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 All The Macintosh News That Fits the Print

people have read The online MacinStuff Times.

Index of News Stories! We have now added an Index with hyperlinks to each story published. You can now browse by individual stories through February 25, and by date from February 25-13, 1996.
Send us comments, suggestions, rants, raves, news, thoughts, etc.

March 10,1996

Adobe Releases New File Utilities 1.0

Adobe has released a new set of file utilities called Adobe File Utilities version 1.0. Adobe File Utilities is comprised of a set of utilities giving users the ability to modify, access, convert, compare, and view programs and documents authored in a wide range of applications as well as across multiple operating systems. Suggested retail price of $149 US, a $400 value.


Apple To Release New Macs Fastest Apple Mac Yet

Apple Computer next month will be releasing speed bumped Macs and a new model (7600) to replace it's 7500/100. The 7600 will now be equipped with Apples daughter card 604/120 MHZ processor card. Pricing for the new machines will be in line with the current crop of PCI Macs they will replace, expect the typical price drops on the current PCI Macs.

For those wishing to upgrade their current machines will likely to third parties such as Daystar Digital and Apple sometime after the speed bump systems debut.. Apple is currently offering the Apple Power Payback program, which offers rebates for Power Mac 7200 buyers, ends March 17. In a related story Power Computing has reportedly reduced it's pricing as well

New PowerMacs
ModelProcessor & SpeedConfigurationApple Minimum Price
7200601/120 MHZ16/1.2 Gig/4x Cd$1,900
7200601/120 MHZ16/1.2 Gig/4x Cd-Levl 2 Cache$2,300
7600604/120 MHZ16/1.2 Gig/4x Cd-Levl 2 Cache$3,000
8500604/132 MHZ16/1.2 Gig/4x Cd-Levl 2 Cache$3,900
8500604/150 MHZ16/2 Gig/4x Cd-Levl 2 Cache$4,700
9500604/150 MHZ16/2 Gig/4x Cd-Levl 2 Cache$4,800
March 9, 1996

Digital Dreams New Xtras Add Speech Interface to Multimedia Applications and World Wide Web

Digital Dreams today announced support for Director 5.0, the Macromedia Open Architecture and ShockWave for the internet. The Speech Xtra for Director 5.0 enables multimedia developers to quickly and easily incorporate spoken user interactions into their products without having to resort to a low-level programming language, such as C or Pascal. Speech is a key technology that will differentiate products and engage and capture the customer's imagination. Digital Dreams also presents ShockTalk, the first Speech Plug-in that combines Speech Recognition technology with Netscape and Shockwave. This Xtra allows developers to create speakable web sites. ShockTalk is the combination of Netscape, ShockWave and Speech Recognition technologies for the Power Macintosh and Quadra AVs. ShockTalk is a Speech Plug-in for Netscape that enables you to navigate web sites and hyperlinks using spoken commands as well as create shockwave movies that respond to spoken user interactions. To see (hear) an online demonstration ,The demonstration is a quiz of U.S. Capitals. Digital Dreams has licensed its technology for a Macintosh CD-ROM version of Simon & Schuster's Star Trek Omnipedia. "Working with Tim Morgan of Digital Dreams, we were able to script special commands which hook really smoothly into Apple's PlainTalk environment," says Peter Mackey, V.P. of Media Integration at Imergy, the title's developer. "Thanks to some elegant behind-the-scenes vocabulary management, we allow users to speak any visible hyperlink or index entry, which amounts to many thousands of phrases throughout the CD. It's almost frightening how well it works."

Adobe Recalls PageMill 1.01 Update

Adobe Has recalled their update to PageMill their best selling HTML program (see related story of March 1). It is reported that the update corrupts files. Adobe recommends deleting the updated version 1.01 and reinstalling 1.0 from you original PageMill install disks.
March 8, 1996

A Comprehensive List of Apple Web Sites

(This is a reprint of an article that appeared in the February 25th edition of the MacinStuff Times) Guy Kawasaki and Holli Kearns has helped provide a very comprehensive list of many Apple Computer Web Sites the complete list includies hyperlinks. Bookmark this page, it will definitely come in handy.

AOL and Apple in Bed

America Online, Inc. and Apple Computer, Inc. -- two companies most well-known for the ease of use, innovation, intuition and user-friendliness of their products -- have established a strategic relationship focused on the distribution of AOL to Apple customers and development of interactive programming and content by Apple. The relationship encompasses four initiatives. First, the companies have joined together to offer AOL as the preferred online service on targeted Apple computers in North America. Second, the Companies plan to enhance the AOL service offerings with Apple interactive, online programming. Third, Apple announced that it intends to discontinue its eWorld online service on March 31, 1996 and both companies have agreed to provide easy access and incentive for eWorld citizens to begin using AOL over the next month. Lastly, America Online has renewed its commitment for development and innovation to the Macintosh platform with new refined client software and complete World Wide Web integration. "What we have are two companies that have consistently worked to provide Apple users with the finest products and services available," said Ted Leonsis, President, AOL Services Company. "America Online has been voted by MacHome Journal's Readers Choice Awards two years in a row as Favorite Online Service. Apple Computer -- long known for ease of use and simple Internet access -- just ranked best overall in reliability and service in PC World's Consumer Survey. This relationship will bring together what consumers feel are the favorite online service with the easiest, most reliable PC to offer our online service to more people worldwide." "America Online has proven to be the most popular online service with Macintosh users so it's natural that we would evolve to offer AOL on the Apple desktop," said Steve Franzese, Apple Computer Sr. Director of New Media, Entertainment and Internet. "We believe that our cooperative relationship in these key areas will bring more customers to Apple's expanding online offering, more customers to America Online services and greater, more innovative content and access choices for the whole online community." Apple is in turn enhancing its own voice on AOL. The Company intends to expand its corporate and technical support services on the service as well as launching new interactive programming on AOL as well as the Internet. Education and Entertainment are expected to be areas of near term online programming development by Apple. Apple's expanding Webcast efforts and newly launched education sites on the Net are recent examples of this strategy. Members of Apple's eWorld will be offered a smooth transition to America Online. America Online offers the same family-oriented programming and learning environment that eWorld members have grown to know and trust. The two companies have taken a number of steps to aid the transition of eWorld members to AOL, including an email forwarding service, special transition forums and events and 15 free hours on AOL. Other family features include America Online's advanced parental control features, in which parents can simply and easily establish an AOL account for their children that only accesses the AOL Kids Only channel. America Online also offers unparalleled access to the Internet, along with news, shopping, travel, health, sports and personal finance channels. The Education and Reference channels on America Online offer educators and students valuable research tools, networks, homework assistance and comprehensive information databases.

AMUG Ships Cool CD's

"The Totally Incomplete PDA CD-ROM 5" for Newton/Sharp!

The only ISO Hybrid CD-ROM for Newton MessagePad users There are over 1500 packages on this PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) CD-ROM, adding up to 280 megs (on each partition - for the Mac and for PC)! Packages can be downloaded directly from this CD-ROM to your MessagePad using NBU, Apple's Connection Kit for Mac, or using NEWTINST.EXE for Windows (which is included on the CD), or another way of downloading packages. What's on it? The categories on this CD Books, Calculators & Scientific, Calendars & Clocks, Commercial Demo, Communications, Finance & Accounting, Games & Education, Health Care, Lists & To Do's, Mac/Dos, News, Programming, Resources, Shortcuts & Keyboards, StarCore Demos and Utilities. How to Purchase "The Totally Incomplete PDA CD-ROM" for Newton retails for $42.00 in US funds, however, you can purchase it for $29.00 during this special offer. To participate in this SPECIAL offer send the appropriate amount plus $5.00 shipping US ($10 international) to address at end of story, or orders are being processed through thier Web Site.

Get the Best get BBS in a BOX!

A collection anywhere. Over 300 BBS systems & MUG's utilize it as their Shareware CD of choice.Descriptions are provided for all files in Text, Filemaker and SitC=0 format. This CD-ROM is a GREAT personal library as well as the most popular Mac BBS CD! The Latest & Best Collection There are approximately 1800 new items on the Volume 17 three CD set. Volume 17 has approximately 6,000 files on Vol #1, 4,000 on Vol #2 and 2,000 more on Vol #3, in twenty-six categories equaling approximately 1,800 megabytes of compressed Macintosh software. This CD-ROM is the most current collection available with items added as late as February, 1996. BBS in a BOX is compatible with six (6) BBS systems including First Class, Hermes, MUBBS, Nova Link, Second Sight, and Telefinder. All of these BBS systems are excellent and we are trying to support as many sysops as possible. This CD-ROM also makes a GREAT personal library! How to Purchase "BBS IN A BOX" 17 is available for $69.00. To participate in this SPECIAL introductory offer send the appropriate amount plus $5.00 shipping US ($10 international) to: AMUG CD, Inc. 4131 N. 24th St. #A-120 Phoenix, AZ 85016 (602) 553-0066 (602) 553-0144 Fax America On-Line: AMUG sales@amug.org eWorld: AMUG CD Web Orders

Get Ready, Here it Comes System Update 2.0

No not another oldies song. Our sources confirm that coming this Monday March 11th, Apple Computer, Inc.,will be finally releasing Update 2.0 and System 7.5.3. The update should be available at Apples ftp Hot Downloads WWW URL. Be prepared to spend some quality time with your ftp program as the update is reportedly 18 megabytes. We will bring you more information as becomes available.

MessagePad Brings Clinical Reference Information To Health Care Workers

Apple Computer, Inc., announced that its Apple MessagePad 120 Personal Digital Assistant with a combination of its computing power, portability and ease of use, is proving to be an ideal delivery platform for clinical reference information. Physicians, nurses, home health care professionals, and pharmacists are finding an increasing number of clinical reference information titles for the MessagePad to fit their needs. Care givers are finding that information available on the MessagePad is more valuable than with other methods of reference because it can be found easier and more quickly than with a book and is more portable than a personal computer. In addition, powerful searches can be performed instantaneously that are not possible with textbooks. Care givers, who by nature of their work are mobile professionals, are finding that the MessagePad provides a convenient, single source for their references and their personal information management needs. They are no longer burdened with having to carry multiple reference tools such as an address book, calculator, schedule, and reference books. According to Patty Tulloch, Newton product line manager for Apple, "This is an ideal solution for care givers. It allows them to carry less and provides quick and easy access to information that enables better care for the patient. In addition, the MessagePad provides the added benefit of meeting their personal information management needs with its powerful, built-in applications which keep important contact and calendar information organized and instantly accessible."The following clinical reference products are currently available for the Apple MessagePad 120 with Newton 2.0:

Free Helper App Integrate Multimedia and the Web

Interactive Media Corporation today announced that it has extended the functionality of its multimedia authoring tools with the release of a free helper application to seamlessly integrate interactive multimedia projects with web pages. The application supports IMC's authoring tool, Special Delivery x 2.1 and allows web users to download and run highly interactive multimedia projects by simply clicking a link on any web page. Users can return to their browser with the click of a button. This application is available only for Macintosh computers at this time. The helper application works with Netscape Navigatorx and other browsers which support helper applications. "With the convergence of stand alone multimedia and the web, we have seen a growing desire among web authors to distribute multimedia projects which embody the high level of interactive control and dynamic media behavior which is currently available only in stand alone projects. This helper application, in conjunction with Special Delivery, allows the easy creation and effective distribution of interactive multimedia projects," said Roger Badertscher, President of IMC. The growing need of both intranet and internet users to create and distribute projects which utilize sound, pictures, video and text in a highly interactive and controllable manner has been expressed by corporate users, creative professionals, educators and students. The majority of these users do not have the time or desire to master complex programming or scripting to achieve the type of interactive control they desire. IMC's highly regarded multimedia authoring tool, Special Delivery 2.1 provides an extremely effective solution for these users without scripting or programming and is priced under $260.00. Now, in conjunction with the new helper application, these users, whether working over the intranet or the internet, can distribute, collaborate on and share multimedia projects easily.

Apple Names New Executive Vice President & CFO

Further fortifying its new executive management team, Apple Computer, Inc. announced today the appointment of Fred D. Anderson, Jr. to the position of executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective April 1, 1996. In his capacity as CFO, Anderson will oversee the finance, treasury, investor relations, tax, information systems and corporate development functions at Apple. He will fill the post vacated by Joseph A. Graziano and will report to Apple Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Gilbert F. Amelio. Anderson is the second recent addition to Amelio's executive management team. The appointment of George M. Scalise to the position of executive vice president and chief administrative officer was announced by Apple on February 29. Anderson, 51, comes to Apple from Automatic Data Processing (ADP), where he was vice president and chief financial officer. In that capacity he oversaw the controller, treasury, internal audit, tax, investor relations, real estate and facilities functions. He joined ADP in August of 1992 when the company reported revenues of $1.9 billion. ADP now has annual revenues in excess of $3 billion. Prior to joining ADP, Anderson held several domestic and international executive positions at MAI Systems Corporation, including president and chief operating officer as well as senior vice president and chief financial officer. He also served as a member of the company's board of directors. Earlier, he was a manager in the consulting division of Coopers & Lybrand. Anderson's career accomplishments include development and implementation of a major restructuring plan; completion of a public equity offering; negotiation of several software company acquisitions; reduction of accounts payable, inventories and fixed assets; and successful negotiation of debt financing for expansion activities. "Fred Anderson has an excellent reputation as an ambitious and action-oriented leader as well as a disciplined strategic thinker," said Apple's Dr. Amelio. "He is uniquely qualified for the role of CFO at Apple. He has a very impressive track record for managing assets, financial growth, and restructuring activities and will be a valuable addition to our executive team. We're extremely pleased to have him at Apple." "I'm very enthusiastic about coming to Apple and returning to California," said Anderson. "I'm motivated by the challenges, impressed by the company's products, people and their ideals, and inspired by the opportunity to contribute to Apple's success." Anderson received a bachelors degree in economics from Whittier College and an M.B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles. He served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force and is a certified public accountant in the State of California. Apple Computer, Inc., a recognized innovator in the information industry and leader in multimedia technologies, creates powerful solutions based on easy-to-use personal computers, servers, peripherals, software, online services, and personal digital assistants. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) develops, manufactures, licenses and markets solutions, products, technologies and services for business, education, consumer, entertainment, scientific and engineering and government customers in over 140 countries.
March 7, 1996

Miro to Team with inFORMed SOLUTIONS, Inc. to Show it's Macintosh Video Capture Board for The First Time on the East Coast at MacFair '96

Miro Computer Products will be introducing it's Real Time Video Capture board for PCI equipped Macs. Miro will be teaming together with inFORMed SOLUTIONS, Inc. and displaying miroMOTION DC20 at their combined booth at the New York Users Group MacFair '96. The specs on the board are quite impressive and compete head to head with products such as the Targa Board, Radius Video Vision Studio and Telecast and Avid Media 100, which sell for 4 to 10 times the price point. The miroMOTION DC20 provide full-screen (640 x 480), full motion digital video capture, editing, playback and print-to-tape capabilities at full 60 field S-Video quality. They are two of the first digital video editing solutions to take advantage of the increased bandwidth and throughput of PCI to deliver higher quality video output. By utilizing on-board Motion-JPEG compression -- at an astounding maximum data transfer rate of 3.5 MB/sec. and up to 5:1 compression ratio -- the miroVIDEO DC20 and miroMOTION DC20 provide optimal image quality, enabling users to capture, edit and create S-Video quality videos. Video clips and images can be edited and stored as Motion-JPEG files on the user's hard drive and output to videotape without sacrificing resolution or color depth -- preserving picture quality. The miroVIDEO DC20 includes Adobe Premiere, the industry's leading software for digital video editing, titling and visual effects. Still image enhancement and special effects can be achieved with Adobe's award-winning Photoshop. "The miroMOTION DC20 is unquestionably the best price/performance professional-quality digital video editing solutions available today," said Bob Butchko, president of miro Computer Products, Inc. "For just over $1,000, miro delivers a level of quality and performance that was previously associated with systems costing $4,000 + and more. We've brought affordable, professional-quality digital video to the market for the first time." Other exhibitors at the regional show MacFair '96 include Apple Computer, Claris, Adaptec, Inc., Avalon Data Systems, APS , Charles Schwab, Chena, Creative Media, Dantz Development, Data Description, Fractal Design, Intuit , Kodak, Linographics Corp., Live Picture, Mac Directory, MacWorld Magazine, Macromedia, MicroPublishing Press, Microsoft, Nanao/Cadest Micro Distributors, Okidata, Ray Dream, Specular Internationa, The User Group Store, and Wacom amongst many others.

MetaTools, Inc. Releases Bryce 2

MetaTools, Inc. today unveiled Bryce 2, the next generation of its highly-acclaimed, award-winning 3D landscape and terrain generator. Reinvented from the ground up, Bryce 2 takes 3D environmental design to an unprecedented level. Bryce 2 delivers visually stunning worldly scenes and materials that can be used for beautiful backgrounds and digital artwork for CD-ROM content, World Wide Web page design, game development, multimedia design and printed materials. Bryce 2 will ship by the end of March 1996. Paramount to Bryce 2 is its next generation user interface, designed by MetaTools' Senior Science and Design Officer, Kai Krause. The new interface gives users real-time feedback on every aspect of their scene, whether they want to preview rendered effects or the entire scene, or preview all or a portion of their wireframe model. Multiple render modes, including flat shading, preview rendering and patch rendering, and easier-to-use editing controls, such as automatic bounding boxes around objects that give users direct resizing and rotation controls, provide incredible imaging capabilities. The dynamic user interface is customizable in a number of ways. The industry's first multi-resolution interface can be sized to the aspect ratio of the image or monitor, depending on the view users need. Hundreds of new presets and shapes (primitives), including an organic rock generator, textures and materials, and specialized clouds, water and grounds are included. New camera controls, including pan and dolly combinations, real-time banking, focal controls and a tripod mode that allows the camera to rotate on its own axis, give users an unlimited view to their scene. New light sources include radial lights, parallel lights, spot lights, slide projectors that allows users to project an imported PICT image and more. Powerful new render options give users many new ways to preview their scene before rendering the final image. Bryce 2 raytraces each image generating the highest quality 3D image. The new render options in Bryce 2 now enable users to render an area without textures to view object placements; render using Phong Shading which isn't as realistic as ray tracing an image, but is much faster; patch render segments of an image; and view the wireframe model through the final rendered scene for easy re-editing. Bryce 2 will be available through MetaTools dealers and distributors worldwide by the end of March 1996 for a $299 suggested retail price in the United States. Registered users of Bryce 1 may upgrade to the new version for $99, plus appropriate shipping charges. You can reach MetaTools at Tel: 805-566-6200; Fax: 805-566-6385

Griffin Dix Research Associates Finds the Macintosh Continues to Dominate in For-Profit Color Publishing

An extensive survey of U.S. color "publishing for profit" markets just completed by Griffin Dix Research Associates finds that in the five industries studied (advertising, graphic design, printing, publishing and pre-press services), 80% of all computers used for color publishing jobs are Macintosh. At medium to large sites with more than five employees, the share of Macs installed jumps to over 85% and the Macintosh has a significantly higher return on investment than other systems. The Color Publishing Executive Survey, available this month, also confirms consistently lower Macintosh consumable costs, when compared to proprietary or Unix systems. The report, prepared for Apple's Publishing and Media Markets group, surveyed the high-end subset of the publishing market-- those industries involved in computer-assisted color publishing for profit. Griffin Dix Research Associates is a leading independent research firm based in Berkeley, CA. "With more than 600,000 Macintosh systems being used to design, retouch or produce color publications or advertisements in the U.S., we wanted an independent analyst to take a look at Apple's market share and the ROI and consumables costs those Macintosh sites were experiencing,"said Lisa Wellman, director of Apple's Publishing and Media Markets group. "Griffin Dix confirmed much of what we and many of our publishing customers have known for years- -Macintosh is the platform of choice in a for-profit environment and pays for itself much faster than an expensive proprietary system." The survey, conducted in August of 1995, also showed that among those who had replaced proprietary systems (identified in the questionnaire as "not off-the-shelf computers, costing $15,000 or more that use Unix or operating systems other than Macintosh or Windows") in the past 12 months, 45% replaced those expensive systems with Macs, 45% with another proprietary system and 5% with Unix workstations. None replaced a proprietary system with Windows-based PCs. Color Publishing Executive Survey Other conclusions offered by Griffin Dix include: -- In all sites surveyed, 90% use at least one Macintosh for color publishing jobs. -- 80% of all respondents said Macs are the most cost-effective platform for color publishing and advertising. Of those that use at least one Macintosh, 90% say it is the most cost-effective system. -- 74% of all color separations done in the five surveyed industries are carried out on Macs (ad agencies do 88% of their in-house color separations on Macs). -- The estimated total value of these Macintosh systems used to produce color print publications in these U.S. industries (including displays, graphics cards, and drives) is nearly $4.5 billion. -- The ROI from Macintosh systems is estimated to be nearly seven times higher than that of proprietary systems and over six times higher than that of "off the shelf" Unix workstations. -- Sites using proprietary systems have 3.5 times higher consumable costs per system than sites using Macs, per Mac used. "This report contains a large amount of significant data for publishing customers looking to improve system ROI or to reduce the cost of consumables," said Griffin Dix, author of the study. "And the major conclusion is that the Macintosh continues to be not only the platform of choice for the creative types who design and manipulate color, but also the preferred platform for replacing expensive proprietary systems by those who pay the bills."

The Long Wait is Over, Suitcase 3.0 Ships

Symantec has finally shipped a major upgrade to its Suitcase font management utility. Scores of users that have been using the problematic Suitcase 2.1p4 on their new PCI PowerMacs have reason to dance. Suitcase 3.0 is now completely Power Macintosh native and include a completely redesigned drag- and-drop interface, the ability to link fonts to specific applications, automatic font conflict resolution, QuickDraw GX, AppleScript and AppleGuide support. Suitcase 3.0 is available directly from Symantec and retail stores for $69.95-$79.95 US. Registered Suitcase 2.x users can upgrade directly through Symantec for $39.95. Symantec has made the upgrade rebate available through retail establishment. To receive the $30 rebate, Suitcase 2.x purchase Suitcase 3.0 from their a dealer and redeem the offer attached to the box. The rebate should be returned (within 60 days of purchase, no later than December 31, 1996) along with proof of ownership of an older version, and the receipt for Version 3.0, to the address provided on the rebate sticker. Complete rebate instructions are included on the box.
March 6, 1996

Farallon to Release Look@Me Next Week

Farallon Computing Inc. said that the Macintosh beta version of Look@Me will be available March 14 and the final version April 30. No dates have been set for the availability of FlashNote. Applets offering real-time, person-to-person file transfer and collaboration over the Internet for Macintosh users will be available soon. Similar to the "observe" function in Timbuktu Pro, Look@Me allows one Internet user to view the screen of another, but only with permission. Only the person whose screen is being viewed will have mouse control. Timbuktu Pro allows two-way control. FlashNote, works like the "send" function of Timbuktu Pro, users connected to the Internetwill have the capability to send files and short notes without going through a mail servers or gateways. NetManage will provide the Look@Me applet to its installed base of 4.5 million Chameleon users through an upcoming release of Chameleon, and will make it available for free download . Farallon is working with developers to seamlessly integrate Look@Me and FlashNote as plug-ins for Netscape Navigator 2.0 and other browsers. The "free" standalone applets and plug-ins are available from Farallon.

Astrobyte Extends Internet Capabilities in QuarkXPress BeyondPress 2.0

Astrobyte announced the release of BeyondPress 2.0, a major upgrade to their award-winning HTML conversion XTension. BeyondPress allows QuarkXPress users to publish their documents on the World Wide Web. Version 2.0 adds support for the latest HTML features, plus advanced image controls and automated conversion using Apple Events scripts. A Ground Breaking Tool BeyondPress 1.0 was notable for its unique approach to document conversion. The Document Content palette allows users to view all the content elements of a QuarkXPress document, and arrange them to form linear HTML articles. The Preview button converts text and images to Internet formats, and displays the results in a browser program such as Netscape Navigator. Users can also map their QuarkXPress style sheets to HTML styles to preserve text formats and select image conversion options such as GIF or JPEG, interlacing and transparency. BeyondPress also allows users to create links to uniform resource locator addresses (URLs) from within QuarkXPress. Enhanced Conversion Process BeyondPress 2.0 adds a host of enhancements to the capabilities of the original. Now users can add life to their Web pages with background colors and tiles, colored links and styled text. And take advantage of the latest Web features, including client-side and server-side image maps and conversion of tabular data into HTML tables. Image conversion has undergone a complete overhaul in version 2.0. Users can now crop and scale their images in the Image Settings dialog box, specify image attributes such as border width and alternative text, and choose a custom color palette for the converted image. Features such as custom headers and footers, editable HTML styles, date and time stamps, and support for Apple Events scripting make possible the automated processing of many documents. BeyondPress 2.0 ships with a sample script that will convert to HTML any word processor file, text file, picture, or QuarkXPress document you drop onto it.Pricing and Availability BeyondPress 2.0 will be available starting March 15 direct from Astrobyte and from distributors in North America, Europe, Australia, and South Africa. Single-user copies cost $595 worldwide. Site licenses are also available. Registered users can upgrade from version 1.0 for US$59 through May 31, 1996. Registered users who purchased BeyondPress 1.0 after February 1, 1996 will receive a free upgrade to version 2.0. For more information, send mail to Info@astrobyte.com, visit the Astrobyte Web site, or call Astrobyte Customer Service, at 303-534-6344. Astrobyte is a Denver-based developer of leading edge publishing tools. Astrobyte was formed in 1994 by former employees of Quark, Inc., and is privately held.

Let's Show our Support for Apple!

Macworld Online is holding a "Apple Confidence Survey". Since February, 22 1996 only about a hundred people took the survey. Let's present a united front, show your support for our beloved (most of the time) Apple Macintosh Computers, go to the "Apple Confidence Survey" and make your opinion count. You know the old adage that every vote counts, make yours count!

APPLE COMPUTER Stock Hits New Low for 1996

Apple Computer's stock dipped to a low for the year in part after the company canceled a teleconference with analysts at which it was to talk about its flagging eWorld on-line service (as reported here last Saturday) now scheduled to be shut down. The 100,000+ subscribers of eWorld were informed that the on-line service will be shut down on the last day of March. Apple stock fell 63 cents in Nasdaq trading to $26.25.
March 5, 1996

Our OT Woes Continue

We would like to apologize to all our faithful readers for missing a day. Due to massive hardware problems on two of our machines we were, and remain, unable to get on-line from our network. This update is being done on a stand alone 7200/90.

(The following 3 articles were reprinted from MacCentral BREAKING NEWS we would

like to offer our gratitude for thier help while our systems at MacinStuff were down.)

Newton 2.0 OS Wins Mobility Award

Apple's new operating system for the Newton MessagePad (2.0) has won yet another award. This time it was Mobile Insights Inc.'s Mobility Award, received last week at the Mobile Insights '96 conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Newton 2.0 OS beat out other contenders such as Microsoft's Windows 95 for the award, which recognizes the top products and services in mobile computing and wireless communications.

Connectix New Color QuickCam Coming Soon

Connectix has announced plans to ship a Color QuickCam for both Macintosh and Windows in the second quarter of 1996. The street price is expected to be under $300 (US). Connectix currently manufactures a black and white version of QuickCam and many users will be quite excited to hear that a color version is on the way.

Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer 2.0b3

Microsoft has released the Microsoft Internet Explorer for Macintosh version 2.0b3. New features include support for VRML, plug-ins, Internet Config, in-line QuickTime, GIF animation, and improvements to the Favorites list (Bookmarks in Navigator). You can get more information from Microsoft.

MacroMind To Release Director 5

MacWeek has the complete low down on the new MacroMind Director scheduled for released on March 31.
March 2, 1996

Apple May Pull Plug on eWorld Next Week

A report in The San Jose Mercury News states that Apple Computer might shut down the "troubled" eWorld online service as early as net week. Company execs told representatives of the News that the online service has failed to spark much interest since its inception in June 1994. The paper states that a final shutdown is scheduled for April 1, 1996. It appears that Apple is still undecided as to the fate of eWorld. There has been talk of converting eWorlds accounts to either an internet service or even persuing agreements with other online services. eWorld software is based on America Online. There has been no confirmation that any negotiations have been conducted with AOL, or any other on line service
March 1, 1996 Happy March, just three more weeks till Spring, Yeah!

The Continuing Saga of OPEN TRANSPORT 1.1b16

It's 10 PM Eastern time, we are on a back-up system. OT 1.1b16 is still giving us major headaches. Thanks to all of you that have emailed us offering your support and suggestions. This morning things went totally down hill. We were able to log on first thing this morning, that was the last time! We are continuing to get type 11 errors in every on-line program we use, including Claris Emailer 1.03, Fetch 3.1, Navigator 2.0 etc. We are now looking to see if it is a hardware problem (ram etc.). We will keep plugging away.

Navigator 2.0b1 Java Update

Well, the results are in and there is definitely some serious problems with Netscape's latest WWW browser, Netscape Navigator Java 2.0b1. MacCentral posted a query several days ago asking how our readers were making out with the new software release. The e-mail has been pouring in and over 90% of respondents are having trouble...big trouble, in most cases. Now, we were criticized for being too quick to judge a beta software release, so we would like to clarify a point or two. MacCentral is well aware that developers release beta versions of new software in order to find and repair bugs and problems, but we aren't in any kind of popularity contest here. This application is a large download, over 2MB, and if a large majority of our readers are unable to use it then we have an obligation to report this. You should always expect to find some bugs in any beta release, but in our minds, Netscape released this too early. Most of the readers who sent us mail regarding this aren't just having the odd glitch here and there, but major system conflicts, crashes, and other assorted nastiness. If you would like our aadvice. wait until the next beta release is posted before attempting to use this software. Of course, you could be one of the lucky ones -- one reader was having no problems at all using Netscape Java 2.0b1. Every single one of MacinStuff's systems crashed when using this version of Navigator.

Adobe Updates it's Semi-WYSIWYG HTML Program

Adobe has kept to it's promise, and has released an update of it's venerable PageMill WWW software. The PageMill update 1.01 has arrived and is now available from Adobe's ftp site.

Farralon's Timbuktu to Get Net Savy

MacWeek has a great article about Farralon's Timbuktu Pro and two new applets Look@Me and FlashNote. Both prooducts require direct connections to the internet. Read more about these two new free applets.
February 29, 1996

OPEN TRANSPORT 1.1b UPDATE

As reported here two days ago , installed the new Open Transport Bets on a 9500/132 with disastorous results. Today I did a clean install of system 7.5.2 release 2.0, reduced my extension set to "must haves", reinstalled OT 1.1b16 and...Well things have gotten much better.Today, I am now able to operate without crashing, but my system seems to be running about 30% slower than usual. We are trying to diagnosis the problem and will keep you posted.

Apple Comes in Numero Uno Again!

Apple: Excellent reliability backed by top-notch service. Gotta love them Macs." Such was the statement from PC World when they rated the Apple Macintosh as Number One in reliability and service for the third time in a row. PC World conducted a detailed consumer report of PCs based on the experiences of 17,800 readers. Each of the 19 companies surveyed was rated in nine key reliability and service categories. PC World readers gave Apple's customer support staff the highest possible ratings in technical knowledge, courtesy, and follow-up, as well as "best" ratings in the survey's three product reliability categories. "Apple has always been committed to creating the very best computing experience possible for our customers -- and that includes a comprehensive customer services program that's as easy to use as our products," said Jackie Whiting, vice president of Apple Americas' Customer Service Division. "We're delighted to have again been chosen among the top PC companies in this survey. The response from PC World's readers clearly reflects Apple's commitment to product reliability and customer service. Our customers know that we're here for them when they need us." Here is a recent list of Awards Apple has received:

Apple New QuickDraw 3D Rave

Apple Computer, has announced that they will be releasing QuickDraw 3D RAVE (Rendering Acceleration Virtual Engine), an API which allows developers to create exciting 3D renderings with increased speed and performance. Apple expects to ship RAVE in March 1996 for Mac OS and Windows 95, and a Windows NT version in the second quarter of 1996. RAVE will be available as both a Driver Development Kit for hardware developers and a Software Development Kit for programmers -- the API will be available on all supported platforms with no licensing fees to developers or vendors. "QuickDraw 3D RAVE is Apple's solution for vendors who need a cross-platform, high-performance solution for 3D software development," said David Nagel, senior vice president of worldwide research and development at Apple Computer, Inc. "RAVE enables the speed and flexibility PC developers have been waiting for in 3D and Apple has helped fill a significant void in this area. Just as QuickTime did for cross-platform multimedia, we believe that QuickDraw 3D RAVE will become an industry standard for 3D development and programming." Microsoft isn't real keen on this as they have their own 3D rendering technology, but it isn't expected until later this year, giving Apple a six month head start. Both companies are vying for their version to become the industry standard. Yeah Apple!!!

Apple Names New Executive VP

Apple Computer, Inc. announced today the appointment of George M. Scalise to the position of executive vice president and chief administrative officer, effective March 11, 1996. He will be a member of Apple's executive leadership team, reporting to Apple Chairman and CEO Dr. Gilbert F. Amelio. Scalise, 62, has more than thirty years of experience in the electronics industry. He comes to Apple from National Semiconductor Corporation, where he was executive vice president and chief administrative officer. In that capacity he oversaw the company's human resources, business development,corporate communications and external affairs. He will oversee similar functions at Apple although his role is not yet fully defined. Before joining National Semiconductor in August 1991, Mr. Scalise was president and chief executive officer of Maxtor Corporation. Prior to that, he held various executive management positions at Advanced Micro Devices and Fairchild Semiconductor. "George Scalise has been an outstanding member of the senior management team at National Semiconductor and has exceptional skills and experience in a number of business areas. At a time in Apple's history when flawless execution is particularly important, he will be a valuable addition to our management team. We're delighted to have him aboard," said Dr. Amelio. "Apple has a tradition of excellence in people, products and technology. I look forward to building on that foundation as a new member of the Apple team, " said Scalise. "In the marketplace, Apple has established relationships with loyal customers and talented developers who have been an important part of Apple's success. I'm enthusiastic about working with Apple to support and broaden those relationships." A graduate of Purdue University, with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering, he is a respected high technology industry spokesman, with special interest and expertise in competitiveness and international trade issues. He was a founding member of the board of directors of the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) from 1983-87. He served as SRC's Chairman from 1984-1987. Since 1992, he has been the chairman of the public policy committee for the Semiconductor Industry Association, and he served as the committee's chairman from 1982-87.
February 28, 1996

Adobe PageMaker Update Version 6.0.1

Adobe Systems has announced the upcoming release of a free PageMaker 6.0 update featuring new plug-ins, filters and enhancements. This PageMaker Enhancement Pack will be free for current Macintosh, Power Macintosh and Windows users and is slated for release next month. The Macintosh update adds support for ColorSync 2.0, updated PANTONE and Hexachrome color libraries, and several updated plug-in modules.

STAY AWAKE WITH Symantec Caffeine

Symantec has announced the release of Caffeine, a free update patch for all owners of Symantec C++ for Power Macintosh (version 8.04 or later) which is available for download via ftp from Symantec's Java Central web site and otherftp sites. Caffeine gives customers who own Symantec C++ for Power Macintosh a graphical, easy to use Java development environment. Caffeine integrates Sun's Java Development Kit (JDK 1.0) into Symantec's award-winning development environment for the Power Macintosh so you get the easy to use Java language in a highly productive development environment.

CNN POLL APPLE OR MICROSOFT ON DESERT ISLAND

CNN has an unscientific poll asking the question; Microsoft or Apple, Which would you rather have on a deserted island? I think Apple did pretty well check out the results for yourself.

IT'S IN THE CARDS (PC CARDS)

MacWEEK has an excellent article about those little credit card sized (PCMCIA) cards you slide into your PowerBook 190s and 5300s. It seems that they "users have accepted PC Cards with foresight, trepidation and high hopes."
February 27, 1996

USE OPEN TRANSPORT 1.1b WITH CAUTION

Apple Computers Open Transport 1.1 b16, has caused this user nothing but headaches. I have been using release beta release 11 for 5 weeks on a PowerMac 9500 with 128 megs of Ram with pretty good results. I installed beta release 16, and I have been encountering type 11 crashes all day while using Netscape 2, Photoshop 3.05, Emailer 1.03 and in the Finder. I would advise strong caution, and be sure to back up your system prior to the install.

UPS TRACKING SOFTWARE FOR MACINTOSH

United Parcel Service has made it's MaxiTrac tracking software for the Macintosh® platform available for free download from it's WWW site. You can also track your packages from their WWW site on the internet.

ADOBE, APPLE, NETSCAPE REACH FONT ACCORD

Adobe Systems Incorporated, Apple Computer, Inc., and Netscape Communications Corporation today announced that they will work together to define and deliver HTML extensions for type on the Web. The three companies expect to provide an open, cross-platform technology solution for using Type 1 and TrueType fonts in HTML and PDF documents. This new Web font technology marks a significant advance in the visual appeal of Internet information. People viewing information on the Internet will benefit from a rich font assortment on a page with excellent performance. People creating information for the Web will be able to choose from numerous fonts and ensure that users see their pages as they were originally intended to be seen. With Adobe's long-standing leadership in developing digital type, Netscape's leadership in open Internet software, and Apple's font expertise as the inventors of TrueType, users will benefit from: --Anti-aliased type for higher screen quality for both large and small type sizes --Embedded, compressed fonts for fast performance over 14.4 kilobit/second modem connections and font fidelity --Progressively rendered fonts which enable the screen to display text immediately --Font subsetting which improves performance because only the characters needed will be downloaded. This new Web font technology exploits technology already under development as part of Adobe's Acrobat "Amber" Plug-in for Netscape Navigator. The new font technology will be supported in the next version of "Amber," and later this year in Netscape Navigator client software. Apple bundles Adobe Acrobat and Netscape Navigator with the Apple Internet Connection Kit and the Apple Internet Server Solution. The companies plan a submission of this technology to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) as a proposed extension to HTML. The new Web font technology will be usable by style sheet designs such as the one the W3C is developing for HTML 3.0. "This new Web font technology adds dramatic new dimensions to the Internet experience enabling Netscape users to view and create pages with new richness," said Dr. James Clark, chairman and founder of Netscape. "This marks a collective effort by the industry to evolve type and content on the Internet and we are pleased to be collaborating with world leaders in font technology." "By working closely with Netscape and Apple, we intend to bring to the Internet the kind of visually compelling information users have come to expect in other media, such as print publications and CD-ROMs," said John Warnock, chairman and CEO of Adobe. "This effort marries well with Adobe's current strategy to make electronic publishing a graphically rich and rewarding experience for both authors and consumers." "Apple was involved in introducing to the market the two most pervasive font formats: Adobe's Type 1 and our own TrueType," said Dr. Gilbert Amelio, chairman and CEO of Apple. "Working with Netscape and Adobe, we intend to adapt these technologies to the World Wide Web, a medium which is growing rapidly in importance to the customers we serve. Apple's goal is to bring the ease of use and multimedia richness for which the Macintosh is known to the emerging Internet platform."
February 26, 1996

APPLE RELEASES SLEW OF PCI SERVERS

Apple Computer announced a slew of new servers today from Departmental Servers as well as Apple Extends Network-based Solutions with Faster Workgroup Servers and New Network Servers.View the Apple press releases for all the details.

APPLE RELEASES PUBLIC BETA OF OT 1.1

Apple Computer As a final step before general release of Open Transport 1.1, Apple is making version 1.1b16 of Open Transport available to provide customers a chance to preview the features, enhancements, and updates provided in the upcoming release of the finished version of Open Transport 1.1. Since late 1995, Open Transport 1.1 has been tested by progressively larger audiences. Testing versions of Open Transport are now being used by hundreds of customers and Mac OS developers. Apple's customers and software developers confirm that Open Transport 1.1 has made steady progress towards its goals for features, performance, and compatibility. This software is being posted in the "Unsupported" folders of the Apple Software Update sites on the Internet and selected on-line services. You can download OT 1.1b16 here, try one of these , www.support.apple.com, ftptoo.support.apple.com., it is on the ftp.support.apple.comThis software is being provided for test purposes and does not come with Apple technical support. Do not call Apple Technical support or the Apple Assistance Center with questions, comments, or problem reports about Open Transport 1.1b16. If Apple Technical support gets flooded with calls it will make it extremely difficult to get public beta programs like this approved in the future.
February 25, 1996

A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF APPLE WEB SITES

Guy Kawasaki and Holli Kearns has helped provide a very comprehensive list of many Apple Computer Web Sites. You can view the complete list including hyperlinks.

FINALLY JAVA BROWSER & PDF PLUG-IN

Netscape has finally released a Macintosh version of it's Java compatible browser Netscape Navigator 2.0b1. You can stop searching for the ftp address and download it right here. Be careful though, it is only PowerMac compatible and it crashes often, so don't dump your 2.0 version quite yet! Adobe (the Mac first developer?) announces a pre-release demo version of the Acrobat "Amber" (codename) Reader that youcan use to view, navigate, and print Portable Document Format (PDF) files directly in your Netscape Navigator window. Download it here.
February 23, 1996

QuickTime v2.2 WILL ENHANCE MAC MUSIC

Apple Computer today announced significant enhancements to the QuickTime(r) Music Architecture (QTMA) that will enable title developers to easily enhance their content by creating their own musical identity. These enhancements will be part of the QuickTime 2.2 release expected later this spring. QuickTime is the multi-platform standard used by multimedia software tool vendors and content creators to store, edit and play synchronized graphics, sound, video, text and music in multimedia applications and on the Internet. "Music is an important part of all multimedia content," said David Nagel, senior vice president and general manager of Apple's worldwide research and development division. "Today's announcement demonstrates Apple's commitment to providing leading-edge software that supports the integration of media such as music, video and animation in a consistent, seamless fashion across multiple platforms. QuickTime 2.2 is expected to be available to end users in Spring 1996, free of charge through Apple's home page on the World Wide Web and various online services.
February 21, 1996

HOTWIRED POLL MAC vs. PC

HotWired is conducting a poll asking you to vote for the computer platform of choice. Thanks to you Mac fanatics and Guy Kawasaki's EvangeList, the current standings are weighing in heavily for Macs. If you have not voted yet please go to the HotWired site and cast your ballot. Let's trounce the PCs. Current standings for HotWired Poll: 74.9%...Macs 21.7%...PCs 02.9%...Neither

THOUGHT YOU WERE HAVING A BAD DAY?

From Matthew Hicks comes this info about a wonderful??? Windozed site, Windows95 Annoyances ARGHHH! If you need something to cheer you up check it out, you will get a good laugh as well as fodder for you lunch meeting tomorrow. By the way if there ever is a Mac site like this we had all better toss our beloved Macs out the Windoze.

FRACTAL DESIGN GOBBLES UP RAY DREAM

Fractal Design Corp has acquired Ray Dream Inc, in a stock deal valued at aproximately $47 million dollars. The comined companies are expected to lay off just a small amount of its 100+ employees. Ray Dream Inc. is expected to maintain it's headquarters in Mountain View California. Ray Dream's CEO will become President of the new combined comapny.
February 20, 1996

AWARDS APLENTY HEAPED ON APPLE

Apple Computer recently secured a slew of product and technology awards from the computer trade press. Granting a key honor, BYTE Magazine this month awarded its 1995 Editors' Choice Award of Excellence to the Power Macintosh 7500 and Power Macintosh 8500. According to BYTE, an Award of Excellence "honors a hardware or software product whose technical innovation sets a new standard for products in a particular class." The Power Macintosh 7500 and 8500, introduced at Macworld Boston in 1995, delivers advanced performance via a RISC-based PowerPC microprocessor, running at 100-MHZ and 120 MHz respectively; three industry-standard expansion slots enable easy connections to faster peripherals and high-speed networking. In addition to affordable pricing, BYTE praised the systems for multimedia capabilities including integrated audio, speech, telephony, video playback and capture, CD-ROM hardware, whiteboarding and QuickTime conferencing. Also, BYTE selected the Apple ColorLaser 12/600 PS, Macintosh System 7.5.2, the PowerBook 5300C, QuickDraw 3D and QuickTime VR to receive its 1995 Editors' Choice Award of Distinction. The Apple Power Macintosh 9500 was honored with BYTE's 1995 Editors' Choice Award of Merit. "The honors and awards granted to Apple products by the computer trade press do much to help validate Apple's commitment to being a leading-edge innovator and provider of powerful computing solutions," said Brodie Keast, vice president of product marketing at Apple Computer. "We are extremely pleased that our latest generation of RISC-based Macs secured such a great nod of approval from the industry." In addition, the Macintosh monthly magazine, Macworld, recently named Apple Computer as the recipient of several 1996 World Class Awards, winners included the Power Mac 7500/100, which won the Computer System award; QuickDraw 3D, which secured the Best New Technology Award; and the Apple LaserWriter 16/600 PS, which won the Business Printer award.

APPLE ISSUES PRESS RELEASE RE: MOTOROLA

Apple Computer has issued a long press release regarding the licensing of the MacOS. Instead of putting the contents here we are providing a link to the press release.
February 19, 1996

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Apple Licenses the Mac OS to Motorola, Expands Licensing Opportunities

CUPERTINO, California- In line with its commitment to open licensing, Apple Computer, Inc. today announced that it has licensed the Mac OS operating system to Motorola, in a broad licensing agreement which for the first time allows a licensee to sublicense the Mac OS to other manufacturers. The agreement allows Motorola to distribute the Mac OS with computer systems it will build based on the current Power Macintosh hardware architecture, as well as on the PowerPC Platform specification. Motorola will also be able to sublicense the Mac OS to other computer manufacturers to whom it sells Mac OS-compatible motherboards or computer systems. Apple expects that Motorola will further grow the Mac OS platform by enabling, for the first time, other manufacturers who buy boards or systems from Motorola to sell Mac OS-compatible systems without the requirement of signing a licensing agreement directly with Apple. However, Apple will continue to certify all systems sold with the Mac OS to ensure customers of complete compatibility. "We believe that Motorola, a key player in this industry, has the resources and technical strengths, especially in the communication area, to help enrich the Mac platform and to expand its benefits to new markets and new customers," said Dr. Gil Amelio, chairman and CEO, Apple Computer, Inc. "This agreement is a major milestone in our licensing program, and is a clear demonstration of our commitment to open licensing." This agreement will benefit computer customers by providing them additional sources for Mac OS-based systems, and a broader range of feature-set, price, support, and distribution choices. It also provides the Mac OS software developer community with an exciting business \ proposition for existing as well as for new markets. This licensing agreement is another step in Apple's transition to a broadly open licensing model. Since it first announced its intention to license the Mac OS in September 1994, Apple has committed itself to creating a successful business opportunity for its licensees and has followed a two-phase strategy. In the first phase, Apple has focused its efforts on a relatively small number of licensees, in order to provide them with the level of technical support they needed to successfully implement Apple's proprietary hardware design. Apple, the Apple logo, and Power Macintosh are registered trademarks, and Mac and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. PowerPC is a trademark of the International Business Machines Corporation, used under license therefrom. All other brand names mentioned are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders, and are hereby acknowledged
February 18, 1996

BIG BLUE'S DEEP BLUE SUFFERS BIG DEFEAT

Garry Kasparov, on Sunday defeated his inanimate adversary, the IBM computer Deep Blue. "If you program in too much knowledge it slows the computer down, and we've discovered that speed is more important than chess knowledge," said Frederick Friedel, an adviser to Kasparov who is the creator of Fritz, a leading chess computer that can examine up to 180,000 chess positions per second (Deep Blue is almost 1,000 times as fast). "A computer that looks deeper faster is better than a computer that looks shallower with greater knowledge of chess." *IF YOU DID NOT UNDERSTAND THIS QUOTE, DON'T WORRY WE DID NOT EITHER!!
February 17, 1996 Photo by AP

APPLE PROBLEMS "VERY FIXABLE"

CUPERTINO, Calif. - Apple Computer Inc. CEO Gilbert Amelio says he's 100% confident about Apple's future and that the problems the company has are "very fixable." Amelio, has spent the last two weeks putting out the many fires he has inherited. Amelio will be outlining his plan to return Apple Computer to profitability by going "back to its roots"
February 16, 1996

CYBERDOG Beta 1 IS AVAILABLE

Cyberdog is the code name for Apple's newest way to explore the Internet. Based on OpenDoc 1.0, (WHICH MUST BE INSTALLED), Apple's new component software technology, Cyberdog provides a suite of internet browsers, data viewers, and communication tools to do what you want to do on the Internet. This web site provides news, feature information, newsgroups for discussing Cyberdog, general and technical FAQ files, lists of known bugs, and preliminary developer information. Software, bug reporting, and full developer information are coming very, very soon.
February 15, 1996

APPLE SHIPS NEWTON PRESS FOR MAC OS

Apple Computer today announced that Newton Press for Macintosh is now available to customers worldwide through Apple authorized resellers. Newton Press offers an essential integration capability to customers, making it easy to take important documents from their Mac OS-based personal computer with them on their Newton PDA. Using an easy drag-and-drop method, Newton Press users can create electronic reference documents or Newton books from files on a Mac OS-based personal computer. These books are created by simply dropping files onto the Newton Press icon on the Macintosh, which automatically formats the document so it can be viewed on a Newton Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) such as the MessagePad. Newton Press supports a variety of word processing, text, or graphics documents supported by the Claris XTND technology for the Mac OS. "The availability of Newton Press is a significant milestone in our endeavor to continue the positive momentum generated by Newton 2.0," said Sandy Benett, acting vice president of Apple's Newton Systems Group. "The numerous positive reviews and comments we're receiving are a testament to the genuine viability of the Newton platform and bring us another step closer to making Newton PDAs the ubiquitous device they were envisioned to be." With Newton Press, mobile professionals and corporate customers can take advantage of the combined power of personal computers, enterprise information, and Newton PDAs to easily publish and distribute electronic documents. Word processing files, email messages, graphics and text blocks from Mac OS-based personal computers now can be readily available to reference, annotate, fax or print from the Newton PDA. These electronic documents can even be distributed to other Newton users, making Newton Press a perfect solution for mobile professionals needing to exchange and distribute data. Said Tom Koballa, workstation technologist at St. Louis-based Monsanto Company, "When I'm in the field, which could be anywhere from the next door office to one of our regional offices, I need access to a variety of software and hardware reference information. Rather than haul manuals or my laptop loaded with the information, Newton Press lets me access and retrieve the information from my hand-held MessagePad." Newton Press for Mac OS is priced at US$69.00. A prerelease version of Newton Press for Windows is expected to be available free of charge online in the first half of 1996.

HOW ABOUT SOME JAVA TO WAKE UP TO

A Beta version of Java developement kit for the Macintosh is finally here. It runs on both 68x0 and PowerPC Macs. The kit includes the Java Byte Code Compiler; AppletViewer for testing and running applets; a database of class files used in the compiler and applet viewer; the Java virtual machine; a virtual machine shared library for PowerPC; documentation and several sample applets. For Mac users who want to see Java applets in action will have to download the development kit. There is no Java-enabled browsers for the Mac yet. JavaSoft is said to be working on a version its HotJava browser that will run atop the newly released virtual machine for the Mac. There has been no release date set.
February 14, 1996 (Happy Valentines Day)

MUSIC CONFERENCE PRODUCED ON MACS

The 10th annual South by Southwest Music and Media Conference (SXSW) will be held from March 8th - 15th, in Austin, Texas. (I know for a fact that this is being produced exclusively on Macintoshes) The Mutimedia Conference will kick off with an open house on March 9th, and continue thru March 12th at the Austin Convention Center. It will be a very cool event.

COMPLETE LIST OF NAVIGATOR PLUG-INS

You can find a complete list of all shipping as well as work in progress plug-ins for Netscape (Macintosh version 2 and above) at MacWeek's Navigator 2.0 Pug-ins page.

APPLE UNVEILS MULTIPORT SERVER FOR ARA

Apple Computer Inc. (Nasdaq:AAPL) today announced the Apple Remote Access MultiPort Server 2.1, a single, integrated solution for workgroups of 10 to 200 people who need scalable, cost-effective MacOS-based remote network access. The solution enables desktop and PowerBook users to connect to an ARA server for access to network-based information and resources at a remote location using included ARA Client Software. "The new MultiPort Server 2.1 makes remote communications easier and more affordable for Mac users," said Ravi Rishy-Maharaj, product manager, Apple Computer. "Because it's plug and play, secure and scalable, it is a perfect solution for small to medium-sized businesses or schools that need to provide remote LAN access." Improved Stability and Scalability The Apple Remote Access MultiPort Server 2.1 has improved stability and a new multi-line NuBus-based four-port serial card. The new serial card is a short NuBus card that will fit into Workgroup Server, Macintosh, and Power Macintosh systems. As many as four cards can be used with PowerPC systems, allowing the MultiPort Server to support 16 simultaneous connections. Multiple Levels of Security The Apple Remote Access MultiPort Server 2.1 has sophisticated built- in security features, including password aging, location validation and the ability to filter access to network services. It also supports third- party security products, including Secure ID and Factor2, for advanced user security and authentication. Pricing and Availability The Apple MultiPort Server 2.1 is currently available though Apple's authorized resellers and is priced at $1,099 (ApplePrice U.S.). For existing MultiPort customers, the software upgrade may be obtained via eWorld, America Online, CompuServe or Apple Internet site To purchase the Apple Remote Access MultiPort Server 2.1 or other Apple brand software sold by Claris, call 800-950-5382. Claris will also be selling Apple Remote Access MultiPort Server 2.1 through the ClarisPLUS volume licensing program. ClarisPLUS serves two main customer segments -- corporations and education sites -- and is designed to address how enterprise customers want to buy and use Apple and Claris software. ClarisPLUS offers aggressive pricing, flexible volume licensing programs and maintenance.
February 13, 1996

APPLE SCRAPS DIVIDEND

Apple Computer Corp. is scrapping its quarterly payout to shareholders and doesn't plan on resuming the dividends soon. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Apple said the 12-cent per common share dividend won't be paid for the final three months of 1995. Apple said its board doesn't expect any dividend will be paid ''in the near future given the financial condition of the company.'' Apple has said its loss from the current quarter would exceed its $69 million loss in the October-December quarter of 1995.

NEW POWERBOOK DUE THIS YEAR

MacWeek has a scoop on the new PowerBook Epic and Hooper due out (hopefully) this year. We are talking 133 Mhz -200 Mhz, finally internal CD Rom drives, 256K of Level 2 Cache & PCI.

PAGEMAKER FOR $199

Adobe is offering a special deal to try and make up some lost ground in the Page Composition market. For a limited time Adobe is offering a competitive upgrade to all registered users of QuarkXpress QuarkXpress that allows the purchase of Adobe PageMaker 6.0 for the promotional price of $199. All those Quark users have been patiently awaiting an update of Xpress for, well let's just say a long time now.

READ ABOUT GOOD MAC STUFF

MacSciTech has compiled 30 quotes, read good stuff about Macs, from 3rd party publications., grouped into four categories: Power, Ease of use, Compatibility, and Overall value. We love to read good stuff for a change.

NEED DOS/WINDOWS BUY A MAC INSTEAD

Reply now lets PowerMac 8100 users put an entire PC (that's the other guys WinTel that we don't talk about much) inside their computer, plugging into the PDS slot. The card uses a Cyrix 486 DX2/66, 486 DX2/100 or 5x86/100 processor and cost $695, $795 and $895. In June of this year they are going to offer a DOS card for the new PCI Macs, supposedly running at speeds of up to 150 Mhz Pentium. Reply's DOS on Mac card is now available for the Power Macintosh 6100, 7100, 8100, Macintosh Quadra 610, 650, 700, 800, 900, 950 and Centris 610 and 650 systems. I am still not sure who really wants to put a DOS card in a Mac, but There must be a market out there, somewhere!

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