Cross Platform Computing (Published in the TechEdge, Spring 1998) by Wesley A. Fryer www.wesfryer.com   An epic struggle is taking place in classrooms and businesses across the United States. Microsoft Corporation, primarily through its MS-DOS and Windows 95/98 operating systems, is rapidly establishing a monopoly over desktop computer operating systems. Apple Computer, historically a dominant computer vendor to the K-12 and higher education markets, is being abandoned by numerous school districts nationwide. The conflict extends to the internet where open standards, which are free and determined by a fairly open process, are being overtaken by proprietary standards owned, written, and licensed by Microsoft. Nathan Newmann's NetAction White Paper "From Microsoft Word to Microsoft World: How Microsoft is Building a Global Monopoly" provides an outstanding outline of the history and issues at stake in this struggle which has implications far beyond the educational arena (http://www.netaction.org/msoft/world/). As a result of this trend, American educators are increasingly facing the common task of not only working with Windows OS (operating system) computers, but are also facing compatibility issues with software and files created with previously purchased Macintosh OS computers. According to Microsoft, over ninety percent of Macintosh users presently work in a cross-platform computing environment (where Windows and Mac OS computers are both used). The internet and its variety of file formats presents educators with other compatibility questions. Additionally, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Technology mandate that, starting in grades 3-5, students should "delineate and make necessary adjustments regarding compatibility issues including, but not limited to, digital file formats and cross platform connectivity" (Chapter 126.3). This article will explore some of the vocabulary terms associated with "cross platform computing" and highlight several of the software and hardware solutions which permit files and software applications to be shared between computers with different operating systems. The terms PC and Windows are used interchangeably in this article to refer to Microsoft's MS-DOS and Windows operating system products. Quoted prices are retail as of February 1998. Educational discounts may apply that are not reflected here. An online copy of this article as well as links to additional resources are available on our column website: http://www.wtvi.com/teks. Your comments are welcome.   Cross Platform Vocabulary One "magical thing" about the internet is that it allows computers with different operating systems and configurations to easily share information. When you hear someone refer to TCP/IP, they are talking about the common language of the internet. TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, which is a set of protocols that makes TELNET, FTP, e-mail, and other internet activities possible among computers that don't belong to the same network or operating system family. If a computer supports TCP/IP, it can connect to any local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) that is operating under internet protocols. This is true even if the network is not yet linked to the internet, but still supports TCP/IP. In an ethernet-networked school setting in which computers are connected with CAT-5 (category 5) computer wire, Windows OS and Macintosh OS computers can co-exist and share files with each other thanks to TCP/IP. It is NOT necessary (or economically prudent) for school districts to discard older computers (whether Mac or Windows OS) which support TCP/IP, since these machines can become "network computers" which have access to shared resources that can include the library card catalog as well as the internet. Filename conventions are very important in cross platform computing. MS-DOS, the predecessor of Windows 95/98, restricted computer filenames to 8.3 (pronounced "eight dot three.") 8.3 refers to filenames which can have a maximum of eight initial characters followed by a period, and a three character "extension." Files with a "txt" extension are text, "doc" extension are documents, etcetera. Mac and Win 95 operating systems refer to a file's extension to determine which application to launch when the file is double clicked. Macintosh OS, however, has always allowed long filenames which exceed 8.3 limitations. Windows 95 permits longer filenames, but older DOS and Windows 3.1 applications running in Win 95 still require 8.3 filenames. When a file with a long name is given to a user of Win 3.1 or DOS, the file is renamed in 8.3 format. For example, a file titled "classroomwork.html" would be renamed "classr~1.htm". This can cause confusion for people trying to share files. This filename shortening is sometimes referred to as filename truncation. Another term important to understand is hybrid CD. Many educational software developers have created versions of their products for both the Macintosh and Windows operating systems. Licensing costs for both operating systems are frequently similar. To reduce distribution costs, some companies ship hybrid CDs which contain both Mac OS and Win OS software versions. By purchasing a hybrid CD, educators can install purchased software on Mac and Windows computers with the same compact disc. A final term to examine is disk format. A 1.4 megabyte computer disk can be used on either a Macintosh or Windows OS computer, but first it must be formatted. Mac and Win OS use different methods to organize and store data on disks. Every Macintosh sold today comes with software that lets users read and work with Win OS disks. Special software must be purchased, however, to permit Mac OS disks to be read and altered on Windows OS computers (even if they are connected to a TCP/IP network). These software alternatives are discussed later in this article. There are many other terms which relate to cross platform computing. Several internet resources are available for additional study on this subject. Netlingo (http://www.netlingo.com), the Free Online Dictionary of Computing (http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk), and Computer Currents Online Dictionary (http://www.currents.net/resources/dictionary) are all good reference websites.   Software Tools: File Translation Software required to enable file sharing between Macintosh and Windows computers depends on the applications used, whether files are saved to disk or network volumes, and the version of operating system software being used. In some cases, it is necessary to "translate" files so they can be read by a Mac or Win OS computer. File translation is not a problem between Mac OS and Win 95/98 computers for many popular programs including Microsoft Word and Excel, Corel WordPerfect, ClarisWorks, HyperStudio, and Adobe Photoshop. Translation is not required because these programs have identical file formats on both platforms. Adobe "pdf" files also have complete cross-platform compatability. Most documents can be converted to pdf format using Adobe's Acrobat software (http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat). Seamless file compatibility is one of the primary features being promoted about Microsoft's latest release of Office 98. Other files require translation to view or use on another platform. Software programs like ClarisWorks perform file conversions from a wide variety of file formats within the application. One example is converting a Word 6.0 document into ClarisWorks word processing format. In cases where Macintosh files are not converted inside an application, Dataviz MacLinkPro (which ships free with every Mac) translates files from one format to another automatically. Microsoft Powerpoint presentations can be shared between Mac and Win OS computers using one of the free converter programs available from the Microsoft website (http://www.microsoft.com/PowerPoint/FreeStuff/Cnv_Overview.htm). As long as a computer is running Mac OS 7.5+ and Win 95, file translation is NOT required for HyperStudio and ClarisWorks documents. Win 3.1 cannot seamlessly share HyperStudio and ClarisWorks documents with Macintosh computers, however. To translate files created with programs not installed on a computer or stored in an incompatible Mac format, Dataviz' Conversions Plus for Windows (http://www.dataviz.com/Products/CPW/CPW_Datasheet.html, approx $100) is an excellent software solution.   Software Tools: Mounting Disks and Network Volumes Before a shared file can be opened (translated it first, if necessary), the file must be recognized by the computer. This recognition process is called mounting a disk, or in the case of a network, mounting a network volume (hard drive). Every Macintosh sold today comes with PC Exchange software which makes it possible for a Mac to read and even format PC floppy disks. PC Exchange is actually a control panel which is stored in the system folder. For older Macs that do not have PC Exchange, its functionality can be easily added by dragging and dropping a copy into the Control Panels folder and restarting the computer. With PC Exchange running, as soon as you insert a PC disk (or Mac disk) into a Macintosh computer the disk icon automatically shows on the screen. The disk can then be opened by double clicking on it and its files easily accessed. On the other hand, when ANY floppy disk (PC or Mac) is inserted into a Windows OS computer, nothing happens. To mount the disk, you must double click "My Computer" and then double click the correct disk drive icon. If it is a PC disk, this procedure will display the disk's contents. If it is a Mac disk, you CANNOT view its contents or access its files without special software. Products like Dataviz' MacOpener for Windows (http://www.dataviz.com/Products/MOW/MOHome.html, approx $60) allow Windows 3.1, 95, and NT users to view and format Mac disks, removable cartridges and hard drives. Additionally, MacOpener permits use of Mac CD-ROMs, preview of Macintosh text and graphic files, and file copying between Macintosh disks and a Windows OS hard drive. Another product which enables Win OS computers to mount Mac files is Media4 Productions' MacDrive 98 (http://www.media4.com, $70 list). Different software tools may be required if file sharing will be done over a network. Windows NT Server software (expected to have over 65% of server OS market share by 2000) contains a module called "Services for Macintosh" (SFM) that makes it easy to create and access Mac volumes. The latest 5.0 version of NT Server promises to extend Mac compatibility even further. SFM allows users to mount a Mac volume on a NT server just like an AppleShare server: by selecting the Chooser and AppleShare. For more information on Mac and NT compatibility, refer to Cathy Abes' articles "Macs Can Thrive in an NT World" (http://macworld.zdnet.com/daily/daily.1259.html) and "Macs and NT: Allies or Adversaries?" (http://macworld.zdnet.com/ns-search/pages_collection/february.98/News.4144.html). If this type of configuration is not possible in your network setting or if users require more advanced file sharing support, Thursby Software's "Dave" should be examined (http://www.thursby.com, approx $120/single user). Dave software makes a Macintosh look like a Windows machine to the rest of the network, permitting Macs to access files and printers on any Windows machine on the network (regardless of the server OS). It also permits PCs to access Macintosh systems on the network. Another product worth examination is Miramar Systems' PC MACLAN line of networking utilities, which enable file and print sharing for Win OS computers with Macs (http://www.miramarsys.com/products). With a fast Macintosh processor, file compatibility problems can be resolved by emulating the Windows 95 operating system with a product like Virtual PC (http://www.connectix.com, approx $150) or Soft Windows 95 (http://www.insignia.com, approx $350). Windows 95 applications and files can be executed and modified within the emulated operating system created by both of these software products, but neither offers speedy processing. Of course, a user must purchase or license Windows versions of used software, so this is not necessarily a cheap alternative. Macintosh emulation software is not available for Windows OS computers.   Hardware Tools For a larger financial investment, a second processor can be added to a Macintosh computer and dedicated to supporting a Windows OS computing environment. Both the Macintosh and Windows OS environments can run simultaneously, and the speed limitations of emulation software are NOT present. "Coprocessor cards are faster than software emulators because they contain an actual PC processor, such as an Intel Pentium or clone processor. Coprocessor cards can run effectively in older Macs, even Macs with 680X0 processors. Coprocessor cards also contain RAM, and some contain PC ports, such as parallel and IBM serial ports" (ref. http://www.macwindows.com/emulator.html). Current vendors of coprocessors include Apple computer (http://www.apple.com), Orange Micro (http://www.orangemicro.com, starts at approx $800), and Radius (http://www.radius.com, starts at approx $700). When using a coprocessor on a Macintosh, users can switch "on the fly" between operating systems. It is even possible to leave one operating system processing an instruction and return to the other OS to complete another computing task. Coprocessors are not available for Win OS computers. Because of the dynamic nature of software and hardware solutions, the best resource for obtaining current information about cross platform computing is the internet. The website "MacWindows" (http://www.macwindows.com) is a site dedicated to Macintosh-Windows integration solutions and offers current news updates, tutorials, vendor links, and more.   The Future is Microsoft? The computer industry stands out as an extremely dynamic and unpredictable element of the global economy. Amidst the ordered chaos of the internet and doubling processor speeds, however, is the predictable growth of Microsoft and the extension of its influence into an unimagined number of economic markets. For the present, cross platform computing is a reality which educators must face and prepare their students to face. If current trends continue, perhaps cross platform computing will become irrelevant. If school districts continue to rush headlong into the Windows OS computing world, it will only fuel the global drive to single proprietary standards set by one company: Microsoft. Let us hope that our administrators and legislators will have the insight to seek a different path. The $150 million dollar investment by Microsoft into Apple Computer casts some doubt on the ability of Apple to offer a truly alternative computing vision to that of Bill Gates. Ironically, however, the investment also guarantees Apple's continued vitality for the foreseeable future. Microsoft has committed to support Macintosh software through 2003, and for the first time has developed true Power-PC native Mac OS applications in Office 98. Macintosh computers continue to offer significant advantages over Windows machines which go far deeper than the simple desktop icons which appear so similar on the surface. For those educators and business leaders wanting to evangelize the Macintosh in these days of impending Microsoft monopoly, the resources at Apple's "Why Mac?" website (http://www.apple.com/whymac) are superb. If we do not heed Apple's exhortation to "Think Different," we will be doomed to work in the proprietary computing environment designed and owned by Microsoft and Bill Gates. DOS still rules the Windows 95 environment, as it will in Windows 98. I would almost rather get my typewriter out of the closet than reconfigure autoexec.bat files, config.sys setups, and clean up the innumerable "DLL" files which Windows applications install all over the hard drive and often conflict with each other. It's time to "Think Different."   Wesley Fryer is an elementary educator and technology consultant in Lubbock, Texas. He welcomes your questions and comments about this article or about classroom technology integration in general! October 2002 Addition: Apple has a new campaign focused on convincing Windows users to switch to Apple. It's main website is www.apple.com/switch. Tools for the TEKS home | Article Archive | Technology Workshops Mailing List | Feedback | Tools and Techniques | Technology Idea Exchange Contact me using this webform. Links to my blogs are also available. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.