mithomas@bsu-cs.UUCP (Michael Thomas Niehaus) (04/04/89)
For those of you who expected Apple to announce the death of the Apple II line,
here is some good news. The "good people within Apple" must have overcome
the "marketing people's stupidity" as someone put it :-)
Anyway, the press release follows:
Cupertino, California. April 3, 1989. Apple Computer, Inc.
announced today a product that allows teachers, students and home
video enthusiasts to bring personal computer and video technologies
together easily and inexpensively. The Apple II Video Overlay Card
for the Apple (R) IIe and Apple IIGS (R) enables users to superimpose
computer graphics (text, pictures and animation) over video images
from an external source (VCR, videodisc, video camera or television
signal) and view the result on a single screen. The final result, a
blend of computer graphics and video, is richer in content and
communication value -- and more compelling -- than either component
alone.
"The personal computer industry is in a wave of development aimed at
seamlessly merging computer technology with sound and video
technology -- the most powerful communication medium that has emerged
in recent times," said Bernard Gifford, Apple vice president,
Education. "The Apple II Video Overlay Card is a significant step in
this direction. It provides a low-cost capability that greatly adds
to the utility of the Apple II for communication and learning.
Moreover, it extends the value of video and computer equipment and
software that customers already own."
Markets and Uses
The Apple II Video Overlay Card is expected to be used primarily in
elementary and high schools, and in homes, the two markets with the
largest installed base of both Apple II computers and video
equipment. The installed base of Apple II computers is more than
4.5 million in homes and schools. According to industry research
firm Market Data Retrieval, Inc., 60 percent of computers in U.S.
primary and secondary schools are Apple II computers.
According to Talmis, a Link Resources, Inc. subsidiary, 89 percent of
U.S. public schools owned VCRs, and 9 percent owned videodisc players
in 1988. Nielsen Media Research found 62 percent of U.S.
households owned VCRs in November 1988, and 15.2 percent of those
also owned video cameras.
Video overlay is commonly seen on television where it is used to
display a news reporter's name underneath the live video of the
reporter's image, and in sports, to sketch over video replays,
highlighting the action.
To enhance learning, video overlay could be used, for example, in
physical motion analysis, video annotation and language and literacy
training. Consecutive stick figure representations, superimposed on
video images, can be used to analyze the gait of a horse or the swing
of a golfer. Video footage of billiards shots can be traced to mark
the path of the balls and demonstrate angles and geometric
principles. In language training, video overlay can display a word
while the student is hearing its pronunciation and seeing its image.
The same visual material with different overlays can be used to teach
different languages.
Individuals can add special effects to home movies or easily make
video greeting cards, explore landscaping plans by placing computer
representations over video footage of property, or annotate videos
created for insurance records.
Product Description
Computer video signals and video signals from television, a VCR,
video camera or videodisc are commonly timed differently. The Apple
II Video Overlay Card employs genlock circuitry to synchronize Apple
II timing to external video timing so both images
can appear simultaneously on a single screen. The card produces high
quality video
output and improves the display on both the Apple IIe and the IIGS.
When the card receives input that meets National Television Systems
Committee (NTSC) RS-170A specifications, it produces RS-170A output
which can be broadcast for NTSC television.
The Apple II Video Overlay Card provides a variety of input and
output options. It accepts video input from a VCR, videodisc, video
camera or television, and sends both a red, green, blue (RGB) and
composite video output signal. This means video and overlay can be
viewed on either an RGB or composite monitor, and/or recorded on a
VCR or broadcast for NTSC television.
The Apple II Video Overlay Card comes with VideoMix software that
provides easy control for mixing video and computer graphics. It
also enables the user to adjust the tint and color of the video image
which appears on an RGB monitor, much as one would adjust the color
on a television.
The Apple II Video Overlay Card is compatible with all software that
works on the Apple IIGS, which includes over 95 percent of software
for the Apple IIe. This means it extends the value of applications
customers already own. Paint, animation, presentation, titling and
authoring programs are most appropriate for use with the video
overlay card. In addition to numerous applications programs already
available, several developers are revising programs or producing new
ones with overlay-specific features.
System Requirements
The Apple II Video Overlay Card and VideoMix software works on the
Apple IIe with 128K RAM and enhanced main logic board revision B or
higher, and on the Apple IIGS with 512K RAM and ROM version 01 or
higher.
Price and Availability
The Apple II Video Overlay Package includes the Video Overlay Card,
VideoMix software in both 3.5-inch and 5.25-inch disk formats, an RGB
cable, a video in/out cable, and Owner's Guide. Suggested retail
price is $549. The package can be ordered at authorized Apple
dealerships in the U.S. on April 3 and will be available in quantity
at dealerships later in the month.
--
Michael Niehaus UUCP: <backbones>!{iuvax,pur-ee}!bsu-cs!mithomas
Apple Student Rep ARPA: mithomas@bsu-cs.bsu.edu
Ball State University AppleLink: ST0374 (from UUCP: st0374@applelink.apple.com)