Mac World. Apple to announce DVD-ROM support in Mac OS 8.1...................................................
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Mac upgrades due at Macworld
By Jim Davis and Erich Luening
January 2, 1998, 11:30 a.m. PT
update At Macworld Expo next week, Apple Computer (AAPL) is expected to demonstrate an upgrade for the Macintosh operating system while Microsoft is slated to introduce Office 98 for the Mac.
The minor upgrade to the Mac OS will offer performance increases and allow the company to support next-generation storage technology.
The revision to the Mac OS, called Mac OS 8.1, is expected to include a revised file handling system and support for reading DVD files, performance enhancements, better Internet integration, and other refinements, according to Apple.
Apple has previously said it will incorporate DVD-ROM drives into most of its Macintosh desktop and notebook lines by early 1998. DVD-ROMs are able to deliver higher quality video than CD-ROMs, now in wide use. They also allow more storage : DVDs can store up to 4.7GB of multimedia data, allowing playback of movies, while CD-ROMs can only hold a maximum of around 650MB.
Integrating DVD-ROM with multimedia technologies is a top priority for Apple because it is of such interest to its core audience of content creators. And judging by recent studies, more and more content creators will be ordering DVD-ROM drives in their systems by next year. According to Forrester Research, as early as 1998, computer manufacturers may begin to scrap CD-ROM drives in favor of DVD-ROM drives.
So far, the initial release of Mac OS 8.0 has been a hit for Apple in terms of retail sales. Observers expects the sales momentum will be sustained with the upcoming revision because some "fence-sitters" will be sufficiently attracted by the new technology to finally upgrade. Already, Apple claims that there are well over 2 million Mac OS 8 users, putting the company ahead of the pace it projected for user upgrades from Mac OS 7.x software.
Meanwhile, Apple is moving forward with the development of a new OS, called Rhapsody, as well as further refinements to the Mac OS. Apple has announced the developer release of a version of Rhapsody with the so-called Blue Box component, which allows users to run most older Mac OS programs on systems with PowerPC processors.
By mid-1998, Apple will release a major revision to the Mac OS, code-named Allegro, as well as the full release of Rhapsody.
Company representatives say they expect Mac OS 8.1 to be available in January--though it could come later depending on last minute setbacks--at no cost for registered users of Mac OS 8.0.
The Microsoft Office 98 upgrade constitutes a refresh of the full suite of Microsoft business applications, including Word, a word processing program, and Excel, a spreadsheet application.
The new version of the popular suite will increase automation of routine tasks, such as checking for and correcting spelling errors, according to Microsoft.
Industry observers say the January debut will be the first concrete example of the software giant's renewed commitment to the Macintosh platform following last August's spectacular $150 million investment in Apple Computer.
Among the most interesting additions to Office 98 for the Mac is a feature that hasn't yet appeared in the Windows-based version, the "self-repairing application." With this feature, Office 98 software will find and restore deleted files, sometimes called "shared library" files, which are critical to the implementation of a program. "Library" files are reusable pieces of program code used to share functions or resources among programs. Previously, Office software had problems starting--and in some cases wouldn't run--if these files were missing.
Other new features include a drag-and-drop installation method (in which users load a CD, drag the Office folder onto the hard drive icon, and the program launches itself), a faster thesaurus feature, and a technology called Office Assistant that provides interactive assistance as a user works in an application. Excel 98 will allow users to create formulas more intuitively.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has sought to emulate the look and feel of Macintosh, for example matching the gray color of Office 98 tables to that of the Mac color scheme. The previous version of Office for the Mac, ported from Windows, was not "Mac-centric" enough, Microsoft has admitted.
However, Microsoft has not yet committed to building Office--or anything, for that matter--for the upcoming Rhapsody operating system.
Office 98 for the Mac will consist of new versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as the Outlook Express email client and the Internet Explorer browser. The suite will also include support for popular file formats like HTML and Quarterdeck. It will not include the Access database. |
