you may (or may not) recall, Photoshop 4 bludgeoned floating selections into a state of unconsciousness. While Version 5 has not entirely killed them, it has moved them to the critical list.

Deke’s publisher issued a press release praising Photoshop Bible 5 Gold Edition as “the answer to graphic designers’ prayers,” and applauding “20 brand new full-color chapters.” I have to agree. If you are a professional designer or serious student of digital art, you will thank Deke McClelland every time you open this HIGHLY RECOMMENDED book.

 
Director 7 Demystified: The Official Guide to
Macromedia Director, Lingo, and Shockwave

by Jason Roberts and Phil Gross
Peachpit / Macromedia Press

lSBN 0-201-35445-4, 1184 pages plus CD
$49.99 U.S., $74.95 Canada

It’s been a long time since I’ve had the responsibility of examining an 1100+ page book and describing it in 300 words. If I had to understand everything in Director 7 Demystified before telling you about it, I would have to live to be 300 years old.

I have a pretty good idea what Director and Shockwave are, but what is Lingo? Oh, here it is, in the prelude: Lingo is Director’s unique scripting language, with two categories of command syntax and three distinct types of Lingo available. Director, the application, is powerful multimedia authoring software, for animation and so much more. Shockwave technology is used to covert the results into Internet content.

This massive book begins with a systematic tour of Director, followed by a fascinating tutorial on “The Elements of Animation.” Next comes a detailed “project profile” on how the preceding material was used to create an animated screen saver for the Oracle Developer Program.

Succeeding units cover lessons on multimedia authoring and interactivity. Each chapter concludes with useful “Points to Remember,” using bold to help readers keep the key terminology in focus. Chapter exercises are done in tutorial format, with itemized steps and plenty of margin space for notes, plus ample screen shots and sidebar tips.

Soon readers are “Deeper Into Graphics” in both greyscale and color, then are working with more of Director’s powerful production tools. All the preceding is in Book One of Director 7 Demystified. Not bad for openers!

“Digging Deeper,” in Book Two, takes us 300 pages further into advanced techniques for scripting, making interactive movies, and some enticing Shockwave projects. I admit I am unable to evaluate anything in Book Three: “Special Topics,” which includes:

• Debugging and Troubleshooting

• Extracurricular Lingo: Xtras

• Professional Topics and Techniques

and a whole lot more.

My head stops spinning when I turn to the appendices, in which Roberts and Gross introduce us to Director resources on the Internet and 200 pages of essential terminology on the program’s commands, functions properties, operators, and keywords, plus code references, keyboard shortcuts, and companies that produce third-party Xtras.

The CD contains an array of special effects and music files, Director movies, and demo software, plus links to recommended websites. If you drop Director 7 Demystified on your big toe, it will be crushed, but if you drop this masterful RECOMMENDED book on the desk of a multimedia person, it will become a prized possession.

 
Smart Homes for Dummies
by Danny Briere and Pat Hurley
Dummies Press

ISBN 0-7645-0527-0, 360 pages
$19.99 U.S., $28.99 Canada, £18.99 U.K.

What a concept! In a “smart home” you can: access the Net from anywhere in the house, inside or out; use remote-control on your appliances and connected devices; get technology to work for you; save money in the process; and improve your overall quality of life. Sounds enticing, and totally out of reach. Keep reading.

Bill Gates has a smart house, you smartie pants, so what’s taking you so long to be Billish? If you think COMPUTER network and MULTIMEDIA network, you are already at second base, given the correct hardware, software, routers, cables, wiring, and connectors. Next come your kitchen and other appliances, with a few wireless doo-dads thrown in, and you’re rounding third base, heading for home.

Oh, nuts. We have to do some actual work to make this revolution happen. See Chapter Four: “Getting It Done: Timelines and Budgets,” to help you with home evaluation, goals, financial requirements, and design aspects.

Yawn. Time to think about which television, stereo system, TV/music provider, video gear, and “more than you ever wanted to know about modulators,” before you are allowed to play with that new “hybrid satellite/video network.” Do you want in-wall or free-standing speakers? Single-room music or entire house?

By Chapter Ten, we’re “Planning a Phone System for Your Home.” If the thought makes you break into hives, don’t despair, because these authors are very thorough. Many readers will find the later chapters on local-area computers the best place to plunge into Smart Homes for Dummies. I learned on page 195 that my personal dream, an all-in-one Internet/music/TV satellite won’t work (yet) with my current setup. Fudge. Home security and (gasp) automation wrap up this ambitious book.

I am impressed. This is the first title with such a comprehensive scope, and many of you will find it valuable today and into the next century. RECOMMENDED.

 
Internet Auctions for Dummies
by Greg Holden

Dummies Press

ISBN 0-7645-0578-5, 300 pages plus CD
$24.99 U.S., $37.99 Canada, £23.99 U.K.

I’m looking at a fascinating article in New Yorker magazine from earlier this year, entitled “Stop Me Before I Shop Again!” It was written by James Gleick, under the column “The Wired World.” I apologize for not having the issue date, but I was given the article after it had already been torn from the magazine. Your local librarian will help you find the periodical.

Internet auctions are big business, big news, and a big question mark for most of the population. Somewhere between shopping and gambling, online auctions have succeeded beyond all outrageous expectations. Does this Dummies book help readers navigate the turbulent terrain of Mt. Auction?

Opening chapters introduce readers to the types of auctions on the Internet, and the hardware/software/connection requirements. Specific URLs for resources and downloads are recommended, but they are in an almost illegible type font. PLEASE, you Dummies designers, use a bold font for your URLs!

The author considers the online auction community worth joining and gives sensible suggestions for newcomers. We soon learn how to bid, close the deal, and receive the merchandise; then, how to promote and sell your wares, completing the transaction with efficiency and integrity. A 40-page chapter is devoted to “Creating Sales-Boosting Web Pages,” featuring personal examples from Holden’s site.

This guy is really serious. The text concludes with chapters on international marketing plus auction law and accounting. A valuable yellow pages directory contains over one hundred itemized sites to keep you busy around the clock. He even has six sites for book auctions. Get outta my way, cuz here I come!

You should know most of the information in Internet Auctions for Dummies in order not to be a dummy at Internet Auctions.

 
Networking for Dummies, 4th Edition
by Doug Lowe
Dummies Press

ISBN 0-7645-0498-3, 355 pages
$19.99 U.S., $28.99 Canada, £18.99 U.K.

Any technical title is only as good as its terminology and specialized information. The final section of this book covers the territory with a comprehensive glossary, plus: practical networking wisdom dealing with common mistakes (“assuming that the server is safely backed up”); extra hardware to keep handy; aspects unique to larger networks”; some “network buzzwords guaranteed to enliven a cocktail party,” and more.

Turning to the front of Networking for Dummies, we learn about servers and clients, how shared folders and network printers work, email basics, and some introductory troubleshooting advice. The fun really begins in Part Two: “Building Your Own Network.” This is when you remember you promised to wash the car last April, because:

• You have to plan ahead

• You need to decide which type of network to use (hint: in this book it’s not based on Macintosh, so keep your mind open)

• Server and physical location are critical

• Cables, hubs, and special software are part of the equation.

Most experienced users will benefit from a thorough reading of Part Three, on network management. In 40+ pages you will soon change from a dummy into a smartie. The next sections connect the network onto the Internet, with specific chapters on optimizing the dial-in procedure and using (ugh) Microsoft Office on the network.

Doug Lowe must be a mind reader, because I was wondering if he would consent to explain networking older computers and Macs, which he kindly does at the very end of this well-constructed book. If you are a serious network person or plan to be, this book may be too lightweight, but for most mortals who can handle some non-Mac terminology, studying Networking for Dummies is well worth the effort.

 
Fun With Digital Imaging:
The Official Hewlett-Packard Guide
by Lisa Price and Jonathan Price

IDG Books Worldwide

ISBN 0-7645-3307-X, 336 pages
$19.99 U.S., $29.99 Canada, £18.99 U.K.

Digital imagery looks like it will be around for a while. Even though many serious and recreational computer users have embraced or played with the technology, there are even more newbies who will be taking the plunge soon.

This lively and informative book first introduces readers to concepts and techniques. “How Pictures Go Electronic” is a lengthy opening chapter, offering an overview of basic tools and procedures. Fun With Digital Imaging contains page after page of useful greyscale photos and illustrations, plus a center section of color imagery, and helpful URLs for additional resources.

In the extensive Chapter Four, readers can work on “Projects at Home” workbook-style, with plenty of hand-holding by the enthusiastic and experienced authors. I’m getting inspired just reading the book! Activities include:

• Ironing your life into a quilt

• Creating special bags to hold party favors

• Taking your pet on an imaginary flight

and several others.

Next comes “Projects at Work and School,” including the use of photographs, clip art, charts, and custom graphics, followed by a charming unit on “Community Activities.” Throughout Fun With Digital Imaging the emphasis is on the FUN creating the projects and lessons. Lisa and Jonathan Price appreciate the process as well as the results. The troubleshooting appendix covers some basic material on digital cameras, scanning, and printing.

The price is right, and if you do even one of the exercises to completion the book will have paid for itself. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

 
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to
Online Shopping, 2nd Edition
by Preston Gralla

The iBook
An Apple for the Whole School

The vast majority of school buildings in the United States were built before the evolution of networking technology, probably before computers themselves were invented. Installing fiber optic backbones, classroom drops, server facilities, or concentrators, and completing a ‘power upgrade’ to minimize electrical interference to ensure the stability of the network, are very expensive propositions. A local area network (LAN) for a typical school of 1,000 students could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Additional workstations, server software, network licenses for applications and information sources, Internet connectivity, training, and technical support could add significantly to the overall bill.

At the same time, there is enormous pressure from almost every end of the spectrum for schools to provide students with access to the Internet. Unfortunately, the significant expense involved in installing a proper LAN has forced some school systems to opt for ‘interim solutions’ that are geared more to public relations than true technical requirements. These ‘quick fixes’ often involve coaxial or twisted-pair cable jury-rigged from room to room, ‘daisy-chained’ work stations, multiple servers running different versions of NetWare or AppleShare, and heavy-duty appliances like air conditioners and heaters sitting on the same power circuit as the servers and workstations. These systems may work fine as a temporary fix, but their performance is poor, maintenance is a nightmare, and their functional life is severely limited. The political capital gained by installing a cheap LAN will eventually dissipate when the school board is informed that the whole thing has to be replaced and ‘done correctly.’

When politics, school funding, and complex technical decisions mix, it’s often the students and school programs that suffer. There are still thousands of derelict filmstrip projectors, partially used phone answering systems, dust covered video disc players, and Betamax™ video recorders sitting around schools that demonstrate the problem. Schools genuinely want any new technology that offers an advance, but the central office either can’t afford the technical expertise to make the right decision or politics intercedes to cloud the technical issues.

The political pressure to ‘LAN’ the schools, the inherent cost in doing it right the first time, and the potential pitfalls in purchasing the ‘wrong technology’ have been mitigated by a new technological breakthrough from Apple Computer and Lucent Technology that could revolutionize the way school systems approach this challenge. The recently announced Apple iBook offers both wireless connectivity and extraordinary power with an amazingly affordable price tag. The iBook may represent the greatest advance in educational technology since the invention of the ballpoint pen!

The ballpoint pen? On the surface, that may seem like misplaced hyperbole, but please indulge me for a moment. Let’s first talk about what the iBook offers schools. For around $1,600, you get a ruggedly built laptop computer that’s faster than any non-Apple laptop computer on the market today, along with a beautiful 12.1 inch TFT screen, a 56K modem, 24 X CD-ROM drive, a 3.2 gigabyte hard drive, a full size keyboard, and USB and fast Ethernet ports. The machine is perfect for students to either carry in their ubiquitous backpacks or check out of a media center.

If that’s all the iBook offered, it would be reason enough for schools to seriously consider a purchase. The main attraction for schools, however, is wireless connectivity. Each iBook comes with a built-in antenna that can communicate wirelessly with an ‘AirPort Hub’ anywhere within 150 feet, and the hub can in turn be connected to a local network and/or an Internet Service Provider. Up to 10 iBooks can connect to a single hub at a speed roughly approaching 10BaseT Ethernet speeds—and that is fast! iBooks can communicate with each other via the hub or directly in the absence of a hub. It’s also possible to use one iBook as a temporary hub, dial up the net, and share access with other iBooks in proximity.
Thus, the iBook offers schools a functional alternative that provides Internet connectivity for a fraction of the cost of a standard LAN installation. At the same time, the iBook’s mobility, coupled with Apple’s solid system software, makes it ideal for media center checkout providing connectivity options to the whole school. And better still, the iBook is perfect for cooperative learning grouping because the iBook goes where the student goes… which brings me back to the ballpoint pen.

Some years ago, when I made the grand transition from 2nd grade to 3rd grade, I was very excited about the ‘inkwell’ in my desk and could hardly wait the two or three weeks that passed before we would begin using a straight pen and ink. For me, it was the first great technological leap; inkwells were cool. Straight pens were serious business. I loved filling my inkbottle, dipping the pen and letting the excess run off, and scrawling my letters on lined paper.

It didn’t take long, however, to realize that as long as we used straight pens, I was as tied to my desk as present day users are tied to network workstations. When learning was accomplished elsewhere, it was necessary to return to the inkwell to record official ‘pen written’ results in composition notebook. Pencils wouldn’t do, as they were usually broken when you needed them most, and the good Sisters of St Joseph looked down on anything that could be erased.

The ballpoint changed all that by letting you record information while still immersed in the learning process. On a slightly more sophisticated scale, that’s exactly what the iBook now offers. Location is crucial as the more proximate the processing is to the learning activity, the more students will be engaged and the more representative will be the results.

The Apple iBook is the ideal machine for students, teachers, parents, and administrators. It offers an inexpensive, flexible, and dynamic approach to accessing the Internet and, like an intellectual turbocharger, delivers processing power exactly where it is needed. Students will love its functionality and style; teachers will like the way it fits seamlessly into learning activities; parents will appreciate the price, and administrators will be delighted to embrace a technology that can provide Internet access to the whole student body without requiring the expensive installation of a business network. Meeting the needs of all the ‘stakeholders,’ the iBook is truly an “Apple for the Whole School.”

•Mick O’Neil•

Last month, I talked about the very basics of what CDs are, the differences between CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, and others. Now that all of that is out of the way, it’s time to get into the fun stuff: making your own CDs! This month, we’ll look at creating music CDs and CD-ROMs using the most (and pretty much only) program out there, Adaptec’s Toast.

She’s A Beauty
Toast is a breeze to work with, though creating my first Audio CD was a learning experience. The LaCie CD Burner that Small Dog Electronics graciously loaned My Mac for this article came with Toast, so there was nothing I had to buy which did not come with the CD burner (except some blank CDs, but that goes without saying). Looking at all the various burners out there, I found that most companies also bundle Toast with the machine. When looking for a good deal, remember two things: fast burning speed (at least 8x), and that it comes bundled with Toast. You’re not really saving anything if you buy a burner and have to turn around and pony up more cash for Toast.

Another program that came with the LaCie was Adaptec’s DirectCD. It sounds like a perfect program: you insert a blank CD in your burner, and it shows up on your desktop just like a floppy disk or Zip. Then you simply copy to it by drag and drop, again just like a Zip or disk. I quickly found, though, that a CD created with DirectCD would not always work correctly. In fact, many CDs were ruined using DirectCD, meaning they either refused to mount or a “disc error” occurred. While I cannot say this is faulty software or a problem on my machine, I can say that I had no such problems using Toast.

One thing to keep in mind: when you make an error when burning or creating a CD, that CD is ruined (but not with CD-RW). So plan your recording session with care; CDs are much cheaper than a Zip disk (around a $1.50 in bulk or less, while Zips go for up to $10 a piece) but when you ruin one it is done and gone–there is no fixing or reformatting it. The low price, however, means you probably won’t shed any tears over a flub. Bad CD? Just grab another, noting the mistake you made last time.

Whip it
Time to create my first CD. (For those reading this online, click here to see how easy it is to duplicate a music CD.) The easy way, of course, it to simply drag an audio CD from your desktop to the Toast window, click “Write CD” and you’re done. This is not the best way, however. You should always, and I mean always, create a disc image of your CD before burning it. In the case of music CD, you will want to “Extract” the song from the original CD to your hard disk, and create your new CD from that source. The problem you may run into if you simply copy disc to disc is that the original may skip while you’re copying it, and that will ruin the blank CD. (A scratch or smudge on the CD can cause a skip.) I found this out the hard way, of course. So learn from my mistake and make sure you have at least 650MB of hard disk space on your hard drive before creating a CD. (That is how much data, be it audio or otherwise, a blank CD can hold.)

Calling Major Tom
My first effort was to create a “best of the 80′s” audio CD! I was in the mood for Come On Eileen, Der Kommissar, some A Flock Of Seagulls, and Major Tom from Peter Schilling. Call me nostalgic if you will, but I grew up in the 80′s, and think it is some of the best music ever made.

The problem up to now, though, was that there was so many good songs from so many bands, but most of those bands only had one or two songs worth a darn. A Best of the 80′s CD would be a godsend. I am not, however, about to buy all the CDs I would want to make the CD I wanted to create, so I had to make do with what I have. No problem!

After digging all my 80′s era CDs out, pouring over all the music, I finally had about 65 minutes worth of music I wanted to put to CD. My first try, as you can guess, was to simply insert each CD that contained the music I wanted to record, one after another, from disc to disc. After ruining three blank CDs, I decided to extract all the songs from the various CDs to my hard drive, and from there to the CD-R. It worked perfectly, and Adaptec’s Toast made it super simple.

Once I had all the songs on my hard drive, I could rearrange them to my heart’s content from inside the Toast window. (Web users can click here to see how easily this is done.)

Something else I found out from my buddy Shawn King of The MacShow was to burn audio CDs no faster than 2x speed. Thus, a 75 minute audio CD will take about 37 and a half minutes to process. Of course, it took me hours to cull all the songs I wanted to burn to CD, so the actual burning process seemed to go like the breeze.

What I like about you
After mastering the secrets of audio CDs, it was time to tackle the world of computer CD-ROMs. Talk about simple! Simply put all the things you want on your CD-ROM in a folder, name the folder what you want the CD-ROM to be titled, and drag it onto Toast! That’s it! Of course, if you’re going to create multiple CD-ROMs you may want to create a disk image to make the process go more quickly. You can do this using a program such as ShrinkWrap from Aladdin, or let Toast do it for you!

One thing to remember, if you will be creating a CD-ROM to be used on a PC, you will want to use ISO as the format.

I wanted to put everything ever done here at My Mac Magazine to CD and send a copy to our staff members (something I am still doing, little by little). I knew I wouldn’t be creating many CD-ROMs in one night, or even one weekend, so I put together everything and made a disk image for burning at a later time (web users can see how easy it is here). Then, when I have extra blank CDs, I’ll simply drag that disk image to Toast and a new CD-ROM will pop out a few mintes later. Unlike audio CDs, you can crank up the speed when burning a CD-ROM. If your CD-R can burn at 8x speeds, let it rip! A full CD will only take about ten minutes or so.

Is CD-R for you?

Things to think about

Iomega Zip 100MB blank disk: $10
Single blank CD-R: $2.50 (less in bulk)

Iomega Jaz 1GB blank disk: $77
Two blank CD-Rs: $5.00

Iomega Jaz 2GB blank disk: $90
Four blank CD-Rs: $10

More things to consider

You can reuse a Zip or Jaz disk, rewriting on them many times. (They both have a high failure rate compared to CDs, though.)

You can buy CD-RW and do the same thing, though CD-RW discs cost much more.

To share information from a Zip or Jaz (or the new Orb) the person must have purchased a Zip, Orb, or Jaz drive.

All computers for the last five years have CD players standard.

You can format all the above for use in PCs.

You can’t listen to music Zip, Jaz, or Orbs in your car.

You can create custom music CDs–compilations of your favorite songs–for just a few bucks.

You can download thousands of MP3s from the internet, convert them to AIFF (the format music CDs use) to jam on your car or home stereo. Cool!

CDs take much less space to store a large collection.

You can now buy a CD-R burner for less than $200.

So, is CD-R for you? Without knowing anything about you, your computer, or your personal habits, I would hazard a guess and say yes! Oh, heck, let’s get it right in the open: you must buy a CD-R! Put it on your Christmas list now (you can thank me later…)

Tim Robertson
publisher@mymac.com

Websites mentioned:
http://www.smalldog.com
http://www.tdk.com
http://www.lacie.com

Alta Vista Makes Good
Call it a case of bad timing. In the time between I wrote last month’s column (about Alta Vista’s FreeAccess ISP and the lack of a Mac version) and the time it was actually published, Alta Vista had revised their plans. The FAQ on their web page now admits that a Mac version of the free software is being developed, but doesn’t give a timetable on how soon we can expect it. Oh, well, at least it’s a start.

(You can be sure I’ll follow developments in this story fairly closely, and provide a download link as soon as one become available!)

AllAdvantage Promises Mac Users an Advantage, too
Another company that has been promising to provide Mac users with their software but has yet to do so is AllAdvantage.com. The folks at AllAdvantage pay you to surf the web, as long as their advertisement-laden task bar sits at the bottom of your screen every second that your web browser is open. But hey, that isn’t so bad–especially when there’s money involved! Up until now, the only stipulation has been that you’ve also needed a Windows9x system to use their software. The Mac version is due by the end of the month; let’s see if they deliver.

Trexar is Awesome!
It’s not everyday I use a superlative in reference to a software company, but these guys (located at http://www.macalive.com) are doing a lot of things right. Their three products–MacTuner, WeatherTracker, and MacHeadlines–do an excellent job of filling niche roles that are both enjoyable and practical for the user. I’ve been especially impressed with WeatherTracker–it’s great to be able to take a quick glance at my PowerBook’s screen and know whether or not I should grab my jacket before I head across campus to class. WeatherTracker, and the headline-scrolling MacTicker (formerly the shareware program NewsTicker), beg to constantly be open, sending me constant streams of important information. Trouble is, my 11.3″ laptop screen just isn’t big enough for that! Man, that monitor-spanning option on the new PowerBook G3s is looking might good right now…

What’s Up, Dock?
My summer job left a little too much cash burning a hole in my pocket (this was BEFORE I made a trip to the campus bookstore and bought my textbooks, mind you), so I spent a little dough on some goodies for my PowerBook 1400. The most invaluable has been a BookEndz docking station from Newer Technology. I have a lot of stuff plugged into my ‘Book when it’s sitting on my desk: the power adapter, a pair of external speakers, a gamepad, a mouse, an Ethernet cable, a SCSI cable for an external hard drive, and a printer cable. The BookEndz does its job of cleaning up the cable clutter and allowing me to go from desktop to portable mode quickly and easily. Sliding my ‘Book in and out of the dock is a snap, and is much easier than manually disconnecting over a half-dozen cables and making sure that they don’t all fall behind my desk while they’re not connected! The dock does have some inconveniences: I can’t change expansion bay modules while the ‘Book is docked, and I need to shut down the computer every time I want to dock or undock it (due to the SCSI and ADB connections, of course, which are not hot-pluggable). Overall, though, the dock is a blessing when I want to grab my trusty 1400 in a hurry and take it to the library, and an even bigger blessing when I come back and don’t have to worry about re-connecting all of those cables! I do think that Newer’s price tag on their docks (they also have models for the various G3 series PowerBooks) are overpriced, usually in the $200 ballpark. Longtime My Mac sponsor Small Dog Electronics has a limited supply of BookEndz for the 1400 for only $39, though–a price which is much easier to swallow.

Au Revoir
That’s going to do it this month for this paper-and-test swamped college student. More next month, I promise! Until then, happy Mac-ing!

Mike Wallinga
mikew@mymac.com

Websites mentioned:
http://www.macalive.com

Hello all!

Halloween is just around the corner–my favorite holiday! I love dressing up in costumes, decorating the house as a broken-down, haunted wreck (maybe resembling the now famous house in The Blair Witch Project?), and watching the kids go trick-or-treating. It’s much less stressful than Christmas–and not as cold! There are still leaves on the trees, and watching them blow around on a fall day is enjoyable. Fall is very beautiful in New England; it just never seems to last long enough. But then, nothing good ever does.

I read a very interesting article in The Boston Globe regarding a little town in Texas called El Cenizo. It has nothing to do with computers, but being the person I am, it caught my eye.

It seems the town government (consisting of three individuals) voted to hold its monthly meetings and all official functions in Spanish. I know, I know… some people, maybe even you, think this is a terrible idea! This is America and our language is English! Well, let me point out this little burg is not ousting English and plans to continue to translate all official documents to English. They’ll even translate the meetings into English if someone requests that they do so.

What they are doing is catering to their constituency–as all politicians do. They realize most of the residents of their town are more comfortable using Spanish, even if the resident in question is bilingual Spanish/English. Using Spanish while conducting town business will open up the government to those individuals whose English is poor or who don’t speak it at all. Granted, this wouldn’t work everywhere (New York City comes to mind), but for this little border town it makes perfect sense.

And, let’s face it: America is a country of plurality. It always has been. Yes, eventually, all immigrant families give up their ethnicity to blend in as well as they can, but they rarely give up all of it. Usually, you’ll find families have kept traditional food while incorporating American meatloaf. They’ll listen to the music of their national origin when not listening to Pearl Jam or Usher. And that’s all good! Our diversity has made us strong. It has made us the envy of the world. Even today, people die to get into this country.

So, I say if they want have Spanish as their preferred language, who am I to interfere? I don’t live there, and if I did, they would translate for me. What more would I need?

All right, I was on my soapbox again! I’ll step off now and turn to the reason for this column’s existence: Helpful Hints. (And if you didn’t bypass this entire section, thanks for reading!)

Helpful Hints

Generic Icons — Sometimes, files get corrupted and the icon for an application or file becomes generic. You’ll know this when you see it. The nifty little FileMaker icon you usually see on your database files will no longer be there.

So, how to correct? Try rebuilding your desktop. Yes, the tried and true method of cleaning up your hard drive should solve this pesky problem. How to rebuild? Simply hold down your Option and Command keys after starting (or restarting) your Mac. A dialog box will appear after it goes through its startup procedures asking if you really want to rebuild your desktop. Hit yes. Depending on the size of your drive, it will take a few minutes.

Another way to rebuild your desktop is to use TechTool Pro. This is a nifty little program that not only rebuilds your desktop but can zap your PRAM or perform a host of other maintenance tricks to keep your Mac running smoothly. If your needs are simple, you can download TechTool for free at http://www.micromat.com or purchase a much more comprehensive package either through Micromat or your favorite Macintosh catalog. It lists for approximately $99.00.

Calling all ClarisWorks 5.x users — Teemu Masalin wrote in with a tip. Visit the AppleWorks site http://www.apple.com/appleworks for free stationery, tips, and a special corner just for educators. There’s even an update to version 5.0.3 which includes the always necessary bug fixes. You can even change ClarisWorks to AppleWorks. Thanx, Teemu!!

Find File in MS Word — Granted, Microsoft is not my favorite company, but sometimes they do something right (I think it’s just the law of averages!). This is one of them.

Say you are looking to find several files created on the same day two weeks ago. Rather than updating the search criteria for each file, drag a representative file to the Find File box. The criteria will change to match the file you’ve dragged over. Now, you can quickly find all those files in one fell swoop!

Other Stuff

I want to touch base on my Imation SuperDisk Drive. I whined last month how it was more difficult opening floppies on this external drive than it should be. I wrote the company and didn’t hear anything as of press time. However, they did eventually write back. Kudos for Imation! Better late than never!

Anyway, they did ask me to check all the usual stuff, like cable connections and ensuring the power supply was securely attached. They also pointed out a few things I want to pass on:

1. Apparently there is an emergency eject on the drive. I thought there wasn’t. On the push button on the front of the drive is a little pinhole. It will not work if the OS has detected the floppy. Otherwise, use your trusty paperclip to eject the floppy or SuperDisk.

2. Defective disks will take a long time to mount, if at all. Makes sense.

3. Old or damaged disks may cause the drive’s read/write head to become dirty. To clean, use only the Imation cleaning kit available at http://store.imation.com

4. There are bugs in File Exchange 3.0 (on Mac OS 8.5 and 8.5.1) that can cause problems with some PC disks. Updating your OS to 8.6 corrects the problem.

5. The driver has been updated http://www.superdisk.com/sc/sc_dl.html.

I updated and am very happy with the results. No more problems mounting my floppies! Thanks to Randy at Imation Support for his response.

Internet Site of the Month: The Kelley Blue Book, http://www.kbb.com This is a great site if you’re looking to buy or sell a car. It gives you new car prices, options, trade-in price versus selling price… I made a great impression on my new, computer-illiterate boss by giving her all the information she needed to blow away the car salesman. There’s no need now for anyone to fear buying a car with this site at your disposal.

Happy Halloween!

Barbara Bell
pr@mymac.com

Websites mentioned:
http://www.kbb.com
http://www.micromat.com
http://www.apple.com/appleworks
http://store.imation.com
http://www.superdisk.com/sc/sc_dl.html

Cythera 1.0.2
Author: Ambrosia
Shareware: $25
http://www.ambrosiasw.com

Mike: Every game that Ambrosia Software releases is met with great anticipation and expectation, and their latest offering is no different. This time, Ambrosia breaks from their usual mold of fast-paced arcade games to give Mac users a complex, elaborate role-playing game called Cythera.

Adam: I’ll be the first to admit that Cythera was not what I was expecting… and while I’m a bit disappointed with the role playing-oriented game, it does show the polish that we have come to expect from Ambrosia.

Mike: I’m not a big role-playing aficiondo either, so Cythera did have a tough time keeping my interest. The pace of the game is slow and meticulous, but so are most RPGs, and fans of the genre should find plenty to like with Cythera. In terms of quality, it is everything we’ve come to expect from Ambrosia.

Adam: In the game, you have been transported away from your home by Cythera’s inhabitants, and your job now is to save the land. In order to do that, you must explore the city while solving challenging puzzles and battling enemies along the way.

Mike: The graphics aren’t flashy, but are well-done. The three-quarters aerial view is similar to that of games like Diablo. In fact, the entire game can be compared to Diablo, but with a bigger story, more talking and interaction among characters, and less hack-and-slash fighting.

Adam: The music is also pleasant, and the controls are fairly intuitive. But then again, we’ve come to expect nothing less from Ambrosia.

Mike: Cythera does a good job of holding your hand early in the game, requiring you to get the hang of basic commands and actions before you can advance too far. The puzzles start out fairly simple and get increasingly harder. Overall, the learning curve is nearly perfect, and the difficulty level will keep even the most seasoned RPG veterans coming back for more.

Adam: But what makes Cythera really shine is the way it captivates even the fiercest arcade gamers around. Whether or not you like role playing games, you’ll like Cythera because it doesn’t immediately seem like one, and before you even call it a role playing game you’re already way too immersed in it to stop.

Mike: Agreed. The storyline is rich and full of twists‹you’ve been presented with a possible double-cross by one of the major characters before you’re even five minutes into the game. Cythera’s plot is as good as most mystery novels, and even if you’re not a RPG fan, you find yourself playing just to find out who’s the good guy and who’s the bad guy.

Adam: Cythera is also very interactive‹decisions you make early in the game can effect who characters treat you and what help you receive later in the game!

Mike: Cythera was written using a versatile game engine named Delver, and if Cythera turns out to be the rousing success that it should be, you can expect other role-playing-games based on the Delver engine to start appearing soon.

Requirements/Availability
Cythera requires a 68040 or better processor, 12 megabytes of hard disk space, and 12 megabytes of free RAM. It can be downloaded directly from Ambrosia’s website, http://www.ambrosiasw.com, or from any other Internet software library, such as CNET’s Download.com http://www.download.com.

The Summary
Mike: Cythera is a very rich, immersive role-playing game that fans of the genre will love. Personally, I tend to like my battles in real-time and my action a little more twitch-oriented, but I still liked Cythera nonetheless. It’s another good game from the pros at Ambrosia that deserves a look.

Adam: Immersing fans of arcade games into a totally different genre is never easy, but Ambrosia has taken that task head-on and succeeded. It’s for this reason that The Game Guys RECOMMEND Cythera for Macintosh gamers near and far.

Mike Wallinga
mikew@mymac.com
Adam Karneboge
webmaster@mymac.com

Websites mentioned:
http://www.ambrosiasw.com
http://www.download.com

Documentation: External

Oops. There was a small mistake in last month’s article. Near the beginning I had a few field names. Underneath I explained that one of them was a related field; but I got the name of the relationship wrong. It said:
*(Self_Service being the name of a self-relationship of the Job ID)
That sounds more like a car wash. It should be, and hopefully you figured this out:
(Self_Job ID being the name of a self-relationship of the Job ID)

Last month I wrote about how to “comment” your work within FileMaker Pro. Now I’m going to continue with a discussion of various ways to document your work outside the database files themselves.

There a few reasons why you would want to do this:
If you were developing for someone else, they’d certainly want some external map of what you’d done. In an extreme case, it might be the only way to rebuild badly damaged and unrecoverable files.

For me, the main benefit of external documentation is that it is “searchable.” In the case where I just couldn’t find what a certain field did, or whether it was obsolete, I could read and compare printouts or search for it.
You can print the Field Definitions (all of them) and the Scripts (all or individually) directly from the Print dialog box. You can’t, however, print the Relationships.
If I went to the trouble of creating a spreadsheet of all these items, I could then search for a particular name to see all instances where it occurred. More on this later.

I must admit that I rarely do this. For one thing it’s time-consuming to create the documentation. I usually just bip madly between the layout, Field Definitions, Define Relationships, and the Script I might be writing until I somehow figure it out.

Another problem is the old adage that you can’t write the documentation until the development is finished; because as soon as you change anything the text is no longer accurate.

Despite all that there are some times when having a comprehensive external record is the only solution to clearing up a complicated mess, or for finding the needle in the haystack.
There are programs out there which are designed to help, most even create a separate database detailing the structure of your files. The easy-to-use ones cost money, but there are free methods available.

Commercial Programs
(I haven’t used most of these programs, but I’ve heard good things about them. Check out the websites for extensive screenshots and demos.)

The first program I’ll mention is Analyser by WavesInMotion http://www.wmotion.com It has a very clear tabbed interface, with all the various parts listed at the top of the main window: Files, Fields, Relationships, Scripts, Passwords, etc.. You can get a great deal of info about items, especially Fields; its definition, other fields that refer to it, relationships that refer to it, scripts that have it in them, etc. It appears to get everything, even the steps of each script. The cost of the program is $159; it requires version 4.

They also have a smaller program, DocuScript, that just works on scripts, allowing you to perform searches for a word. It’s $59.

ClickStats by ClickWorks is similar http://www.clickware.com. It has a “versioning” feature that allows you to compare one session to another. You can run several “sessions” on the same file(s). Then you can choose any two and ask for a comparison to see a general count of what’s different. It appears to lack some detail on this, however. It doesn’t get script steps, for example, just the names.
It is similarly priced at $149, and also requires v.4.

SmartTools, at http://www.cetacean.com is a little different. It is not so much a file analysis tool as it is a souped-up template library. It can save your commonly used layouts, fields, relationships and scripts, ready to use again at the touch of a button.
You can choose from the list of fields, then click a button to have them all created in your new file, complete with definitions.
It also has a “redirect” relationships tool that fixes broken relationships, due to file name changes, etc.

It costs $99. It doesn’t require v.4, but it does require a clean version which has not been altered with Developer Dialogs to have larger windows (which mine have).
It includes a OneClick runtime engine extension, unneeded for OneClick users.
The odd thing about it however is that only a beta version is available. The final version is promised in September–of 1998! I imagine it works fine, since FileMaker’s file format hasn’t changed since v.3, but I’d make an inquiry before buying.

Free (or dirt cheap) programs I have used

The first is a free AppleScript, FileMaker DB Lister v2.0, by Tony Williams, http://www.moreinfo.com.au/tonyw/fmp
It goes through the front database file and gets its Layout names, Fields & Definitions and Script names.

It’s main use, for my purposes, is to get the list of which fields (including ones you may have made invisible) are on each layout; there’s no easy way do this within FileMaker (other than one at a time in the Overview submenu, File Menu).
It outputs a text file in tabbed format, which can be open/pasted into a spreadsheet. It’s a good start.

Next is Print2Pict by B. Raoult (that’s all he has in the ReadMe; hard to find). ftp://ftp.amug.org//pub/amug/amug-files/publish/o-p/print2pict-3.7.1.sit.hqx
This is an amazing tool, and many of the other programs listed here use it. It’s actually a Chooser Extension. It shows up in the Page Setup dialog box just like a printer driver. It “prints” to a file from any application, and allows you to choose the format of the file: PICT, GIF, TIFF, or, in this case, text.

I use it to “print” the Field Definitions directly from FileMaker to a text file. FM does a great job on these, including all the info, especially for lookups.
Unfortunately, the output is just text. The parts are separated by spaces, not tabs; or even worse, by returns. There’s no way to paste it into a spreadsheet as is, so some time must be spent in a good text editor (BBEdit Lite is an example) to clean it up into something more useful.
Then paste them into the earlier spreadsheet, over the ones the AppleScript did; these are better.
You can also print the Script definitions in the same fashion, at least the tricky ones; then clean them up and paste into the SS. (The script name is printed after the script steps, for some inane reason).
The last item to get is the Relationship definitions. Though it’s small, it’s the hardest to get, as it can’t be printed. You need another tool.

Text Capture FKey by James Walker (author of the original Text Editor Patches, the very useful OtherMenu and others) http://www.jwwalker.com
This tool is also amazing. It allows you to do something that you intuitively know you should be able to do, but otherwise can’t.
With a key combination, much like the screen capture FKey, you can copy practically any text and put it on the clipboard–as text. This includes non-editable text that is inside dialog boxes, which is where most of FileMaker’s scripting happens.
You can set it to capture only “selected” text, using a cross-hair to make a rectangular selection, or the entire window (which gets text off the right of the screen; neither gets text below the screen, however; you have to do it again, after pasting).

You can either put the FKey in the system (not so easy), use something like ATM or Master Juggler to load it, or use the free application FKeyDragger, which makes adding FKeys as simple as drag-and-drop. http://hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/HyperArchive/Archive/cfg/fkey-dragger-10.hqx
(It comes with some cool ones, including Desktop Notes, which lets you type or copy/paste a quick note from within any application and then save it as a text clipping.)
Caveat: I don’t know how all of this works with the latest OS versions. I’ve also read that the next Mac OS will include this FKey functionality. It’s about time.

What we need Text Capture FKey for in this case is to select and copy the Define Relationships dialog. You may not be able to get them all at one go if you have a lot. Paste the ones you get into the spreadsheet, then go back and get the rest.
You’ll still have to add tabs, one after the name of the relationship, and one after the name of the fields. This allows you to adjust the columns and see it all aligned properly.

Search the Spreadsheet
The whole point of all this is that now you have everything in the spreadsheet. You can use the Find function to search for a particular field name. Then search again, until you see every place that it occurs or is referenced.
If you have commented your scripts thoroughly (read last month’s article), then you can also search for external script names from other files.

Troubleshooting a Problem
If this all seems like too much trouble (and it is) and you don’t want to spend the $150 for an analysis program, there’s a lesser approach which I usually use:
You can use Text Capture Fkey to just copy the relevant info into a text editor, then analyze or refer to that.

It’s often confusing when there are too many fields to look at, so just copy the ones involved straight out of the Define Fields dialog.
Rearrange them however you want to compare them.

You can copy a short script the same way, or you can use Print2Pict to print it as a text file.
If there is an external script involved, you can paste it directly after the local script that calls it, to really see where things are going. If you’ve commented it, the name will be there; otherwise label it or you’ll lose the jump between the scripts.
Print out the script now and read it over, like a story.

I’ve sometimes gone so far as to create a special layout and paste some of the field definitions, relationships, and scripts on it, just to have them handy when I come back with the same confusion later (duh).

Copying Scripts
Once you’ve got a script as a text file, it’s a lot easier to recreate in another file.
I just keep the text file open, then bip back and forth between that and the ScriptMaker dialog box (as you can’t have two ScriptMaker dialogs open at the same time).

There are also small commercial programs for copying scripts.
Both use Print2Pict to get the scripts out, then recreate them as best as possible. There are some limitations. Both are inexpensive.

One is ProMaker Utils, by Peter Baanen of Troi Automatisering (also a prolific plug-ins author), http://www.troi.com
Another is AutoScript.FM, by Gregory Charles Rivers,
http://www.gnb.com.hk/autoscript.fm/index.html

It also uses a OneClick runtime engine. He’s just come out with an updated version with “interactive” field naming and drag-and-drop script step replication for full or partial scripts.
Now that would be useful. I’ve put off using these tools primarily because without the ability to re-target script steps to new fields or extract only parts of a script, they wouldn’t be much faster than recreating the script from my text file copy.

If you’re upgrading soon, FileMaker Pro version 5 will include the ability to import scripts from another file. It also will have a few of the layout template library features; but not many. I only know this from rumors (screenshots at AppleInsider http://www.appleinsider.com). By the time this article is out, there may be a public announcement.

Entity Relationship Diagrams
Say what? Known to their few friends as E-R diagrams, these can be fairly simple drawings, with boxes for files (tables in other programs), and lines joining them (relationships). They afford a visual overview of your entire database.

If you are serious about databases, I highly recommend the book Database Design for Mere Mortals by Michael J. Hernandez. It’s not about FileMaker. But he writes about relational database design in a way that transcends all applications, in plain everyday language.
He also has some instruction on drawing these diagrams. Altogether a great book, especially for those with little knowledge of relational design (my hand’s up).

It’s all in your head
Let me just say in conclusion that even though some of these tools are useful and occasionally essential to making databases, it is your mind that creates the fields where the data resides, the connections between them, and the layouts to display the results, transforming raw data into useful information.
You have to think about them intensively while you are working, and often in the background when you’re not. The solutions to problems will often come to you when you least expect it: while taking a shower, taking a walk, in the middle of the night (not so good). But they will come.

It is also essential to learn from others. Examine example files others have made available on the Web. Read a FileMaker mailing list:

Dartmouth List: Very friendly, a good place to start; somewhat archaic List Server
Put this in the Subject line (I think?) of an email:
SUBscribe FMPRO-L
email to: LISTSERV@LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU)

Blueworld FileMaker Pro List: Developers, all levels. Just click this when online:
fmpro-on@blueworld.com
>
To search the list archives (awesome):
http://listsearch.blueworld.com/fmprotalksearch.lasso

To search TechInfo for articles go to the FMI website
http://www.filemaker.com
select Support button
Select Search TechInfo from the list on the left side of the screen

Websites with example and utility files:
jim40er FM http://www.halcyon.com/jim40er Mailbrowser, Eudora2Text, Archive files
Database-systems http://www.database-systems.com Example files
FileBits Pro http://www.elmapp.com/fmp/fmbits.html
DW Data Concepts http://members.home.net:80/dwieland/dwdctips.htm
FileMaker Power! http://www.Filemaker-power.com/info2.html
FILEMAKER PRO ADVISOR Magazine http://www.advisor.com/wHome.nsf/wPages/CFmain
>
FileMaker Pro Examples/Tutorial http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/users/j/jpscott/www/bin/FMPSlides/index.html
FileMaker Pros: John Mark http://www.best.com/~jmo Lots of examples, Scriptology
FileVille http://www.fileville.com
HABMarketing http://www.habmarketing.com/HOME.HTM
ISO FileMaker Magazine http://www.iso-ezine.com/magazine.phtml
Jeff Hopkins http://www.amug.org/~hposoft (Tutorial files)
Steve Wilmes Consulting, Inc. http://www.swconsulting.com

Fenton Jones