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I did quite a bit of work in OS X over the weekend. I'm testing a Wacom Graphire 2 tablet for review, and was curious to see how it would perform in OS X compared with OS 9, as well as wanting to check out some keyboard shortcut suggestions as workarounds for my slow scrolling complaint in X. 
The Graphire 2 tablet is very cool, and adds another level of diversity to my arsenal of point and click options. I'm also really curious to see how it will work with OS X 10.2's Inkwelll handwriting recognition feature, but that will have to await installation of Jaguar Learning to use the Graphile 2 pen efficiently will involve a learning curve climb, but it definitely has possibilities, I think. Configuring one of the buttons on the Graphile 2 programmable mouse to click and hold is another usable workaround for OS X's non-support of simultaneous clicking in holding with one mouse while dragging with a second one. (as is of course any programmable, multi-button mouse, such as the Logitech MouseMan Cordless that I reviewed last week). 
The click > scroll > Shift/click mode for selecting blocks of text also is a less stressful alternative to clicking and holding with a single mouse, although the extra body-English makes it slower than my two-mouse mode in OS 9, which is also facilitated by faster scrolling in the Classic OS. But other thing that I miss a lot in OS X is Scrollability, a little third party hack that enables auto-scrolling when the cursor enters the upper or lower 10 percent of a document window (you can selectively exclude certain applications such as graphics programs, where this would be a pain). I use Scrollability to the point of addiction, as it cuts down on the need for mouse clicking drastically, but unfortunately, Scrollability does not support OS X, although it does work in applications running in Classic mode, which helps some. A cryptic message on the Scrollability Website notes "No OS X version yet, but I know you all want it," so there is hope. Overall, however, while the above-noted techniques and innovations help streamline work in OS X somewhat, I'm still significantly slower working in X than in OS 9, where I can pretty much stick to the two-mouse method, which is just more slick than using have a half-dozen other assorted workarounds, especially with Scrollability helping out. And scrolling in OS 10.1.4 at least is still miserably slow. Jaguar may be better, and I look forward to trying it out. OS X 10.2.1/iBook 600 combo About dragging and shift-clicking OS 9 on new Macs From Kirk Gray Hi Charles, All the previous and obvious pro and cons of .Mac aside, there is one development I find very disturbing: The introduction of "crippledware" into Jaguar. Specifically, I'm talking about the new Finder-integrated FTP client. With iDisk (.Mac subscription required), you can read and write files to your iDisk in the Finder. Nothing really new here -- no problem. But Jaguar extends this function to all FTP servers -- kind of. You can read, view and copy from FTP servers via the Finder with Jaguar. But you can't write to them. The disturbing thing is, they would have had to go out of their way to cripple FTP in this way. They are actually testing for .Mac and, if it isn't there, they won't let you do something the program already does. The only reason to do this is to promote .Mac at $100 a year. How long before we see other crippledware creep into the OS? How about replacing Software Update with iUpdate? Same functionality, but to get that latest security update, you'll need a .Mac account ("That'll be one hundred dollars. We take Visa, Master Card, Discover and American Express.")? Okay. I’m sure I’m way off base here. Apple would never do anything that cheesy to make an extra buck. Thanks for letting me vent. Kirk Gray
Hi Kirk;
Naaaah; Apple would never do anything like that, would they?
Seriously, I am somewhat apprehensive about integration of the Mac OS with a proprietary and expensive Internet service. I don't mind using a third-party FTP client, abut as you suggest, the portents for crippleware features seem ominous.
Somebody recently wrtoe an editorial entitled "If You Don't Have ,Mac, You Don't Have The Mac OS.
Say it isn't so. I don't have .Mac, and have no intention of paying $100 a year for it. So do I have the Mac OS?
Charles From Duane Pandorf Hi Charles, I read your stuff regularly, especially your reviews and opinions on the latest on OS X. First of all my job doesn't hinge on my use of my iBook. However, I do spend a lot of time with it. True most things run faster in 9, however, I noticed a surprising change when I "properly" installed the OS X 10.2. I had originally installed the new OS via the default method that just overwrote the previous system. I didn't notice a whole lot of improvement. Then I recently read about the "clean install" method that uses the "Archive and Install" option. After reinstalling with this method I've noticed to me a big difference. Opening finder windows seems much more snappy, especially resizing windows. OS X is getting much better.
I have found I can do basic file management much quicker now in OS X than I ever could in OS 9. In the tool bar in the finder views I've added Icons to my most used folders and and instantly get where I want.
Plus the best app I've purchased in a while is Launch Bar. If you haven't tried it it's a must have. In fact my Dock remains almost empty and is really used now to see what apps I have running. Using Launch Bar makes launching apps, email addresses, web links and more a snap. You can even use it to navigate your folders. Keep up the great work. Duane Pandorf Hi Duane; I'm definitely planning to do a clean install of Jaguar. Charles About dragging and shift-clicking From Michael Koren Charles I look forward to your experiences shift clicking instead of dragging to pick up speed and make Text-Edit useful to you in System X. Thanks for acknowledging the suggestion by printing it and responding. It's kind of funny - I sent you that suggestion with much trepidation as the idea seemed to painfully obvious to me that I was concerned you would receive it is insulting or demeaning. But you didn't and tried it out. Which goes to show: even us seasoned Mac users overlook the most obvious of shortcuts that could make life so much easier. We should never make assumptions about anything. And offer suggestions afresh.
Cheers
Hi Michael;
I appreciate all helpful tips and suggestions. Keyboard shortcuts are one area where my Mac OS expertise, so to speak, is weak.
Thanks again.
Charles From Michael Snider Hi Charles. Remember Ken Kesey? "You're either on the bus or off the bus" seems to apply to operating systems. Friday's MacFixit had a piece on booting OS 9 on the new silver-doored Mac towers. Turns out only special versions of OS 9 will boot on them because the IDE bus controllers have changed and OS 9 can't see the disks. So it looks as if there is at least one real technological reason current versions of OS 9 will not work on next year's Macs, when even faster and larger disks will be available. Other changes on the bus will undoubtedly have an impact as well.
Peace,
Yup; "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" and the Merry Pranksters, et al.
The inevitability of hardware non-support for OS 9 is indisputable.
Charles
The OS X Odyssey archives may be accessed here: Note: Letters to Moore's Mailbag may or may not be published at the editor's discretion. Correspondents' email addresses will NOT be published unless the correspondent specifically requests publication. Letters may be edited for length and/or context. Opinions expressed in postings to Moore's MailBag are those of the respective correspondents and not necessarily shared or endorsed by the Editor and/or Applelinks management. If you would prefer that your message not appear in Moore's Mailbag, we would still like to hear from you. Just clearly mark your message "NOT FOR PUBLICATION," and it will not be published. CM
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