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From: info-mac@uw-beaver (info-mac)
Newsgroups: fa.info-mac
Subject: Write-protect tab warning
Message-ID: <2148@uw-beaver>
Date: Thu, 8-Nov-84 02:42:52 EST
Article-I.D.: uw-beave.2148
Posted: Thu Nov  8 02:42:52 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 9-Nov-84 07:47:30 EST
Sender: yenbut@uw-beave
Organization: U of Washington Computer Science
Lines: 31

From: Reed.SoftArts@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA
Local:  info-mac at SUMEX-AIM
Original-Date:  06 NOV 1984 10:01:52
Resent-Date: Wed 7 Nov 84 23:05:24-PST
Resent-From: Ed Pattermann <PATTERMANN@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA>
Resent-To: ;@info-mac

Unlike most PC OSs, the Mac OS assumes that the floppy can be
written at most times.  For example, to print a bitmap image,
image is spooled to disk.  Unfortunately, the write-protect
tabs often come loose in shipping and handling.  In many
applications, this results in very strange behavior, seemingly
unrelated to the write-protect tab.

In TK!Solver (which my company has been shipping for the Mac
for a month or so), one strange result is that the program
cannot print its high-res plots, even though the system seems
to work well otherwise.

In the version of Habadex that we bought a few months ago, the
strange behavior is that the database seemed to have amnesia
(nothing can be entered).

I haven't made an exhaustive check of other software, but from
what I know of the the error handling in the Mac ROM and OS, it
wouldn't surprise me that the write-protect tab can cause other
strange behavior.

On your standard debugging checklist, put a check of the
write-protect tab shortly after checking the to see if the
machine is plugged in ...