Download talk-and-mail-10.hqx (84,340 KB)
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 95 20:45:31 -0600
From: hui@rainbow.uchicago.edu (Hui Dong)
Subject: Talk&Mail for Macintosh
I. Introduction:
Talk&Mail is an AppleTalk communication program for Macintosh. It is simple,
easy to use, but has more powerful features than those known to the Unix world.
One can initiate communication request from local macintosh with anyone on a
remote macintosh running Talk&Mail program, as long as two macintoshes are
connected on "AppleTalk Internet". The formidably-sounded "AppleTalk Internet"
can be as simple as two macintoshes connected via a single wire (through their
modem or printer port), or as extended as thousands of macintoshes connected
via ethernet backbone on multi-network, multi-zone extended network (like on
university campus or in big corporations). Talk&Mail uses peer-to-peer, two way
duplex communication channel, so there is no complicated server to set up. A
user only need to take a copy of Talk&Mail, launch it, select a user name so
other users on the network can identify him/her, and one is ready to initiate
or receive communication services provided by Talk&Mail program.
II. Using Talk & Mail:
When Talk & Mail starts up, it provides a dialog box for user to enter user
name which identifies you (your macintosh) on the network, other macintoshes
running Talk & Mail will be able to see your user name on their user list under
your macintosh network zone. You can put Talk & Mail in the background so that
it will be watching for communication request initiated by other users on the
AppleTalk network running Talk & Mail, you will be notified in case there are
Talk request or Notification or email/file sent to you by a remote user. If you
like to initiate a communication service with a remote user, turn the Talk &
Mail to the foreground and use the menus to initiate request:
% Talk:
Select this menu item to initiate conversation with another macintosh on the
network. You will get a list of Mac zones (AppleTalk networks, especially large
ones, are usually divided into multiple sub-networks called zones, under each
zone, there are list of macintoshes). The zone that your macintosh resides on
will be automatically selected. Choose a zone in which the remote user you like
to talk to resides (double click on the item), you will get a list of user
names which macintoshes are running Talk & Mail. Select the one you want to
talk to, a conversation request will be sent to the remote macintosh (which
must have Talk & Mail running). The remote user will get notified of your
conversation request, he/she has the options of accepting or denying of your
request. If remote user accepts your request, a communication channel will be
set up, you and the remote user will have two windows pop up on the respective
macintosh screens, which allow you to type in your words at the same time read
his/her words. There are list of buttons which functions are self explainary.
% Note:
Note allows you to send a text of notice to a remote user running Talk & Mail.
It's a quick way of sending information to the remote user without the
disruption of initiating a conversation by using Talk. The notification text
will be sent to the remote user and a modal dialog will pop up on the remote
macintosh which contains the text and the sender information.
% Mail:
Mail is the least disruptive of all. You can sent a email to the remote user
running Talk & Mail, the mail will be automatically received and storied in the
remote user mailbox.
% Ship:
Ship is the function that lets you send a file (any file type, whether it's a
data file or a macintosh application) over AppleTalk network to the remote
user. It's more convenient than Apple file sharing service since there's no
file sharing set up and disk mounting to do in order to send the file.
% Change Username:
This lets you change your user name which will appear on other macintoshes
running Talk & Mail.
% Don't Interrupt:
This lets you specify no-interrupt period which the Talk & Mail running on your
macintosh (usually in background) will automatically reject conversation
request from other users without interrupting what you are doing. The remote
user will get notified of the fact that you are not in the conversation mood
and get auto rejected, so there wonUt be any bad feelings.
% Help:
Provides this on-line help.
% Cut, Copy, Paste, Clear:
Talk & Mail has a built in text editor to edit the mail or notification text.
These functions are the same as the ordinary text editing functions.
% Close:
Close current window.
% Quit:
Quit Talk & Mail. Your user name will disappear from the user lists of other
users running Talk & Mail, so thereUs no way other users can initiate any
communication services with you until the next time you restart Talk & Mail.
ItUs recommended that you put Talk & Mail or its alias in the RStartup ItemsS
folder in the RSystemS folder, so that it will automatically be started every
time you turn on your macintosh.
III. Registration:
The single copy license is $20 for Talk&Mail, two copy licenses is $35 (you
need two separate licenses for two macintosh to communicate via Talk&Mail in
full operating mode). Multi-license and site-license are available and rates
are negotiable. The program took me lots of time and effort, I would sincerely
appreciate if you support it by registering.
IV. About the Author's Other Software:
Besides Talk&Mail, I have developed two other Mac software: SpaceInvader!
(video game), and PianoSim II (piano simulation program). These programs are
also available on CompuServe, American On-line, and carried by several
shareware distribution companies. They are also available on Internet via
anonymous FTP from: sumex-aim.stanford.edu, or mac.archive.umich.edu.
Any suggestions or bug reports are welcome.
Hui Dong
135 Eastern Parkway, Apt. 10I
Brooklyn, NY 11238, U.S.A.
(718) 622-0314
Internet: hui@rainbow.uchicago.edu