Re: Mac to Apple // downloaders: ProTYPE works!!!!

[bjbear@ibm.net (B.J. Major & Dennis J. Gorin)]

In article <5h7a57$maj$1@darla.visi.com>, nathan@visi.com (Nathan Mates) wrote:

> In article
<NOSPAM***bjbear-ya023680002403971625120001@news-s01.ca.us.ibm.net>,
> B.J. Major & Dennis J. Gorin <NOSPAM***bjbear@ibm.net> wrote:
> [Long explanation of what he did snipped]
> >So there is no reason "in theory" why I should not have gotten this Binscii
> >program to work.  I tried for a week to work on this with absolutely no
> >success.  I then put it all aside.
> 
>    Alright, so you made sure that the filetype and creator were set
> correctly to 'TEXT' and 'pdos' respectively [That info has been in the
> FAQ for months, misrepresentations notwithstanding], and there was no
> resource fork on the mac side, but there was one on the Apple II
> side. Then you run it though this magical program and there isn't a
> resource fork on the Apple II side. Something changed in that file,
> and it'd be nice to see precisely what, so that we're not so dependent
> on random program XYZ.
> 
>    As I noted in the FAQ, there *was* another program to do exactly
> the same thing, but it disappeared from the Mac ftp sites. I'm not
> responsible for maintaining Mac programs, keeping them around or
> anything else, so if the magic Mac downloading program of the month
> disappears, we'll go through this again. And again.

But as the keeper of the FAQ, I would assume you *are* responsible for
mentioning that other choices exist, such as ProTYPE, that will work on the
Macintosh side.  Why not say something like "if you are downloading from a
Mac, skip the below information (on how to try and use Binscii in
Applesoft) and download ProTYPE for this part."?  This has nothing to do
with your maintaining programs, keeping them around, etc.--just a mention
that there IS another, better solution.

> 
>    This has demonstrated my point about downloading through Macs once
> again: they're god-awful inconsistent about doing Apple II file
> writing correctly right out of the box. You *DO* need helper apps do
> do the job right. 

Huh?!  The problem I had was on the Apple // side, not the Mac side.  So I
see no extra steps here.  I am *substituting* one program (ProTYPE) for
another (Binscii)--in order to have the file read correctly on the Apple //
side.  ProTYPE works the first time and every time.  I don't see this as
the "program of the month" I see this as THE solution, period.

> >ProTYPE should be as available as "Shrinkit"  and "Binscii" are on the FTP
> >and web sites, but unfortunately it is not.  
> 
>    That's partly because the Macheads have been in denial about the
> need for helper programs, continually claiming "it works for me." And,
> if you DID read the FAQ, I clearly stated that there used to be
> another program to do what ProTYPE's doing for you. But, it
> disappeared. Not under my control, go bug whomever wrote that.

Just mentioning that something else (whatever that was) used to exist, or
did exist somewhere says nothing to us who need the job done.  You are
leaving out extremely important information in that FAQ by neglecting the
mentioning of ProTYPE.  And in so doing, you are actually *discouraging*
the use of Apple 2 machines--because I can tell you first hand that if I
hadn't been told about ProTYPE, I would not be as enthusiastic about using
all my Apple //'s as I am now--it would have made using them much more
limiting.
  
>    "Not rocket science to download properly thru a Mac", my ***. It
> isn't done right, and neither Apple nor Macheads will tell you
> otherwise.

My experience first hand this weekend proves otherwise.  Exactly *what*
isn't done right?  ProTYPE certainly is.  And I now have the files on my
Apple // in use to prove it.

--bj
Apple //--///--Macintosh user/supporter/collector