Firefox 4 Beta 7 Running in Tiger on a PowerPC
Mac
From Cameron:
Charles,
With respect to support for PPC and Tiger in Firefox 4: When you want
something done, do it yourself.
Success! Firefox 4.0b7pre
on a Power Mac G5 running OS X Tiger.
A public test binary for people to play with will be out soon,
followed by optimized builds for G3/G4/G5.
Cameron
"the Classilla guy"
Firefox 4 Beta 7 on a G5 running OS X 10.4 Tiger.
Hi Cameron.
Good work!
Is there any download URL for your Tiger-compatible
Firefox 4 version?
Thanks
Charles
Classic Eudora 6.2 and Mac OS X
From Rod:
Hello Charles:
I'm emailing you using my Eudora 6.2 software, with a blind cc to
Entourage in case overconfidence punishes me.
Through trial and error, I succeeded in moving my PowerBook G4
Eudora 5.2 In and Out Boxes to my new iMac. Remarkably, they are now
intact with each opening of Eudora 6.2.
My current issue is finding a way to open and launch 6.2 more
easily.
Currently, each time I now open the application, I am greeted by
completely empty In and Out Boxes and Preference Files. I then see a
couple of messages asking about importing files. I cancel both, go to
my Eudora Folder, and click on Eudora Settings. This function:
- immediately checks email;
- provides all my settings;
- opens an updated, intact In Box. (The "former" Out Box is also
retained.)
Have you found an easier way to open the Eudora application with
settings and mail boxes, etc. intact?
Rod Landgraff
Hi Rod,
Eudora 6.2.4 continues to start up and access my many
years of archived mailboxes just fine on my Core 2 Duo MacBook running
OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.
Sending and receiving mail can be a bit flaky, and I've long since
terminated using classic Eudora for that on the Intel machine in favor
of Eudora 8 OSE, which is
not as congenial an application as the old Eudora but had the advantage
of a development future and a large user base, thanks to being a clone
of Mozilla Thunderbird.
I admire the dedication and perseverance of those
seeking workarounds to permit continuing use of Eudora 6.x with
post-Tiger versions of OS X, but I anticipate that Carbon app
support could well be a goner with OS X 10.7 Lion, or almost
certainly the OS X version that follows it, so I've resigned myself to
making my peace with Eudora OSE, which has the facility to import your
Eudora Classic message archives and settings.
For simple access to the content in a pinch, a text
editor can open classic Eudora mailbox files.
I continue to happily use Eudora 6.2.4 on my Pismo
PowerBooks running OS X 10.4.11 Tiger.
Charles
Bridging the Gap Between PowerPC and Intel
From Bill:
Dear Charles,
It's been ages since my last post (May of '05), and I hope this
finds you well !
In the interim, I've finally relegated (Dad's and) my Pismos to
back-up status and moved us on to the final 1 GHz TiBook that will
still boot natively in OS 9, which I've found possible even
without the machine-specific version of the system software. More
commonly, "Classic" suffices, which is part of the reason I've also
doggedly held to Tiger (Leopard
is caged in a separate partition where I play occasionally).
Your recent article [Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
Increasingly Left Behind by Browser Updates] on the PPC platform
vs. browsers (what's with Shiira
2.3?) gave cause for consternation, so I'd like to hear your thoughts
on three issues:
- Which, if any, hardware might best bridge the abyss between PPC and
Intel? (Although most all my work is currently on the above-referenced
TiBook, a Performa 6360 remains
on my desk for TV [analog converter!] and infrequent use of an old Agfa
SCSI scanner [file transfer via AFP].) My wife receives a generous
allotment for personal computers every few years that can be applied to
new or used equipment, and we'd like to move toward state-of-the art
without fully abandoning ties to the past.
- Over the years, I've been puzzled by your emphatic devotion to
Eudora and actually procured registration codes just before Qualcomm
quit. Other than the ability to "Send Later", I've never quite
understood why you like it so well? (After an early stint with Apple
Mail, I've been getting by with Entourage for some time now.)
- Finally, I've remained a devotee of NUDC (Now Up-to-Date & Contact)
since 1995 (now at 5.3.2) and have begun using the extremely convenient
scripts (supplied only w/5.3.1) to dial out on either Skype or Vonage.
If it weren't for the unreliability of reminders, I'd still be pretty
pleased with the programs (I've actually modified my use of "Events" to
emulate a GTD [Getting Things Done] system fairly well). Perhaps you're
familiar with the comparative review at http://www.priacta.com/Articles/Comparison_of_GTD_Software.php?
In any case, I'm curious about your preferred method for keeping things
on track.
Thanks so much for your time and consideration!
All the Best,
Bill
P.S. Good to hear the positive trends in speech recognition (I still
feel that ViaVoice did admirably prior to OS X...)
Hi Bill,
Good to hear from you again.
My two Pismos in active service (I spend three to four
hours on them most days) both still have OS 9.2 installed and are
capable of booting directly into it, but I expect that it's been well
over a year since I did that, although I keep Classic Mode up and
running all the time in OS X 10.4 Tiger and still employ some Classic
applications for production work.
On to your questions.
- The ideal transition machine from PPC to Intel would be an early
Intel model that can support OS X 10.4. Finding Intel compatible
drivers for the old SCSI scanner could be a challenge. Of course, Tiger
itself is getting well behind the curve.
- Eudora aficionado-dom is probably one of those "if I have to
explain it, you'll never understand" matters. The application just
struck a resonant chord with me, as it does with many others evidently.
I like its robustness, flexibility, immense custom configurability and
facilitation of manual control over most everything, its fast search
engine and graceful, no-hassle handling of multiple accounts. I like
the fact that you can open Eudora mailboxes and access their content
with a basic text editor. I like the multiple window user interface.
I've now gotten used to using Thunderbird-based Eudora OSE, but I've
never found an email client I like as well as classic Eudora (Infinity
Data Systems' MailForge shows promise
that is as yet unrealized).
- I've never even dipped a proverbial toe in the waters of NUDC, GTD
software, or Internet telephony, so any comment I could make would be
purely speculative. My preferred method of keeping things on track is
semi-organized chaos, if that's not a complete oxymoron.
;-)
If you liked ViaVoice, you should live Dragon Dictate.
It's amazingly good,
Charles
Editor's note: Ed Eubanks Jr. surveyed the GTD
landscape in 2006, reporting on 12 Task
Management Solutions for Mac Users and 9 Online Task Management Solutions. These
might be good starting points if you want to research GTD options,
although the landscape has undoubtedly changed in the past four years.
dk
That 'Self-driving Car' Article
From Chris:
Re: that
"self-driving car" article with auto enthusiasts clamoring for
manual control
This struck a chord with me. It reminds me of the usual debates
about the merits of Macs. The enthusiasts don't like them, because they
feel that Apple has too much control over them and that there aren't
enough parts options. OS X seems capable enough, given the
Mach/BSD underpinnings and the Terminal, but perhaps it's more of a
hardware thing in this case.
The enthusiasts want more power - and more overall options - than
what Apple offers with even the Mac Pro. I'm talking about the sort of
people who generally custom-build their PCs, some of them even going so
far that they won't just get top-shelf parts, but liquid-cool them (if
they're not going for phase-change or outright liquid nitrogen) and
overclock them to obscene levels. For the software side of things,
they'd probably be more insistent on some variety of Linux or BSD,
though those types probably aren't as likely to go all-out on the
hardware as mentioned earlier (most of those types run Windows, because
that's where the games are).
If we're staying with cars . . . well, is it just American drivers
that are losing or not developing driving skills? Is it actually
happening all around the world? Should they be needed?
Some people don't care about how something works so long as it
works; that's an incentive on the computer side of things to buy Macs,
right?
I'm just thinking about what the auto enthusiasts expect out of
their fellow drivers. Heel-and-toe shifting requires me to contort my
foot unnaturally, and it just doesn't feel good; I would've preferred
if the clutch were a pressure-sensitive paddle on the left side of the
wheel or something along those lines so that I can dedicate my feet to
gas and brake. Better yet, I'd rather have a sequential paddle shifting
system like many of the European exotics, Formula One cars, and rally
cars use. They may argue that it defeats the purpose of having a manual
transmission, since shifting beyond first gear no longer requires a
depression of the clutch pedal and there's no gated stick shift, but
I'd still be in control of what gears are used and when it shifts,
which is more than can be said for the typical automatic transmission.
It makes me think about what things computer enthusiasts have come to
expect out of anyone else who uses a computer.
That's enough musing for now. Good luck with the Pismo.
-Chris
Hi Chris,
I think you've correctly identified a large element in
the typical PC-oriented computer tinkerers objection to the Mac. Apple
hardware is never likely to become a popular platform with hot
rodders.
I can almost field strip a Pismo in my sleep, and I
can upgrade and repair my machines when they require it, but I've never
found messing around with electronics a pastime that I would ever
cultivate for pleasure, unlike messing around with cars, which I've had
little time for in recent years, but which I used to enjoy immensely.
Probably less so now that the cars are so heavily computerized.
One of the marquee appeals of the Mac for me is
consequently the typical "it just works" factor. In 20 months on my
Unibody MacBook, the
only attention it's required was when I upgraded the RAM to 4 GB.
Other than that, it's just run like a well-oiled watch with no
attention other than incremental system version upgrades and the
occasional maintenance software run. It was the same with my previous
17" PowerBook,
12" iBook, and even
on the 10-year-old Pismos - downtime and opening up have been mainly
limited to specification upgrades. My recent replacement of the video
inverter and display screen and my oldest Pismo (a half-hour job) are
the notable exception.
I'm quite happy to live in the Macintosh GUI the vast
majority of time, although it's reassuring to have the option of being
able to dip into the command line with the terminal if there's some
compelling reason to do so, which I find there usually isn't.
I don't think that in a global context, American (or
Canadian) drivers have ever been particularly skilled. Our wide-open
spaces, superhighways, and penchant for automatic transmissions - to
say nothing of cruise control, combined with our snail's pace speed
limits even on our excellent wide, straight highways - all conspire
against development of the real serious driving skills that are
necessary in most of the world.
Automobile Magazine editor Joe DeMatio recently
did
a tour through several European countries in a 556 hp 2011 Cadillac
CTS-V Coupe (available with a manual transmission - good on General
Motors!), ending up in Germany, where he was able to cruise legally on
the autobahn in the potent Caddy at 150 mph with bursts up to 165 mph,
and found himself trailing a local in an Audi.
Most Germans I know are automobile enthusiasts and
excellent drivers, and statistics prove that driving at those speeds
can be no more dangerous, in terms of accident frequency, than slower
speeds in other European countries on limited access highways. The key
is requiring a higher level of driving skill in order to become
licensed. Memorizing the traffic code rules and knowing how to parallel
park, which is about all it takes to get a license in North America,
just wouldn't fly in Europe.
With the new dual-clutch computer-controlled "manual"
transmissions, you can get your wish for paddle shifting (or full
automatic, for that matter) with no performance penalty. However, I
prefer the foot clutch and never found the hand clutch/foot shifter on
motorcycles especially intuitive. I also never warmed to the standard
mode of heel and toe shifting with toe on the brakes and heel on the
gas, but learned to do it "backwards" with pressing the brake with my
heel and blipping the throttle with my toe, something I do
instinctively now when downshifting manual transmissions even if they
have good synchromesh.
Charles
Editor's note: See Macs, PCs, and Power Users, which I wrote
in 2001, for my perspective on PC power users and Macs. dk
Cars, Hot Rodding, and Computers
From Steve:
Charles,
Hot rodding is still alive, but now it's a fusion of mechanical,
electronic, and computer skills. Making a car faster in a straight line
is essentially improving airflow through the engine, getting the right
amount of fuel at the right time, and getting power to the ground. In
previous years, before electronic controls were common, intake porting
and polishing, new manifolds, larger and/or more carburetors, and
bigger valves got the air in, and low restriction exhaust systems got
the air out. Jetting, adjusting secondaries, and power valves got the
fuel mixture correct. Getting power to ground was a challenge of
gearing and tires.
Most hot rodding really has not changed. Porting, polishing,
manifolds, and changes to the intake air path are still the hot
rodders' tools. Low restriction exhaust systems, especially "cat back"
exhaust retrofits, are common. Gearing and tires are still in play.
What is new is getting fuel to the engine and optimizing mechanical
modes of operation (e.g. shifting). Fuel injection is vastly more
flexible and precise to meter fuel to the engine. What was once a
strictly mechanical process is now dominated by electronics. The new
hot-rodder understands the sensors on his engine, the information they
provide, and how the information is used by the powertrain controller.
The new hot rodder might modify the sensors on his vehicle (maybe
adding a resistor to the circuit, maybe relocating the sensor) to alter
the information. The new hot rodder will connect a computer to his
powertrain controller and modify engine control algorithms (the
programming) and/or look up tables to adjust the engine "mapping".
Transmission shift control and traction control optimize getting power
to the ground and can also be varied by powertrain control
modification.
I joke that the closest thing to a computer on my 1966 Corvairs is the
fuel gage. My 1986 Corvette utilizes first/second generation powertrain
controls. My 1997 Saturn utilizes third/fourth generation powertrain
controls. The bottom line is that they can all be tinkered with to
improve performance; the difference is that I apply computer and
electronic skills to the Corvette and Saturn.
By the way, the Powerglide used on many high performance drag cars
is not your "grandmother's" Powerglide. In many cases, the power
draining torque converter is replaced by a clutch and the automatic
shift provisions are eliminated. Essentially, all that remains of the
Powerglide is the two speed planetary gear train.
Finally, I'd vote (if reader input is invited) to keep the automatic
in the Imperial. 727 Torqueflites are rugged beasts and can give some
pretty impressive performance, especially in a car that could be
"grandma's" car.
Steve
Hi Steve,
Good points all. My daughter is a 21st Century
hotrodder in the sense that she understands and can manipulate the
electronics in today's computermobiles but still appreciates the
traditions of the sport/pastime/obsession. She's made her living
variously in computer tech support and auto mechanics. Her latest
acquisition is a '51 Mercury with a flathead V-8 - one of my all-time
favorite mills, and about as contra today's computer-modulated wonders
as you can get. My only flatty was in a '53 Ford F-200 3/4 ton truck,
but it was a honey. Astonishingly smooth, quiet, and torque-y. Oddly,
the overhead cam 4.6 liter V-8 in my 2000 Mercury reminds me of the old
flathead, thanks to those same characteristics, plus the fact that it's
almost the same displacement, albeit putting out twice the
horespower.
I had a '66 Corvair Monza two-door hardtop - black
with a white interior. Mixed memories. Loved the styling and the
handling, not so much the Corvair version of the Powerglide.
Yes, the A727 Torqueflite is usually a tough and
good-performing transmission. I've owned several cars and trucks with
Torqueflites, and I've never had one fail on me (although the one in my
'77 Dodge Royal Sportsman van slipped on the 2-3 shift), but I'm still
partial to manual gearboxes, and I guess the apple didn't fall far from
the tree with that preference. The '68 Imperial is a hotrod, with front
and rear subframe sections and suspension from a '78 New Yorker grafted
in, a 440 with a ThermoQuad, exhaust headers, and 3" pipes all the way
to the back, and a non-stock interior, so preserving authenticity is
not an issue.
Charles
Robot Cars Will Be Safer
From Kevin:
Considering the incredible
number of car accident injuries and fatalities every year, even
when drivers are sober, responsible adults, it won't take much in the
future to convince me that it is human drivers who should be prohibited
from driving.
Robot cars would, literally, have to kill more than 260,000 children
per year to be more dangerous than human drivers.
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
It's difficult to refute your logic, so I won't even
try. You're almost certainly right on the point.
All I can say is that if a world is coming where we
abdicate all responsibility for complex tasks and pastimes to the cold
precision and efficiency of machine control, I'm exceedingly thankful
that I grew up and experienced young adulthood in the 1950s, '60s, and
'70s when life was so much more human-oriented, free, and fun, albeit
concededly more dangerous.
No seatbelts. No airbags. Motorcycle helmets were
rare, and bicycle helmets unheard of. As kids, we rode around in the
cargo beds of open pickup trucks and station wagons with the rear
window down.
Do I advocate reversion to those circumstances? No. I
buckle up these days and wear a helmet when I ride my bike. My big
Mercury Grand Marquis with its airbags, seatbelts, and antilock brakes
is indubitably safer than the cars I drove back in the '60s, to say
nothing of its computer-controlled fuel injection and spark advance
making it superbly reliable and capable of fuel mileage that wouldn't
have been possible with a small economy car forty-odd years ago.
To throw the dynamic into another context, it's
without question safer and vastly more efficient to cross an ocean in a
modern, mostly computer-flown Boeing or Airbus in a few hours that it
would be to make the crossing in a small sail yacht over several weeks
or even months, but not nearly as satisfying to the human soul (I'm a
former avid sailor, and hope to get back to it someday).
Charles
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