By Frank Sikernitsky
Production Editor, Spit and Bailing Wire
We've received a lot of mail about problems with Journal and the X-Mosaic reader. It appears one of the HTML comment blocks we were using was not universal, so we've deleted them. Thanks to all who wrote. Also, the server has been moved from a Macintosh WorkGroup Server 80 to a lower-traffic DEC Station, so speeds should be increased greatly, especially on outside access. We skipped a week of publishing, both because of the server change and the fact that we received new equipment.
The Journal is now produced with a Macintosh Quadra 840av, a Macintosh Centris 610, two Macintosh Pluses, as well as other Macs on the campus network for color scanning, archiving and miscellaneous work. We manipulate the images with Adobe Photoshop 2.5.1 and do HTML editing with BBEdit Lite. The staff writes their articles on their choice of word processors (Microsoft Word, Claris MacWrite II and MacWrite Pro, WordPerfect, etc.), and images are pulled from scanned pictures, PhotoCD, the Internet, and computer-generated art. This week we are in the process of setting up tests on X and Windows machines, but that may take awhile. It's hard to test compatibility with all browsers, so if you see any problems, it would be a great help to us if you sent a message describing the problem to :
JournalTech@mail.trincoll.edu
I don't have a big article for this week, just some tidbits from around the world of Technology. If you want more in-depth tidbits, check out EDUPAGE on the main menu of the Tech esction. On the PowerPC Mac front, Mac has announcd that the name for their new machine will be PowerMac. Rumors have it that higher-end machines will be released first (maybe in March), and cost about $4000 in some sort of a 8/230/CD setup. The next step down will be released later in the $3000 range, and the lowest will cost $2000. PowerPC is a new processor based on technology developed by IBM, Apple and Motorola. IBM will make the first run of the 601 chip, and Motorola will produce the next generations. Based on availability of IBM boxes with these chips already out on the market, or lack of such, it seems there may be quite a wait on the new Macs. It is even feasible that Apple will delay releasing the PowerMac to amass a supply of schips to fill orders. Again, no really specific info has been released, but the new Macs will run System 7.5, Windows (with a third-party emulator), A/UX and other operating systems. This represents a fundamental shift in the processing war in computing : Intel , which makes the x86 processors for IBM-clones, is now being challenged its technology's creator, IBM. Intel's fastest chip, the Pentium, is approximately as fast as Motorola's new chip, but is twice the size, uses twice the power and is more expensive. There are huge debates as to which truly is faster, but the true test will be how fast it cuts through your personal work. The deciding factor will be supply...does IBM have enough chips to meet the demand? And will the software written for the chip take full advantage of it? The chip has the horsepower to do the job, but Apple's marketing strategies of the past have been confusing, with releases of new machines every month that made ones a half-year old obsolete. Only time will tell...
