mjohnson@Apple.COM (Mark B. Johnson) (05/14/91)
Apple Ships System 7: New Upgrade Offers Breakthrough Capabilities
SAN JOSE, California--May 13, 1991--Apple Computer, Inc. today announced it has
begun shipping System 7, the much anticipated upgrade to the Macintosh(R)
computer system software. The announcement took place at the annual Apple
Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose with more than 2,000 Macintosh
software application and hardware developers in attendance.
"System 7 delivers the technologies that will define tomorrow's computing
environment--today," said Roger Heinen, Apple's vice president of Macintosh
Software Architecture. "It brings breakthrough networking, productivity, and
information-sharing capabilities to the industry's most sophisticated platform.
And it does so seamlessly and consistently. As such, System 7 sets new
standards for software development and further extends Apple's technology
leadership."
System 7 is the most significant enhancement to Macintosh system software since
its introduction in 1984 and will provide all Macintosh users--both existing and
future users--with even greater ease-of-use and new, powerful capabilities.
System 7 works on all Macintosh computers from the Macintosh Plus, Portable and
Classic to the powerful Macintosh IIfx. System 7 is compatible with most of
the more than 4,000 Macintosh applications currently shipping, and has inspired
more than 100 new products that offer Macintosh users cutting-edge technology.
System 7 Gives Users Immediate Benefits
System 7 will immediately offer users new powerful capabilities and make
Macintosh even easier to -use. Customers who upgrade to System 7 will receive
the immediate benefits of new features such as TrueType(TM) font technology,
Virtual Memory, File Sharing, System 7 Finder(R), Multitasking, Balloon Help(TM) and
32-Bit Addressing. These new technologies will immediately add value to all
existing Macintosh applications.
Great Looking Type at Any Size: TrueType
System 7 offers all Macintosh users high-quality text at any size on any
Macintosh screen and on the printed page with TrueType, Apple's
industry-endorsed outline font technology. TrueType is compatible with most
existing applications and bitmap fonts and provides users with smooth type
quality on the screen and on any output device such as PostScript(R) and
non-PostScript printers, imagesetters, and film recorders.
Easier to Use: Finder and Balloon Help
In addition to offering Macintosh users more powerful capabilities, System 7
provides all users with an even easier-to-use computing environment. The
System 7 Finder, also known as the user's desktop, has been refined to provide
greater simplicity and power so that customers can quickly locate and use their
information. All aspects of the Finder including--fonts, desk accessories,
control panels and even the System--can be opened by simply double-clicking on
them. This provides one consistent and intuitive double-click metaphor across
the System. In addition, the new System 7 Finder makes system management and
set-up easier: files, folders, and applications can now be added to the Apple(R)
Menu; users can have outline views of all files and folders; and fonts, system
extensions, and control panels, can easily be installed by just dragging them
to the System Folder. The System 7 Finder offers all users many refinements to
the Macintosh interface, reinforcing the Macintosh reputation as the most
intuitive, easy-to-use personal computer platform.
System 7 also provides Macintosh users with the industry's first interactive
System-wide Help system. Unlike other help systems, Apple's Balloon Help is
non-modal, allowing users to get help while continuing to work. When customers
turn on Balloon Help and point to any object on the screen, a balloon appears
that describes the object they are pointing to and how to use it. Macintosh
software application developers are also incorporating Balloon Help into new
releases of their programs. This feature will enable users to learn
applications more quickly and get more value out of their applications, by
providing an easily accessible reference to more sophisticated, but perhaps
less used features.
Fast Access to Information: Finder and File Sharing
System 7 offers breakthrough technologies to allow Macintosh users to quickly
access files and to share information with other users. New capabilities have
been added to find and access files. By typing in a word or phrase and
selecting "Find," the system searches the hard disk and automatically brings
the file to the desktop. Find also offers more advanced options so users can
perform more detailed searches. For example, users can find all files that
they worked on today or files that were labeled with a specific color. The new
find capability offers users fast and easy access to their files.
File sharing is a fundamental extension to Macintosh that allows any user to
share designated items (files, folders, and even whole volumes of information)
with any other user over the network, without a dedicated file server. File
sharing follows Apple File Protocol (AFP) standards, which means that any
System 7 user can share files with any Macintosh System 6 user, and by using
third-party products with DOS and Windows users. File Sharing includes a
complete security model giving users the ability to provide levels of access
and password protection.
The System 7 Finder offers users a new capability known as aliases. Aliases
allow all Macintosh users to organize their system the way they prefer and puts
information just a double-click away. An alias, usually about 2K in size, of
any file, folder, application, or even a file server, acts as a pointer to the
original object. With aliases, users can have access to documents, folders, and
applications from more than one location. For example, a user may work with a
particular word processor each day and would like to have it on the desktop but
also organized within an applications folder. With aliases users can do both
without taking up additional space on the hard disk.
System 7's new capabilities offer Macintosh users a tightly integrated
computing platform unequaled in the industry. Aliases and file sharing provide
users with numerous benefits individually, and work in combination to provide
even more capabilities. For example, Macintosh users can carry an "office on a
disk" by making an alias of their hard disk, placing it on a floppy disk, and
when the user goes to any system on a network (across the hall, downstairs or
even to Europe) the user has access to the hard disk by just double-clicking on
the alias and typing in their password.
Memory and Multitasking: Virtual Memory and 32-Bit Addressing
With System 7, multitasking is a standard part of the Macintosh system,
allowing users to work on several tasks concurrently. For example, a user can
recalculate a spreadsheet, print a file, sort a database, and upload a file to
a network while continuing to work on a word processor document. System 7's
Virtual Memory expands the Macintosh's memory through software so that
Macintosh users can run more and larger applications. Virtual Memory uses the
hard disk as an extension to RAM providing users with more memory for peak use
times. In addition, 32-bit addressing allows users to install and access more
than 8MB of RAM. The additional memory users can access will provide
additional power for large applications and tasks such as animation,
computer-aided design, and scientific visualization.
System 7 Power is Unleashed Through Exciting New Applications
In addition to the powerful new capabilities users will see as soon as they
install System 7, a myriad of new applications will be available that
demonstrate the depth of power this new system software offers. Apple has
worked closely with Macintosh developers since System 7 was announced,
resulting in breakthrough applications that are available only on Macintosh.
These new applications are expanding the scope of personal computing by
standardizing on the unique new features System 7 offers.
Publish and Subscribe
In 1984, the Apple Macintosh introduced the concept of "copy and paste,"
allowing users to share graphics and text among different files within
different applications. With System 7, Apple has taken the "copy and paste"
metaphor one step further with dynamic document links known as "publish and
subscribe." Publish and Subscribe enables users to link any two
documents--regardless of the applications' vendor--guaranteeing automatic
updating of information. This unique capability of System 7 works over a
network and will greatly enhance the collaboration of individuals and
workgroups.
Apple Events
Apple events is the underlying messaging language that applications use for
sophisticated communication with other applications. It provides the
foundation for applications to seamlessly work together sharing information and
features on the same machine or over a network. Through new applications that
support Apple events users will be able to use features of a variety of
applications while working in one application. For example, an accounting
package can pass inventory data to a spreadsheet, instruct the spreadsheet to
graph the data and retrieve the graph for display in its own report.
Data Access Manager
The Data Access Manager, which ships as a standard component of System 7,
provides Macintosh applications with the underlying technology that enables
data access from remote host computers, regardless of the host computer, the
connecting networks, or the database software.
System 7 Offers Macintosh Users a Smooth Upgrade Path
System 7 is unique to the personal computing industry in that it offers all
existing Macintosh users a smooth upgrade path. Apple's stringent design goals
required that System 7 run on all Macintosh computers from the Macintosh Plus,
Portable and Classic to the powerful Macintosh IIfx. In addition, Apple has
developed a suite of tools for customers that make the transition to System 7
as easy as possible.
Before You Install
Apple has developed a HyperCard(R) stack entitled Before You Install, to give
users a better understanding of System 7 and system compatibility. Before You
Install--an industry first--features two sections of information, What's New in
System 7 and the Compatibility Checker. What's New in System 7 helps customers
find out more about System 7 and explore some of the new features before
upgrading. The Compatibility Checker--an industry first-- provides customers
with an easy-to-use, automated tool for checking application, desk accessory,
and control panel compatibility before moving to System 7. The Compatibility
Checker, available in the United States, includes information on over 650
products. In addition to the Before You Install stack, Apple provides all
users with a Compatibility Guide which offers the flexibility to use the
electronic Compatibility Checker or the paper-based guide to find out about
system compatibility.
Network Install
With System 7, Apple has also optimized the installation process for group work
environments. As part of the System 7 Group Upgrade Kit, Apple also includes a
network-install version of the software. Users will be able to upgrade systems
over a network with the Macintosh one-button install. This process will
alleviate the network administrator's time-consuming task of manually upgrading
many systems.
System 7 is for Everyone
Macintosh users who upgrade will receive the immediate advantages of System 7's
many new built-in features. System 7 works with all Macintosh computers
including, the Macintosh Plus, Macintosh Portable, Macintosh Classic through
the Macintosh IIfx, with 2MB of random access memory (RAM) and a hard disk.
System 7 is available to users through two versions, the System 7 Personal
Upgrade Kit and the System 7 Group Upgrade Kit. Apple will include System 7 in
the box with all new Macintosh computers by mid-summer in the United States.
Personal Upgrade Kit
The Personal Upgrade Kit includes 10 floppy disks containing System 7
software, the Before You Install stack, and HyperCard version 2.1. In
addition, the kit contains 90 days of free upgrade phone support, new user
manuals and the System 7 Compatibility Guide. The Personal Upgrade Kit is
available immediately in the
United States at the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $99.
Availability, pricing, upgrade kit contents and support options outside the
United States will vary by country.
Group Upgrade Kit
The Group Upgrade Kit includes everything that is in the Personal Upgrade Kit,
plus a System 7 CD-ROM, 180 days of free upgrade phone support, site license
and Group Upgrade Guide. The System 7 CD-ROM includes a System 7 configuration
that can be installed from across a network, an array of utilities, and online
documentation. The Group Upgrade Guide offers network administrators an
easy-to-use resource for upgrading small and large groups of users in varied
network environments. The Group Upgrade Kit is available immediately in the
United States for $349 (MSRP). Availability, pricing, upgrade kit contents,
and support options outside the United States will vary by country.
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Apple, the Apple logo, Finder, and Macintosh are registered trademarks, and
Balloon Help and TrueType are trademarks of Apple
Computer, Inc.
HyperCard is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. licensed to Claris
Corp.
PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc.
--
Mark B. Johnson AppleLink: mjohnson
Developer Technical Support domain: mjohnson@Apple.com
Apple Computer, Inc. UUCP: {amdahl,decwrl,sun,unisoft}!apple!mjohnson
"You gave your life to become the person you are right now. Was it worth it?"
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