Other Sites
When I was using a PowerBook 1400 for my drafting and editing machine and the Pismo for production, I relied on floppy disks to shuttle work-in-progress document files between the two machines. The 1400 has a floppy drive, and the Pismo's VST Superdisk expansion bay module that supports floppies, so this worked well. However, when I switched to the iBook as my main production computer, that avenue was closed.
Consequently, I turned to sending compressed files back and forth to myself via email, and since I have no floppy drive module for the WallStreet, that remains the best option now that I'm using it for my drafting platform. Aladdin's Stuffit does a nice job of compressing my mostly Tex Edit Plus work documents keeping any formatting intact (the alternative ZIP file compression solution converts everything to plain ASCII text).
However, the Stuffit world is getting more complex with a proliferation of versions and formats. On the PowerBook 1400 with OS 8.6, I was using Stuffit Expander 6.1, and some antidiluvian version of Stuffit Lite to compress files for email transfer, and Stuffit Standard 7.0.3 on the iBook for both compression and decompression in OS X.
However, Aladdin Systems recently released StuffIt 8 in both Standard Edition (which includes free Stuffit Expander) and Deluxe versions, adding faster compression, DropStuff filters, new access to newsgroup and Windows formats .yenc and .cab, and integrated HTML help.
Stuffit 8 was quickly superceded by versions 8.0.1 to address a problem whereby Mac OS X application programs (which were stored in archives that do not support UNIX file permissions, such as .sit) could not be run when they had been expanded. The 8.0.1 updater (now bundled with the Stuffit 8 downloads) adds the UNIX execute file attribute as files are expanded, allowing expanded Mac OS X programs to run.
StuffIt Standard Edition 8.0.1 provides the basics, including freeware StuffIt Expander, and demoware DropStuff, DropZip, and DropTar, so you can create and access email attachments and downloads. StuffIt 8 is Mac OS X only. If you are still running Classic Mac OS 8.6 - 9.x you will need to download or purchase version 7.0.3.
Version 7.0.3 will open the new .sitx format archives created by Stuffit 8.x, but Version 6.5.1 (and presumably earlier versions) will not.
The components of Stuffit 8.x Standard Edition are:
- StuffIt Expander - Free StuffIt Expander gives users quick and easy access to virtually any Internet downloads or email attachments. Expander handles all popular compression formats including .zip, .tar, .rar, .sit, .sitx, and more.
- DropStuff - compresses files and folders up to 98% smaller than their original size, so it can reduce transfer time and regain disk space
- DropZip- makes Zip files so users can send files to PC user who don't have StuffIt yet
- DropTar - allows users to create tar-compressed files for transmission to Unix machines. Designed to work the way you do, accessing and compressing files has never been easier, just drag and drop.
New 8.0 Features and Benefits:
• Faster StuffIt X compression, make .sitx archives faster than ever
• Improved DropStuff user interface now makes it easier to add encryption and more
• Create archive by filtering folders for files that match custom search criteria
• Open .yenc and .cab files
• Integrated HTML Help
StuffIt Standard Edition 8 also enables faster file transfers over the Internet by compressing files up to 98% smaller so email attachments don't bounce back when they exceed the size limits imposed by many email systems. The smaller files created by StuffIt 8.0 save and regain disk space, maximize bandwidth, and accelerate upload and download time. Sounds great, but does it work as advertised?
I tried stuffing a large 3.5 MB text file and a 1.6 MB folder full of JPEG graphics with both Stuffit 6.5.1 and Stuffit Standard 8.0.1. (iBook G3 700 MHz/640MB/OS 10.2.6)
[Note: in the version of this article I posted earlier today, the timed results for the two files were inadvertantly transposed. Apologies for any confusion. CM]
Text File 3.5 MB
DropStuff 6.5.1 - 23 seconds/816k
DropStuff 8.0.1 - 20 seconds/680k
Folder of JPEGs 1.6 MB
DropStuff 6.5.1 - 20 seconds/868k
DropStuff 8.0.1 - 10 seconds/1.2 MB
Ahem -- not quite a 98% improvement in compressed file size. Indeed, DropStuff 6.5.1 did a much better job of stuffing those JPEGs than the newer 8.0.1 version did, although it took twice as long to do it.
DropStuff's improved User Interface does make it easier to add encryption and switch between StuffIt formats. DropStuff 8.0 includes a new archiving method that lets users add only those files to an archive that match a specific set of parameters they create. For example, By using the "Stuff with Filters" command from the File menu, users can quickly select their documents folder and archive only those files from that folder that were modified within the last week. Filters can be created that add files to an archive based on their matching name, date, and size based attributes.
Also, Stuffit 8.x brings with it a new file icon for stuffed archives:
Older .sit archives are coded blue, while the newer .sitx archives are coded green, making them easy to distinguish.
StuffIt Expander now supports .cab (a Windows archive format) and .yenc (popular with newsgroups) and dozens of other popular compression and encoding archive types.
System requirements:
Version 8.0: Mac OS X 10.1.5 or higher , 20Mb of disk space, 64Mb of RAM
Version 7.0.3: All PowerPC or higher, Mac OS 8.6 and higher, 32 MB RAM, 20 MB disk space.
StuffIt Standard Edition is $49.99 demoware (Stuffit Expander component is freeware). Registered users can upgrade to StuffIt Deluxe 8.0 for $29.99 or to StuffIt Standard Edition for $19.99 until March 31, 2004
For more information, visit:
http://www.stuffit.com/mac/standard/index.html
Quick review of Panther and a request of you, Charles
Default Browser in Panther
OS X Odyssey 444 - Default browser
Setting Default Web and Email Clients
Default web browser
Setting Default Browser in Panther
Quick review of Panther and a request of you, Charles
Dr. Jonathan K. Tyzack
Hi Charles,
I've been lucky enough to (clean) install 10.3 this weekend just gone and here are a (very) few of my initial observations:
1. It is definitely zippier than all previous versions of OS X. Responsiveness is indeed greatly improved - menus appear faster, scrubbing through them is better, etc, etc.
2. A few surprises that I hadn't seen mentioned elsewhere - the default Lucida Grande font is more compressed than in previous iterations which takes a little getting used to. Also, when any application crashes, a log report is generated automatically and this can either be closed and ignored or (extremely sensibly) sent to Apple... certainly saves a trip to the OS X feedback website and I'm so glad to see that they took a leaf out of OmniGroup's CrashCatcher book here.
3. Preview is a revelation - almost worth the upgrade itself for those of us who deal with a large number of .pdf files. Steve Jobs was not joking when he said how fast it is and I can finally say good riddance to the horrible abomination that is Adobe Reader.
4. Exposé takes a little to get used to, but it is as wonderful as it looks in the demos and even works well on my old 400MHz G3 (not as silky smooth as a QE enabled machine I imagine, but it is fast). The one big flaw, in my book, is that it doesn't allow for a modifier key to be pressed (e.g. option) that would cause hidden and minimised windows to also appear in the Exposéd windows.
Which brings me onto my request for you, Charles - when you finally can get around to installing 10.3, please try running without WindowShade X for a couple of weeks or so and see if Exposé does the business for you or not. I'd be interested to hear your view on whether it will be an adequate replacement.
Cheers,
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan;
Thanks for the report. It all sounds great -- that enhanced Preview especially. No more waiting for Adobe Reader to lumber into action.
As for your Exposé suggestion, I'll give it a try. You may recall that I tried eschewing WindowShade X for a coupel ofr weeks last spring to see if I could get used to using the minimize to Dock function instead. I couldn't. It nearly drove me nuts. However, I'm game to take a shot at using Exposé.
I should have Panther in a week or so if all goes well.
Charles
Default Browser in Panther
From John Hollinger
Greetings Charles, hope you and your family are doing well.
In reference to OSX odyssey 444 let Brad Browne know that the default browser selection is in the preferences for Safari! (go figure) It will be the top item under the "General" tab. It is a pull down menu that will list all of you installed web browsers. Not the most intuitive place to put it IMHO, but I do think Panther is a great upgrade. The only thing it broke was my scanner software, but that is to be expected as it seems add kernal extensions which would be wiped out in a the OSX version of a clean install. As always thanks for the great Mac columns.
John Hollinger
Those who cannot hear the music think that the dancer is mad." - Rumi
Hi John;
Thanks for the report, tip, and well-wishes. Glad you enjoy the columns.
Charles
OS X Odyssey 444 - Default browser
From Jonathan Tyzack
Hi Charles,
One of the annoying new features of Panther is that the Internet system preference pane has been removed. As a consequence the only way to set default browsers and e-mail apps is via the Safari and Mail application preferences - can you say Microsoftian? Personally, I think this is a disgusting change and I hope everyone who can be bothered complains vociferously to Apple about it as there is no sane reason why this should be the way other than Apple pushing its own apps at the expense of others.
Cheers,
Jonathan.
Setting Default Web and Email Clients
From Frederico
Charles,
Brad Browne asks how to set the default browser to other than Safari in Panther.
To set your default browser, open Safari -> Preferences -> General -> Default Web Browser and choose 'Other' if your browser does not appear.
Repeat the same procedure to set an email client other than Mail from within Mail.
Yes, this change from Internet Preferences is annoying and very Microsoft-like.
FWIW, if you have your Archive and Install copy (or other backup) of Jaguar laying around, you can simply copy in the old Internet Preference Pane from
(Jaguar)/System/Library/PreferencePanes/Internet.prefPane
...to either the same path in your Panther install or
~/Library/PreferencePanes/
.. And this will give you back the easy(er)-to-find control over default Web and Email clients you had under Jaguar.
Upgraders please note that a new symbolic link exists in the '/System/Library/PreferencePanes/Internet.prefPane' path that links to the new version of the .Mac PP, so be sure to delete this first.
HTH
Frederico
Default web browser
From discgoo
For Brad Browne:
You can select your default web browser in Safari preferences.
Setting Default Browser in Panther
From Gordon Welch
This is for Brad Browne who wanted to know how to set the default browser in Panther:
Load Safari - go to Preferences - General
Selection of the default browser is the first item on this page.
GT Welch
Montréal, Canada
Thanks for the Default Browser tips and tutorials, guys.
Charles
***
Charles W. Moore
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
Tags: OSX Odyssey ï
(0) Trackbacks ï
