Hello all!
Thanksgiving… can you smell the turkey in the air? Halloween is over and with it, the last of Indian Summer (if you were so lucky!). Now, the weather inches noticeably closer everyday to the really cold weather. As much as I dislike it, at least I know my tulips and crocuses will grow again in a few months.
Now begins the really hectic time of year. Most of us can’t escape from it. School has started, so now traffic is bad in the morning. Soon, the serious Christmas shoppers will start making traffic really bad in the evenings, too. We’re running the kids around to after-school activities, getting ready for the holiday season, finalizing year-end documents at work, and still attempting to keep up with our everyday activities all the while hoping to maintain some semblance of a normal, or at least more relaxed, lifestyle.
So, keeping in mind you don’t have a lot of time to read this month, I kept this column short and sweet. Enjoy!
Helpful Hints
Y2K stuff — Basically, you’re on a Mac; you’re okay! However, there may be a few glitches in the software or in macros and scripts you’ve written that can cause a few bumps in the road.
Probably the biggest offender will be databases or spreadsheets where the year is just a two digit number. Since you’ve never specified whether it is 19xx or 20xx, the program has no choice but to guess. A good habit is to always use the four digits in a year. A pain? Yes. But a problem solver? Absolutely.
Geoff Duncan wrote an excellent article on how Y2K affects Macs in the October 99 (whoops! I mean 1999) issue of MacWorld. It’s titled “At the stroke of Midnight on January 1, you won’t have to worry about your Mac — or will you?”
While I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it, I suggest you take the time to follow his precautions to ensure a smooth transition into the new millenium. I certainly am. And then I can gloat over all the poor, suffering PC users. I may be freezing ’cause I won’t have heat, but at least I can use my Mac! (Or will, when the power is back on!)
Failing aliases — Possibly you deleted the original file. One of the few irritations of aliases is when you delete a file its alias remains. If you are absolutely certain the original file exists, that means the alias became corrupt. It’s easy enough to fix: delete the offending alias, do a Find File for the original, then create a new alias.
Unfortunately, maybe the file exists, but it’s now on a floppy or Zip disk. If you know this to be the case, again, delete the offending alias. Insert the floppy/Zip/Syquest/SuperDisk/whatever, and make a new alias from the file on the medium and drag it to the desktop. That way, when you insert your floppy (or whatever), the alias pops up for you but is also removed when you remove the floppy (or whatever).
Easy Scroll — In OS 8.5.x, you can activate a little hand that grabs your open window and lets you scroll in any direction your heart desires. Simply press the Command key, click in the window, and move your mouse. This does not work with document (unless it is an application specific thing). It works with the open folders/windows on your hard drive.
Opening DOS files ending in .exe — .exe stands for executable. Don’t you love DOS shorthand… NOT! If the files are compressed, you’ll need to decompress them first. StuffIt Expander will usually do the trick. There’s shareware product called Dropstuff with Expander Enhancer that also works well. Both are from Aladdin Systems http://www.aladdinsys.com
Once unstuffed, however, you need DOS emulation software to run the darn thing. Connectix Virtual PC, which I have, is fine http://www.connectix. com Or, Insignia SoftWindows will also do the trick http://www.insignia. com I’ve never used SoftWindows so I can’t compare it to Virtual PC. (And, frankly, comparing the virtues of DOS emulation software turns my stomach.) Virtual PC has worked well for my very minor DOS needs, such as opening files from my goofy friends who haven’t yet figured out that Macs are so much better!
Internet Site of the Month: The Online Sex Offenders Registry, at http://www.apbonline.com/safestreets/sexoffender/index.html. This is a great resource, right at your fingertips. ‘Nuff said.
Have a safe & Happy Thanksgiving!
Barbara Bell
pr@mymac.com
Websites mentioned:
http://www.aladdinsys.com
http://www.connectix.com
http://www.insignia.com
http://www.apbonline.com/safestreets/sexoffender/index.html
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