Magic Cap Users Mailing List

Monday September 23, 1996

From: Kevin Fries <kfries@CSN.NET>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 00:34:27 -0600
Subject: Missing messages

Hi Magic,
     Nearly every message I get from Steve Eyler from this mail list comes
through with only an error message.  Am I doing something wrong?  The error
message is about something not being interipted, the text has been extracted.
But, nothing ever shows.  Is he hand writting his messages?  Please help

Kevin Fries

From: "Steve Eyler Jr." <seyler@GSTIS.NET>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 01:19:20 -0700
Subject: Mime attachments

Kevin Fries writes:
> Hi Magic,
>      Nearly every message I get from Steve Eyler
> from this mail list comes through with only an
> error message.  Am I doing something wrong?  The
> error message is about something not being
> interipted, the text has been extracted. But,
> nothing ever shows.  Is he hand writting his
> messages?  Please help
> Kevin Fries

Kevin,
It's my setup, not yours.  I have been sending Presto!Mail mime attachments
rather than ascii text.  You see, I consider it a bug (?) in Presto!Mail that
I just recently heard of.  I can't change my default stationary to anything
other than the plain postcard with book 12 font.  I also have to make sure
that there are no stamps or drawings on my eMails.  If a message doesn't meet
both of these criteria it is automatically mime encoded, for reading only by
another Presto!Mail user.  I think that it should have been set up to ask you
if you wanted to send just the text or prompt for mime encoding.  Oh well.

It's unfortunate because I hate the plain postcard.  It splits the screen
vertically and I only have half a screen for my message text, the other half
is addressing information.  Not your conventional message structure (although
it makes no difference when you receive it because it's ascii by then).

I had figured out this problem a couple days ago, but not until just after my
last backup on the 19th.  Then I had some weird problems.  If fact, that's
what all my posting was about... but I didn't realize my stationary had
reverted back to my custom setup at the time of the backup until I started
getting some messages from people who couldn't read my mail.

Here's what happened in case anyone can shed some light on this.  First of
all, and this has happened twice now, I grabbed a message out of the outbox to
change it.  I noticed the discard button was missing.  I couldn't get rid of
the message!  If I drug it to the trash, it said it could not be deleted!  The
only thing I could do was file it.  Then, in the file folder, I tried pressing
the clear button.  It said I couldn't clear the folder because one or more
items was not discardable.  Anyway, after a while I went back and I could
delete the message.  Weird.

The second tragedy was much worse.  I tried the revert button (which I shall
never attempt again.)  My ML went into an unstoppable state of "technical
difficulty" messages and "cleaning up" processes.  I couldn't turn the thing
off!  The reset button did no good!  I had to pull the batteries just to get
the thing turned off!  Anyway, I ended up loosing 2 days worth of data (since
my last backup.)

Am I the only one having these types of problems?  Don't get me wrong, I love
my ML and wouldn't give it up for anything... and if I need to back it up
twice a day I can do that... but I just want to know if my ML is in need of
repair or something.

Anyhow, enough for now... there you have my last two days of eMail rolled up
into one (hopefully) TEXT message.  Sorry for the junk mail and attachment
confusion.

Thanks!
Steve Eyler
Supervisor, Netware & WAN Systems
GST Telecom, Inc.
Vancouver, Washington
seyler@gstis.net

From: Wayne Sanderson <whsander@IX.NETCOM.COM>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 03:16:09 -0700
Subject: Re: MIME attachments

Steve Eyler Jr. writes:
> Kevin,
> It's my setup, not yours.  I have been sending
> Presto!Mail mime attachments
> rather than ascii text.  You see, I consider it a
> bug (?) in Presto!Mail that
> I just recently heard of.  I can't change my
> default stationary to anything
> other than the plain postcard with book 12 font.
> I also have to make sure
> that there are no stamps or drawings on my
> eMails.  If a message doesn't meet
> both of these criteria it is automatically mime
> encoded, for reading only by
> another Presto!Mail user.

After you finish composing a piece of mail that you do not wish any graphics
or attachments to be sent encoded at the end of the message, hold down the
option button and tap erase. This strips away the graphic sand sends only an
ascii text message.

From: Paul Czarnecki <pZ@CUSTOMLINE.COM>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 06:44:49 -0400
Subject: Re: ML in Your Daily Life

>I interested in finding out how people have used their Magic Link on a
>daily basis.  Has life been easier? harder? etc

I was borrowing a friend's ML-1000 when I went through a personal crises.
 I found myself unable to think clearly.  Simple things like
appointments, and To Do lists were impossible.  I never knew where I
would be so phone numbers were hard to come by.

I bought a ML-1000 that week and have never regretted yet.  Easier?
Harder?

How about possible?  Yeah, I like mine.  I've mostly recovered now but I
still use it everyday and it is almost always with me.  (PS future MC
designers, I have never read/sent a single piece or email with it.)


pZ
--
I don't mind the sun sometimes, the images it shows

From: Tom Yates <madhatta@MATHWORKS.COM>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 09:13:03 -0400
Subject: daily appointments

i often drop a postit note, or a notebook page of "to do" things on the
current working day in my datebook by way of salary reminders, meeting
summaries and the like.

i've been getting suspicious of vanishing messages recently, and nailed it
down over the weekend.  anything i drop to a past page is safe, but
anything i drop to the current page is removed overnight.  i even left a
postit with some highly nonstandard text and used sniffy to search for it
in the morning, but no sign of it.

is this supposed to happen?

tom yates
unix chap

From: Dan Free <dharma@ARI.NET>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 09:26:50 -0400
Subject: Stumped...

Fellow Caps,

I've read the "READ ME" file that comes with Presto!Mail and am intrigued about
how you can get one ISP to check your other ISP's mailbox for a universal
mailbox.  I'd like to use AOL to check my LOCAL ISP when I'm on the road to save
on the long distance calls, but the instructions in the "READ ME" file don't
seem to make sense, given that AOL is pre-loaded.  Can it be done with AOL???
What's the secret?  Is there something here I've totally zoned out on????

Thanks,

Dan Free

<----  End Forwarded Message  ---->


<----  End Forwarded Message  ---->


<----  End Forwarded Message  ---->

From: Charles Ashley <charlesa@netventures.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 15:27:33 +0100
Subject: Re: MIME attachments

Wayne Sanderson wrote:

>
> After you finish composing a piece of mail that you do not wish any graphics
> or attachments to be sent encoded at the end of the message, hold down the
> option button and tap erase. This strips away the graphic sand sends only an
> ascii text message.

But this doesn't work on the Invite option in the datebook, does it?
I'd like to be able to ASCII email people who I have penciled-in my
diary with appointment time and place etc.  While really cool, the
Invite option assumes a Magic device on the recievers' end (ie. the Do
you want to attend?  Yes/No button box).  I can't seem to option-erase
this to get it to go to just ascii.

C.

From: Kent Estep <kent@BOSS.COM>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 09:29:38 -0700
Subject: Re: Stumped...

On Sep 23,  9:26am, Dan Free wrote:
> Subject: Stumped...
> Fellow Caps,
>
> I've read the "READ ME" file that comes with Presto!Mail and am intrigued
about
> how you can get one ISP to check your other ISP's mailbox for a universal
> mailbox.  I'd like to use AOL to check my LOCAL ISP when I'm on the road to
save
> on the long distance calls, but the instructions in the "READ ME" file don't
> seem to make sense, given that AOL is pre-loaded.  Can it be done with AOL???
> What's the secret?  Is there something here I've totally zoned out on????
>
> Thanks,
>
> Dan Free

If your other ISP are UNIX based, just put a file named .forward in you home
directory. This file should only be you forwarding email address (like
'dan@aol.com'). A warning however, make sure you change the permission so that
only you can write the file...

-kent


--
----------------------------------------------------------
BOSS Digital Studios
http://www.pacificnet.net/~estep       http://www.boss.com
estep@pacificnet.net                   kent@boss.com

From: "Steve Eyler Jr." <seyler@GSTIS.NET>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 10:53:57 -0700
Subject: Re MIME attachments

Wayne Sanderson writes:
> After you finish composing a piece of mail that
> you do not wish any graphics or attachments to be
> sent encoded at the end of the message, hold down
> the option button and tap erase. This strips away
> the graphic sand sends only an ascii text
> message.

Yes I know, but thankyou.  The problem is not necessarily with stamps and
drawings, as it is easy to refrain from adding these types of attachments.
The problem is the fact that I can't change my default stationary or font, and
that I must drag the REPLY stamp from each reply message manually, as this is
a default stamp and doesn't disappear even when you opt-erase.

From: Martin Ledford <mledford@MAILER1.JVCDISCUSA.COM>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 13:27:35 CST
Subject: Re: Re MIME attachments

     Please advise how to remove myself from this mailing list.

     Thanks.

From: Charles Ashley <charlesa@NETVENTURES.CO.UK>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 20:03:59 GMT
Subject: Re: ML in Your Daily Life (kinda long)

>Dear MLinkers,

>I interested in finding out how people have used their Magic Link =
on a
>daily basis.  Has life been easier? harder? etc

>Thanks for your input.


Well, I got on the MC carpet ride soon after I saw a television =
documentary on its user interface that was shown in Europe a few =
years ago.   I am a heavy user of networks (telephone, GSM, =
ethernet, ISDN blah blah) and also a gadget freak, so when I saw a =
PIC-1000 in October of 1994, I grabbed one.=20

I got so used to the 1000 that my trusty Toshiba laptop drained =
its batteries from disuse.  Since I live in Europe most of the =
year, I was always unable to use the email side of the Link.  But =
for taking notes, expense reports, a diary, contact database, etc. =
it is great.  Its also great as an organization tool; how many =
times did I lose that information scibbled on a scrap of paper?  =
No longer.   Although I didn't use PLS outside the US due to the =
long distance charges, I quickly became a fan of PLS because I =
could use it for email from any hotel or any other location while =
in the US for the charge of a 1-800 call.  Cool.  Alas...

So when the Link 2000 came out, I knew I had to get one.  In most =
ways it is much better, and now goes everywhere with me.  The last =
time I was in the US I got he external Sony keyboard, which for =
$99 has proved a godsend.  I don't heard others talking about the =
keyboard on this list, but for me it out-does  the software =
solutions for marathon sessions putting text into the Link.  I've =
used it for 2000 word-plus documents, proposals, etc.  In effect, =
I've been able to replace an expensive and heavy laptop with a =
Link + external keyboard (by-the-way, I found a canvas zip-up book =
bag works great as a keyboard cover).

And with PrestoMail, now I can use it for email in Europe as well. =
 :)

The downside is that Magic Cap is not really a mainstream product. =
 And email is too slow.   This doesn't really bother me, but =
people shouldn't get into Magic Cap expecting MS-Windows type of =
industry support and development.  But some good software does =
exist.=20

Now, what I really want to do is to connect the Link to the GSM =
networks in Europe and thus go wireless with a GSM data card.  In =
theory, it could be possible maybe using Sony's wireless software =
and a PCMCIA GSM datacard.   As far as I can see, the only device =
to offer this type of functionality is Nokia's 9000.  But it has a =
GEOS interface...

So, how has my life been effected my ML?  Yes - I never leave home =
without it.  Easier?  Well, I'd say that I haven't yet lost or =
misplaced any info that went into the Link.  And the integrated =
communications is just too useful.  In sum, I'd say that my Link =
has become a default-device.

Hope this helps,

C.

PS - Thanks Michael Phillips and TravelClock, my old Link 1000 =
lives on as an alarm clock on my desk.=

From: "Anderson, Jason C (j4cande)" <j4cande@PBLA04.ISP.PACBELL.COM>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 18:02:00 -0700
Subject: ML Died and has gone to Heaven :(

Hello everybody...... Today, the flags are at half mast and all of PAC-BELL
is mourning because my  PIC-1000 has died and will be remembered GREATLY AND
WITH RESPECT!.

14th. floor and the elevator door is opening and BOOM!!! her she comes
running in full bore and hits my arm and ML falls to it's death. "OH!!,, I'm
sorry" and I get out and go back to my desk... then 2 minutes latter, I open
the cover to get a number, and my screen is cracked in no more then 5 spots.
but only on the top-half... the bottom half works and was able to transfer
my data to my Tecra with Magic-Exchange... I had a 4meg card so there was
alot of data...... So my question is,,

I bought it 5 months ago when it was $399 and now they are $149 at Good
Guys.....  Should I just send it to Sony and have the screen replaced or go
on to a $399 Envoy or $499(or less) PIC-2000?   Has anybody else had this
problem....  any info would be greatly appreciated.

Jason (Link-Less) Anderson
Technical Support Manager
Pacific Bell
j4cande@pacbell.com
213-975-4158

From: Kevin Fredrick <Fredkr01@AOL.COM>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 21:22:13 -0400
Subject: Untitled

[This message may have contained graphics created by a Magic Cap device on
America Online.]

Would any person be willing to send me Taskman
using there Magic Link ?

Thanks
fredkr01@aol.com - ML
fredkr01@holmes.ipfw.indiana.edu

From: TC Lai <tclai@UCLA.EDU>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 19:22:20 -0700
Subject: ML Development? <was Re: ML in Your Daily Life>

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

Has anybody heard of any new MagicCap devices coming out?  Maybe one with a
built in keyboard that swings out, built in Ricochet/Cellular/GSA modem,
targeted as a replacement for our battery-sucking laptops that serve poorly
as portable communications devices.

TC

BTW, Ricochet modems are excellent!  For three months I'm up here in Santa
Cruz (and part of the reason was just to test the things out), and they work
beautifully!
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.6.2

iQBVAwUBMkdFzXfGF+do62Z5AQFDnQH+ODa7SzLMqN1D6ZAHqYP/5aegfdJeKY/W
pnCfjw7z/ykuQ+hiW70Vj6BP5JepD7XnOiKMT0Wg43N1ThmVoollDw==
=lbnr
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

From: Undetermined origin c/o LISTSERV maintainer
Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 03:19:21 +0000
Subject: Good Guys

$199 for a new PIC-1000 seems great. I'm in NY, does Good Guys have a number
to order from. Are there any mail order houses with prices that low. Everyone
around here still wants $400.

P.mchugh@worldnet.att.net

From: Alan Latteri <alatt@POBOX.COM>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 20:55:36 -0000
Subject: Re: ML Died and has gone to Heaven :(

Envoy all the way.

Alan

From: Tony SJ <san17@MARS.SUPERLINK.NET>
Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 00:14:29 -0400
Subject: Re: Good Guys

Undetermined origin c/o LISTSERV maintainer wrote:
>
> $199 for a new PIC-1000 seems great. I'm in NY, does Good Guys have a number
> to order from. Are there any mail order houses with prices that low. Everyone
> around here still wants $400.
>
> P.mchugh@worldnet.att.net

I have a brand new one with a 2 meg sram card for $280

From: "David Devaney, Jr." <daviddjr@SHADOW.NET>
Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 01:46:23 -0400
Subject: Re: ML Died and has gone to Heaven :(

On Mon, 23 Sep 1996 18:02:00 -0700, Anderson,
Jason C (j4cande) wrote:

>I bought it 5 months ago when it was $399 and now they are $149 at Good
>Guys.....  Should I just send it to Sony and have the screen replaced or go
>on to a $399 Envoy or $499(or less) PIC-2000?   Has anybody else had this
>problem....  any info would be greatly appreciated.
>
Hi Jason,

I did have this happen to me.  It was back when
the PIC-2000 had just come out so my options were
about even.  Fortunately only my digitizer was
damaged.  If both your digitizer and LCD screen
are damaged it is definitely not worth having
Sony fix it.  I just bought the digitizer and
replaced it myself without incident.  I don't
have my invoice handy but the digitizer total
cost was about $120-130.  At the time no one had
PIC-1000s as cheap as they are now so that was my
least expensive option.  If I were you I would go
with a new communicator.  If you can afford it go
with something new.  If not then the $149
PIC-1000.  If you don't need or won't use the
wireless capability of the Envoy much then I
wouldn't get either the old or the new one.
Mainly because the old is essentially the same as
the PIC-1000 with wireless but for $250 more.
Yes you can upgrade it but the cost would put it
way over the PIC-2000 ($499).  As for the new
Envoy it still only has a 2400 internal landline
modem?!?!?  So it depends on your wireless needs.

Hope this helps
David Devaney, Jr.
daviddjr@shadow.net

From: "Tim J. Clevenger" <TClevenger@AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 02:03:59 -0400
Subject: Re: ML Died and has gone to Heaven :(

My PIC-1000 died it's death at the hands (er, knees) of the carwash
window-washer yesterday.  My data will be remembered fondly.

Well, it's a good excuse to upgrade.  If you collect more than 10 emails a
day, the 2000 is worth it just for the faster modem.  (Once you get the
backlit screen, you'll never go back.)  BTW, what's the chance of fitting a
backlit screen in the 1000?