Anyone remember.....? - Macintosh Garden

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2011, December 2 - 5:04am

Macnut9765

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Anyone remember.....?

When the pizza box Performa's came out they came with a program called Expresso Calendar. I believe it was made by Berkley Systems. It was a handy little program that would actually allow you to put an editable calendar on your desktop. It was really quite cool especially for the time period. Since Berkley Systems has been long since gone by the way of the YUGO automobile I think it would be a great candidate for being considered Abandonedware?
After doing a web search to no avail I did happen across a current program of the same name Expresso but it is NOT the same program.
Here is an article about it http://webdevelopersjournal.com/archive/expresso.html

I noticed that according to the article they also had a "StarDate" version of it which I had never seen which may be cool if anyone has it? This version seems like it would be a rare find and great to preserve on MG.

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2011, December 2 - 6:08am

T-1000

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Maybe you could find it on the install discs to one of those models?

2011, December 2 - 9:57am

MikeTomTom

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I only have it as demo software on a MacFormat CD (issue 23, 1995). It was called "Expresso" (it also included the calendar part) and was a PIM, released by Berkeley Systems. Bertyboy and Protocol 7 are also likely to have the same demo (if not the full app), but you never know, someone reading this thread may have the full program and can add it to the archives.

From the MF magazine's review:

One of Expresso's most innovative features is the facility to Create Desktop wallpapers of your calandars and to-do-lists simply by clicking on the "f" icon in the menu bar

MF's magazine review also features several pics of some fairly impressive eye-candy of the Expresso UI.

2011, December 2 - 10:30am

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According to this:
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Berkeley+Systems+announces+OEM+deal+with+A...
there was an Apple OEM version of Expresso Calendar.

2011, December 2 - 11:30am

Fortuna Wave

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Joined: 2009 May 23

You can find Expresso software in this site with the form of Performa discs.

2011, December 3 - 1:57am

Macnut9765

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I'll check it out and see what I can find. Thanks!

2011, December 3 - 2:20am

(Reply to #6) #7

MikeTomTom

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Hmm... by typing "Expresso" into the search field above. I found these (all on Performa CDs): Expresso 1.0e, Expresso 1.0a and on a Spanish Performa CD, Expresso 1.0e. My guess is the first "Expresso 1.0e" link above will be the most recent English version (I'm hoping the "e" is a version increase and doesn't stand for "evaluation")

2011, December 3 - 2:53am

(Reply to #7) #8

Macnut9765

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I found them Mike, I tried to edit my previous posts but had to walk away from the computer....kids LOL Anyway....is it a part of the OS install package or are they on the CD as additional separate installs or just a folder full of apps? Just curious as I do NOT have a any Performa's in my collection. I sorta skipped those even thought the 6500 was a badass. I REALLY wanted one too but out of my price range at the time.

2011, December 3 - 10:36am

(Reply to #8) #9

MikeTomTom

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@Macnut9765:

...is it a part of the OS install package or are they on the CD as additional separate installs or just a folder full of apps?

They can be in a folder full of installers, but it depends. Some Performas had different ways of distribution and it could be in some form of archive requiring running a "re-install". I think there will be only one way to find out from here Unless someone knows personally, the particular Performa install CD.

I might try and find out myself. Mediafire brrr.... I hate Mediafire at the mo. They've totaly changed their pages and my browser is getting too old (like myself) to enjoy going there

I would still like to get my hands on a 6500 (and a few other Mac varieties).

[Edit] Have DL'd the Performa CD from the 1st Expresso 1.0e link above - 2 .RAR part files at Mediafire. The CD has its installer files in a proprietary installer set which may be difficult to install individual items from.

However it also has its files preinstalled (in folder "Hard Disk Files") so you might be able to get Expresso that way.

Expresso and its related files - the ones that I could see that are immediately usable (and no install) are located in:

Performa CD:Hard Disk Files:Applications Files:
Expresso (folder) <-- move to your Applications folder.

Performa CD:Hard Disk Files:System Folder Files:
Expresso Folder (goes loose into System Folder) <-- Move into System Folder
Extensions (folder): Expresso Notifier, FlashBack, Screen Posters <-- Drag to closed System Folder
Fonts (folder): Expresso Fonts <-- Drag to closed System Folder
Click OK if asked.

2011, December 3 - 2:55am

#10

Macnut9765

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Thanks for the search tip, I overlooked the obvious DOH! =)

2011, December 3 - 5:33pm

#11

Macnut9765

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Once again, you guys are awesome! I couldn't asked for a more thorough answer either. I'm gonna copy your post and keep it as a "Read Me" file in the application folder for it. Very helpful. Thank you Mike, this is why I am really enjoying the Macintosh Garden. =)

2011, December 3 - 10:11pm

#12

ccmac

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I did some google searches to see what problems users are reporting. It looks like the first thing you need to do is update the Screen Posters extension to version 3.6 by running the After Dark 4.0.4 updater. This appears to give you compatibility with OS 8.x through OS 9.0.4. Starting with Mac OS 9.1, users again start reporting problems. One user says he can't get it to work at all under both 9.1 or 9.2. Another user states he can get it to work under 9.1 (and presumably 9.2) by turning off the scheduling part of the program. I am not sure what he means by this but I assume he means that he disables the Expresso Notifier extension. He also states that the icons appear garbled.

I downloaded all the above files and used resedit to open Expresso to check out the icon resources and sure enough they appeared garbled. It looks like Expresso has the same OS 9 problem that After Dark has. It uses compressed resources. When I try to open the icon resource using resedit, I get a message that the resource is compressed and that resedit will uncompress it and save it uncompressed. However, when I click to dismiss the dialog, resedit crashes. It will also crash or freeze when I try to open other resources. Thus for full OS 9 compatibility, it looks like someone needs to go through Expresso (and all the other extensions and support files) and decompress all the resources which I believe can be done using Resedit. However, it looks like this resedit fix will have to be done under Mac OS 9.0.4 or earlier since resedit seems to crash when working with compressed resources under 9.1 or later.

2011, December 3 - 10:42pm

#13

Macnut9765

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You don't have to go through all that trouble. I wasn't actually thinking of running it on the G4's. I have an 8100 running system 8.x and the Quadra 800 running 7.5.x. if anything it will run on one of those or both. If you WANT to do that I'll be happy to give it a shot on a G4. I have one G4 as it came out of the box with the 9.0. This wasn't really a "must have" application for me, just something I remembered using back in the day that was kinda cool.

2011, December 3 - 11:06pm

#14

ccmac

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I actually have been looking for a decent calendar app and this one looks interesting. However, I am running 9.2.2 on a G4 and given the problem with compressed resources I don't even want to give it try until that issue is fixed as was done with the unofficial After Dark for OS 9.

2011, December 4 - 12:43am

(Reply to #14) #15

MikeTomTom

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@ccmac: Yes I wouldn't consider running the Performa edition on an OS that it wasn't meant for. Even Mac OS 8 might be pushing it without updating or fixing the extension file[s]. It gets a "use at your own risk" nod from me - 'tho' it should be safe to use as is, on OS 7.0 through 7.6.1

A "decent" calendar app on Mac OS 8 - 9 could be Palm Desktop, a free PIM that Palm Computing gave out to Mac & Windows users in the late '90's. Scroll down page via link down to Mac section and for Classic versions. I think that Palm Desktop doesn't require a Palm device to install and run, but when I installed this some years back I was running a Palm emulator which it could sync to. I should reinstall this and check for certain.

2011, December 4 - 3:16am

#16

ccmac

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I have tried Palm Desktop before and it just has too many additional features for my needs. In fact even Expresso sounds like it has more features than I want.

It also looks like decompressing the compressed resources is not as simple as I thought. I pulled my old 8500 which runs Mac OS 8.6 out of storage. Even under 8.6 the icon resources are all garbled when opened with resedit and when you try to open other compressed resources resedit still crashes. However, I could successfully open the compressed resources in Resorcerer and all the icons were not garbled. This makes me think that the resource compression method being used must not be compatible with resedit. Unfortunately, I could not figure out any way to convert the compressed resources into normal uncompressed resources using Resorcerer. It looks like this will have to be done by someone with more knowledge than me. It also looks like it would be tedious work as just about every file had compressed resources. It may not even be worth the effort since as I have already noted at least one person claims he can get it to run under 9.1 perhaps by disabling the Notifier extension.

2011, December 4 - 12:49pm

(Reply to #16) #17

MikeTomTom

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@ccmac: I've taken a brief look at Expresso under ResEdit (Mac OS 9.0.4). It threw up the warning about uncompressing. I said OK to it anyway. After that the icons still look just as FUBAR. Ah well...

I installed Expresso onto the same 9.0.4 system - sans the "Screens Posters" extension (I recall somewhere that this was bugbear in later OS's with Berkeley's AD) Everything is working OK so far anyway. Except... without the "Screen Posters" extension I'm not able to set pics of the calendar etc as a desktop.

Anyhoo... Expresso (w/o Screen Posters) as is, is pretty good. You can run as much or as little of it as you might like. If you only want a desktop calendar, thats all you're going to see. Only, without an updated "Screen Posters" extension you can't set it as your desktop. A plus or a minus in my book.

2011, December 4 - 6:06am

#18

Macnut9765

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I think there are several other calendar and contacts programs around in the system 7/8 days unfortunately I can't remember them anymore. Times like this, what I wouldn't give for my MacWorld, MacUser Magazine collection I used to have. Every issue from the 90's and the early 2000's and I pitched them all not all that long ago after watching a few episodes of the show "Hoarders". Figured it was time to thin out some of my various collections of this and that.

2011, December 4 - 5:34pm

#19

Macnut9765

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I know this is a long shot but you may try changing the loading order of the extension by adding a symbol or different letter in front of the name. I forget but certain key symbols will make it load first and some last otherwise it's alphabetical. I remember that helped some things work that wouldn't before. Again, it's a long shot as a buggy extension is a buggy extension regardless of the loading order but I guess anything is worth a shot.

2011, December 4 - 5:40pm

#20

Macnut9765

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Don't quote me on this but I think ( ~ ) would make it load first and ( . ) would make it load last minus the parenthesis of course. Otherwise it loaded according to the first letter in the name, not sure about numerical numbers.....never tried that before.

2011, December 5 - 12:29am

#21

MikeTomTom

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@Macnut9765: If I need to, because of some Extension's flakeyness, I usually use a space character before an extension name to load it 1st and a z before the extension's name to load it last - mainly because I find that combination easy to remember

Anyway, thanks for the headsup on Expresso, I wouldn't have looked at it otherwise. I'm enjoying the calendar feature of it the most, its highly "tweakable". I'm not bothered with setting pics of it as a desktop background and can bring up the calendar program when I need it. So its a "keeper" on my G4 for now.

2011, December 5 - 1:46am

#22

themacmeister

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Joined: 2009 Oct 26

Berkeley's After Dark was made OS9 compatible with a hack -- grab the hacked OS9 version (uncompressed resources reinserted) off this very site, and see if you can copy the resources with ResEdit, and get it fully working?!

2011, December 5 - 6:58am

#23

ccmac

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Daxeria is the guy who did the OS9 After Dark hack. Maybe he can give us a clue how to decompress the resources and convert them to normal resources.