In May 1988, we published what turned out to be a popular article on TIFF, the tagged image file format that's become an industry standard for storing bit-mapped images. In classic DDJ spirit, Tony Meadows and his co-authors said that DDJ readers could receive free copies of the TIFF Library Package from one of two sources: A PC version from Dest Corporation and a Mac version from Tony's company, Bear River Associates. Thanks to Los Angeles reader Don Black (who wanted me to plug "Eager," his new 3-D rendering and animation software -- but I told him I couldn't do that), we found out that this policy has changed. But first, a little background....
About two years or so ago, I was at the news conference where Microsoft, Aldus, and Hewlett-Packard introduced the TIFF standard and, like most in attendance, I was impressed with the proposal and the possibilities that it suggested. In retrospect, one company that wasn't mentioned or, at least to my mind wasn't given justifiable credit, was Dest, a small Silicon Valley company known primarily for its scanners and imaging software. As it turns out, it was the R&D group at Dest who actually did a lot of the groundwork for the TIFF standard and it was the same group who provided the PC-version of the TIFF Library free to DDJ readers.
After the article was published, Dest was deluged with requests for the software. Some months, in fact, Dest spent more than $20,000 distributing the material until the company was eventually forced into changing its policy and began charging $25 per package. Alas, Dest has since run upon some rocky economic shoals, most recently going into reorganization so it comes as no surprise that they've discontinued the distribution program altogether. I don't know how or if the company will be successful in its reorganization, but I do think DDJ, its readers, and the industry-at-large owe Dest a special thanks for getting some really useful software into the hands of programmers -- and free at that.
If you need the TIFF Library, all isn't lost. You can now get both the PC and Mac versions from Image Software Associates. For $25 ($35 international) you get documentation (the TIFF standard and a programmer's reference guide), source code, object files, and demonstration programs. Make checks or money orders payable to Image Software Associates, Research & Development, P.O. Box 1634, Danville, CA 94526. Don't forget to specify PC or Mac.
If you're a telecommunications kind of person, you'll be glad to know that we'll be making DDJ source code listings available via an additional source. Thanks to contributing editor David Betz and his partner in programming Bill Garrison, DDJ listings will be available free of charge on an on-line system out of New Hampshire. For the time being, you will have to take care of the long distance charges yourself, but that and other changes may be in the offing.
The system supports 300/1200/2400 baud, uses 8-data bits, no parity, and 1-stop bit. To access the system, dial 603-882-1599. When the system answers, the Unix login prompt will appear and you should type listings (be sure to use lowercase) and press Return. You'll then be led to the listings. This month's listings will be on-line as well as past months, at least through the beginning of this year.
Finally, new applications of computer software continue to make the news here in Northern California. Most recently, an "escort service" ring was rung up by the local gendarmes. It seems that some ladies-of-the-night were allowing their clients to pay up using credit cards and, instead of listing the charge as "services rendered," they were filling out the credit slips as charges for computer software. Hmmm ... that certainly adds a new dimension to the concept of user friendly. The next step will be probably sex-object-oriented programming (that's right, SOOPs). Or maybe real genetic programming. All right, if you can do any better let me know but keep it clean, okay?
Copyright © 1989, Dr. Dobb's Journal