Willamette Apple Connection Vol2No2

«. . | APPLE USER GROUP WAC Journal April/May 1988 Vol. 2 / No.2 ABi-Monthly Publication of the Willamette Apple Connection, Inc. An Apple If & Compatible User Education Group P.O, Box 7252 . Salem, OR 97303-0053 . (503) 585-0811 (Meeting: April 21, 1988 - 7:00 p.m.) President and Editor of the Journal: Lawrence E. Tucker, 585-081 { Vice President: Darwin Wuerch, 364-4194 Secretary: Harry Haley, 371-3197 Treasurer and Telecommunications SysOp: Neal Layton, 370-9321 Director-at-Large: Joseph Durst, 399-9874 Head Librarian: John Moore, 838-4966 Salem Public Library Bulletin Board: 588-6130 CONNECTION WAC JOURNAL The WAC Journal is published bi-monthly. Authors should submit their copy via MODEM to the Salem Public Library BBS (Apple SIG), in Binary II form; or mail a diskette with the article written in ASCII text file form, AppleWorks or pple Writer files by the 7th of the month. Hard capy should be mailed by the last day of the month preceding, the fee ishing month. Seek The WAC Journal is an independent. publication not affiliated or otherwise associated with or sponsored or sanctioned by Rpple Computer, Inc. The opinions, statements, positions and views stated herein are those of the author(s) or publisher and are not intended to be the opinions, statements, positions or views of Apple Computer, ne. . . The Regular Membership Hepting is held on the third Thursday of the month, with a start time of 7:00 p.m.. The meeting is held on the Chemeketa Community College campus, in Building 2, Room 112. The general public is invited to attend. ; TEM, Willamette Apple Connection, Inc. Ag 2 oD P.O. Box 7252 an Salem, Oregon 97303-0053 \ ea Wore” FIRST CLASS Quick Connect — March 1988 Apple's Chief Executive: His Thoughts on Apple, User Groups, and the Futur John Sculley, Apple's President and CEO, was originally scheduled to close this, year's User Group Advisory Council. Un- fortunately, company business required a change of plans and an out-of-town trip. Did he cancel his address to User Groups and send his regrets? Not John Sculley. He simply arranged to start the session instead of end it. As he put it, “I'm here because I want to be. | wouldn't have missed it.” For over an hour, he spoke informally ona wide range of topics—from his views on User Groups to the future of Apple Computer. We'd like to share with you some of the things he said. “What makes our industry different from others is that is it a network industry of relationships. We recognize the value of User Groups, your resources, and what you represent. I think that it is inevitable for the relationship to get richer over time.” “The long-term success of the per- sonal computer is going to be directly tied to the enthusiasm and competence of users,” “What I would really like to seek your help on is finding ways to raise the prior- ity and focus of the Apple IL. | expect to he selling II's at the end of the century. There is a lot of R&D money going to- wards the Apple II—it isn’t all going to Macintosh.” “Multi-media, CD-ROM—we're not only working on these technologies, but on the foundations and relationships to make them really work.” “Once you have all those networks out there (in the 1990s), someone is sud- denly going to have a lightbulb go off in his or her mind and say, ‘Gee, what we really need is to connect not just com- puter to computer but people to people.’ That's when Apple's biggest success story is going to take place.” “We don't want Apple to be just a U.S. company. We don't want it to be a com- pany that hubs out of Cupertino like a wheel, with its spokes going out. We would like it to be a company that in Europe is known as a European com- pany, that in Japan is known as a Japanese company, and that in the U.S. is known as an American company. We're going for a global, not just a multina- tional, identity.“ “There's a lot of research and development going towards communi- cations, databases, artificial intelligence, advanced image processing. In a word, there isn't anything we aren't working on right now.” “The one thing that won't change at Apple is the word personal. We may get bigger, more complex, but there is no way we are going to get less personal. The thing that will distinguish Apple in the 1990s is the focus on the individual.” “Tl represent your need for involve- ment with regional Apple offices as I spend time in the field.” “L intend to be around for the Apple of the future. am not going anywhere!” Technography: The Writing on the Wall In the old days, stenographers took meet- ing notes in shorthand and later tran- scribed them on a typewriter. Today, technographers record information on personal computers, project it on a screen for all to see, and print out hardcopies when the meeting is over. It's called “technography’—a buzz word for using computers to record verbal communi- cation. In practice, it translates into “computer-enhanced meetings,” to coin another buzz word. But what does it mean to you, the Apple II or Macintosh user? In the case of User Group Advisory Council, technography meant using Apple technology to document the opin- ions, suggestions, and issues arising from the Council. To achieve this, we called upon the expertise of Paul Grabhorn, President of Meeting Technologies, Inc., a Berkeley-based consulting and R&D. firm, Paul, a Macintosh advocate (and “The long-term success of the personal computer is going to be directly tied to the enthusiasm and competence of users.” —John Sculley Berkeley Macintosh User Group mem- ber), seemed an ideal resource to aid the User Group Connection in making the most of Council sessions. Although Paul admits that the Council | Asimple outlining pace was far too brisk to maximize the program and the appro- use of technography, he succeeded in priate display device producing a 40-page MORE™ document can put technography detailing each of the Council's discussion | Within the reach of areas, This document will assist the User any Macintosh or Group Connection in extending the Apple ll user. Council's impact beyond its two-day duration. “We'll look to the document as we zero in on priorities and action items for the coming year,” comments Ellen Leanse, Program Manager for the Con- nection. “So much of what we learned at the Council reflects the input we get from our other contact with User Groups. Our team, and everyone at Apple who atten- ded the session, values this input remen- dously. Having it centralized will help us get our jobs done.” Continued on page 6 Quick Connect — March 1988 Students Design the Computer of the Year 2000 Project 2000 Competition Participants + Brown University + California Institute of Technology + Stanford University + University of California (Berkeley) + University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana) + University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) + University of Minnesota (Minneapolis-St. Paul) Students explore the future of technology and share their vision of personal computing in the 21st century. ee The competition winners from the University of Illinois with a mockup of tues, and Apple representatives: Front rou Steve Wolfram, Kurt Thearling, Steve Omohundro; second row, leit right: Li Bartlet Mel, Arch Robison; third row, left to right: Del Yocum (y bury, Jean-Louis Gassée (Senior Vice President of Research and Lx: lopment), P of the year 2000, the competition judges, Alvin Toffler What do you think computers will be like in the year 2000? That's what Apple Com- puter asked students from 12 selected universities across the country—schools where computers already have had a tremendous influence on instruction, ad- ministration, and campus communi- cations and research. It was all part of Apple's Project 2000 competition, a con- test that encouraged students to explore the future of technology and share their vision of personal computing in the 21st century. ‘To participate in the contest, student teams of up to five members and a faculty Technography Continued from page 3 Paul’s version of technography uses standard Macintosh applications—like Microsoft® Word, MacWrite® MORE, HyperCard”, MacProject® and Power- Point” —and readily available projection devices, such as those mentioned in this issue's “Projecting the Right Image” ar- tide. In fact, a simple outlining program and the appropriate display device can put technography within the reach of any Macintosh or Apple II user. As Paul sees it, “Technography allows summary documents to be created on the nsonal computer wht: Luke Young, ra Svynuls, Steve Sheina, nial, Ray Brad itch; back row: 0.0), Tn January, finslists from five univer- sities re n uise-paid trip to Apple’s corporate he tino to present the’ of Minnesota, niversity of computer es that included. ce fiction writer designs to futurist A! spot, enabling the the particu": fron: ‘eneral and Zoom v lost. [tis in this meeting sup- ¢ display coup men ation on te: contict Paul Grebhorn Meeting Technologies, Inc, 2705 Reavenue Berkcivy, CA 91705, Ray Bradbury, education author Diane Ravitch, and computer pioneers Steve Wozniak and Alan Kay. ‘The results? Top honors went to the University of Illinois team from Cham- paign-Urbana. Their design? “Tablet’—a futuristic computer that integrates the power of computation and communi- cation into a package as portable and as small as a notebook. Their reward? A Macintosh laboratory consisting of five Macintosh SE computers and one Laser- Writer printer all connected on an Apple- Talk® network. In addition, each student received $2000 toward the purchase of Apple products, an invitation to accept a paid summer internship at Apple, and an opportunity to interview at Apple for full- time employment after graduation. Second-place honors went to the Princeton team (notably all liberal arts majors) for their design “The Apple PIE" (Personal Information Environment), which integrates the portable radio, television, telephone, and other informa- tion technologies that are already widely accepted. Third-place was awarded to the University of Minnesota for its design “CORE,” which lets users carry the core of their computers—memory, processing power, learning capability, and accumu- lated knowledge—wherever they go. Whether any of the winning designs paralleled some of Apple's own plans, no one is saying. But one thing is certain: if any of the winners choose an Apple career, their thinking will shape the future of computing for the rest of us. Another technography expert, Bernie DeKoven, has published a 48-page guide on the use of computers as tools for col- laboration and group productivity. “Any- ‘one can produce ‘power meetings',” Bernie says. “I want to help people learn how to achieve them.” His guide is avail- able for $5.00 by writing: Bernie DeKoven 2972 Clara Drive Palo Alto, CA 94303 Quick Connect — March 1988 Projecting the Right Image- Big Pictures from Small Screens If you've ever seen Ben Hur or 2001: A Space Odyssey in a theater, then seen it again on TV, you know the difference a big screen can make. Larger-than-life im- ages can create a big impression—one you'll remember and talk about for a long time. ‘That, of course, is the kind of impres- sion you want to make when you give computer-aided presentations, But until recently, projecting big-screen images of your computer display presented more problems than images. Fortunately, help is at hand, There are now easy-to-use, economically priced display devices that can give your group the big picture without giving you a big headache. With the right equipment, your big-screen presentations can make big—and last- ing—impressions. Video Adapters If you're using a Macintosh computer, you'll need to install a video adapter before you can use any display device. This adapter provides the necessary cir- cuitry to get the Macintosh computer's nonstandard video signal (which has a high horizontal scan rate of 22.4 Khz, responsible for the Macintosh’s sharp screen image) out of the case so it can be connected to display devices that are specially modified to handle that high scan rate, If you're using an Apple II computer, you won't need an adapter since your computer already has a video out jack ‘on the back. This video signal is very close to the normal NTSC (regular televi- sion) standard, so it will work directly with many display devices. This output is fine for 40-column text or for standard color images, but 80-column text or high- resolution screens will look fuzzy. If you have an RGB output from your computer and an RGB display device to connect it to, then your entarged image will be much sharper. Installing a video adapter, such as the one manufactured by Mentauris Tech- nologies of San Marcos, Texas, requires “cracking” the case of your Macintosh. Most dealers can install the adapter for you in their service shop, or you may want to install it yourself if your computer is out of warranty and you feel know- ledgeable enough to crack the Macintosh (not for the faint-of-heant). The video adapter has a connector that plugs into the Macintosh computer's logic board where the power supply cable normally plugs in. The power supply then plugs into the adapter's con- nector. The adapter can be installed in- side the Macintosh case by threading the video cable through the security hole, or it can hang outside the case by running the adapter's flat ribbon cable out of the case along side the power switch. The first method requires drilling a hole in the Macintosh case and the end result is much neater in appearance. The second method is quicker and easier, but leaves the two-inch adapter dangling outside the back of the case. Cables ‘To connect a Macintosh to a display de- vice, you'll need a standard video co- axial cable (RG 591) with male BNC connectors at each end, You can as- semble a cost-effective cable of any length up to 50 feet long by buying a standard TV coaxial cable with female “F’ connectors at each end and then two adapters (to change the “F” connectors to male BNC connectors) from Radio Shack or other sources. To connect an Apple Ile, Ile, or Ics? you will typically need a cable that has a male BNC connector at one end (to con- nect to most display devices) and an RCA phono-type connector at the other end (to connect to the CPU). No other special hardware is needed unless you are going to use an RGB-type signal, as mentioned earlier. Display Devices ‘There are three basic types of display de- vices you can choose from, depending on your needs and your budget. Large screen monitors provide the clearest, sharpest images that look exactly like the Macintosh screen. They are also the easiest to setup—just hook up the cable, turn it on, and it's showtime! Large screen monitors, such as Electrohome's 23-inch Variscan, cost around $1200 and are the most appropriate for groups of 30 or 40 people. LCD devices for overhead projec- tors are flat panels that fit on top of stan- dard overhead projectors and project the computer display on a screen or wall. Focusing and size adjustments are made by moving the overhead projector around until you get the image size you want. ‘The display is not pure white like the computer monitor, but the image is quite sharp and comes close to approximating the original computer image. For best results, the room should be dimmed during projection. LCD devices, such as the Macnifier by Comtrex Systems and MacScreen by ASK LCD, cost around $1600 and are ideal for groups of 100 or 150 people. Computer-dedicated projectors show the computer image on a screen or wall and are designed specifically to work with your computer. The Limelight projector by Vivid Systems projects im- ages with a lime green background rather than the white background of the com- puter monitor. Because the projector is designed for a concave screen, an image projected on a flat screen or wall will not be clear everywhere. The device has built-in controls for centering the image ‘on your screen, focusing the image by moving the lens, and setting the bright- ness, contrast, and sharpness of the projected image. Since the device takes a few minutes to warm up, you'll want to make all your image adjustments before your presentation, then turn the bright- ness and contrast down to dim the screen until you're ready. For best results, the room should be dimmed during projec- tion. The Limelight projector costs ap- proximately $4000 and can be used with groups as large as 200 people. This information was provided by Harlan Felt, Apple's Event Support Manager, who is responsible {or the technical content and operation of Apple's trade shows and events. As an eight-year Apple veteran, an avid Apple user since 1978, and a member and offcer of numerous User Groups for years, Harlan certainly projects the right image as a Quick Connect contributor! With the right equipment, your big-screen presen tations can make big— and lasting—impressions. ‘There are three basic types of display devices you can choose from, depending on your needs and your budget. “In a sense, the solutions come from the customers themselves.” “Macintosh: Is getting the reputation that itis the most flexible interface.” Quick Connect — April 1988 Fighting Fire with Fire: Apple's Government Solutions Until a Macintosh is blessed with mo- bility, imbued with courage, and can think on its feet, it won't be putting out fires, cleaning up hazardous material spills, or inspecting the damages. But it can go a long way in helping those who do—all 2 1/2 million of them. Thanks to Apple's solutions approach in its state and local government marketing pro- gram, the nation’s firefighters now have the software tools they need to put their Macintosh computers to work when the heat is on, And according to Nancy Sperry, Apple’s manager of Market Solu- tions Development for state and local government, fire services is just one of many areas on the receiving end for Apple solutions. Developing solutions to meet specific needs within specific segments of state and local government is the work of Nancy's group— a big job when you consider that fire services, police departments, courts, prosecution, transportation, city manage- ment, health and human resources, parks and recreation, and a hundred other ser- vices and departments are all part of the picture. “All those people have very dif- ferent needs,” explains Nancy. “So what we do is find out what those needs are, their information priorities, and what we can do to meet some of those needs. Then we demonstrate Macintosh’s capabilities to these people so that they can generate even more solutions of their own. In a sense, the solutions come from the customers them- selves.” ‘That’s exactly what happened in the case of fire services solutions. Nancy worked with people who were already doing some software development in this area. She talked with firefighters who would be using the software, and she met with fire chiefs who would be making the decision to purchase it. She also collabor- ated with “influencers” in the industry— organizations like the International As- sociation of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), and people like Michael Fay, senior associate of FirePRO, Inc., a service-oriented com- pany for fire departments, and publisher of Online, a newsletter for fire services ‘User Groups. And she conferred with people like Ron Coleman, a fire chief in California (‘whom everyone in the fire world seems to know!”) and author of several books on the profession. The result was FireLink, the first product co- developed by Apple exclusively for use within local government. Apart from the process of developing FireLink, the product itself represents Apple's approach to government solu- tions. Rather than reinvent the wheel by writing new software programs, Nancy says, “We take packages that are available today, like Microsoft Works, Excel, Mac- Project, and PageMaker, and build tem- plates on top of them for a specific verti- whens ers cal market.” FireLink is actually a series of customized templates designed on Microsoft Works. The program, created specifically for fire services management, includes overlays for managing informa- tion on hazardous materials, hydrant capacities, permit management, equip- ment maintenance and scheduling, fundraising, and prefire plans for use on the front lines, There are also templates for “number-crunching” tasks like manag- ing budgets, tracking fire department in- ventories, and calculating a building's fire index safety score, and desktop publish- ing tasks like creating annual reports, newsletters, training materials, and public safety education flyers. All the users have to do is open up the template they need und enter information in fields to fit their department. Using existing programs to build new ‘ones not only speeds up production and gets the product to market quickly, it also makes the product affordable. FireLink software, for example, costs $495—at least $250,000 less than a basic fire truck. But as Nancy points out, an extension of Apple’s government solutions is, of course, the Macintosh itself. Whether it's fire departments, the district attorney's office, or city planning and engineering offices, most state and local agencies are tied in with large city-wide or county- wide mainframe systems, What's missing is that individual personal tool that allows them to manage their own information and create intelligent documents to work with—all from their own desktop. The important thing is not always just getting information stored elsewhere, but being able to manipulate, process, and com- municate that information. The advantage of the Macintosh is that they can do all those things right in their own office. Nancy asserts: “In the firefighters’ world, too, the Macintosh is getting the reputa- tion that it is the most flexible interface.” Without a doubt, the word is getting ‘out. The FireLink solution alone generated 2, 000 requests tothe other solutions such as CAMEO (Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations)—a software package put together by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Asso- ciation, and FireAid—a solution for fire services operations, are getting their fair share of attention. In fact, the Macintosh is already in use in over 60 fire depart- ments nationwide—from Anchorage, Alaska to San Bernardino, California, from Plano, Texas to Tampa, Florida. To reach the nation’s other 35,000 fire departments, Apple and the [AFC launched a direct mail campaign. And there are more on the way. “Before the year is out, we'll have three or four more markel-specific brochures describing, solutions for other areas of state and local government,” says Nancy. Besides direct mail, Apple is getting the word out through conferences, sym- posiums, regional and state seminars, and, of course, through User Groups. Continued on page 7 Quick Connect — April 1988 Fighting Fire with Fire “Continued from page 6 In fact, Nancy sees User Groups as a resource not only for spreading the news about solutions that are available today, but in identifying solutions for future ver- tical markets. As she puts it, “I network all the time, so I'm always looking for people who have software solutions that they are using on the Macintosh, or who have innovative ideas for creating them.” Identifying solutions, as well as in- novative ideas, is one of the things Nancy does best. In fact, Nancy is more than qualified to steer Apple through the com- plex and often confusing world of state and local government: she’s worked in firefighing, done duty as a police officer, and served as a staff assistant to a district attorney. How's that for fighting fire with fire? For more information on FireLink, contact the International Association of Fire Chiefs at (800) 248-1AKC, For more informa- tion on Apple's solutions for state and local government, contact your nearest Apple sales office at (800) 732-3131, extension 500, or contact Joan Tabb at the User Group Con- nection, 20525 Mariani Avenue, Cupertino, CA 94014 or TABBI on AppleLink. A National Connection It's called the National Apple Professional Information Exchange (NAPIE), and it’s a new User Group established to address the special needs of Apple users in corporations, government agencies and institutions, and other large organizations. Under the leadership of Mike Bailey, Ambassador of the Lockheed User Group, NAPIE was established at the MACWORLD® Expo in January. The group’s organizers, representing 22 or- ganizations and including Charles Shipp (Northrop) and Marc Seeba (Ford), issued a statement of purpose for NAPIE: “A professional organization to facilitate the exchange of nonproprietary information among institutions using or producing products for Apple computers.” Among its activities, the group will disseminate solutions to technical problems common to its members, and will promote ethical standards of practice. The group will seek to enhance the productivity of member organizations by providing a forum where individual users can discuss areas of common interest, receive training, and affect industry standards. As the momentum of installing Apple computers in large multivendor environ- ments continues, the need for informa- tion and training on connectivity and data The Higher Education Connection ‘communications solutions becomes criti- cal. Providing quality and timely user training is another issue of importance to many organizations. A national organiza- tion like NAPIE can provide valuable re- ‘sources and communications to enhance user support and productivity in these areas. To lend its support, Apple has provided meeting rooms, announce- ments of the group's formation, a NAPIE folder under the User Group icon in AppleLink, and the services of Joan Tabb as the group's Apple sponsor. Joan, Program Manager of Business and Government User Groups, will provide equipment and speakers as needed. Already, the NAPIE group has made much progress, thanks to excellent volunteer work and group commitment. Its first newsletter was issued last month. ‘The next meeting will take place during the National Apple User Group Confer- ence (NAUGC) in Ann Arbor on April 8. If you're interested in receiving the premiere newsletter, attending the meet- ing, or joining the onginization, please contact Mike Bailey at AppleLink: UGO0110, or at 1142 Stonylake Court, Sunnyvale, CA 94086, (408) 756-8849. Viruses, WORMs, and FidoNet. Topics of the American Veterinary Medical Associa- tion? The American Kennel Club? Hardly! ‘These are just a few of the hot topics dis- cussed at the bi-annual council of higher education User Group ambassadors host- ed recently by Rutgers State University in Rutgers, New Jersey. Coordinated by Paul Sperber, an Apple Higher Education sales representa- tive, and attended by ambassadors from Hunter College, Bloomsburg University, Penn State University, Princeton Univer- sity, City University of New York, Gettys- burg College, Columbia University, and Vassar College, much of the meeting focused on connecting the groups to public bulletin boards. A wide variety of issues was discussed, including “viruses"—hidden commands in electronically distributed programs that can do unexpected things (like crash your system), WORMs—Write-Once- Read-Many CD-ROM disks for storing vast amounts of information, and Fido- Net—a bulletin board system providing nationwide conferencing and electronic mail capabilities. These discussions will continue on AppleLink’s User Group Bulletin Board. In addition, Laura Reynolds led a group discussion on another connection: the one between User Groups and Apple. More outreach to higher education User Groups was requested, especially in rural areas where there's less community in- volvement. Participants also explored how Apple could help them recruit and retain their members, develop closer ties with dealers, and evangelize academic curriculum software for new areas, such as fine atts. Another council was held late in March with participants from Stanford University, University of California at Berkeley, University of San Francisco, and the University of California at Davis. Information from this meeting and the ‘one at Rutgers will be used to help the User Group Connection prioritize and formulate new programs for the coming year, Just in time, too, as we begin the business planning process for Apple's next fiscal year. If you'd like more information on Apple's work with higher education User Groups, contact Laura Reynolds, Program Manager, at: Apple User Group Connection 20525 Mariani Avenue MS/36AA Cupertino, CA 95014 AppleLink: REYNOLDS4 NAPIE... will seek to enhance the productivity of mem- ber organizations. ... Information from higher education User Group councils will be used to help the User Group Connection prioritize and formulate new programs for the coming year. >