Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!unmvax!ncar!boulder!sunybcs!cohen
From: cohen@cs.Buffalo.EDU (Alexander Cohen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Desktop Manager...what the @*%$#! is it?
Message-ID: <3102@cs.Buffalo.EDU>
Date: 5 Dec 88 15:09:41 GMT
Sender: nobody@cs.Buffalo.EDU
Reply-To: cohen@cs.Buffalo.EDU (Alexander Cohen)
Organization: SUNY/Buffalo Computer Science
Lines: 50



Desktop Manager...what the @*%$#! is it?

	Ok, so I know this may have been hashed out
before on the net, but I don't recall any definitive answers
either from Apple nor from anyone on the net as to what,
precisely, does the Desktop Manager do?

	Once this init is placed in the system file,
rebooting you mac and rebuilding the desktop you get two new
hidden, locked files: Desktop DB and Desktop DF.  They contain no
resources (at least according to ResEdit).
	My own subjective tests indicate a speed up of many times
when the Finder attempts to switch views in a window, say from
'small icon' to 'by name,' although this isn't too apparent on a
MacII until you have over fifty some-odd files. And the general
word is that people with Hard Drives of over 80 megabytes, who
suffer the most with Finder, find tremendous speed improvements
in Finder operation.

	So here are the questions:

	My Desktop file (the old one) is not replaced by
rebuilding the desktop, what will happen if I remove it?  I tried
installing the Desktop Manager on a floppy to find the answer to
this question but it did not create its unique files.

	Where have all the icons gone? and how about the
comments?  since the old desktop is no longer in use?

	Why hasn't Apple said anything about the Desktop
Manager even to its developers?  i.e. you won't find a single
tech note about it.

	Why doesn't Apple simply put this init into its system
software???  It doesn't seem to do any harm, after all.

	Apple...are you listening?

	Alex Cohen

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GEnie:    AJCOHEN                            >>>Alex Cohen<<<
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