The Best Deal, the Best Prices The Mall @ BestDeal.com 17 Million Products and services

Go to: MacinStuff COOL STUFFHOT DEALS
STORIES from4/16-4/9, 4/8-4/2, 4/1-3/28, 3/23-3/11, 3/10-2/23,
The online MacinStuff Times

Breaking Macintosh News & Stories Published Daily

Award Winning, The online MacinStuff TimesThe online MacinStuff Times
Currently ranks is 137 out of 167,007 sitesrated in the top 1% of all Web Counter sites
Averaging 1,000 readers a day
Up 136
places since March 11, On Web Counters
Web Counter Top "10"		Selected as Aprils Hot Site of the month by
Nominated as "Coolest Site" by IndustryNetIndustryNet Online Achievment Awards
 The online MacinStuff Times
has had
Digital Counter http://www.digits.com
readers.

New Features

Index of News Stories! We have added an index with hyperlinks to each story published. You can browse by individual stories back through February 25, and by date from February 25-13, 1996.

You can win prizes with MacinStuff Frequent Reader Award Contest, look for **number**!

Complete list (with links) of Apple Computer, Inc.Web Sites.

View a complete list of products available exclusively for the Macintosh OS as of 4/1/96

Send us comments, suggestions, rants, raves, news, thoughts, etc.

You can view the current "MacinStuff" press release here.

You can Help Make MacinStuff Count Cast Your Vote:

Make MacinStuff a c|net "Best of the Web" site!
Vote for MacinStuff, make us a a "Top 5%" site!
Vote for MacinStuff in the iworld Awards

April 22, 1996

Phone Home - - With Netscape

Netscape Communications Corp. is incorporating Internet telephone capabilities into its newest Web browser making it possible for millions of consumers to complete telephone calls over the Internet,

Netscape, using data compression technologies acquired in its recent purchase of InSoft Inc., is offering integrated telephone software in a test version of its Netscape Navigator browser Atlas, made available late last month.

The new telephone application, which can **52981** run on modems that handle as little at 9,600 bits of data per second, will be included on an updated commercial version of Netscape's browser, expected to be released later this year.

The telephone application, dubbed CoolTalk, features many of the limitations of current Internet phone software. Both parties, for instance, must already be online in order to initiate a call.

Netscape is working to streamline the hook-up process with plans to launch a separate server at its Web site. The server will provide a directory that tracks all users currently running the CoolTalk software, creating a gateway for completing a phone call instantly.

Other features of the CoolTalk system will allow users to initiate text-based chat sessions with other users and share graphic information on electronic whiteboards that simplify the process of manipulating and sending graphics online.

Navigator Product Manager Edith Gong said that although it's browser will offer users the most high-profile way yet for sidestepping long-distance telephone charges. Netscape does not perceive itself as a competitor to major telecommunications companiess..

Symantec Cafe for Macintosh

Symantec has announced the availability of Symantec Cafe for Macintosh, a stand-alone, professional Java-compatible development environment. Symantec Cafe features a native Java-compatible compiler that runs several times faster than Sun's standard compiler, an graphical class browser, tutorials, sample applets, and the Cafe Studio visual development utility.

Apple and Paramount in Mission Impossible


Paramount Pictures and Apple Computer, Inc. have joined forces in an innovative, large-scale promotional campaign centering on "Mission: Impossible," Paramount's upcoming adventure thriller starring Tom Cruise. The entire press release can be read here.

Fortune 500 Now Available for Mac

Fortune Magazine has the Fortune 500 list available fro download in Macintosh Excel format, you can download it here.

Apple's Amelio to Put Internet, Customers First

Apple Macintosh loyalists may soon reap a pay off, especially for those involved in the World Wide Web and the Internet.

Gilbert Amelio, Apple Computer Inc. new CEO, is making the Internet the central focus of his strategy for turning around the Cupertino, Calif. company.

Apple's new focus does not translate into products shipping at bargain basement prices.Apple's recent lowered pricing on some of its Macintosh line will likely become a thing of the past under the new strategy, which Amelio promises will return the company to profitability in the next 12 months.

``We're going to focus on setting our strategy in support of the Internet specifically, (and) in general the movement of the Information Age,'' Amelio said in a recent conference call with reporters in which he provided what he called ``a pretty sobering report card'' on Apple's problems. ``So we're going to migrate the focus of the company and the technology of the company towards the model that you see in the Internet space going forward,'' he added.

The new focus couldn't have come at a more critical time for Apple, which last Wednesday posted a record $740 million second quarter loss, including$388 million to write down unsold computers and other equipment in a bid to stem the flow of red ink.

According to analysts Apple already has a leading position among designers and authors of Internet sites, as well as a large portion of the on-line "servers"

Amelio said ``I think we just have to get closer to our customers,'' he said. ``I think we have allowed ourselves to focus too much on products and not enough on customers in the sense of getting technically enamored with some of the features. But not all of those features always transfer into perceived customer value, and therefore returns to the company.

``The consequence of all of this has been we have too many products with unacceptably low contributions,'' he said.

``We've had excessive product line complexity and we haven't made adequate progress towards aligning the resources of the company with what we need to do to add true value to our products'' in the eyes of its customers, he added.

Analysts are already applauding Amelio's new focus, which he is expected to elaborate when he addresses Apple developers at a convention on May 13.
``What I think what Apple needs to do is go out and turn some heads of
people who are not currently Apple computer owners,'' said Richard
Zwetchkenbaum, director of brand research at International Data Corp., a
consulting firm.

Zwetchkenbaum said for many buyers of personal computers, ''there's
this initial euphoria, and then a letdown as the PC vendors let the user
alone, let them fend for themselves.''

Apple could address this issue and provide a more fun, more seamless
experience for its customers, he said, if they would ''use vehicles like the
Internet, like E-mail, and database marketing, to directly communicate

with those who buy their systems and add relevance to the experience.''

Microsoft Stock Closes at Record High

Last Fridays Nasdaq close for Microsoft Corp. stock jumped to a record high, after the company reported strong earnings that defied concerns about a slowdown in demand for new computers.

Microsoft rose 75 cents to $109.75 in heavy Nasdaq trading, above its record close of $109 hit last July. It was the third most active stock on Nasdaq with more than 10.4 million shares traded. The stock was up 33 percent from a trough of $82.50 early this year.

Microsoft's fiscal third-quarter earnings, reported after the market closed Thursday, were roughly in line with expectations, but analysts said they would have been far higher had it not been for an accounting change.

Adobe to Allow Users to Print Over the Net

Adobe Systems will take the wraps off new software early next month that will let users send print jobs to remote printers over the Internet.

Although Adobe would not release details about the produc, the client-server software product will be aimed initially at corporate users who want to leverage their intranets to print jobs from remote locations, accordinic offering.

CompuServe's Q3, which ended January 31, has added 490,000 new members to its subscriber list of more than 4.3 million. Additionally 65 new corporate accounts were added, bringing the ttotal to 928.

H&R Block (Compuserve's parent company) reported a loss of $5.5 million, or 5 cents per share in its third quarter. Meanwhile CompuServe revenue increased 31.7 percent for a total of $203 million.

Free Email with a Catch, ADVERTISING


Two companies, Juno Online Services of New York City and FreeMark Communications of Cambridge, Mass, will begin offering free (with a catch) email service to anyone in the USA. ., will launch a similar service this spring.

You need only to have a computer and a modem. There is no cost for the connection to the Internet or online company.

The catch: Subscribers must tolerate advertising. When you use the service, an ad will appear in the corner of your screen. A different ad will rotate every 30 seconds. For additional information about the ad you just clickon it.

New Apple DOS cards, Logic-board Upgrades


Apple Computer, Inc. today introduced four new faster Power Macintosh models. The new line includes two machines with RISC-based PowerPC 604 microprocessors running at 150MHz; all new systems support up to 200MHz. Apple also unveiled standalone microprocessor cards that enable customers of previous Power Macs, with the innovative processor upgrade feature, to move up to 132 MHz performance.

The $1,299 Power Macintosh 7600 Logic **52981** Board Upgrade will transform a 75- or 90-MHz PowerMac 7200 into a 7600. The $1,799 Power Macintosh 8500 Logic Board Upgrade will turn a Mac Quadra 800 or 840AV system into a Power Mac 8500.

Both the 7600 and 8500 Logic Board Upgrades lack PowerPC processors - these systems house the CPU on removable daughter boards - so users must also purchase one of two new Processor Upgrade Cards. Boards with 120-MHz or 132-MHz chips will be $599 or $899.

Owners of Power Mac 7500, 8500 and 9500 machines will also be able to purchase these processor cards for a speed boost.

For users seeking to give their PCI Macs a split personality, Apple will deliver two Intel-standard
PC Compatibility Cards: one 100-MHz Intel Pentium-based card with 8 Mbytes of RAM costing $1,049, and one with a 100-MHz Cyrix 5x86 that goes for $799. Apple said the cards run Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups 3.11 and Windows 95, but not Windows NT and OS/2.

You can read the entoire press release here.


April 21, 1996

WebSurfer Available for Free Download

NetManage's WebSurfer browser, as well as an evaluation copy of the XoftWare X server for the MacOS.

WebSurfer supports HTML 3.0. It debuted in February along with the Mac version of Chameleon
with PacerTerm, NetManage's intranet connectivity suite. XoftWare for the MacOS is Open Transport enabled and supports file sharing and remote access.

The version available for download provides a subset of the product's full features and expires
after 30 days. The complete product costs $295. You can download **45011** a free version of WebSurfer browser here.

Complete List of All Macintosh Products

You can see the complete list of all Macintosh products as compiled by Apple Computer. If you have a product that is not listed here, you may go to the Apple Product Web site and fill out thier form.

The Boston Marathon and Macintosh

as seen by Parker Morse

Monday the 15th, was the 100th running of the Boston Marathon. I'm happy to report that the Boston Athletic Association, the organization which puts on the Marathon, is an entirely Mac operation, using mostly Quadra 650s with portrait monitors. The whole office is AppleTalked, with common server somewhere out of sight.

I saw all this while I spent the day up there working on collating data from the race checkpoints. Bib numbers from the top 100 runners are written down at 14 checkpoints through the race (5k, 5M, 10k, etc.) and faxed to the BAA office. At the office, five of us entered the data into Excel spreadsheets. Finally, when official results came in, we ran a custom macro in Excel which arranged all the checkpoints by eventual finish position: for instance, Moses Tanui, the winner, would be the top row, and looking across the row would reveal that his number had been spotted at all checkpoints, as high as 1 and as low as 7th. This system makes it easy for the officials to make sure all the top finishers passed most of the checkpoints. And it's all run by Macs!

April 20, 1996

UCSB Extension Announces 1996 MacSummit Conference

The University of California, Santa Barbara Extension (UCSB) today announced the 1996 MacSummit Conference, the highly successful, hands-on, educational digital imaging conference. This years MacSummit Conference will be held at UCSB from Aug. 14 - 17, 1996.

The MacSummit Conference was created by UCSB Extension and Guy Kawasaki in 1990, and is designed to build the global digital community by providing high-end professional training through four days of courses, workshops and lectures on multimedia, World Wide Web publishing, digital imaging and digital video. Through extensive hands-on training in state-of-the-art instructional facilities, Macintosh multimedia, digital video and graphic arts professionals, power users and computer decision makers will find a number of courses that will improve their creativity and productivity.

The Macintosh Summit is our best effort to bring together the finest instructors for a mind-expanding experience for Macintosh power users, said Guy Kawasaki, Apple Fellow and conference host. No one leaves a Macintosh Summit without vastly improving their Macintosh skills. -more-

UCSB Announces 1996 MacSummit Conference #2

Over the four-day conference, attendees choose from eight all-day courses, eight Master Technique classes, 32 hands-on workshops and four keynote addresses. Three of the four keynote speakers have been named, including, Guy Kawasaki, recently selected one of the top speakers in the U.S. by Successful Speaker Magazine (Dec. 1995); MetaTools Senior Science and Design Officer, Kai Krause, chosen one of the most influential people to watch in technology by Newsweek Magazine (Feb. 27, 1995); and Adobe Systems, Inc.s, Senior Art Director, Russell Brown, a much sought after presenter and instructor in digital imaging. Teachers for all of the classes are recognized professionals and trainers in their field.

This year UCSB Extension is partnering with MetaTools, Inc., who will be providing staff support, publicity and corporate sponsorship solicitation, as part of its continuing commitment to multi-platform professional development and training in the graphics, publishing and digital video markets.

Other corporate sponsors for the 1996 MacSummit Conference program include Apple Computer, Adobe Systems, Fractal Design/Raydream, Macworld Communications, Design Graphics Magazine and Digital Video Magazine. Additional corporate sponsors will be named as they join the program.

For further sponsorship information for the MacSummit Conferences, contact MetaTools Director of Education, email Jean Feigenbaum call 805-566-6200 or faxing 805-566-6385. To
receive a brochure on the complete conference program and registration information, call UCSB Extension at 1-800-325-2727 or send an email .

Claris Releases Emailer Lite Update V1.0.3

Claris has released an updater for it's Claris Emailer Lite. The update 1.0v3 is available for download here, or ftp'd from here.

It updates the version of Claris Emailer that comes in the Apple Internet Connection Kit and contains important fixes for users of Apple's new System 7.5 Update 2.0 and Open Transport.

NEW FEATURES IN CLARIS EMAILER LITE 1.0v3
  • Connect Again
  • More Information During a Connection
  • Show the Location of Enclosures
  • Drag and Drop Text Files into Messages

Macintosh Intranet Server Package


InterCon Systems Corporation announced InterServer Publisher(TM) 1.2, the industry's first integrated Macintosh-based Intranet server package to be Open Transport (OT) native.
InterServer Publisher 1.2 provides corporations with a turnkey solution for establishing a site on the Internet's World-Wide Web (WWW) using the Macintosh platform.

InterServer Publisher 1.2 allows users to create a highly interactive Web, FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and Gopher server site on the Internet using any Macintosh computer running under System 7.0 or later. The new release of InterServer Publisher significantly enhances access speed and performance with OT-native support and Web data caching. Additional new features, such as the ability to create individual home pages and folder aliases, increase the flexibility and manageability of Web servers.

InterServer Publisher takes advantage of the popularity of the Macintosh as a Web development platform by leveraging that same platform as an Intranet server. Now, small to mid-size companies can enjoy the ease-of-use, convenience, and cost effectiveness of using a single
Macintosh platform both to develop private Web content and to disseminate it over internal Intranets.

InterServer Publisher 1.2 provides several important new enhancements for creating secure, flexible, and easily managed Intranet sites, including:
  • Open Transport (OT) native support ensures maximum network performance, especially on PCI-based Power Macintosh servers, resulting in significantly faster information access for users.

  • Web data caching for nearly instantaneous access to frequently accessed pages and images, increasing the speed and performance of information access for end users. As a result of Web caching and OT-native support, InterServer Publisher 1.2 serves Web pages faster than any other Macintosh-based Web server, and faster than many UNIX-based servers.

  • Web folders for individual users make it easy for users to maintain their own Web home pages and related folders on the server. Simple one-step configuration makes it possible to create an FTP account and home folder that only the user can write to using FTP. This creates enthusiasm for the Intranet among end users and encourages them to become more involved and proactive in creating content for their sites.

  • Folder alias support within URLs allows clients to access files from multiple disk drives. This makes it easy to create links to items outside of Web, FTP, or Gopher folders, and dramatically reduces the need to store massive amounts of linkable data directly on the server. For instance, an entire CD-ROM can be made available using FTP or Gopher.

  • Server push animation eliminates the need for external CGI applications or scripts. Any folder of GIF or JPEG images can be automatically accessed.
No special software is required (except a Web browser that supports push animation).

InterServer Publisher 1.2 supports several standards for CGI applications and scripts, including MacHTTP-compatible AppleScript and Frontier scripts, CGI search modules, MacHTTP 2.0 CGI modules, and asynchronous CGI modules. Templates shipped with InterServer Publisher give beginners a jump start, while MacHTTP-compatible CGI support enables users to add interactive features. Developers can either use existing applications and scripts, or develop custom applications. InterServer Publisher allows users to create Web sites with leading-edge features, such as interactive forms, comment boards, database access, clickable image maps, and
restricted user access.

Pricing and Availability nterServer Publisher 1.2 has a list price of $495, and is available immediately from InterCon direct sales and select resellers.You can reach them by calling 703.709.5500, faxing 703.709.5555, sending email.

First Vanity Plates, Then Phone #s, Now Email?


Now email users have the ability to match their email addresses with their personalities. VanityMail.com. offers email forwarding from a vanity email address to a user's existing email account for $8.95 per month.

And for those wishin a "vanity" address only you can subscribe to thier full service offering 200 domain names, including prozac.com, BikeRider.com, and cyberdude.com The service gives its's customers the capability to compose their own **45011** personalized email addresses.

VanityMail.com charges a one-time fee of $14.95 for the service and $10.95 a month for an email account.

Apple Releases Additional Software Updates

Some of the software is not supported by Apple, so use with caution.

Eudora Pro 3 Beta Available

Qualcomm has Eudora Pro 3 b. available for download. To utilize the download of Eudora Pro 3b you must have the commercial version of Eudora Pro v2, the beta expires June 1.

We recommend that you read the Important Information before switching to the beta. Eudora 3 introduces a new address book, better searching and filtering, a new API as well as a slew of new features. Claris Emailer v 1.03 is Eudoras chief competition.

Interent Connection Kit Upgrade


The new version of the Apple Internet Connection Kit (v1.1) is now available, and version 1.0 customers are eligible for an upgrade to the new product. The update offers improved performance, greater reliability and interoperability, and product updates. Apple strongly recommends that AICK 1.0 customers upgrade to this new version. All components are free of charge to 1.0 customers, and can be downloaded from links on this page.

In order to download the upgrade from this Web site, you will need to either be accessing this page using the original Netscape Navigator 1.12 browser you received with your original Apple Internet Connection Kit, OR have the CD or Install Disk 1 floppy disk handy.

Internet Assistant for Word 6.0.1 Available


If you know how to use Microsoft Word, you already have most of the skills you need to create great-looking Internet documents. According to Microsoft, Internet Assistant adds functionality to Microsoft Word so that you can use the tools you already understand to create Web pages. No more learning those complicated HTML tags and typing them in by hand. Just save your Word documents as HTML and Internet Assistant automatically applies the correct HTML tags to them. Because Internet Assistant is Microsoft Word, you get IntelliSense technology like AutoCorrect, and AutoFormat while you create your Internet documents.

Internet Assistant for Microsoft Word provides an easy-to-use interface for inserting Hyperlinks, HTML tables, Internet forms, and all of the formatting that people use most. This way Microsoft Word users can reportedly create the richest, most compelling web sites in Cyberspace.

*Readers are reporting that this is a nightmare to set up, use it with caution!

April 18, 1996

IBM Stock Plunges

IBM's stock fell $10.25 to $105.25 on Wednesday, accounting for nearly 50 percent of yesterday's plunge in the Dow Jones industrial average. The decline followed IBM's announcement that the company expects narrow profit margins and lower earnings from overseas markets later this year. Overall, the Dow was down 70.09 points, or 1.2 percent, to 5,549.93.

Zip Drives Wins Award

Iomega Corporation's Zip drive has received the Millennium Hardware of the Year award in the Product Excellence Category at the Retail Vision trade show. Over 4,000 retailers voted for the Hardware of the Year award. The Zip drive was selected over Compaq's Presario 9240 and Hewlett-Packard's 855 Color Printer as the best hardware product of 1995. (PRNewswire 4/17)

Apple & Razza Host 3rd Digital Media Symposium

Apple Computer, Inc. and Razza Digital, Inc. today announced they will host the third annual Digital Media Symposium. This North American, two-day, seven-city tour is designed to provide digital media producers, interactive authors, video professionals and resellers with timely and
comprehensive information on creative development techniques and tools through seminars, hands-on training and product demonstrations. To address the growing use of the Internet and Web sites for communication, this year's symposium**45011** has been expanded to include Internet, interactive and cross-media authoring sessions.

Apple Taps Cinebase Software

Apple Computer, Inc. and Cinebase Software, Inc. today announced their intention to bring the Cinebase asset-management system to the Apple Macintosh platform. The Cinebase product is the market leading asset-management application for motion picture studios and post- production facilities. By bringing the Cinebase application to the Macintosh platform, Apple and Cinebase Software intend to provide studios with a more intuitive and easy-to-use method for managing film and video content from the initial concept stage, through production and distribution, and finally, archival and reuse. Major firms including Warner Brothers Animation, Discovery Online and several others have begun to implement Cinebase.

APPLE@TOWER: Music Retail Web Site

Apple Computer, Inc. and Tower Records have joined the best of Internet virtual reality technology with electronic commerce services to develop the Tower Records' Web site. Customers will be able to visit virtual Tower Records stores from around the world and make purchases from a selection of more than 150,000 music products. Announced today at the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) convention in Las Vegas, the new Tower Records Web site, powered by the Apple Network Server, will debut May 1, 1996.

Apple Introduces Two Power Macs for Education


Apple Computer, Inc. announced two new Power Macintosh computers. Both models, the Power Macintosh 5260/100 and Power Macintosh 5400/120, have been designed specifically for use in schools, keeping in mind the growing demand for multimedia-rich solutions, easy Internet access and expandability for future growth. Both systems feature Apple's popular all-in-one design, which includes computer, monitor and stereo speakers in one durable casing, and ship with the Apple Internet Connection Kit.

Power Macintosh 5260/100

The Power Macintosh 5260/100 has been designed as Apple's mainstream all-in-one product for schools, featuring a rich set of features and aggressive pricing. Because the system utilizes a 100 MHz PowerPC 603e processor, it runs calculation-intensive applications in ways that only workstations costing thousands of dollars more could process in the past.

This new system has been designed to handle the most demanding multimedia applications, with standard features that include an internal quad-speed CD-ROM drive and 16-bit CD-quality stereo speakers. An integrated 3.5 inch 800MB IDE hard disk drive and 16MB of DRAM (expandable to 64MB) come standard. In addition, customers have expansion capabilities for adding a video input card, a video-out connector or a TV tuner.

The Power Macintosh 5260/100 system includes a built-in 14 inch (viewable area 12.3 inches) color monitor capable of displaying 32,000 colors, with a built-in microphone, AppleDesign Keyboard and a mouse. It is available immediately for education customers only at U.S. $1699. Through June 1996, education customers who buy a Power Macintosh 5260/100 will also receive a pre-selected set of seven software titles, including a grammar and spelling checker and a multimedia encyclopedia of science and technology.

Power Macintosh 5400/120

The Power Macintosh 5400/120 is Apple's most advanced multimedia workstation for education customers, offering an ideal solution for multimedia authoring and high-speed Internet access. This system features the 120 MHz PowerPC 603e processor, and comes standard with 16MB of DRAM (expandable to 136MB), an internal 1.6 GB hard disk drive and an Ethernet connection for high-speed networking.

This new Power Macintosh system features the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) expansion bus architecture. Apple's commitment to this emerging standard means its customers can easily and affordably expand and customize their systems in the future as more PCI cards become
available. The system comes equipped with a video input card and video-out connector, as well as an expansion bay for an optional TV tuner. Also included as standard features of the system are an internal, tray-loading quad-speed CD-ROM drive, stereo speakers and a microphone.

The Power Macintosh 5400/120 includes a built-in 15 inch (viewable area 12.8 inches) color monitor capable of displaying more than 32,000 colors, an AppleDesign keyboard and a mouse. It is priced at U.S. $2,299, for education customers only, and is anticipated to be available in mid-May 1996. While supplies last, education customers who buy a Power Macintosh 5400/120 will also receive an Apple Presentation System, which will enable them to connect to a TV for viewing, or to a VCR for recording.

April 17, 1996

Apple Announces Quarterly Loss of $740 Million
Sales $2.2 Billion. Plans to lay off 2,800 within year

Apple Computer, Inc. today issued financial results for its second fiscal quarter ended March 29, 1996. The Company reported net sales of $2.2 billion, an 18 percent **45011** decrease from the second quarter of last year. International revenue accounted for 59 percent of net sales, compared to 54 percent of net sales in the year-ago period. The net loss for the quarter was $740 million, or a loss of $5.99 per share, compared to a net profit of $73 million or a profit of $.59 per share in the year-ago quarter. The primary contributors to the net loss in the current quarter were inventory write-downs of $388 million after tax and restructuring charges of $130 million after tax.

Cash on hand and short-term investments at the end of the current quarter totaled $592 million. The Company said it is further strengthening near-term liquidity by renewing certain short-term loans and by pursuing additional financing alternatives.

Commenting on the quarter, Fred D. Anderson, Apple's executive vice president and chief financial officer, said, "We've taken the decisive action necessary to align the balance sheet with current conditions and to reserve for the necessary restructuring of Apple. We can now turn our attention to implementing our plan with the same decisiveness."

Dr. Gilbert F. Amelio, Apple's chairman and chief executive officer, said, "In my first two months at Apple, I've focused on understanding the income and balance sheet dynamics of the Company as well as the strategic actions we must take to return quickly to sustainable profitability.

"With regard to ongoing financial results, it is clear that we need to reduce fixed costs, simplify our product lines and streamline our business systems. Over the next 12 months, Apple will implement actions in these areas including increased outsourcing of various operational functions, liquidation of certain assets, and reductions in total headcount of around 2,800 over the next 12 months. These headcount reductions include the 1,300 previously announced on January 17, 1996.

"With regard to strategic direction," said Dr. Amelio, "the intrinsic multimedia capabilities of Apple's platforms place us in a unique position to capitalize on the ongoing convergence of computers and communications. We will focus the energies of the Company on migrating to an Internet-based computing architecture while retaining the characteristic ease-of-use for which the Company is so well known. We anticipate the development of media-rich, interoperable products aimed at defining the computing paradigm of the Information Age.

Despite the obvious disappointment in the Company's current financial performance, I want to reaffirm my strong belief that the foundations of our business are sound. We are a leader in Internet information authoring and access through our Macintosh hardware and software products; we are a leader in the emerging field of mobile digital assistance with our Newton products; and we are a leader in the information appliance category with the Pippin platform. Furthermore, we have the unparalleled dedication and loyalty of our customer base. We will build upon these assets to ensure an enduring future for Apple."

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Potential risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the effect of any continued losses on the Company's needs and ability to meet demands for liquidity, continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the effect competitive factors and the Company's reaction to them may have on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company's products; the consequences competitive factors and buying decisions may have on current and future inventory valuations; the effect of the announced business restructuring on the future performance of the Company, especially the performance of the Company's employees; and the need for any future restructuring actions, and the effect that they might have on the performance of the Company. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company's financial results are included in the Company's Form 10-Q for the first fiscal quarter, filed with the SEC.

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, Internet content, 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 & engineering and government customers in more than 140 countries.

Netscape to Enhance Java Performance

Netscape Communications Corporation and Borland International Inc. today announced Netscape's plan to improve the speed and performance of Java applications running inside Netscape Navigator by including Borland AppAccelerator "just-in-time" dynamic compiler for Java applications. As a result, Netscape Navigator users will enjoy an enhanced Internet experience with faster execution of the thousands of Java applications available on Web pages and corporate Intranets worldwide. Currently Netscape Navigator is the only Internet client software commercially available that
supports the Java programming language. The non-exclusive agreement between the two companies extends Netscape's leading Java support by enhancing Java application performance throughout Netscape's leading open software platform.

Netscape plans to incorporate Borland's AppAccelerator technology, which enables Java applets and applications to run five-to-10 times faster than unenhanced versions, into future versions of Netscape Navigator. Even greater increases in speed may result when executing software applications that involve a significant number of computations. Terms of the agreement were not announced.

"By including a Java just-in-time compiler in Netscape Navigator, we will provide Netscape Navigator users with faster execution of Java applications. As a result, customers will experience significant performance enhancements across the breadth of Java-enabled content on the Web," said Bob Lisbonne vice president of client marketing at Netscape. "Borland is an expert in compiler technology and we're excited about Borland bringing AppAccelerator to market so quickly."

"Borland is both excited and pleased to license our AppAccelerator technology to Netscape. We believe it will help energize the wholesale adoption of Java as a corporate standard for Intranets and distributed client/server computing over multi-platform networks," said Paul Gross, senior vice-president of research and development at Borland.

Java is the popular new programming language from Sun Microsystems for building platform-independent distributed computing applications over networks, including the World Wide Web, using Internet protocols. Borland's AppAccelerator reads the intermediate byte code produced by
Java development tools and translates it "on-the-fly" into machine-executable instructions on the local client system. Initially, AppAccelerator will be available for Windows 95 , Windows NT and Macintosh clients.

Netscape continues to lead the market by providing support for Java throughout its leading Internet software platform to give users access to the wealth of live online content on the Internet today. Netscape Navigator, the first commercially available client software to support Java, is the most-widely used client software on the Internet with over 75 percent market share. Over 20 million Navigators are in use worldwide today. Netscape FastTrack Server software and Netscape
Enterprise Server software, now available in beta for immediate download from the Netscape Internet site, are the first web servers to support Java and JavaScript .

Already shipping, Borland C++ Development Suite 5.0 includes the "just-in-time" compiler, as well as a graphical program debugger and an integrated version of Sun Microsystems' Java Development Kit.

New Mac vs. Windows Video Available For FREE

Want to demonstrate why the Macintosh computer is still clearly superior to a PC running Windows? Then call for your free copy of Apple's new "Macintosh or Windows? 1996" video. The 25-minute video includes many side-by-side demonstrations to show the Macintosh computer's superiority in ease, multimedia, power, and compatibility. While it focuses on Windows 95, the video also addresses several key issues regarding Windows NT. To obtain
your copy, call StartingLine at 1-800-825-2145 from the United States and 303-297-8070 from other locations, ask for part number L01760A. If you'd like to make a volume order, send email to Jim Harper at Apple.

Cache Problem Reported with Navigator

Netscape Navigator users are up in arms. Reportedly a "Daylight savings bug" in Navigator v2 and 3, has caused some Netscape users to view cached versions of updated Web pages, without their knowledge.

The problem presented itself After Daylight Savings Time, on April 7. A quick scan of UseNet news groups turned up over 50 complaints about Navigator's malfunctioning cache and its effects. Users wrote of the "bug" affecting the Macintosh as well as the Windows, and Unix versions of Netscape 2. and 3.0 browsers. Currently it appears that Netscape 1.x versions are immune. Though their was a common consensus that the bug exists, no solutions have been put forth.
  • Some of the suggested fixes reported in the news groups are:
  • Reverting to an earlier Netscape
  • Turning back the computers clock to pre-Day Light Savings Time
  • Turn off caching by setting disk cache to 0
  • Totally bypassing cache

We have not tried any of these suggestions, and we strongly suggest you proceed with caution till Netscape issues a statement.

Apple Adds 3 AV Software Updates

Apple has released three AppleVision patches. AppleVision Software Fix 1.0 cleans up some problems with System 7.5 Update 2.0 installation and apparently also with the original software. you can download them here.

Search Engines to Debut New Features

Infoseek has announced a new faster search engine,"Ultraseek." The "Ultraseek" search engine is promising to beat all competitors in speed of lookups. Reportedly the engine can make 1,000 queries per second.

Ultraseek is scheduled for roll out in June and will replace Infoseek's current search engine. Ultraseek will be capable of monitoring 25 million pages a week for changes, and indexing every word on every page.

In related news America Online's Net access service GNN today relaunched its WebCrawler search engine. The new version lets users search by phrase in addition to keywords. The new WebCrawler allows users to surf the Web backwards showing all the sites that are hyperlinked to it.

No. 2 Online Service Compuserve Offering Shares


Later this week CompuServe will be offering of 16 million shares of stock, expected to sell between for $27 - $30 each, bringing as much as $480 million, according to the company's underwriter, Goldman, Sachs & Company.

H&R Block, CompuServe's parent company, announced in February that it will spin off its stake in the service this year. Block will continue to hold an 80 percent stake in the company after its initial public offering.

CompuServe's Q3, which ended January 31, has added 490,000 new members to its subscriber list of more than 4.3 million. Additionally 65 new corporate accounts were added, bringing the ttotal to 928.

H&R Block (Compuserve's parent company) reported a loss of $5.5 million, or 5 cents per share in its third quarter. Meanwhile CompuServe revenue increased 31.7 percent for a total of $203 million.