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THE
READER
DOUG CLAPP
Douglas Adams Stewart Alsop Rick Barron Tony Bove David Bunnell Denise Caruso Don Crabb
Chris Crawford John C. Dvorak Mary Eisenhart Michael Fraase James Horswill Daniel lchbiah Susan Kare
· Guy Kawasaki Dan Kottke Bob L..cVirus Mary Jane Mara Randy Nelson Carl Philabaum
Andrew Pollack Cheryl Rhodes Jock Root Dennis Runkle Par Ryall Neil Shapiro Burrell Smith Karen Thomas
Bruce Tognazzini Trici Vcnola C.J. Weigand JefFreyS. Young
.tt
RANDOM HOUSE
ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING
New York
II
The Macintosh Reader
Copyright © 1992 by Doug Clapp
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright
Conventions. Published in the United States by Random House, Inc., New
York and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited,
Toronto.
Random House Electronic Publishing is a division of Random House, Inc., 201
E. 50th St., NY, NY 10022.
Manufactured in the United States of America
98765432 24689753 23456789
First Edition
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Clapp, Doug, 1950-
The Macintosh reader I written by Doug Clapp.
p. em.
Includes index.
ISBN 0-679-74242-5: $25.00
1. Macintosh (Computer) I. Title.
QA76.8.M3C58 1992
338.7'61 004165--dc20 92-23856
CIP
Dedication
This one, dear reader, is for you.
Ill
iv
THE !II!ACINTOSI-I READER
Copyright Summary TIJr Art ofSmau K.rrr PI' 244-247
1€ 1984 Sw•n Korc
In the lkg.inning Mat OJliniun.s: But \Vh:u Do You He:aJiy Titink?
A SlltJN 1-/isroryofAppi<and Mari Crratio., pp ·i-14 IVl"r Hary U?r Lorr! PI' 2S0-253
c 198·1 Doug cr~r,p: from tilt book lo1arimosh.r Compktt; coruJcnSC"II :and I';} Jock llom 1984 (ankle first appnrcd in St. A1t:t'm:t~?'line. August 19H4)
revised sontcwh:u from origiua.lrn:ucri:al Brr.1kin,~ 6-Emrring pp 2S4-258
SurJi' on tilt' LHrr pp 15-38 0 1986 Moe Underground, Inc .. ALllliGHTS 1\ESERVED
e 1988 J<ll'rcy s. Young. Origin•llr publish«! as Ch'J>r<r 10, "The Lisa n" Lorr Mr• i Club I'P 259-263
Projt"Ct'", in Stn.., johJ: Tht journty iJ tiJr Rrv.oard The chapter ha_c b«n con Cl987 John C. Ovor-.1k, :midc lint Jppe.arcd in A'farUsnm:tptine, Aucust
densed somewh:u for this book ami "ubhcotdings ::~ddc-d. 1987
Now tm Afy} ~tunuy pp 3942 lflhy tilt' ,\far iJ Nard tD f'rol"'m pp 264-273
0 1992 )dTr<)' S. Young 0 1992 Cluis Cn""f ord
Hfnl.l M~tclr'DriJ A1agittinr 1\ltuk JIJr 1\filrirw.uh pp 43-63 Thry&Jid nuir Souls'" tiJr Fortunr 1000 rp274-2n
Q 1992 David llunncll Q 1987 John C Dmrnk. first :appe;ar~J in MncU~rmag:n.inc,July 1986
A Vibraror for Your 1\Nnd flp 68·97 Alwp to Applt pp 27R-2H I
From St. Milr magn.i.ne, March 1984. Origin:ally published :u ''Sccrc1s of 1he 019921ndlulry Pu!Jiisl1ing Compauy.lnc. lki1110nt, CA. Rcprintt:d fi·om
Finder /~C. f..ttlf7'hy rerrninion.
A Char lr'irh "" Old Guy pp 98-10 3 71~ M1u. Cimt 1988 ... mull992 pp 2H2·289
e 1989 Doug Cbpp. Mar='nr, J•nuory 1989 01992 by Ndl Sh~piro. All Rights Rac:rvcd. Ris,lu to publish this m:atc:ri1l
Early Yo ars, Euly T can is granted to Doug Cbpp :and JUndom House fnr u~ within d1~ book now
California /I'o ra pp I 08-111 rd'ared to ;u TN /.f:rrinash Rr41br by Doug O:app and pcrmiu.ion i1 limited
0 DougCbpp ~ldy 10 th.:at we.
T•lkinxu.irhKor:lr pp 112-130 Tips.. Sc-crru, and Good Ad\icr
Originally published :u ·The Str:aiglu Stuff from One of1 \pplc's 'Gr:tnd Old Htr.J,toMa!ta Milium in tiJtSofiw•trt o;·~ pp301·317
Men." in St. Mar mag:ninc, Au~;us1 19M. f)J99Z DcuniJJ:mu:s &. American Online, Inc.
Rickfl.1TTOII Up Tn11po pp 131-129 Ch:mgir~g Command Kry 51JortcufJ in Pimlrr 7.0 tlP J 18-322
C 1992 Rick lbrron f) Alex N:uvcy .11111C ompusc.rvc
Bugr pp 140-144 i\lex Narvcy
0 Doug Clapp Timndcr Enlightcnin~; Press
ftlr:mwhilr. at.~1irrtJioji pp 145·1-19 1'0 !lor 332, 90S Co'l·dun t\ve
0 Doug Cbpp (appear«! in M.rUrrr ~1•gwne) IXr.nnipcg. MA, C.nod> IU~I 3V3
How IGor AfJ Mar pp I SO-l 55 (21>-i) 253-2627
IC> lUndy Ndson Compuscn·c 71041, 132
Heroes & ViU2.ins An Er..Yning u.·ir/, tiJr .Uranin pp 323·336
ll•nnn-.r, O..ut & Trd pp I 64-179 C 1992, America Online, Inc.
C 1992 Michod F....WAn.• & Fuccs. t\11 Righu Res<n'Cd. MortSmrr• pp337-339
Guy K•"wali Undrr rbt Litlm pp 180-184 e for ~ly<tc:ry t.tac Cbuic: Disk from COA/JlUT£m:ag:azinc, Fc:h 19J'1
Cl992 Guy Kow.ului Dt.Mari Top Trnt pp 340-345
Bill Garn Ai Us Mur&sir pp I 85-186 e Bob LcVim~ including hio on l...cVitw
01991 D.mid lchbi01h - Primed with pt'tmission 71u Ma•i'1.~ o[Mtrrvsoft Somnhint tD T' 1 ll7ftm You C,..,/, 1'1' 346-349
Daniel Jchbi;ah 1991, Priml Publishing, P.O. Dux 1260, Rocklin. C\ C :appean in front of an ide
95677. from Dr. ,Mr~rmtoJit, Scrond Edition by Boh LcVittu, Copyrigln 1992 by
IV/;arMnlmAppldlutl! pp 187-208 llob LcVitru. Published by Addi•ou-Wesley, I jacob W>y, R<•ding. Mil
0 1988, 19911.Jy M:uy EiS<'nhan and BAM PuLiiations. First printed 01867, (617)944-3700. Suggest«! retail price SH9S. llcprint<d 1.1)' perrni•
Januuy 1988 in Mirmnmn. sion or Addison-Walcy puhlisl•ing COIIIIJJily.
UJ:Llrnlllndint Virusrs pp 209·213 l-ltteand Now
C 1990, Que Corpontion, from C.J. Weig;md's U1ing Pagr.Hd": A &y. • /J:JJ. and • i.JIN pp 352-360
Alarintmh VmUut, 2nd Edition. 0 1992Jam"' llortwill
Winncn & losers Empo-.tVTinx rilf' u,_. pp 361-367
Dou!Jas AMmt on HyptrCatd pp 216-220 01991 Apple Compurcr, Inc.
C 1987 Dou(;lu Adams. This ;aniclc firu :apsx-ared in /.1::rUYT, D«cmbcr in \~'huh Wr '-"l rix Spud iuur to lim p 368
1987,tilled ·r.uh\\<a)'l and Rcluion.ships." e199t-92 Amcrin OnLine. G2.mcs SIC
11Jr \f!urldi Gmum SpmuUhttl llP 221·223 How to Build a World pp 369-37S
Prirued with pcrmiuicm from TbtMnltiugofA1im)Joji, Daniel Jchl1iah C 1991-92 Chris Cr;awfnrtl
IC>I991, Prima l'ublishiuc.I'O Box 1260, 1\ncklin, CA 95677. Dialing MndmOJIJ pp 377·400
o~(tth to Sharrwar~ J.ll>2 24·227 @ Compt~.~;crvc
<i) DougCbpp T/;w f'akJ t"i.Fi PI' ·iO 1-404
7k Karm Ntt AU· Timt Guo tnt Alar /'•my Li1t pp 229·231 Sun blind CDous Cbpp. (:appeared in MarUrrr Magazine)
1011t9o9n2w K l'ourbenli cT Rhodrornuiso ns eTa i1K9i9n2z, tCt~Ja\rIyll M'h1i1lcoibn:t.ruumh pp ·iOS-409
PhoneS 16-266-2212 Soon or Nc-n.r
MCI Mail: 310-3946 Applr on Hlun f'ou'" pp 412-425
Compt&rvc: 73740,2661 0 1991 b)· Tony !love & Cheryl llhodcs
But Seriously Folks Appk ;,. tllf p;,~ fll' 426--428
joluJ arc inter.sperscd 1hrougho111 book .md carry individual oopyri,;lu.s: e 1991 OcnisCarmo:endt\mericaOntinc.lnt::.
C AnH~ria Online 1991. 92 pp 2til), 2%, 300, 347 Tht Cr.bb l'apm pp 429-437
/6 Rraum1 to bt Gl.td YQu Hmt a MttrimoJJ pp 234·237 <D 1992 Don Cnbb
e America Online 1992 Tht Comittt Rrtooluriou pp ·138-441
TrJ'ri \ltnol-r arrwDrk pp 240-242 and intcnpened C Doug Clapp: from Thr N~'T Bib!~. 1evisc:d and :.nd cxpancltd
Trici Vcnola ll'lhm rhr Magir Wmt pp 442-444
Br:u.en lma.ga 0 1991, by 10c: l\'cw York Times Company. Rcprinred by pcrrni.uion. (hy
410 Califomia Ave, .t3 Andrew Poll•ck)
Sam~ Monica, CA 90403
310-395-5475
INTRODUCTION
W elcome to the most fun I've ever had-working.
If you can call it working.
Let me explain.
It started in November 1991. I was chatting with Dr. Michael
Mellin, the top guy at Random House's Electronic Publishing
Division. A few months before the chat, I had retired. And, a few
months later, un-retired. I was bored and casting around for a
book to write. So there I was, on the phone, bouncing book ideas
off Mike Mellin.
Bounce, thud, bounce, thud. Like that. I had a few ideas, bur
none aroused more than a flicker of interest from Mellin.
Then I heard "Doug, why don't you do a Mac book?"
And I had absolutely nothing to say. Nothing. I was wrapped in
silence. Finally, I said something profound like "Well. .. "
Because it was a problem. And I didn't have the answer.
This was the problem: What Mac book? A beginner's book?
Some kind of encyclopedic overview book? A System 7 book? A
tip book? An application-specific book? A niche book like ... net
working? Multimedia? Desktop publishing?
Those books had already been done-and done well. They line
my shelves. A Mac book? Jeez, there were a ton of Mac books
already! A ton!
v
vi THE MACINTOSH READER
I hung up the phone and despaired. For the next rwo days, I
agonized like a Zen novice struggling with his first koan. Mac
book? Mac book? Mac book? What makes the grass grow? What
was your face before ...
But I think I got it, at last. The result, the "it," is in your hands:
The Macintosh Reader.
So what is it? What is this "Macintosh Reader" thing?
The selfish (and immodest) truth is that this book, above all, is
the book that I'd like to find at a bookstore, rake home, and read
and read and read.
Bur you deserve a better-or at least another- answer.
So here goes. The Macintosh Reader is an anthology, sort of. It's a
collection of previously published (though often in obscure loca
cions) and original material by some of the best writers in the
Macintosh field: John C. Dvorak, Guy Kawasaki, Jeff Young,
Doug Adams, and many, many more. And a few people who aren't
writers, don't claim to be writers, and had to be muscled into
putting fingers to keyboards. Because they had something to say
that I wanted you to hear.
There are many voices in this book. Some are polished; some
aren't. Life's like that.
So it's anthology. Sort of. And it's also a history. Sort of. Not a
complete history, not an unbiased history, not even a sequential
history. Just a few flashes, here and there. Most, but not all, about
Macintosh. Not necessarily "the truth" (whatever that is), but
often dead-on.
See if you agree.
And it's a book of opinions. There are plenty of pundits in these
pages. The opinions range from quaint and wistful to rake-no-pris
oners. The breadth of thought is the resu1t of being blessed with a
broad-minded consticuency-you- and an editor who will glee
fully include anything good, regardless: me.
INTRODUCTION Vll
Ic's also a book of tips. And a book of secrets. And there's good
advice for the young and old, the novice and the jaded. And infor
mation you need to know: "How to Build a World," "How to Make
a Million in Software," and "Something to Try When You Crash."
And a few bad jokes-and some that are pretty good. And some
amazing Macintosh art. And ...
You get the idea. In your hands is a bunch of "scuff." Good
stuff, fun stuff, neat scuff, provocative stuff, old stuff, new scuff,
great stuff.
Macintosh stuff.
Making this book was the most fun I've ever had-working. If
you can call it working.
Work? Nah, it's a party. And you, dear reader, are the reason and
purpose for the festivities. So com' on in; pull up a mouse. It's a
good crowd. Enjoy. Have fun.
Be happy.
Doug Clapp
Edina, Minnesota
May4, 1992
viii THE MACINTOSH READER
Acknowledgments
My first thanks go to my agent, Mart Wagner of Waterside
Productions, who made the deal. Thank you, Matt.
To Random House, in general, and Michael Mellin and Julie
Ann O'Leary, in parricu1ar, thank you. Michael asked the question
that led to this book. Julie O'Leary, my editor, was a dream: sharp,
smart, and always available. Writer's hells are staffed with bad edi
tors. Julie is one of the good ones. Her deft touch and insightful
comments greatly improved this book. And, having worked with
many publishers, I'm happy to report that Random House provid
ed me with all a writer can hope for and more: a class act.
To Stella Townsend and David Lien, who typed much of the
manuscript and transcribed tape-recorded interviews full of static
and hum, thank you.
To those authors whose work wasn't included, because of size
considerations or deadline pressures (both yours and mine), thank
you. You're first on the list when we do this again.
To the publishers, agents, and organizations who graciously
granted me reprint permission-Addison-Wesley, Ed Victor, Ltd.,
Prentice-Hall Computer Publishing, Prima Publishing, BAM
Publications, New Media, Verbum, The New York Times, and
American Online-thank you.
To Jill Larson, for the printer and so much paper, thank you.
To Steve Jobs, who flew me out to Apple and kept me in busi
ness all these years, thank you.
