Disk Operations
121
select a disk with
data
files
on
it. This disk should contain
neither MacWrite nor system files.
We are setting up this example to show you what not
to
do
when dealing with the Mac.
Start
up the Mac with the first
disk, then insert the applications disk, and then insert the data
disk.
The
Mac's
RAM
now contains information from three
different disks.
Open a MacWrite document from the third
disk. The result
of
this action
is
almost as bad as opening
Pandora's box. The Mac will swamp you with a tirade
of
disk
switching requests.
By
the time you have loaded the document,
you may have forgotten what you wanted to do with it.
The
problem with this method
is
that when loading the
application, the Mac requires free flowing communication
between the system files and the applications file. Most
of
the
disk swaps do
not
involve loading the document into the
memory but are designed
to
initiate the application.
In
short,
do
not
try
to
perform operations with three disks. Always
insure that the applications disk
is
also a system disk.
FURTHER COMMENTS
This chapter has concentrated on disk operations with the
Mac.
We
have seen how to manage
data
in
an
orderly manner,
and
we
have looked
at
one
or
two undesirable techniques as
well.
In
general
we
would comment
that
the Mac makes disk
handling a bit difficult because
of
its single-disk-drive design.
The saving grace
of
the system
is
that the visual interface aides
in the manipulation
of
data.
The
operator will probably find it
most convenient to keep several disks dedicated as
data
disks
and employ either the one disk or the two disk operational
technique.
In
the following chapters,
we
will develop the two
major applications which you can use with the Macintosh,
MacWrite and MacPaint. We think
that
you will agree
that
they are efficient and easy
to
use.
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