InFocus NeXT Overhead Projector

John W. Wooten

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Nov 19, 1992, 9:39:13 AM11/19/92

to

Has anyone heard anything about a company called InFocus.
They supposedly make a projector that connects to the NeXT Station
(somehow) and allows projecting the screen via an overhead projector.

I need the phone number of a vendor and some technical information. We
urgently need something like this for a classroom.

- - - - - - - - -
J. W. Wooten

Robert Poor

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Nov 20, 1992, 1:21:39 PM11/20/92

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In article <1992Nov19.1...@ornl.gov> w...@ornl.gov (John W. Wooten)
writes:

InFocus has started shipping the 7600WS LCD Display Panel, which will work with
NeXT Color Turbo systems. More info can be had directly from InFocus:
(800) 327-7231 or
(503) 692-4968
(503) 692-4476 fax
You can ask for Sonja Onthank at ext 157. Attached is a press release that
InFocus sent out in September:

In Focus Enters Workstation Market With Portable,
High Resolution Color LCD Projection Panel

Targets Workgroups and Workstation Applications

TUALATIN, Ore. - September 18, 1992 -- In Focus Systems Inc.
today announced the 7600WS, the first liquid crystal display (LCD)
color projection panel compatible with major workstation platforms
and applications.

Weighing only 7 pounds, the 7600WS combines portability with
1024 x 768 resolution and a full 24,000 color palette. When placed on
an overhead projector and connected with a single cable directly to
the video port of workstations with resolutions up to 1152 x 900, the
panel projects workstation software in full color onto a screen or
wall.

It is compatible with the most widely used workstations,
including models from Sun Microsystems, Digital Equipment
Corporation, HP/Apollo, IBM, NeXT and Silicon Graphics Indigo,
without requiring third-party add-on cards.

The new panel is also compatible with high-resolution displays
for Apple Macintosh computers as well as XGA, Super VGA and VGA
personal computer graphics.

The 7600WS projection panel provides high resolution and full
color capability, which are essential for projecting the complex
images of computer-aided design and 3-D modeling applications.

"The 7600WS offers workstation users a high-quality portable
solution for projecting high-resolution graphics and text from UNIX
software," commented Andy Leonard, vice president of marketing and
sales for In Focus Systems lnc. "This is the first alternative to
expensive and cumbersome three-gun projectors and large monitors.
Other LCD panels are limited to 640 x 480 resolution and require
third-party cards, which reduces the graphic resolution to
unacceptable levels for training, presentations and demonstrations of
workstation software."

In Focus Systems Enters Workstation Market

The panel features built-in loop through so the user can see
the image on the monitor and projection screen simultaneously,
on-screen set-up menus, push-button rear-projection mode for
sophisticated rear-projection installations and a remote control for
image adjustments.

"Using the 7600WS for our software demonstrations offers
tremendous cost and time savings compared with renting traditional
three-gun projectors which require a trained technician to set up and
cost nearly $1,000 a day to rent" said Michael Barton, sales engineer
for Unify Corporation, a manufacturer of application development
software for Sun and other workstations, who participated in beta
testing of the panel. "lt's very easy to set up and we are impressed
with its resolution and image quality."

By using the latest generation of its patented TSTN (Triple
Super Twisted Nematic) LCD Technology, In Focus is able to develop an
LCD panel with the exceptionally high resolution and broad color
spectrum required for workstation applications. The flexibility of
TSTN technology also allows In Focus to manufacture and ship the
7600WS in quantity at a competitive price point.

The 7600WS has a suggested retail price of $XXXX (U.S.D.) and
is scheduled to ship in September 1992. It will be available from
workstation value-added resellers and authorized audio-visual dealers
worldwide.

In Focus Systems (NASDAQ:INFS) fulfills a broad range of
presentation needs with a complete line of innovative products based
on LCD technology, offering the best price/performance in the
industry. The company was founded in October 1986 to develop,
manufacture and market innovative information display products. The
company shipped its first product, an LCD projection panel. in
February 1987, and introduced the industry's first true color panel
in October 1989. The company, which has won awards for its innovative
technology, designs and assembles its proprietary LCD products at its
facility in Oregon. For more information on In Focus Systems
products. contact In Focus Systems at 7770 SW Mohawk St. Tualatin, OR
97062. Call toll-free (800) 327-7231 or fax (503) 692-4476.

###

In Focus Systems and TSTN are registered trademarks of In Focus
Systems Inc. All other trademarks are used for identification
purposes only and are the rights of their respective holders.

John Steczkowski

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Nov 23, 1992, 11:25:21 AM11/23/92

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In article <1992Nov19.1...@ornl.gov> w...@ornl.gov (John W. Wooten)
writes:

We recently rented one of these for a class. It works good, but can be kind of
dim. Be sure you have a very bright overhead projector. Also, it doesn't have
the same resolution as the NeXT screen, but can scrolled around to see any part
of the screen (the LCD has 1024X768 resolution). Apparently, cables are not
currently available to hook it up to a mono station, but we used it on a Color
station, and it worked fine.

InFocus is at 1-800-327-7231
the model we rented was the 7600WS

--
John Steczkowski st...@pencom.com
Life without risk is Disneyland

Tom Wuttke

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Nov 23, 1992, 7:12:56 PM11/23/92

to

I do not have a Next, but someone I know mails me messages with
embedding things like sounds, pictures, and formatted text. When I
look at the raw mail files, they look exactly like uuencoded binaries.

>Subject: jpeg FAQ
>Next-Attachment: .tar.148.jpeg_FAQ.attach, 32831, 1/1, 45144, 0
>Status: OR
>
>begin 666 .tar.148.jpeg_FAQ.attach
>M'YV0:=R0*8/'A1PZ9@`H7,BPH<.'$"-*G$BQ(HB+-FC0``'@XD4:,3AZ!"%C
>M8\>1,6;8L'%#QL4:,V#(F`'S!HP9%V/(D'FC(XR*0(,*'4KT89TY=,+(N0C@
>M:!DV;<*X<5.TX1LZ:,K(J<JUJ]>O8,.*[;J'RT$S,+A(G9.FK)DW;NC0$<.&so

So, the first thing I do is uudecode them. This usually results in a file
with a name like

>.tar.148.jpeg_FAQ.attach

Then, I proceed to assume that this is a tar archive of all the embedded
objects, so I run this into tar to look at the list of files using syntax
like:

tar -tf .tar.148.jpeg_FAQ.attach

This always gives me a table of contents error, or a "hmmm, this
doesn't look like a tar file to me" error on the Next.

I believe the first part was right, uudecoding the message, but what
should I do with this binary file that comes out of it, that seems like it
should be an ordinary tarfile, but isn't? Is this in some proprietary
Next format, or are the technical details about this publicly accessible
somewhere? I am a programmer, and would not mind writing a simple
app for other computers to decrypt Next mail messages, but I have to
know where to start.

If anyone has any insight into this, please let me know, or tell me what
publications to look at.

Thanks - Tom

Daniel T. Pritts

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Nov 25, 1992, 2:55:34 PM11/25/92

to

In article <1992Nov23.1...@doug.cae.wisc.edu>

t...@castlab.uucp (Tom Wuttke) writes:
>
> I do not have a Next, but someone I know mails me messages with
> embedding things like sounds, pictures, and formatted text. When I
> look at the raw mail files, they look exactly like uuencoded
binaries.
>

> So, the first thing I do is uudecode them. This usually results in
a file
> with a name like
>
> >.tar.148.jpeg_FAQ.attach
>
> Then, I proceed to assume that this is a tar archive of all the
embedded
> objects, so I run this into tar to look at the list of files using
syntax
> like:
>
> tar -tf .tar.148.jpeg_FAQ.attach
>
> This always gives me a table of contents error, or a "hmmm, this
> doesn't look like a tar file to me" error on the Next.

I'm pretty sure it's tarred, *COMPRESSED*, and then uuencoded.
--
dan pritts consultant/system administrator
dan.p...@umich.edu um itd/css unix support group
313/998-6265

Nick Christopher

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Nov 26, 1992, 8:17:45 AM11/26/92

to

Here is an unattach script that will disasemble next-mail.

----------- cut here --------------------
#!/bin/sh
#
# usage: unattach filename [dirname]
#
# Unpacks NeXT Attachments from a mail file.
#

#
# Bail if obviously wrong arguments
#
name=`basename $0`
if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then
echo "Usage: $name filename [dirname]"
exit 1
elif [ ! -r $1 ]; then
echo $name: file $1 not found.
exit 1
fi

filename=$1

if [ "$2" != "" ]; then
dir=$2
else
dir="./Attachments"
fi

#
# Setup working environment
#

if [ ! -d $dir ]; then
mkdir $dir
chmod 700 $dir
if [ ! -d $dir ]; then
echo $name: could not build $dir.
exit 1
fi
fi

#
# Deal with file
#
attach=`awk '/^begin [0-9]/ {print $3}' $filename` #get name
cat $filename | (cd $dir ; uudecode) #uudecode
cd $dir
chmod 0600 $attach
zcat < $attach | tar xvf -
rm $attach
exit 0
----------- cut here --------------------

Brian Rosen

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Nov 30, 1992, 10:43:52 AM11/30/92

to

Just got back from a trade show where we used this beastie as a crowd
gatherer.

The panel only shows 1024 x 768. There are adjustments that choose which
1024 and which 768 out of the NeXT display. We chopped off the dock and
the top menu bar, and it sort of worked.

It is dim, we needed a light shield and a very bright overhead. This
made is usefull, but not good. In a dim room, it looks much better.

The cabling is not the best for the set up we had. They supply a Y cable,
so you can set up the panel and the monitor at the same time. The cables
were not long enough, and they use a non-standard connector.

W weird effect - if you don't have the panel cabled and powered, the
NeXT got confused (we used a Turbo slab).

All in all, it is the best choice for big displays unless you can afford
a good projection setup. We are a dealer now, they cost about US$9K