TidBITS#461/04-Jan-99 ===================== In this first issue of 1999, we welcome the new year with information about several software updates including new versions of BBEdit, Conflict Catcher, PaperPort software, and Microsoft Internet Explorer. We also bring news of PhotoScripter, scripting software for Photoshop; a look at what's up with running Linux on your Macintosh; and the beginning of an in-depth examination of the world of digital cameras. Topics: MailBITS/04-Jan-99 Running Linux on Your Mac: An Update The Second Generation of Digital Cameras, Part 1 Copyright 1999 TidBITS Electronic Publishing. All rights reserved. Information: Comments: --------------------------------------------------------------- This issue of TidBITS sponsored in part by: * APS Technologies -- 800/443-4199 -- -- How do you back up your APS hard disks? Try APS tape, removable, magneto-optical, and CD-R drives! * Northwest Nexus -- 1 888-NWNEXUS -- Internet business solutions throughout the Pacific Northwest. * Small Dog Electronics -- Special Deal for TidBITS Readers! <----- NEW! Farallon Closeout Sale! - 12-Port Hub with SNMP - $89! Power Mac G3/233 Mini-tower and Apple 15" AV monitor: $1479! For Details: -- 802/496-7171 * Outpost.com -- The Cool Place to Shop for Computer Stuff Order a Palm III Organizer and receive a FREE copy of Jeff Carlson's Palm III & PalmPilot Visual QuickStart Guide! A TidBITS exclusive! * Shadow/Varifocus Filter Bundle - 17% 0ff - Limited Time Offer! <- NEW! With Andromeda's Shadow filter you can make your own shadows; create custom focus masks with the Varifocus filter. Reg. $133 Now only $119! * WebDoubler: TRACK and CONTROL Internet Usage On Your Network! <-- NEW! Visit Maxum's Web site for complete information on WebDoubler and a 20% discount for TidBITS readers! Download the demo now! * Don't want to buy a backup device? Try Retrospect 4.1 from <----- NEW! Dantz Development and back up over your Internet connection. Retrospect's compression and encryption make it fast and safe. Read more about Retrospect 4.1 at . * LEARN MORE at MacAcademy: Software training solutions at your <-- NEW! fingertips!! CD-ROM, video, and live seminar training. Call 800/527-1914 or browse our online catalog on the Web at: --------------------------------------------------------------- MailBITS/04-Jan-99 ------------------ **BBEdit 5.0.1 Update** -- Bare Bones Software has released BBEdit 5.0.1, an update to the commercial version of the high-powered text editor. In addition to a handful of bug fixes (see "HTML Enhancements Highlight BBEdit 5.0" in TidBITS-454_), changes in this version include the function scanner now supporting JavaScript (whether embedded in an HTML document or in a standalone file), additional support for inserting include files and placeholder tags, improved image tag updating, and the addition of several HTML-oriented scripting commands. Version 5.0.1 also adds a generous selection of tweaks and minor feature enhancements. Owners of BBEdit 5.0 can download the 1 MB update for free from the Bare Bones Web site or a number of mirror sites. [GD] **Conflict Catcher 8.0.4 for Mac OS 8.5.1** -- Casady & Greene has released a free Conflict Catcher 8.0.4 update that adds support for performing a Clean-Install System Merge under Mac OS 8.5.1, includes Base and All extension sets for Mac OS 8.5.1 (which could be lost using previous versions of Conflict Catcher), and updates the reference library with additional file descriptions (including Sherlock plug-ins). (See "Nice Catch, Conflict Catcher" in TidBITS-446_ for a review of Conflict Catcher 8.) You can download the 1.9 MB update from Casady & Greene's Web site. [GD] **PaperPort Update for Mac OS 8.5** -- Visioneer has released a 2.1 MB update to its PaperPort software to resolve crashing problems using PaperPort 5.0 or higher under Mac OS 8.5. Little additional information is available in the update installer or from Visioneer's support pages, but Visioneer apparently recommends that all users of PaperPort 5.0 or higher install this update. [GD] **Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.5 to Ship at Macworld** -- At Macworld Expo this week, Microsoft will release Internet Explorer 4.5 for the Macintosh. Several new features have stood out in our testing of pre-release versions, including AutoFill for automatically filling out basic contact information in Web forms, AutoComplete for completing frequently used text in forms, print preview, and the capability to shrink Web pages to fit when printing (it's ideal for printing directions from a Web mapping service). We also like the drag install and self-repairing application features that Microsoft first introduced with Office 98. A feature that we've found interesting, though less successful, is Internet Explorer's support for Sherlock: you can summarize a page to the clipboard and use Sherlock to find pages similar to the one you're viewing. Other enhancements include a beefed-up Favorites Explorer bar, which now includes channels, a new Page Holder bar that you use to hold another page whose links you can then view in the main window, and a Go button for people who don't realize they can type in the Address field and press Return. Finally, Internet Explorer 4.5 offers better performance, especially when returning to previously visited pages. Stability has been good even with the pre-release versions, so the combination of the new features and better performance should make Internet Explorer 4.5 a worthwhile upgrade. [ACE] **Thirteenth Annual Macworld SF Netters Dinner** -- Mark your calendars if you're going to Macworld Expo in San Francisco this week. The tireless Jon Pugh is organizing the 13th Annual Netters Dinner in the traditional style, which means it will be held at the Hunan on Sansome and Broadway on Thursday, 07-Jan-99. The cost is $17, payable only through a Kagi-based signup form linked on Jon's Netters Dinner Web page. Jon plans to attend this year to perform the ritual domain survey, so we'll all look (and listen) for him starting at 6:00 PM at the top of the escalators inside Moscone on the south side of Howard Street. After everyone has gathered, we'll make the traditional walk to the Hunan en masse. See you there! [ACE] **A New Script for Photoshop** -- If your life revolves around Adobe Photoshop and Macintosh scripting, Main Event Software may have released your Holy Grail with PhotoScripter 1.0, a plug-in that makes Photoshop 5.0 AppleScript-aware. PhotoScripter exposes most of Photoshop's functionality to script control, sporting an enormous dictionary of terms, verbs, and classes that scripts can use to automate Photoshop operations. Via PhotoScripter, Photoshop can automatically batch-process images and integrate with other applications such as QuarkXPress and FileMaker Pro. PhotoScripter's dictionary is based on the AppleScript object model and offers straightforward scripting terminology (Main Event's Cal Simone is a longtime AppleScript advocate, and was involved in re-implementing Mac OS 8.5's AppleScript dictionaries). PhotoScripter costs $299 with discounts available for multiple copies. [GD] Running Linux on Your Mac: An Update ------------------------------------ by Tom Gewecke A little over a year ago in TidBITS-407_, I wrote about how to run Linux on your Mac. In case you haven't heard of it, Linux is a freely distributable clone of the Unix operating system that's gaining significant momentum, particularly in corporate and Internet arenas - and it's always been popular with programmers and Unix advocates. Although you can't run Macintosh applications under Linux, it does offer fundamental features that aren't available in the Mac OS (like true multitasking and protected memory) and can run an ever-growing set of Linux utilities, servers, and applications, many of which are available for free. **MkLinux DR3** -- My original article covered versions of Linux available for the Macintosh, along with some graphical window managers that put a friendlier face on the command-line world of Unix. Since then, Apple has released a new version of MkLinux, Developer Release 3 (DR3). Prime Time Freeware sells a CD-ROM and a book about DR3, which probably makes MkLinux the most user- accessible Linux for PowerPC-based Macs. MkLinux DR3 includes a number of important improvements over DR2.1: * DR3 supports a wider range of PowerPC systems, including many NuBus and PCI-based Macs, G3 systems (but not the iMac), some Performas and PowerBooks, plus many clone systems. MkLinux still has problems with some IDE drives and SCSI drives attached via PCI adapters, but these can be worked around by using an external hard disk connected to the built-in SCSI port. * Serial port functions that were problematic with DR2.1 (and critical to printing and PPP, for example) have been fixed and now seem to work smoothly. DR3 also supports audio and multiprocessor operation on some Macintosh models. * DR3 is based on current versions of PC Linux, which means it uses standard Linux file systems and tools, incorporates shared libraries, and uses the popular Red Hat Linux installation procedure. MkLinux DR3 is available as a free download from Apple; however, the minimal installation is 160 MB, and the full package (including sources) is about 800 MB. Thus, most people will want to spring for the CD-ROM, which is only $20, or the full release plus book, which is $50. **Running DR3** -- I installed and set up DR3 on an external SCSI drive attached to my Performa 6116CD without a hitch by following the lucid instructions that came with (and on) the CD-ROM. Now that DR3 is installed, when my Mac starts up, a splash screen appears that lets me boot into MkLinux instead of the Mac OS. MkLinux has the normal Linux/Unix command line interface and all the programs that go with a typical Linux distribution, including half a dozen different shells, plus the X Windows GUI and a good selection of window managers that enable extensive customization of the desktop. The MkLinux DR3 CD-ROM also includes independent X Window programs for text editing (nedit), mail (xfmail), telnet (ktelnet), and connecting via PPP (netcfg). The default window manager is KDE, an elaborate system with its own games, utilities, text editor, and Internet tools (including PPP, mail, news, and an integrated Web browser). KDE runs rather slowly on old machines like mine, so I prefer one of the other managers. By editing the appropriate configuration file, you can choose between Afterstep, FVWM2, FVWM, and TWM. And, of course, you can install others, such Motif, if you want to provide and set up the software. One fascinating aspect of these systems is the capability to select among multiple desktops and command-line terminals within each desktop, all on single screen. The MkLinux CD-ROM does not include Netscape Navigator or Communicator, but you can download current versions for MkLinux directly from Netscape. I'm not qualified to comment on using MkLinux for programming, server operation, or other serious work. But for an ordinary Mac owner interested in learning about and playing with a Unix-style multi-user, multi-tasking operating system, I found MkLinux DR3 to be a winner, both easy and fun to use. **More Linux** -- MkLinux isn't the only Linux available for Macintosh. LinuxPPC is an independently developed version of Linux for Macs which is also available on CD-ROM; LinuxPPC Release 5 should be available shortly. I have not used LinuxPPC because it doesn't support NuBus machines, but otherwise the two are now considered mutually compatible. LinuxPPC is supposed to outperform microkernel-based Linux implementations like MkLinux, and Release 5 is expected to support iMacs. If you set Linux up on your Mac and are interested in learning more about it, you might also take a look at the two online courses, Introduction to Unix and Unix System Administration, offered by ZD University: The Second Generation of Digital Cameras, Part 1 ------------------------------------------------ by Arthur H. Bleich Since last year at this time, the winds of change have swept though the digital camera industry, blowing away most of the first generation failures and replacing them with a solid base of megapixel digital cameras that are a hair's breadth away from producing film-quality images. If 1999 looks to be the year you choose to become a digital photographer, this article will help you make sense of this often-confusing field. I highly recommend that you check out the articles I published in TidBITS last year, as they cover many basic digital camera conventions, such as screen and print resolution, in more detail. **Resolution Recap** -- When you begin researching digital cameras, you'll likely find yourself swamped by various numbers, such as pixel dimensions and image file sizes. In most cases, these refer to a camera's resolution, simply defined as the capability of a device to record fine details in an image, like individual threads in a sweater or separate grains of sand on a beach. Images from digital cameras (and scanners) are made up of little squares or rectangles called pixels. (Pixel is short for "picture cell" or "picture element.") A digital camera's imaging surface is made up of rows of tiny individual light sensors (the sensor array) that capture color and light information, which is then electrically converted into digital data - the cells or pixels that make up the image. If a camera is capable of capturing an image that consists of 640 horizontal by 480 vertical pixels, it is said to have a resolution of 680 by 480 pixels, or 307,200 pixels (arrived at by multiplying the two dimensions). The total sensor array is a charge-coupled device (CCD) and is used on most digital cameras now on the market. However, some cameras are being built around complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices, which are more reasonably priced and require very little power compared to CCD sensors. However, under certain conditions CMOS cameras sometimes produce undesirable electronic noise in the image. If you can pack more pixels into a given area, you increase the resolution, which produces an image with finer detail. Think of it as using graph paper to help you draw a picture: the more squares per inch, the more nuances you can render. If you want to make prints ranging from 5 by 7 inches up to 11 by 14 inches, consider buying a camera with as high a resolution as you can afford. Reasonably priced digital cameras are now available in the 800,000 to 1.6 megapixel range that will easily satisfy that requirement. However, if your images will be displayed on a monitor (or printed not larger than 4 by 6 inches), then a digital camera in the 640 by 480 range is all you'll need to accommodate the relatively low resolutions of most monitors. **Optical versus Interpolated Resolution** -- Specifying digital camera resolution has become tricky lately, because some cameras offer both optical resolution, the actual number of sensors in the array, and interpolated resolution, a software-based method to increase the resolution of the optically obtained image by artificially adding more pixels. Depending on the camera, interpolation can work well. For example, Agfa's PhotoGenie software, which comes with all but its lowest- priced camera, does an excellent job of interpolation when images transfer to your computer. You can also interpolate a picture from a low resolution camera within an imaging program, usually allowing it to be blown it up to a larger size without losing too much quality, depending on the quality of the original image. However, you can only interpolate (or "upsample") so much before your picture turns to pixel pudding, at which point no amount of digital manipulation can make it any better. **From Autofocus to Zoom** -- Even though the terms are not unique to digital cameras, let's define autofocus and fixed-focus (or focus-free). Autofocus cameras automatically and accurately pinpoint whatever you aim at and record it as the sharpest object in the picture. Fixed-focus cameras have their lenses fixed (or locked) at an arbitrary distance calculated to keep most everything acceptably sharp from a few feet to infinity. Because lenses used on digital cameras are of extremely short focal length, they have extraordinary inherent depth-of-field, allowing subjects both near and far to remain in focus, even when the lens aperture is wide open. So if your camera doesn't include an autofocus feature, it's no big deal unless you shoot big close- ups with a fixed-focus lens or expose without flash under low- light conditions (subjects or objects in the foreground may appear blurry). To compensate, some cameras feature settings to shift the point of focus manually, depending on whether you're shooting close-ups, portraits, or general subjects. Finally, zoom lenses for digital cameras now come in two flavors: optical and digital. To make matters even more challenging, some cameras incorporate both. On a digital camera with an optical zoom, the resolution remains the same regardless of the focal length you choose. But a digital zoom uses only part of the sensor array and, unless it is interpolated, ends up exactly as if you'd cropped the image yourself - with resolution dropping accordingly. The Olympus D340L, for example, features a resolution of 1,280 by 960, but using the telephoto mode or the sequence shooting mode produces images that are only 640 by 480. Just remember: "Optical zoom, good; digital zoom, not so good," unless you shoot only for the Web or for CD-ROM multimedia productions, in which case it usually doesn't matter. **Recharge Your Batteries** -- If rechargeable batteries don't come with the camera, I highly recommend getting some. Most digital cameras eat batteries like candy (the number one user complaint), especially since they must power the flash and the LCD screen used to preview and post-view shots (if the camera has an LCD). The best batteries I've found for most digital cameras are Quest nickel metal hydride (NiMH), made by Harding Energy and now sold everywhere. Quest batteries hold a near-constant voltage when in use, and I've found they last four times longer than standard alkalines and at least twice as long as nickel cadmium (NiCad) batteries. And you can fully recharge them anytime, since, unlike NiCads (which photographers detest), they don't suffer from memory problems whereby they remember previous power levels instead of fully recharging. Although they can take up to 16 hours to recharge (from full discharge), Quests are so inexpensive (4 batteries and a charger for $35) you can buy several sets to always have enough on hand. If fast recharging is a must, a special charger has been promised soon. For even longer-lasting power, I recommend one battery pack above the others. The Emberley ProPower 2.45, a featherweight NiMH rechargeable powerhouse that could put the Energizer Bunny into warp drive. Lasting more than twice as long as a set of Quests, it can double as an AC adapter, (which can cost as much as $65), and sells for about $99. **Storing Your Images** -- Most digital cameras now use removable storage cards, with the two main types being either Compact Flash or SmartMedia. I've found them to be equally good, although presently Compact Flash cards have higher capacities. This can be a double-edged sword, though; it would be like using a roll of film that could hold 100 pictures, handy in one way but a little risky in that all your photographic eggs would be in one basket. Furthermore, it would take a long, long time to go through those images in the camera's playback mode if you had to. The main advantage to cards with more memory capacity is that they'll be able to store higher resolution images produced by the next generation of digital cameras. SmartMedia cards are less expensive than their Compact Flash cousins and they can also slip into a FlashPath adapter ($99) can then be inserted into the Mac's floppy drive. Images then transfer faster than through a cable connection. (Don't confuse this capability with Sony cameras which use standard high-density floppy disks.) Both Compact Flash and SmartMedia are firmly established standards, so buy your camera based on its attributes and don't worry about the storage it uses. Whether you store images on removable cards or the camera itself, you'll soon realize after transferring them to your computer that digital photos can quickly consume hard disk space. Higher- resolution images create larger file sizes. Fortunately, many cameras allow you to select the degree of compression depending on the ultimate picture quality you require. On the Nikon CoolPix 900s, for example, available compression ratios are 1:4 (Fine), 1:8 (Normal), and 1:16 (Basic), with lower compression yielding better image quality than higher compression. In all modes, resolution remains the same. On some cameras, though, resolution also changes, so check the specifications. If a high degree of compression is acceptable, you can store more images in the camera or on its memory card. Expect to see compressed images grow from roughly five to twenty times in size if you open them in an image-editing application. Also keep in mind that cameras compress the images using JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) compression, which is a lossy method - some data is thrown out to conserve space. When you bring the image into your imaging program, save it as a TIFF-formatted file before doing anything. This eliminates the risk of it being closed as a JPEG file (which throws out more data) and becoming further degraded each time you save it. Don't worry if you don't own an image-editing program such as Adobe Photoshop. Many digital camera manufacturers now include their own stand-alone programs that allow downloading to a folder, and some even have limited imaging capabilities. Another possibility is Adobe's cross-platform PhotoDeluxe, which is bundled with most cameras; other good software, like Microspot's PhotoFix (also bundled as PhotoStudio), should be given serious consideration. These programs are very inexpensive (under $100), easy to learn, require only a small amount of RAM and hard disk space to run, and have many features photographers will appreciate. Until you pick the digital imaging program you want to marry - divorce not being an easy option in this field - you can do a bit of refining with those programs and then print your results. Some cameras, such as Epson and Olympus, allow you to bypass your computer entirely and print directly to one of their photographic quality printers, but in return for the convenience, you give up creative control of the final image. **Printing Images** -- Although low resolution images are fine for the Web, printing them on paper changes things drastically. A 640 by 480 pixel image can be printed as an 8.8 by 6.6 inch photo, but the results could end up fuzzy or pixelated. If you want to print pictures as large as 5 by 7 inches, the camera should have 768 vertical pixels or more. Larger print sizes will usually require a camera with at least 960 vertical pixels (the vertical pixel number is the smaller one when resolution is described). However, some cameras with lower resolutions may be able to equal the results of those with higher pixel counts depending on the quality of their lenses and other design factors. Incidentally, many cameras offer a choice of high and low resolution modes. Use the higher one if you want prints, and the lower one for Web images or for sending photos as email attachments. **Into the Next Generation** -- Digital cameras have now settled comfortably into their second generation. The 640 by 480 resolution cameras are mainly for snap-shooters who want to display work on the Web or make prints up to 4 by 6 inches. Megapixel cameras in the 1.2 to 1.6 million pixel range produce beautiful 8 by 10 inch prints (and larger) when output on inexpensive Epson 1,440 dpi PhotoStylus printers (the best, incidentally). The difference in resolution between 1.2 and 1.6 million pixels is often negligible. Things improve every day. For example, some cameras can now even take multiple shots per second, whereas a year ago you would have been evaluating which camera had the shortest time lag between shots. (However, only a few, such as the new Olympus D620L can take multiple shots at their highest resolution settings - and you may still have to wait a minute or more after each half-dozen shots are taken for the camera to process the images.) In the next installment of this article [which may have to wait a week or two because of Macworld Expo news -Adam], I'll offer my top picks for digital cameras currently on the market. Now that competition is heating up, there are some real bargains out there. [Arthur H. Bleich is a photographer, writer, and educator who lives in Miami. He writes for major publications both in the U.S. and abroad, and is Contributing Editor of Digital Camera Magazine. He invites you to visit his Digital PhotoCorner, where you can find resources mentioned in this article, plus take an interactive course he'll be teaching called DIGIPHOTO 101.] $$ Non-profit, non-commercial publications may reprint articles if full credit is given. Others please contact us. 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