Hi, Thanks for sending me your ezine.
I have one suggestion, which may or may not be possible for you. If the font could just be resizable, it would be wonderful. For comfortable reading I copy/paste it into word so I can increase the size of the print. After a long day at the computer easy-on-the-eyes is my no. 1 goal.
Have a great day. JoAnn
JoAnn,
After nine issues, the staff and I have decided on Geneva 10 pt. for the font. I know it is a little small, but it just looks better than any other font available with DOCMaker, the program used to create My Mac. So at least for now, Geneva 10 pt. will remain. (But copy/pasting into another word processing program is possible for those wanting a larger typeface. Simply select which page you want to read, choose “Select all”, copy, and then paste into Word or Clarisworks! Sorry, but the graphics will not copy/paste in.)
I liked the review you wrote about my most recent creation, WinAaron. I have struggled since the creation of WinAaron to try to make a Windows ’95 creation and have. It will be released in the MacWorld software library on March 21st, and I would like for you to mention this in the next issue of “My Mac” if possible. Also please include that in the docs I failed to mention that the icons are not completely mine, the maker of some of those great icons wants nothing but e-mail, the address is: pi@macabre.demon.co.uk.
Thanks,
Bobby Kolling
Bobby has since sent me the Windows 95 ResEdit patch for Aaron, and he did a great job! The off-yellow folders are really kind of pleasant. Also, if you have created something you would like to have reviewed in My Mac, please write me at the above address for more information.
Tim –
First off I’d like to say that I absolutely LOVE the title page for issue #11. I heartily agree with it. I’m also very concerned with America Online’s Web Browser. To put it lightly – I have to say that it BLOWS. Every single time that I use it, it crashes my computer. This thing sucks so much that I hate it more than I do Windows 95. Do you know of a new version of it coming out. Just because of the Web Browser I’m considering leaving AOL. A newer version of this browser would keep me at AOL. But, the downside to leaving AOL would be the software libraries. I love the ease and convenience of their software libraries. What other online services would you recommend?? Also even AOL drives me crazy sometimes. I got a message the other day when I attempted to SIGN OFF that their host computer could not accommodate my request because there were too many other tasks pending. I also couldn’t compose mail, enter software libraries, or do anything of the sort. Personally, I feel that AOL could spend a little extra time and money so that people could at least sign off when they wanted to.
Thanks – Eric Davis
As for other online services, you really only have one other choice; CompuServe. eWorld is long gone, and with the Internet exploding as it is, I do not foresee any new online services starting up anytime soon. But check with other Mac users in your area, there may be a local Macintosh BBS close by!
As far as AOL’s Web browser, be sure to read this months “Notes From the Editor”.
Dear Editor,
I’m writing to take issue with the outlook of Brian Koponen in his essay, “Death of the Mac?” in your March issue. His view of the Mac’s future is bright, though it’s lit by artificial light. He states that “all versions of Windows” will run on PPCP. This is not true. The great exception to that rule is WIndows95, which will not run on PPCP, at least not in the foreseeable future. PPCP, besides the MacOS, will run OS/2, Unix, and Windows NT, but not Windows95. Odd as this may sound, it is consistent with the goal of the Apple-IBM-Motorola consortium– to win market share from Microsoft and Intel. AIM can realize that goal best, or so they think, by forcing consumers to choose between, on the one hand, the MacOS, Unix, NT, OS/2, and, on the other, Windows 95. Microsoft may have plans to merge Window95 and Windows NT in the future, but for now if PPCP users want Windows, they have to use NT.
A related concern in the essay is Koponen’s statement “[On PPCP] You can use the exact same software as you would at work.” If this is to mean that I can indiscriminately use whatever software I want regardless of the OS, it’s incorrect. If it means I can share files between versions of the same software title but for different operating systems, then so what? We can do that already. PPCP is a common hardware platform, little more. That an application will still have to be designed for a particular operating system is not in any way affected. We Macintosh users may perhaps be forgiven for confusing the issue. For us, the operating system and the hardware are inseparable. We might say we buy Quicken for the Macintosh, but this is a sloppy way of speaking. We buy Quicken, or any other application, for the MacOS, which was previously only
found on Macs. With PPCP that will change, but that we’ll have to have the right operating system for the job will not.
Is PPCP really much of a change then? It certainly is for us Mac users. We’ll benefit from lower hardware prices and greater flexibility. We will no longer need a DOS card and extra RAM, for example, only the proper operating system. For non-Mac users, little will change. They can already run NT, OS/2, Linux, et al. on their Intel machines. They already benefit from the economies of scale. I will not disagree that the future is bright for us Mac users, but it’s not as bright as Brian Koponen sees it.
John Gregg
University of Minnesota
Brian Koponen replies:
I’m sorry about the confusion. So far, PPCP is only running Windows NT amongst the other operating systems. When I said one could use the same program at work and in the home, I meant that you could use the same program in the same OS as you would at work. Otherwise, it would be the same setup as we have now. PPCP will not allow one OS to use programs made for a different operating system. Regarding how bright the future of the macintosh is, I’ll leave that to your opinion. None of us know what will happen. I always look for the brighter parts of life, so sue me. 😉
–Brian Koponen
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.