Mac OS 8.1 CD, out now, includes full documentation

MacWeek, Feb 16, 1998 by Ric Ford

You can now buy Mac OS 8.1 as a complete, bootable CD-ROM, offering a good update path from pre-8.0 versions of the Mac OS. The 8.1 CD combines Mac OS 8.0 with the Mac OS 8.1 updater (available as a free download from Apple's Internet servers) and adds such extras as Netscape Navigator 4.04.1 and Mac OS Runtime for Java 2.0.

Technote 1121 arrived in early February, too, providing an essential technical description of Mac OS 8.1 (http://devworld.apple.com/dev/technotes/tn/tn1121.html). The document lists the many bug fixes contained in the update, particularly within AppleScript, and notes a serial-port fix affecting Global Village Communication Inc.'s popular Platinum Pro PC Cards.

In addition to Technote 1121, several other Apple documents cover specific components of Mac OS 8.1 in more detail, although not all of these documents have been released yet.

Technote 1112 (http://devworld.apple.com/dev/technotes/tn/tn1112.html), available now, describes LaserWriter 8.5.1. Open Transport 1.3 has its own set of technical notes included with Mac OS 8.1.

An upcoming HFS Plus Technote and a document titled "Mac OS Extended Volume Format" will explain how HFS Plus volumes work in more detail. Another future document will cover the new Extensions Table mechanism, part of Mac OS 8.1's revised Startup Manager.

Sound problems

Mac OS 8.1 made substantial changes to the Mac's sound routines, and similar changes are coming in QuickTime 3.0. Customers, developers and Apple are still sorting it out.

Trying to clean up some design problems, Apple has moved sound controls, such as audio-input selection, out of global control panels and into applications. This may require programmers to modify code and provide updates to sound applications.

In the meantime, Mac OS 8.1's simplified user interface has eliminated control over play-through and individual output mutes, while adding a "None" option for input.

These changes have created some new problems, such as audio inputs switching unexpectedly. Neil Hickox's Sound Input Control Strip gives back some control (download from www.macintouch.com/files/sis.hqx). You may also have to switch inputs manually once or twice in an application to get the desired results.

Late-breaking news

A user interface problem with AppleTalk settings led to a complicated work-around that mocks the Mac's traditional ease of use. This, along with such other issues as "damaged resource" errors, is covered in a Mac OS 8.1 Late Breaking Tips file (http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n30340).

One last thing to note: Mac OS 8.1 requires that a Text Encoding Converter extension always be present (for HFS Plus).

Comments on MacInTouch are welcome via e-mail to mit@macintouch.com. The MacInTouch home page is at www.macintouch.com.