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Reality News Is Updated Every Monday And Thursday
The latest public beta of Mac OS 8.5 was available earlier in the week, but seeded officially last Friday. Symbolically code named "Semifinal", Mac OS 8.5 beta 6 may be one public seeding away from hitting final candidate. While some noticeable glitches still remain in this build, they will probably have already been ironed out by the time you read this report. Mac OS 8.5 Beta 6 Markup
AppleScript And Application Switcher If you have any further information on this subject, please inform us. |
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1)Mac OS 8.5 Beta 6: Semifinal |
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| New Studio Displays to Complement El Capitan Project |
While rumor has it that Apple's Multi-Scan and ColorSync product lines may be in jeopardy, another display line at Apple Computer has just begun to blossom. Evolving with the 15.1" Apple Studio Display in March, Apple has received both praise and honors for these new displays. Aiming to follow in its footsteps, Apple plans to take the Studio Display product line to the next level beginning in early 1999.
As we first reported back in March, Apple has been hard at work on a new set of Studio Displays, larger Studio Displays. The two new additions to the product line will include a 17" model rumored to be code named "Chablis", and a 20" model which goes by the code name "Moby"; both named after grapes, you see.
Sources who've had the pleasure of previewing these new displays claim that they are the "most beautiful displays they have ever seen". Would we expect anything less from Apple? Of course not, so why ask? Sources also noted that though the new displays sport an almost identical color scheme to the original Studio Display, both feature a slightly different architecture to accommodate their larger size and weight.
Both displays are due for a simultaneous introduction along side the Yosemite Pro workstations that will feature the sleek new El Capitan casings (Early 1999, see following story on Yosemite). Why you ask? Because they will match, of course. The Studio Displays will complement the El Capitan casings beautifully, according to sources. In fact, they may be the only displays whom will match the new casings; all the more reason to keep that hammer a safe distance from the piggy bank.
Speaking of piggy banks, the new displays will carry a hefty price tag, though according to Apple sources, will be extremely competitive in the flat-panel display market. While pricing has not been finalized, sources state that Chablis, the 17" model should fall in the consumer price range. Moby on the other hand, will cost significantly more money.
Having said all this, lets not be absent minded to one important factor: you're not just paying for a screen, you're paying for some outstanding Apple hardware and design that surrounds the display. Supporting resolutions as high as 1280x1024, the new Studio Displays will draw glossy eyes and watery mouths from millions upon millions of graphics professionals and wishful thinking consumers.
Update: Moby, Chablis, Not Flat by Any Means
A handful of sources have noted that both Moby and Chablis are not Flat Panel at all, and may be shallower monitors that will aim to replace Apple's current Display line. Another source notes that larger LCD studio display may be forthcoming, but Moby and Chablis are by no means them.
Additional sources note that the new displays are traditional trinitron CRT's enclosed in "gorgeous casings" which "float above the desk on a tripod", similar to what was talked about on MacOSRumors a few days ago.
Sources also hinted that Chablis will land in the $600-$800 price range, with Moby breaking the $1000 price barrier. None of this has been set in stone, but we're working on getting the story straight.
We'll continue to follow this closely.
For more information check out the Apple Hardware Information Archive.
If you have any further information on this subject, please inform us.
| Yosemite, Alti-Vec, QuickTime, Mac OS X Server, and More |
Yosemite Pro Models.
While most of the information on Yosemite, Apple's next-generation Pro model workstations, has already been archived in our Apple Hardware Information Archive, sources who've been in contact with Apple representatives have passed along some juicy tips regarding their introduction.
According to a single source, Apple has set plans to announce and preview the Yosemite/El Capitan models in January at Macworld San Francisco, but not make them readily available till sometime in February of that year.
Sources also mentioned the possibility of Yosemite shipping with Alti-Vec enhanced G3 chips. This of course would imply that Mac OS 8.6 would be completed by February; since it will feature Alti-Vec support which Mac OS 8.5 does not. There is one thing for sure, the Yosemite Pro models will be multimedia powerhouses.
Alti-Vec and QuickTime
Sources also mention that Apple currently has boxes equipped with prototypes of Motorola enhanced Alti-Vec chips running development versions of Mac OS X. Apparently Apple's QuickTime division has begun work on a new version of QuickTime optimized for Alti-Vec which will ship with Mac OS X next fall.
High-end graphics applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Premiere, and After Effects have received acceleration of up to 30 times (30X) running under this suit. Shipping versions of Power Macintosh G3s enhanced with Alti-Vec will be shipping by Macworld Boston if they do not make the Yosemite release.
Mac OS Servers to Use G4 MP Chips?
Sources also blurted that Apple may choose to use IBM MP2 and MP4 chips, which don't support Alti-Vec, in a set of G4 Servers.
WebObjects and Mac OS X Server to Ship September 30th, Mac OS 8.5 October 9th
Recent word has it that WebObjects for the Macintosh will ship on September 30th. WebObjects 4.0 will be compatible with Mac OS X Server, which will also ship September 30. Mac OS 8.5 will ship on October 9th. On September 30th Apple will throw a party for its employees in favor of Mac OS X Server and WebObjects release. Our invitation arrived last Friday...
WebObjects 4.0, in addition to running on Apple Hardware, will feature a handful of impressive enhancements including integration with QuickTime and AppleScript. WebObjects 4.0 will also feature improved application server performance, with a number of Apple representatives claiming performance increases on specific operations of up to several hundred times faster than previously. Real world apps are said to be up to 3 times faster.
In addition, the new version of WebObjects will feature Multithreading for request handling, which will serve long running requests much better. Apple will also be building a set of development tools for distributed Java application development, as well as cleaning up the already present WebObjects tool set.
That's a mouthful, feel free to sip some tea during this next commercial break.
For information on Mac OS X Server, slide on over to our Mac OS X Information Archive.
If you have any further information on this subject, please inform us.
| DVD For iMac to Fill Mystery Slot |
Well, what a weekend; iMacs literally flew off the shelves, and it's quite impossible to find one for sale within a 100 mile radius. The key however will be for Apple to keep these puppies on the shelves. Apple also aired its first iMac television spot last night. It was quite humorous, and all together a well rounded commercial. Heck, we're more impressed by the iMac now then we were three months ago. It's an amazing machine. OK, enough with the mushy stuff, lets get on with it.
If you can recall our Macworld reports, we published what we knew about DVD for the iMac, which wasn't much. In fact, Apple representatives declined to comment so many times that they successfully altered the english language. What started off on Wednesday as "we have nothing to announce at this time" soon evolved into "nocomment" by Friday. And no, we did not forget a space character.
Yesterday, an Apple employee had a change of heart. It took a dozen donuts, some smiley pies and a cup of coffee, but it would all pay off in the end. Apparently the covered compartment on the side of the iMac (labeled "Mezzanine"), which once housed the external monitor port on pre-production models, will have the option of being filled with a new AV card that should ship as part of a DVD for iMac kit.
The DVD kit, which of course should include a IDE DVD drive (or possiblt a DVD drive which connects directly to the AV card, read on), will ship with an AV card capable of MPEG decoding for DVD playback. The AV card should also offer ports for DVD Video-out, or possibly both composite and S-video. A software package will also ship with the kit including DVD system software, the Apple DVD Player (awesome new-age software) and other DVD goodies.
Sources state that Apple may choose to include the DVD kit as standard, replacing the iMac's CD drive with a DVD, sometime down the road.
Well, that takes care of that.
For more information check out the Apple Hardware Information Archive.
If you have any further information on this subject, please inform us.
| Apple Secretly Developing a Business Mac? |
While we ask that you take the following with a grain of salt, we are by no means attempting to pass this rumor over lightly. Apple's current product strategy, as impressive as it is, still lacks a hard-core business model. It's been nearly two decades since Jobs and Sculley first laid down the plans for Macintosh Office, the combination of a set of Macintosh Computers linked together over a telephone line via a technology called AppleTalk, a central File Server, and a LaserWriter. Macintosh Office never saw the light of day due to the fact that the File Server would take 3 years to ready, and never again did Apple attempted to produce a compelling office product.
While no concrete foundation has been established, sources close to Apple hardware engineering claim that recent rumors of an iMac successor may not be all that they are cracked up to be. According to our sources, the rumors making their way around the web of future iMac hardware specifics may not be future iMac specifics at all, but rather the plans for Apple's reentry into the business spectrum.
Other sources claim that once Apple rolls out the consumer portable, Apple will shift focus to revive its business offerings. While Apple's high-end Pro models may seem suitable for office work, 90 percent of them include too many standard features for the average office terminal. Enter a sub $2000 high performance all-in-one business client, quite similar to the iMac. Basically, we're phase two of the Apple NC with phase one of course being the iMac.
Sources also noted that Apple has optimized Mac OS 8.5, and hence all future versions, for high performance over networks and has added additional tools such as Network Browser to help manage and access network servers. Mac OS 8.5 is therefore positioned perfectly for future business opportunities. And Apple already offers servers. With the addition of Mac OS X Server, who knows what lies ahead in 1999.
If you have any further information on this subject, please inform us.
| PowerBooks in 1999: Update |
After our report on Monday, Jason Ogrady had some interesting details on the future casing design of the new set of PowerBooks due out in Q1 - Q2 of 1999. Apparently code named "Lombard", after the curviest street in the world, Ogrady.com is reporting that that the casings for these new machines will feature translucent dark blue plastics (obviously with tons of sleek curves). We can immediately step right up with some confirmation to this rumor, as we've mentioned numerous times in the past by the summer of 1999 all of Apple's product lines will be shipping in translucent plastics. This includes the already transparent iMac, the midnight blue translucent El Capitan casings, the Consumer Portable, the Studio Display line, and then of course, the PowerBook line.
Improved Interface and Design
While we have established the majority of the hardware improvements in our previous report, sources have been kind enough to share shed some light on more specific features and improvements that Apple will introduce with the Lombard line of PowerBooks. Apparently Apple has been listening to their customers, both their complaints and their commendments. The Lombard line of PowerBooks will integrate Apple's common hardware architecture, extreme performance, and most importantly, they'll patch the holes found in the Wallstreet line of PowerBooks (if one could even say that there were holes).
Cooling Off
As we first reported on Monday, the Lombard PowerBooks should feature multiple resolutions via Manta hardware (though others claim that they'll used an advanced scaling architecture). In addition, one of the other major gripes with the Wallstreets is that they run too hot (you can literally burn your hand depending upon how long the unit has been running). While the new chipsets do indeed run cooler than the chips inside the Wallstreet PowerBooks, Apple will not rely on them alone. According to sources, and briefly mentioned on Ogrady.com, the new PowerBooks should feature improved ventilation, and a fan that actually helps cool the unit. For those who own Wallstreet PowerBooks, there is an internal fan, but it rarely comes on and when it does come on, it does very little to actually cool the unit. The Lombard PowerBooks should address this problem.
Jr., Not Jumbo
Another problem with the Wallstreets is that they are just "too damn big" for the average person to lug around every day. While source report that the casing design is not yet finalized, the candidates for the final casings are noticeably more compact than the Wallstreet. The smaller designs (both in width and height) will accommodate the larger screens, but according to sources will be somewhat "optimized" with less plastic framing the display and hence the workspace area surrounding the keyboard. The next generation batteries should help to lighten the unit as well, and will prove to be a factor in making the new units less cumbersome than the current PowerBooks.
Eye Candy
Some readers have shed disapproval about the idea of a translucent PowerBook, however sources who claim to have seen the designs state that while still translucent, the darker plastics are of a deep enough shade to allow very little internal visibility in comparison to the iMac's lighter shade of Bondi blue.
FireWire will not be standard on all versions of the Lombard PowerBooks, and they will not run at speeds in range 600MHz, just to clear up the misconception. The G3 processor will eventually give way to the G4 before it even nears the 600 mark.
For more information check out the Apple Hardware Information Archive.
If you have any further information on this subject, please inform us.
| Mac OS 8.5 Benchmarks And Tests |
Mac OS 8.5 is literally barreling through its beta stage, well on target to go Golden Master by the third week of September, just in time for an early October release. Beta 6 of Allegro was officially seeded to developers a couple of days ago, and we promise to have a full report on the latest beta come Monday. In the meantime, a number of Reality sources have been kind enough to provide sets of benchmark comparisons from recent builds of Allegro. It's important to note that these results do not necessarily foreshadow the performance of the final version of Mac OS 8.5. Mac OS 8.5 also features a number of "real-world" improvements that cannot be benchmarked properly with current benchmarking software because of the way the tests are run.
Allegro Features Improved Virtual Memory and Native QuickDraw
Below are a set of MacBench scores comparing Mac OS 8.1 and Mac OS 8.5. Tests were run both with and without Virtual Memory enabled. All tests were performed on a Wallstreet PowerBook G3 running at 250MHz with a 1MB backside cache running at 2:1, and 160 MB of physical RAM. The tests clearly reveal the drastic improvements in virtual memory that Apple has made with Mac OS 8.5. In addition, you'll notice improvements in the Graphics department due to advancements such as native QuickDraw.
Disk, and Publishing Disk Improvements
A set of similar tests were performed on a 604e based Power Macintosh 9600/300. Below are a set of MacBench scores comparing a bare install of Mac OS 8.1 with that of Mac OS 8.5, and a standard version of Mac OS 8.1 with a version of Mac OS 8.5 complete with a set of ATI XCliam 3D drivers. In place of the graphics test, this source performed the full set of publishing disk tests under both Mac OS 8.1 and 8.5. The results also show improvements in disk performance on 604e based towers. All tests on the Power Macintosh 9600/300 were performed with Virtual Memory disabled, the Disk Cache set to 4096k, and 128 MB of physical RAM.
Unbelievable Application Launching in Mac OS 8.5
A set of Application Launching tests were performed on the Wallstreet PowerBook G3 used to produce the first set of benchmarks, featured above. The results are unbelievable. Mac OS 8.5 features drastic improvements in Application Launching due to a new caching method. All tests below were performed on both Mac OS 8.1, and Mac OS 8.5. The applications launched under Mac OS 8.5 had been launched one time prior, enabling them to take full advantage of Mac OS 8.5. All times are in seconds. Launch times were practically chopped in half with Mac OS 8.5, and in some cases, even more some.
It's expected that Mac OS 8.5 will undergo final optimization just prior to being deemed Golden Master. At this time, we'll do our best to provide you with a final set of benchmark tests from the final version prior to its release. Tune in Monday for our report on Mac OS 8.5 beta 6.
For more information on Mac OS 8.5, and a full list of features, check out our Mac OS 8.5 Information Archive.
If you have any further information on this subject, please inform us.
Our track record for the past two weeks turned out not half bad. Apple's announcements followed our reports rather closely, with a minor discrepancy regarding the Pro Model configurations which no one can quite figure out. Apple also announced the FireWire kit, the availability of 256MB DIMMS, qualified 3rd party expansion chassis, and even the DVD video kit which includes the advanced personality card that will perform the MPEG decoding for DVD Video Playback; all of which we told you about last week.
In addition, yesterday Apple announced the plans for its iMac advertising campaign (their largest campaign ever), the same campaign we told you about on Monday. The press release has all the details (which closely follow those mentioned in our reports).
The G3 Servers and the 366MHz version of the Power Macintosh Pro models were not announced, however a couple of resellers claim that they have 366MHz models in stock. Regardless of the pricing on the 333MHz model stated in Apple's Press Release, resellers are offering the 333MHz model (and all the other configurations) at the pricing we listed earlier. (See Cyberian Outpost and MacWarehouse (who also have a listing of the 366MHz model at the pricing we specified last week)). Apparently someone screwed up somewhere. All of Apple's resellers received information identical ours.
Sources report that the 333MHz and 366MHz versions will remain in extremely limited quantities until the iMac demand dwindles. The G3 Servers should become available at this time as well. Apple also confirmed that these were indeed the "Silk" line of Pro models (notice the file name of the press release "12silk.html").
Speaking of the iMac, MacMall has a waiting list of over 1000 customers as of 4pm yesterday afternoon. When asked for an expected ship date they stated 2 weeks to 3 months! Holy Cows Milk! Other sources state that it will take Apple several months to meet the demand with supply. For Apple's sake, we'll go with the saying "It's just like any new product."
Our lavish display of arrogance will now come to close. You have a good day too now, you hear?
Recent Reports
Huge iMac Advertising Campaign Around the Corner
Apple's PowerBook Plans
DVD Playback for "Silk" Power Macintosh G3s?
New Apple Hardware in August!
New Apple G3 Servers Revealed!
Mac OS 8.5b5 Update Seeded
Mac OS 8.5b4 Inside Report
Apple's Consumer Portable Will Morph?
Unreleased iMac Radio Spots
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