Apple Quickies Comin' At Ya

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Posted by pudge on Thursday September 12, 2002 @09:29AM from the in-da-hizouse dept.

There are a few new product announcements recently: MATLAB for Mac OS X is available; fink for 10.2 is available for testing; Intuit has announced QuickBooks for Mac OS X; and PowerLogix has announced even more upgrades, including dual processor upgrades. And one user notes, "I wonder if the /. effect could drain the batteries of this Newton quickly?"

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MATLAB by foobar104 · 2002-09-12 09:39 · Score: 5, Informative

Ironically, the same day Slashdot carries this story, MathWorks announces that MATLAB 6.5 is not, in fact, compatible with Jaguar. They sent out a letter.
As a current MATLAB on the Mac customer, we wanted to inform you that the new 10.2 (Jaguar) release of Mac OS X introduces incompatibilities that prevent MATLAB 6.5 and other applications from running correctly. The MathWorks and Apple are working together to develop a patch that will enable MATLAB to operate correctly with OS X version 10.2. We anticipate that this patch will be available in late September or early October. In the interim, we suggest that MATLAB users defer upgrading to 10.2 until this patch is available.
1. Re:MATLAB by Daleks · 2002-09-12 11:59 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  MATLAB for Mac OS X relies on Xfree86/XDarwin for graphs and other windowed elements (ugh, this is a port?). Xfree86/XDarwin was broken under Mac OS X 10.2, but there is an updated version that will work. The latest files are at:
  
  http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?gro up _id=18034&release_id=71056
Newton Webserver by Visigothe · 2002-09-12 09:43 · Score: 3, Funny

"I wonder if the /. effect could drain the batteries of this Newton quickly?"

Seeing as I don't get a response, I'd say *yes*

.

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Blocklevel: Practical Information Architecture
Another piece of news (semi-related to Mac OS X) by questionlp · 2002-09-12 09:44 · Score: 3, Informative

Apple is running a promotion that if someone buys a PowerMac G4, the person can get a free copy of Adobe InDesign 2.0 for free via mail. News.com has a blurb on this and that a Mac OS X-native version of Quark is still in the works.
Slashdotting a Newton.... by Thornae · 2002-09-12 09:46 · Score: 3, Funny

Fish.

Barrel.

Howitzer.

(Yes, it's gone already. Poor little thing...)

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|>
Here be Dragons
Newton by mmarlett · 2002-09-12 09:48 · Score: 5, Informative
"I wonder if the /. effect could drain the batteries of this Newton quickly?"
Absolutely. And since I seem to have caught this seconds after is was posted, I'll just share what the server says ...

Paul Filmer's Dedicated MP2100 NewtonOS Server

This server runs on 4 AA batteries, in only 10K of heap on a 162MHz StrongARM SA-110 RISC processor, using NewtonOS Personal Data Sharing software (nHTTPd v2.043). This Apple Newton MessagePad 2100 is a multi-tasking, object oriented PDA with 4Mb of RAM and a 16Mb Flash storage card, connected via a Farallon PN895 Ethernet card. More details.

And this is the "more details" ...
How is this server set up/run?
This server is a stripped Newton MP2100. (Pictures) The Newted Community asked me for an article about the server, which is here.
The server only has packages that are necessary for serving (NPDS: nHTTPd v2.043, NPDS Watcher v1.014ac, NPDS Traq Client 2.035) or editing these webpages, and a bunch of background images for Avi's Backdrop. All of the settings for these packages and plug-ins are listed here. The server is connected to the Internet using a Farallon PN895 Ethernet card over the NSF LAN. Our connection from there to the backbone is what makes this puppy sing - any speed problems are at your end, bub.
I originally tried to run this thing off a set of rechargeables and a solar panel, but the card drains the charge before sunrise, so I abandoned that strategy - the intent was to run it at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station where sunlight is not a problem (well, OK, not for six out of twelve months...).
I try to synchronize the server's Names and Dates soups with my principal MP2100's about once a week by beaming them over with SBM's SoupTransport. I am slowly (...very slowly...) collecting the names of Newton-related developers, companies and products (including signatures) and putting them in my Names Soup so that they can be searched. I am also collecting Apple parts numbers for any and all Newton products - feel free to tell me what you would like to see listed on this thing.
The following is a list of the package names of all packages installed on this Newton device as of 9/12/02 5:34 pm:
- HeapMagic:GNUE
- Newton Devices
- NIE Patch:Kallisys
- Avi's Backdrop:AviD
- BiggerNotes:Paul's Software
- BugTrap:Tactile
- ClnNotes:Tim Constantine
- Editor:MAVON
- Farallon Enet
- Filmer Fecit Me
- Freeze Utils:SAS
- HeavenOrHell:BASUKE
- Hilite2000:Way
- Internet Setup
- ISP Templates
- LucentWaveLAN
- LucentWaveLANa2
- LucentWaveLANa3
- MacInTalk
- Monaco
- NamesHack:MAP
- NetTime:DTS
- Newton Internet Enabler
- nHTTPd
- NIE Ethernet Module
- NPDS Watcher:ATOW
- NPDSTrack Client
- OneTap Scroller
- pCARDS:MAVON
- pDATES:MAVON
- pGIF Server:Kallisys
- pHTML:MAVON
- pPAGER:MAVON
- RemoteCamNewt
- SAI Prefs Cleaner:SAS
- Serial57600:clli
- Sound Off!
- Soup Transport:SBM
- SoupKitchen:ICS
- SpeakText:NEWTON
- TheWholeText :deepfocus
- Wipe:MAVON
- 2001panam
- Analog
- Apollo 11 footprint
- Apollo 17 LRV
- B-17G
- B-17G Sentimental Journey
- brainbaraboom
- Concept 3051 logod
- cooker
- Cosmo Placard
- Death Mask of Newton
- eMate Flower
- Escher
- EXILE concept 28
- feathers
- Forget Me
- Gagarin Mosaic 2
- Glyph Basic A Font:Prism
- Glyph Basic B Font:Prism
- Glyph Basic C Font:Prism
- Glyph Basic D Font:Prism
- gromit
- HAL9000
- Hardtack I Oak
- Hokusai's Great Wave
- Hummer Half
- IAI Logo
- JSC's WB-57F
- KillUpdate:Victor&Paul
- Las Vegas in the 50's
- linux Swirl
- Mars by Hubble
- Mastaba of Ity
- Maya2 gluphs
- Mercury
- Minico:Scrawl
- Mir docking
- mir-complex
- MP2000 Flower
- National Science Foundation
- NetNames.DigitlaInk
- Newton Statue, BL St Pancras
- NewtonID:NewtonID
- nr. Aristoteles & Eudoxus
- pBinary Server:Kallisys
- pCFG:MAVON
- pi
- QuickPress:AVANTI
- RibbonShredded
- Riven Lagoon
- SF wallpaper
- shark.PICT
- Sir Robert Filmer
- St Basil's Cathedral
- Stela of Thothmes III
- Steve Jobs
- Techno
- Tintin's Snowy
- TsPK Logo
- Untitled
- UnzipBMP:NewtsCape
- urlCop
- Venezia
- vnc:TKnollSys
- WTC1062
- yuri
- ZLib:Kallisys
Re:But will QuickBooks work? by Otter · 2002-09-12 10:19 · Score: 3, Interesting

Here's a fairly hostile update from TidBits. Basically, Intuit has announced a new release in 2003, but with no real info about what it will have. MYOB has taken the Mac accounting market away from them and they seem to be reacting, if not in a particularly helpful way.
As the article notes, that's what "FUD" really means, as opposed to the way it's used here to mean "said something vaguely critical about Lunix".

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What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
/.ing == DOSing? by n-baxley · 2002-09-12 10:20 · Score: 3, Insightful

What was the point of that last bit about the newton? We all know what the results will be, the first 3 people get in and then nada. Why bother wasting our time and the poor server's bandwidth?

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THIS SPACE FOR RENT
Fink Question by addaon · 2002-09-12 11:08 · Score: 3, Interesting

Maybe this is obvious, but I've looked for a bit and not been able to figure it out. I have a current fink install on 10.1. I want to switch to 10.2, and I'm going to do a clean install to do that... so all my fink software will be wiped. I don't mind redownloading everything at all... but is there any way to grab my current fink list of installed programs, and have fink reinstall those automatically? I managed to get the installed list through `fink list` and a bit of grepping... but that includes all the dependencies, and dependencies might have changed, so some of those installed items may not be needed any more. Also, if I pass that list to `fink install`, the first item that's unreachable will cause fink to terminate after a few retries (with the --yes) option, meaning I'll have to rerun the whole script, no? Any workarounds/ideas/people calling me dumb?

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I've had this sig for three days.
1. Re:Fink Question by PotPieMan · 2002-09-12 11:58 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Assuming you have a list of just the package names (not the version numbers and other columns from fink list), you should be able to pass it to fink. As long as you have updated your fink.conf as described here, it should all work. If you haven't, you will definitely have problems reaching packages. Make sure you've done a fink selfupdate-cvs recently, too. (There are other reasons you might be unable to download some packages, such as the host site being down.)
  
  You are right, though - some of the dependencies may have changed or been removed. I would suggest that you look through the list and pick some of the bigger packages and start by installing those. You'll fill a lot of the dependencies by installing something like KDE, for example.
  
  You may want to check out the mailing lists for more information. A lot of the regulars know way more Fink than I do; they may have some better ideas.
Famous last words by MalleusEBHC · 2002-09-12 11:38 · Score: 3, Funny

Our connection from there to the backbone is what makes this puppy sing - any speed problems are at your end, bub.
I got this from the guy who copied what the site served by the Newton before it got /.'d. Funny, I don't think the speed (or lack thereof) problems I'm getting right now are on my end...
Yes, nHTTPd is actually useful by RevAaron · 2002-09-12 12:05 · Score: 4, Interesting

The Newton webserver- nHTTPd- part of the Newton Personal Data Sharing (NPDS) system has been mentioned on here a few times over the last 3 or 4 years I've been reading Slashdot.

Most of the time, I imagine that people see NPDS as a novelty, like running Apache on WinCE. And to some who run it, it is just a novelty. However, unlike some Htttpd for CE, NPDS actually manages to be useful. It serves your Dates, Names, Todo and Notes data, accessing the object-oriented database that makes up the Newton system for data storage. Of course, it can also serve regular HTML pages. I've actually seen a couple organizations that were using a Newton as a drop-in solution to managing contacts and meeting schedules. Incredible!

I suppose someone could write a C++ CGI that access the WinCE DBs for the analogous data on a WinCE/PocketPC device, but then you're stuck doing it in C++, which if a major pain in the ass compared to NewtonScript. Does anyone know of NSBasic (started on the Newton, of course :P) or a similar RAD language for the PocketPC can access the internal WinCE dbs?

In other news, someone is getting me a 2100 in exchange for attempting to develop a Squeak VM for the Newton! I recently had to sell my super-nice Newton 2100u setup, and I've missed my Newt a great deal. I guess it's one of those things where you don't understand it unless you've had a Newt yourself... but in my switch attempt to an iPAQ and more recently a Jornada 720, I've been left wanting in a lot of respects, and really can't wait to get my Newton back!

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Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
I hope the Fink users are patient by Wesley+Felter · 2002-09-12 12:34 · Score: 3, Informative

Since there are no binaries for unstable packages, prepare to spend several days building all the prereqs for any major app.

Why post binaries on SourceForge when you could force 1,000 people to compile them instead? :-(