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From: info-mac@uw-beaver
Newsgroups: fa.info-mac
Subject: Macintosh XL
Message-ID: <807@uw-beaver>
Date: Fri, 8-Feb-85 04:09:12 EST
Article-I.D.: uw-beave.807
Posted: Fri Feb  8 04:09:12 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 9-Feb-85 06:43:50 EST
Sender: daemon@uw-beaver
Organization: U of Washington Computer Science
Lines: 28

From: RGG%CORNELLC.BITNET@Berkeley

Just for laughs, I decided to make my LISA 2/10 into a Mac XL.  To do
this, I booted from the new MACWORKS PRERELEASE 12/10/84 disk which I
got with the December update.  I then ran HARD DISK INSTALL.   When it
asked if I wanted to clobber the hard disk, I said sure.  I did so, and
now when I power up it comes up as a MACINTOSH with NO floppies needed.
Yes, Virginia, it really does boot off the hard disk.  Problems? The
pixel size needs to be fixed, and I don't think diddling the pots is the
right solution.  That is like showing a wide screen epic on a narrow
screen -- lots of dead space above and below the image.  I would reall
like to see the pixel size CHANGED.  The speed is a mixed bag.  Some
things are faster, some slower.  Alice is much easier(i.e. slower),
booting applications is much faster.  All of the wires to my desk
(Omninet LAN, SYTEK campus network, Imagewriter) have MAC plugs, not MAC
XL.  The things that the LISA had software "knobs" for, like screen
brightness, time until the screen goes dark, etc., now seem to have no
knobs at all.  Clearly a new control panel is needed.  A new, high
capacity finder will be required to really make use of the bottomless
disk.
   Most products seem to use the extra space on the screen; MacPaint does not.
 The ImageWriter 15 (the newest one) works fine, once you get the cable problem
 worked out.  The application switcher does not work on the XL, which is a majo
r disappointment - I've really gotten addicted to it.  (As an aside, setting cu
stom rulers in MacDraw does not work under the switcher)  The boot time is a li
ttlt long - 1 min 37 sec from power on until happy mac, another 13 sec until yo
u can do anything.  Well, that about covers what I have found so far.....
                 Tom Dimock