MAC™ SOFTWARE by Richard Karsmakers
The MacEmulator has finally hit the streets, and so has a mass of
MacIntosh software! Only a few of the programs I have seen
recently on the ST are "MacPaint", "Ready-Set-Go", "MS Basic",
"MacTrains", "Write Now!", "Mac Yap Tools", "MacDouble", "Mac
Three-D", "Millionaire", "MacSolver" and "MacUtilities". All
these programs were supplied on Magic format (the format which
Robtek's MagicSac Cartridge needs).
First, I'd like to tell something about Mac operating in general.
After the inserting of the Mac System Disk, the user is welcomed
by a message "Welcome to Macintosh", which makes one feel welcome
for sure! Depending on the current settings on the System disk,
you will enter either the "Finder" or the "MiniFinder"; the
"Finder" is what we call the desktop on the ST, and the
"MiniFinder" is a different kind of setup, which offers some of
the basic facilities of the "Finder". I prefer to work with the
"Finder" myself, because I am quite used to a setup like that on
the ST.
Files present on the current disk are displayed either by Text or
by Icons (just like with the ST's desktop). When you select
"Names", the text is displayed sorted on name, when you select
"Kind" they are sorted by Kind (e.g. document, application,
etc.), and so on. On a regular Mac disk, more information about a
file seems to be stored than on an ST's disk; in the "Finder"
directory you'll get to know the name, size (in K), Kind and
the date on which it was last modified. But the date on which
the file was actually created is also stored on the disk, as
well as a "Lock" mode and the precise file size (in bytes).
When you select "By Icons", you get a different setup (with
Icons), which look much more beautiful than on the ST; every Icon
seems to have its own shape and definition (except that of a
folder or subdirectory), and (much like the Amiga) every icon can
be stored anywhere on the desktop (this can create quite a messy
impression). It's even possible to put an Icon outside the actual
disk window, but this creates difficulties after re-starting the
System disk (when you start anew later, or whenever a fatal error
occurs.
I feel I need to say something more about disk handling with the
MacCartridge, since faulty procedures may actually destroy your
disk (and you don't even need to find out that you've destroyed
it immediately after!).
Swapping disks in done with an automatic eject at the real Mac,
so this needs to be emulated. This is very complicated, so the
people at Robtek found another way. If you want to change a disk,
you should hit SHIFT, CONTROL and 1 simulataneously (for drive B,
you should replace '1' by '2'), after which the system writes
something on that disk and then the drive light darkens; an "A"
(or a "B") starts flashing at the top right of the screen. Only
then, and not earlier, is it allowed to swap disks.
It might actually also happen that the program asks you to insert
another disk during program execution or at another time during a
Mac session. In that case, you needn't bother about hitting any
keys or so; just wait 'til the light goes out and then insert the
disk - you'll find that you don't even need to press any keys
doing this.
The only program that I found fit to review for this issue of ST
NEWS was MacPaint V1.5, written by Bill Atkinson in 1985. This is
in fact the only program that is quite better in several aspects
even than the better drawing programs on the ST!
On startup, it looks much like Data Becker's "ProfiPainter". On
the lefthand side of the screen there are several icons through
which you can select one of the following options:
Lasso (Can be compared with Jack Knife of Neochrome V1.0)
Selection (Can be compared with hitting ESC for block
definition in Degas Elite)
Scroll (Can be compared with Grabber of neochrome V1.0)
(When double-clicked, you get to see a relative
impression of your picture on A4)
Text (With this option it is possible to type text after
pressing the firebutton to position the Icon)
Area Fill (Fills an area - very fast!)
Spray Paint (This emulates spraying)
Brush (Double clicking causes the brush select menu to be
displayed)
Pencil (This draws with the mouse)
(When double-clicked, this enters a ZOOM mode around
the dot that was last manipulated in draw mode. In
ZOOM mode, it is still possible to fill, draw
lines, etc.)
Lines (Draw a line while dragging the mouse from one place
to another)
Eraser (Erases parts of your picture)
(Double clicking -> Whole picture erased)
Something needs to be said about the very extensive text
facilities of MacPaint: Not only does the program supply you with
about 20 different font styles, but is also lets you manipulate
font sizes and font styles. Nothing to get excited about, I hear
you say, but MacPaint also allows Shadow text (in monochrome
mode!) together with all the usual text styles. The one big
advantage of the MacCartridge gets issued here very clearly: The
lowest row of characters (on which ZXCVBNM are) is shifted to the
left!
Next time, I hope to review more programs from the MagicSac, as
well as several programs for the new Aladin Cartridge (that
offers TOS compatible file format, double sided formatting
option, formatting from the Mac Finder and a resident RAM disk in
which e.g. the system folder can be stored! And in the near
future a column like this might also occur for the Commodore 64
and the Commodore Amiga (since an Amiga emulator and a Commodore
64 emulator are also said to be ready at the moment!).
But this is not sure yet (since e.g. the Amiga emulator needs an
Amiga disk drive and the Blitter chip - which together cost at
least 1000 Dutch guilders!).
Disclaimer
The text of the articles is identical to the originals like they appeared
in old ST NEWS issues. Please take into consideration that the author(s)
was (were) a lot younger and less responsible back then. So bad jokes,
bad English, youthful arrogance, insults, bravura, over-crediting and
tastelessness should be taken with at least a grain of salt. Any contact
and/or payment information, as well as deadlines/release dates of any
kind should be regarded as outdated. Due to the fact that these pages are
not actually contained in an Atari executable here, references to scroll
texts, featured demo screens and hidden articles may also be irrelevant.