Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ll-xn!oberon!bbn!rochester!kodak!elmgate!jdg From: jdg@elmgate.UUCP (Jeff Gortatowsky) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: RAM disk and Magic Sac Summary: Magic Sacware Keywords: MAC MAGIC POKEY_PUTT_PUTERS' Message-ID: <930@elmgate.UUCP> Date: 15 May 88 06:29:59 GMT References: <8805141232198DE.BDWZ@Mars.UCC.UMass.EDU> Reply-To: rg@aurora.UUCP Organization: Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY Lines: 41 The magic sac is interesting... HOWEVER! Anybody seriously thinking of using it, MUST! have a harddisk. Even w/ 2 DS floppy's The disk swaps will drive ya nuts! This is no fault of the magic sac... Just the way they grew the apple. I went through CONTORTIONS! getting the system 3.2/ FINDER 5.4 and Harddisk20 (the Hard disk driver for 64k mac roms (you know the ones w/ the little gray hairs on em')) I thought great here we go! My hard disk is STILL not working w/ it just blows up every time I tell it there's a hard disk there!). Why? Got me? Anyone out there? I've tried every combo I can think of, it just gets an illegal instruction trap EVERYTIME! (too much gravity from the moon maybe? (hmmm...)). The Mac IS NOT a "speedy" machine, Cutsie! yeah... I heard pagemaker 4.0 STILL has bugs in it (through I dunno how many revision's (certainly at least 4!) and still has bugs? (Fruit attracts bugs!)). In answer to your question however... There are some fine programs that run w/ the SAC.. And, a good deal of semi-respectable PD software available (NOTHING! like the PD on the IBM PC however (tons of excellant stuff)... But, who wants good usable software at a decent price!). As I understand it, even w/ the Magic translator (allowing your ST to read write McFormated McDisks) copy protected Mac software does'nt run. (bummer, as much of the real nice McStuff is protected). The translator I'm told is VERY slow.. (Not that any Mac is gonna do 0-60 mph in 8 seconds). In other words, it's meant to allow an individual to take McWork McHome & back to work where the REAL mac is. Still.... some excellant programs are available (Items like Ready Set Go which is lightyears ahead of ST publishing stuff I've encountered). Conclusions? Errr... W/ a WORKING harddisk, the $99 magic Sac is a fine buy. And actually an incredable feat for Dave Small. There's just nothing like seeing that little McFace staring at ya!. My compliments to Dave. I digress... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ My comments are my own... Yeah... dat's it... own... RG! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Jeff Gortatowsky .....allegra!rochester!kodak!elmgate!jdg Eastman Kodak Company These comments are mine alone and not Eastman Kodak's. How's that for a simple and complete disclaimer?