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From: d6maca@dtek.chalmers.se. (Martin Carlberg)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Now that the smoke had cleared (Honest Mac/IBM questions)
Message-ID: <629@vice2utc.chalmers.se>
Date: 2 Jan 90 15:25:23 GMT
References: <1284@marlin.NOSC.MIL> <2701@aecom.yu.edu>
Sender: news@vice2.utc.chalmers.se
Reply-To: d6maca@dtek.chalmers.se (Martin Carlberg)
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Lines: 76

In article <2701@aecom.yu.edu> werner@aecom.yu.edu (Craig Werner) writes:
>In article <1284@marlin.NOSC.MIL>, jbjones@marlin.NOSC.MIL (John B. Jones) writes:
>> about the Mac interface.  With a mac, how do you
>> 
>> 1. Activate something out of sight (in a sub-folder).
>	Double clicking an object activates its application.  I have a
>lot of dummy files strewn in sub-folders to accomplish this purpose.
>Another way is to double-click an existing real file, and then close it
>and continue.  It's clumsy, but intuitive (more the former).

This is a problem, but I think it is going to be fixed in 7.0. I double-click an
existing real file. It's not that bad, only a few extra clicks.

>> 2. Copy something out of sight to the current or another directory.
>	You don't. Even worse, if you're in a subdirectory, sorry -
>folder, and you switch to another drive, and switch back, it returns you
>to root, not from where you started.

I don't think that was the question, you can't copy anything when you are in
the Open/Save dialog. To copy a file in Finder you have to hold down the option
key and drag it to another window or icon (if you don't use option the file will
be moved instead). Problem occurs as the question says when you can't see the
window or icon on the screen. I use two methods to solve this. 1. Increase or
move the destination window so I can do a simple drag. 2. Copy to the desktop
and then get up the destination window and move the file to it.

People use to complain about the 6 zillion windows on the screen, all messed up
in a big smog. Nobody could find anything in it. I found out that the new
finder (6.1.4 and maybe older) was able to open the "super"-folder (talking OOP)
by dubble-click the windowtitle (Use ResEdit and change "Title click" in
resource LAYO=128 in the Finder). This and the other new feature
"option dubble-click" on a folder to open the new one and close the old,
simplifies the work with the finder. The number of windows on the screen can be
reduced alot. Funny that option dubble-click on the windowtitle didn't close
the current and opened the super-folder (it only opened the super-folder).

>> 3. Redirect the output from one program to another as input; example:
>> 	prompt>awk -f fil.awk this | awk -f fix.awk >> that
>	The clipboard.  This is painful. Yeachhhhh.....
>	In fact most applications don't think in terms of input and
>output, they think in terms of "events," some of which might come from
>the keyboard...

That is correct, applications don't think in terms of input and output. But I
can do piping (or whatever you call it) anyway. I use MPW that has very
nifty features. Ok, the ordinary Mac user Mr Sven Svensson can't use it because
he don't have MPW, but he should almost never use it anyway.

>> 4. Write batch files(i.e. is there any highlevel, simple programming
>>    feature in the Mac OS?)
>	There is MacroMaker in system 6. Before that you had to go out and
[Deleted stuff about how poor MacroMaker is.]
>	In other words, if you need a yes or no answer, the sane answer
>would probably be "No." It's closer to "not really," or "not as you know
>them."  There is a common one line batch file that I use on Unix.  On the
>Mac, it takes almost a minute, and 17 mouse clicks, all of which time the
>Mac is frozen (although the "dancing" screen displays impress onlookers.

Here is where I use MPW again (Thanks Apple for this great shell). I have to
say that the MacOS is a little poor on batch files. I have heard that 7.0 will
improve the batch possibility in some way!?!

>	If you hadn't noticed. I hate the Mac. I use it under protest.

Yes, I have noticed. It looks like people have different taste, and that is
good. I love the Mac.

>	        Craig Werner   (future MD/PhD, 4.5 years down, 2.5 to go)
>	     werner@aecom.YU.EDU -- Albert Einstein College of Medicine
>              (1935-14E Eastchester Rd., Bronx NY 10461, 212-931-2517)
>                 "Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died."

PS. I didn't see the original posting so I hope I didn't miss any important.

- Martin Carlberg
- Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden