[Ham-Mac] What I don't like?

[Chris Smolinski]

>Though I haven't yet tried MultiMode (too many toys, too little time),
>thanks for your explanation of your software update policy.
>
>I assume that the $25 rate for a year's worth of updates is MultiMode
>specific, and that the rate would be something else for differently priced
>product in keeping with the "little more than a quarter of the initial fee"
>policy?

It varies depending on the program. Some of the less expensive 
programs are slightly more than half the initial price, in general 
the more expensive the program, the smaller the relative price to 
renew for another year's worth of updates. That's to keep the price 
down for the more expensive programs, and because it's not economic 
to process credit card orders for very small sums.

>ACARS is another mode that I would like to get around to someday. Living not
>very far from IAD and DCA and living on a ridge, I should have lots of
>opportunities to copy.

ACARS has really replaced a lot of the routine voice comms for 
commercial aircraft.

The great thing about ACARS is that because planes are say 30,000 
feet up, you can hear them for great distances. Imagine having your 2 
meter J Pole up on a 30,000 ft tower ;-)  I'm a good ways away from 
any major airport, and the ACARS frequencies are very busy here, 
especially during weekdays. Most of the messages are routine and 
boring, although there are the occasional interesting messages, like 
those about unruly, disruptive, and ranting passengers who appear to 
be drunk.

>I like your attitude!  BTW, I'm a happy occasional user of your Atomic Mac.
>In that case, you have steadily improved it over the years to be one heck of
>a good reference tool.

I try my best. Atomic Mac is another example of user input driving 
the program development. I'll get an email from someone asking "hey, 
can you put such and such data in Atomic Mac".

>BTW, maybe you can clarify something for me, Chris.  I'm using Panther and
>in Finder > Preferences > Advanced, I turned on "show all file extensions."
>That works for most files, but not applications, whether classic or Unix.
>How come?

Interestingly enough, if I fire up ResEdit, and select Get 
File/Folder Info, the open file dialog shows the .app extension. It 
seems as though Finder hides the .app extension regardless of the 
preferences setting.

>The reason that the MP3 file trick works is that, unless the user asks for
>File Info on the file, it is not apparent that it is really an application,
>even though its file name extension suggests otherwise.  The Finder knows it
>is an application, the user can know if he is motivated to ask, but why
>should he have to ask?  Just always show the application's type, regardless
>of what someone else has typed into its name field and made its icon to look
>like.

There have been suggestions to show some special mark in the icon of 
an application, so users know that is what it is.  I typically use 
the "List" view for my finder windows, which also shows me the type 
(kind to use Apple's terminology) of file. It also hides the usual 
jumble of icons scattered around the window...

But you're right, always showing the .app at the end of the file 
would help users identify applications. Or at least make the show 
file types preference in Finder work correctly ;-)

73
Chris
N3JLY

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Chris Smolinski
Black Cat Systems
http://www.blackcatsystems.com