The Developer Business Report October 1995 AppleDirections

Inside This Issue Apple News Strategy Mosaic

Editor’s Note: Doing What’s Right 2 Apple Releases PCI—The Future IndustryWatch: Enough to Make a Grown Man Cry 3 PowerPC of Macintosh DOS Compatible Systems Can Maintain Both Windows 3.x and Windows 95 9 Processor–Based Expansion New Computers By Gregg Williams, Apple Directions staff Outperform Pentium 9 PowerBook Netscape Adopts QuickTime, Quick- Imagine being the world’s greatest automobile Time VR in Strategic Agreement 10 mechanic and making a hobby out of improv- Computers ing your favorite car. You add a new engine, The Mac Speaks Back 10 better brakes, luxury seats—and pretty soon, New Technology Designed you realize that you’ve got a brand new car, CD Highlights: System to Retake the Lead Edition, October 1995 11 and it’s hot! Something very much like that is happen- Human Interface: This Old Interface 12 Apple Computer, Inc., recently announced a ing to the Macintosh (and Mac OS) platform. complete renewal of its Apple PowerBook line Apple has already replaced the Motorola QuickDraw 3D—The Future Is of computers. The Macintosh PowerBook 680x0 processor with the PowerPC processor. (Virtually) Here 14 5300 and PowerBook Duo 2300 series are OpenDoc and, later, Copland will enable OpenDoc Human Interface FAQs 21 Apple’s first notebook computers to employ developers to do much more with software. the PowerPC 603e RISC processor; the new But it may not have occurred to you that Marketing Feature: Apple Guide— PowerBook 190 series offers the performance Apple Computer, Inc., has just replaced anoth- Intelligent Help for Your Business 25 of the previously top-of-the-line 68040 proces- er fundamental building block that has been sor–based PowerBook 500 series at a more with the Macintosh since 1987—the NuBus™ The Internet Page 30 affordable price. In addition, Apple announced expansion architecture. Developer University Schedule 32 upgrade kits enabling PowerBook Duo 200 NuBus has served the Macintosh communi- and PowerBook 500 series customers to ty well in the past eight years, but it can no upgrade their systems with 100-MHz PowerPC longer keep pace with the demands of the 603e processors. market for digital video, high-speed network- Apple expects the technically advanced ing, and other real-world solutions. Apple PowerBook 5300, PowerBook Duo 2300, and engineers have been searching for a successor PowerBook 190 systems, all of which employ to NuBus and have decided on one that larger screens and the new trackpad pointing should take Mac OS–based computers into device instead of the current trackball, to help the next decade. it retake the lead in the fiercely contested The solution that Apple chose is the PCI market for computers. The Wall Street (Peripheral Component Interconnect) please turn to page 7 please turn to page 5 AppleDirections 2 News AppleDirections Editor’s Note Volume 3, Number 10 Doing What’s Right Apple Directions, the monthly developer newsletter of Apple Computer, Inc., communicates Apple’s A few changes—good ones—have been developers to lead us into areas we haven’t strategic, business, and technical directions to decision makers at development companies to help made recently at Apple in response to direct explored. We’ll make sure that the coolest maximize their development dollar. It is published criticism and feedback from developers. I’m apps come out on the Mac platform first. We by the Apple Developer Periodicals group within Apple’s Developer Press. telling you about them because I want you will grovel to our established developers, to realize that Apple is listening to you and seduce the brightest and best young pro- Editor trying to do the right thing. grammers, and even pick off Mac “atheists” Paul Dreyfus (AppleLink: DREYFUS.P) First, Apple Senior Vice President Dave here and there. Technical Editor Nagel recently formed a new Developer We are committed to doing what’s right Gregg Williams (GREGGW) Relations organization, led by a vice presi- for developers, and giving them the Business & Marketing Editor dent reporting directly to him. This is the resources and information they need. Kris Newby (NEWBY.K) first time that Apple’s developer support This last comment brings me to the sec- Associate Editor infrastructure has reported in at such a high ond change I want to tell you about: The Anne Szabla (SZABLA) level; remember, Dave reports directly to prices of just about all of Apple’s important Production Editor Michael Spindler. It’s a signal of just how developer materials have just gone down, Lisa Ferdinandsen (LISAFERD) seriously Apple takes its commitment to you again directly in response to your Contributors and other developers. The new organization complaints. Peter Bickford, Dave Curbow, Alex Dosher, Elizabeth includes Developer Support under Shirley For example, a one-year subscription to Dykstra-Erickson, Bob Megantz, Kris Newby, Kerry Ortega Stas, Developer Press under Dennis Apple Directions now costs $49, half of what Matthews, Developer Evangelism under you used to pay for it. The Developer Mail- Manager, Developer Press Ford Johnson, and European Developer ing, which includes and Dennis Matthews Apple Directions Services under David Krathwohl. the Developer CD, has been reduced from Manager, Apple Developer Periodicals Don’t just take my word for it. Apple $250 to $149. Mark Bloomquist Fellow Guy Kawasaki had a lot to say about Here are some other significant reduc- Production Manager the new group in a recent interview. He was tions: Diane Wilcox asked whether he was “in denial” about the • Newton Developer Mailing: $149 Prepress/Film lingering perception “that Macintosh is (reduced from $200) Aptos Post losing support from developers.” Here’s his • Apple Multimedia Program Mailing: answer: $300 (reduced from $400) Wolfer Printing Co., Inc., Los Angeles, CA I can be accused of many things but not • New subcriptions to E.T.O (Essentials, © 1995 Apple Computer, Inc., 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, denial. My momma used to tell me “When Tools, Objects): $795 (reduced from $1095) CA 95014, 408-996-1010. All rights reserved. nine people tell you you’re drunk, catch a • E.T.O renewals: $250 (reduced from Apple, the Apple logo, APDA, AppleTalk, HyperCard, LocalTalk, Mac, MacApp, Macintosh, , MPW, Newton, Performa, cab.” Apple is catching a cab. We’ve gotten $400) PlainTalk, PowerBook, PowerTalk, QuickTime, and TrueType are some messages, including the one about The new prices should save most of you a trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. AppleScript, AppleSoft, AppleVision, Code Warrior, develop, developer support, in a big way. goodly sum, money you can spend on more eWorld, , MacinTalk, OpenDoc, Power Mac, PowerShare, and There’s a new attitude—more aggressive important things (like overtime for your QuickDraw are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Adobe, Acrobat, Photoshop, and PostScript are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorpo- and forceful and competitive. And there’s a programmers, human interface design, rated, which may be registered in certain jurisdictions. NuBus is a realization that a huge part of Apple’s suc- usability testing, and so on). For a complete trademark of Texas Instruments. PowerPC is a trademark of Interna- tional Business Machines Corporation, used under license therefrom. cess hinges on taking care of developers. list of reductions, get in touch with APDA UNIX is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc. in the United States and We’ve reorganized the major functions of and ask for the latest catalog. (For informa- other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company, Ltd. WiggleWorks is a trademark of Scholastic, Inc. All other trademarks are developer support into one organization tion on how to do so, see “APDA Ordering the property of their respective owners. managed by Shirley Stas. Information” on page 32.) Mention of products in this publication is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a Shirley and I have been empowered to I can hear some of you saying, “Gosh, he recommendation. All product specifications and descriptions were catalyze change and encourage Apple to works at Apple, and I bet he gets paid to say supplied by the respective vendor or supplier. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of take the risks necessary to ignite the devel- stuff like that.” That’s true, but I think you’ll the products listed in this publication. All understandings, agree- opment of more great software. We report agree that these changes are very positive ments, or warranties take place directly between the vendors and prospective users. Limitation of liability: Apple makes no warranties directly to Dave Nagel—this is the highest steps as far as Apple’s commitment to devel- with respect to the contents of products listed in this publication or position that Developer Services has ever opers go. Write me and let me know what of the completeness or accuracy of this publication. Apple specifi- cally disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including, but not reported to in the history of Apple. you think; my e-mail address is limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a Attitudes all around Apple are changing. [email protected]. particular purpose. We are more honest and up front with Paul Dreyfus developers. We are more open to enabling Editor

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections News 3

IndustryWatch: News & Perspective Enough to Make a Grown Man Cry Windows 95: The Problems Begin line is going to be bombarded. Finally, there’s no doubt that Windows The hype is over, and the world had adjusted to Microsoft paying a 95 will sell in great quantity. Microsoft’s hype campaign has been so reported $12 million (!) to use the Rolling Stones’ song “Start Me Up” effective that, according to the Wall Street Journal, a teenager in Cam- in Windows 95 ads. Now customers are settling in to discover just what bridge, Massachusetts, spent the money he’d been saving for an elec- Windows 95 has in store for them. Yes, it provides significant tric guitar on Windows 95, saying, “I feel really dumb buying it, but it’s improvements over the previous release. It also provides a boat-load one of those media things. . . . My dad wouldn’t buy it for me because of problems. he thinks it will have too many bugs.” Also according to the Journal, a Customers’ problems fall into three main areas: hospitalized 57-year-old writer left her bed to buy it, even though she • Hardware. Most customers will have to buy more memory and admitted, “This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.” larger hard drives to truly take advantage of the Windows 95 feature Those points don’t diminish the fact that new customers’ problems set. Microsoft recommends 8 MB of memory and a 486 or Pentium will make many others hesitant to move from DOS and Windows 3.x to to run Windows 95. According to Computer Intelli- Windows 95, especially in the corporate environment. You can expect gence InfoCorp, only about 39 percent of PCs currently being used Windows 95 to be greeted by a spate of mixed reviews, urging users not meet these minimum configuration requirements. About 36 percent of to jump immediately on the bandwagon. For a sample, you might enjoy the PC installed base will need a memory upgrade to run Windows 95 Philip Robinson’s review in the August 20 San Jose Mercury News, in well; the remaining 25 percent have a 286 or slower microprocessor which he advises customers to wait, saying, “Don’t be hustled into and need a new microprocessor to run Windows 95 at all. Many Win- shelling out for what is, so far at least, something between a utility dows users will also need new hard drives to accommodate the nearly program and a work-in-progress.” (You can find the Mercury News on 70 MB required for a complete installation. the World Wide Web at http://www.sjmercury.com.) • Incompatible applications. According to Microsoft, of the 1600 or While PC users hesitate, Apple Computer, Inc., will be acting fast and so top DOS/Windows applications, about 200 don’t run under Win- as powerfully as possible to dramatize the advantages of the Macintosh dows 95. Microsoft promises to release the list of these applications computer. Make sure you read last month’s Strategy Mosaic to find out “soon.” The list is expected to include disk utilities, virus checkers, how Apple will be taking advantage of the situation. You can help by applications that directly access the printer, and others. continuing to publicize Macintosh advantages within your company • Difficulty of upgrading. Early reports indicate that Windows 95 is and your customer base. For information to help your efforts, Apple difficult to install over existing DOS/Windows setups. Users receive has prepared a series called “Windows 95 vs. Macintosh Updates,” many error messages, and some peripherals don’t work under Win- which you can find on the World Wide Web at dows 95. http://www2.apple.com/whymac/. The first day Windows 95 went on sale, Microsoft’s help line was jammed to the point that many callers encountered busy signals as P6 Performance Woes: Confusion in the PC Market? operators assisted early customers with problems in these and other Prototype computers based on Intel’s next-generation P6 processor areas. perform more poorly than expected when running Windows 95, according to a variety of recent press reports. PC Week, for example, Implications/Opinions: Of course a product release as hyped as Win- said in its August 21, 1995, issue that “. . . even the maximum perfor- dows 95—the Wall Street Journal says that press coverage of it exceed- mance increases [for the P6] . . . fall far short of the near 100 percent ed 3 million words in July and August alone—is going to meet with performance increase that Intel originally predicted for the P6 over an disappointment. Also, any time you sell as many copies of your new identically clocked Pentium.” Tests performed by PC Week’s and PC product the first day of release as Microsoft did on August 24, your help Magazine’s test labs showed that 133-MHz P6 systems didn’t exhibit major performance improvements over 133-MHz Pentium PCs unless they ran 32-bit applications on a 32-bit . Even then, performance enhancements were only in the 20 percent range. November Apple Directions Online P6 prototypes show even less improvement when running 16-bit PC The November issue of Apple Directions will be available on DOS/Windows software, including Windows 95, which, despite Micro- AppleLink, the Internet, and eWorld by October 15, at the follow- soft’s claims to its being a 32-bit operating system, still includes signifi- ing locations: cant chunks of 16-bit code. (See the technical note on page 4.) One AppleLink: path—Developer Support:Developer Services:Peri- report claimed that the P6/Windows 95 systems run Windows applica- odicals:Apple Directions. tions only about 10 percent faster than a Pentium-based system run- Internet: select Developer Services and Products at the location ning at the same clock speed. www.apple.com. Intel itself, in data reported in the July 31, 1995, issue of eWorld: in the Apple area of the Computer Center. Microprocessor Report, admits that P6 systems running 16-bit Windows 3.1 perform 16 percent slower than Pentium systems with the same

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections 4 News clock speed. According to Intel’s own calculations, P6 systems running PC Week recently said that the /133 computer Windows 95 outperform equivalent Pentium systems by 25 percent, outperformed the Gateway Pentium/133 by a significant margin. In the while Windows NT P6 systems provide a 50 percent performance boost June 19, 1995, issue, the magazine said, “The Power Mac 9500 was twice over Pentium-based computers. An Intel spokesperson stated that as fast as the Gateway in all Photoshop tests but one, and even there, because the P6 was designed to take advantage of 32-bit operating bested the Pentium PC by 58 percent. In addition, for the first time a systems and applications, it won’t deliver full performance under Win- Macintosh performed better than a PC in our Excel Macro test . . . .” dows 95. The editors went on to say that “with performance surpassing the best (Technical note: In the above discussion, “16-bit code” is actually a of the high-end Pentium-based PCs—even in mainstream applications— convenient way of referring to older software that “makes heavy use of and compatibility with many current (and cheaper) PC components, certain features of the x86 architecture, specifically segment writes, the 9500 could be a serious alternative to new Windows 95 machines.” partial register operations, and unaligned data accesses,” according to A study by Computer Intelligence InfoCorp (CII), also reported in Microprocessor Report. Apparently, 16-bit code that avoids these tech- PC Week, shows that the Macintosh computer led the PC industry in niques, and that hasn’t been written in x86 assembly language, runs repeat purchase and brand loyalty ratings in 1994. The Macintosh com- well on the P6 processor, but a great deal of DOS/Windows software— puter came in first among all three user groups CII studied, namely including portions of Windows 95—use these techniques frequently.) business users, self-employed users, and home users. You can find a report based on the study at PC Week’s World Wide Web site Implications/Opinions: The lack of 32-bit software to run on the P6 will (http://www.ziff.com/~pcweek/). You might also want to take a look at hamper its performance, even if PC manufacturers put a low price tag CII’s home page at http://www.compint.com/. on systems based on the chip. Another study, this one by PC World, came to a similar conclusion: That P6 systems, at least initially, won’t live up to the high perfor- More Macintosh customers say they’d be repeat purchasers than those mance claims made by Intel comes as no surprise; Intel’s performance buying other computers. PC World editors wrote in the June 1995 claims were based on SPECint ratings, not on actual performance of the issue: “Nine out of ten Apple owners responding said they’d buy anoth- systems running applications. However, it looks to us that the P6 may er machine from the company based on service received, while more not be accepted by the mainstream computing market as quickly or than 80 percent of the Compaq, Dell, and HP users would gladly easily as it originally appeared. Just as it was unrealistic to expect huge become repeat customers.” numbers of customers to migrate to PowerPC processor–based Power Macintosh systems until there was a significant base of “native” RISC Implications/Opinions: These developments reinforce what we said in software, PC customers aren’t likely to buy P6 systems to run old, slow the previous items: It’s fortuitous for all of us that the PC press is start- software. ing to report positive Macintosh news at a time when upgrading to When will the PC software base migrate from 16-bit to 32-bit? It Windows 95 is likely to create rising tensions and frustrations for Wintel doesn’t appear that this will happen quickly. According to the July 31, customers. As Apple’s press and media campaign continues, folks on 1995, issue of Electronic News, Intel’s P6 division general , the PC side of the fence can expect to hear more and more about the Michael Fister, said, “At introduction, we will have 100 applications that Macintosh platform’s advantages—just as they’re facing a potentially are 32-bit. A year later, there will be 100 more.” troublesome upgrade. By comparison, you and your colleagues released nearly 600 native RISC Power Macintosh applications within a year of the first Power Yet Another Microsoft OS? Macintosh shipment. Currently, there are more than 925 native Power Amid all the reports of Microsoft’s Windows 95 extravaganzas around Macintosh applications shipping worldwide. the world, perhaps you missed what happened in Hong Kong. Accord- We also think it’s possible, even likely, that Intel’s transition from ing to an eyewitness report that reached us through Apple’s Far East Pentium to P6 will add confusion to the PC side of the personal com- office, scantily clad women greeted the press and other attendees at the puter market. Since P6-based machines don’t receive a significant per- song and dance revue held in the city’s Times Square. The proceedings formance boost under Windows 95, customers for the P6 systems will culminated with 12 dancers in leotards prancing around while holding likely be driven to purchase Windows NT. Windows customers already large jigsaw puzzle pieces. As they assembled the pieces, it seemed that face a potentially difficult and costly upgrade path with Windows 95, as the completed puzzle would spell Windows 95; according to our eye- mentioned earlier. With the availability of P6 hardware in early 1996, the witness, “As the jigsaw took shape, it became apparent to those watch- same customers will have to consider yet another operating system ing that they were in fact witnessing the global launch of a piece of upgrade—to Windows NT—if they want to get the most out of their software called Mindows 95.” new hardware. Out of that confusion, the true 32-bit Mac OS and your Power Macintosh applications will continue to shine as the most power- Implications/Opinions/Wisecracks: You can start We up. ♣ ful and easy-to-use personal computing solution on the market.

Positive Macintosh Reports in the Wintel Press Two magazines that usually focus on developments in the PC/DOS/Win- dows world have recently had very positive things to say about Apple and the Macintosh computer.

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections News 5

Strategy Mosaic (Actual rates are proportionately As stated earlier, PCI will enable market share for Mac OS–based slower for both bus Power Macintosh with PCI com- computers. architectures.) puters to provide - • More choices for users. By PCI The PCI 2.0 options imple- class solutions at a fraction of the switching to PCI (and being continued from page 1 mented by the industry today cost. truly PCI-compatible), Apple include • Less expensive computers. expects to leverage off the pop- expansion bus architecture. It’s a • 32-bit wide data path PCI will allow Apple and its ularity of the existing PCI market big decision—and one we will all • 33-megahertz (MHz) PCI licensees to offer Mac OS–based and the lower cost of PCI cards. have to live with for a half- clock computers at a lower price than This is already happening; over decade or longer. This article • 3.3-volt or 5.0-volt signaling was possible with NuBus. Apple is 40 PCI cards from 36 vendors explains what PCI is and why it’s environment already doing so: The Power are currently available, and a good choice for both Apple • 32-bit, 5.0-volt signaling Macintosh 7200/75 includes a 75- many more are expected by the and Apple developers. connector MHz PowerPC 601 processor, end of 1995. PCI vendors cur- three PCI slots, 8 MB of memory, rently include well-known PCI What Is PCI? The second reason for Apple’s and a quadruple-speed CD-ROM companies such as 4-Sight, ATI Some people have expressed adoption of PCI is standardiza- drive—all for a price of around Technologies, Crosfield Elec- uncertainty over what, exactly, tion. PCI is an industry standard, $1700 in the United States. (The tronics, Diamond Multimedia PCI is. Is it a bus? A certain kind and Apple believes that the Mac OS Apple press release quotes a price Systems, Distributed Processing of slot? Or is it something entire- platform will benefit greatly from range of $1699 to $1749.) Technology, Hermstedt GmbH, ly different? Actually, PCI is a adopting the PCI architecture. This price for a Power Macin- ICG, Linotype-Hell AG, Matrox specification for a high-perfor- tosh 7200/75 is very competitive Graphics, miro Computer, Scii, mance expansion bus architec- Apple’s Stake in PCI with similarly configured 75-MHz and Spectra Systems. ture. It was originally developed Apple sees the adoption of PCI Pentium systems. (For example, Current PCI vendors can sell to by Intel, which released it to a slots as a critical step in the evolu- the September 1995 issue of PC the Mac OS market simply by standards organization called the tion of the Mac OS platform World rated the Dell Dimensions adding a Mac OS software driver PCI Special Interest Group (SIG). through the end of this decade— XPS P75 as one of the best low- to their product. In this way, the The PCI SIG has nine voting and one that Apple is managing budget computers available— developers of specialized cards members representing over 400 quite nicely. Apple shipped its number 8 out of 20—and gave its who have found the NuBus mar- companies that have general- first PCI-based Macintosh com- full-system price, including moni- ket too small or the technical side member status; this organization puters, the Power Macintosh tor and keyboard, as $2112.) An of developing for NuBus too oversees the specification and 9500/120 and 9500/132, last June independent testing agency, complex will be more likely to evolution of the PCI bus. Apple (see the story on page 1 of the Competitive Assessment Ser- bring their PCI solutions to the has been a voting member in the July 1995 issue of Apple Direc- vices, happened to benchmark Mac OS platform. In addition, PCI SIG for the last two years and tions). In August, Apple added the /75 vendors can design new PCI cards has been very active in influenc- lower-cost PCI-based computers: against the exact same Dell com- that include drivers for the Mac ing the evolution of PCI (Intel is the Power Macintosh 7200/75, puter and found the Power Mac- OS, Windows, and perhaps other a permanent voting member). 7200/90, 7500/100, and 8500/120 intosh 7200/75 to be, overall, 24 operating systems, all on the The PCI specification, currently (see the story on page 1 of the percent faster—and 62 percent card’s ROM. version 2.1, defines both the September 1995 issue of Apple faster on graphics and publishing Users will benefit from PCI by electrical characteristics of the Directions). applications. having more solutions available— PCI bus and the type of connec- Years ago, Apple would not Why am I taking so much and at lower cost. For example, tor used. have been able to adopt an indus- space to make this point? Primari- NuBus graphics acceleration cards Why PCI? Two reasons, the first try standard without “improving” ly, to prove that Apple’s claim of usually cost over $1000, but of which is speed. PCI enables it a bit and, by doing so, making “cheaper, better” does indeed equivalent PCI cards start at $350. workstation-class solutions on the version that it used just anoth- stand up to scrutiny. (The higher- personal computers—for exam- er Apple-specific technology. end Power Macintosh with PCI Keeping a Differentiated ple, broadcast-quality digital Apple has learned its lesson here, computers show even better Platform video, multiple video streams, and its implementation of PCI in performance for roughly the The industry-standard nature of high-speed ATM (Asynchronous its new PCI-based Power Macin- same price as equivalent Pentium PCI does not prevent Apple from Transfer Mode) networking, 3D tosh computers complies com- computers.) But there’s a second innovating and providing superior acceleration, and high-speed disk pletely with the PCI 2.0 standard, reason for making this compari- products. Here are some of the arrays. PCI is roughly three times ensuring that these computers will son: it shows how PCI helps make ways in which Power Macintosh faster than NuBus: PCI has a theo- reap the full benefits of PCI. Apple truly competitive with com- with PCI computers provide more retical maximum data transfer And what are the benefits of peting Intel-platform personal to users: rate of 132 MB/second, as com- PCI? They include the following: computers, which is a key compo- • Faster PCI. Intel-based per- pared to NuBus’s 40 MB/second. • More powerful computers. nent of Apple’s campaign to gain sonal computers (PCs) tie the PCI

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections 6 News chips’ frequency to the proces- Open Firmware, so it can’t solve driver always works with a PCI understand two things: first, that sor’s frequency, so many PCs are the problem this way.) If the ROM card, regardless of where it is most PCI cards today use what is not running PCI at its top speed has a Mac OS driver in it, that gets plugged in. known as 5-volt signaling and of 33 MHz. Furthermore, because loaded; otherwise, system soft- either 0.65-micron (µ) or 0.8µ of the 33-MHz frequency ceiling, ware uses the Open Firmware Power Macintosh chip technology. Going to 66 MHz increasing your processor’s speed name property to ensure that the With PCI in 1996 forces a transition to 3.3-volt can actually decrease PCI perfor- proper driver (in the Extensions Apple has some PCI-related signaling and 0.5µ chip technolo- mance on Intel PCs. For example, folder) gets loaded. enhancements due to roll into gy. Second, you must also under- a 100-MHz Pentium-based com- If the PCI card doesn’t have a PCI-based Power Macintosh com- stand that a PCI card is said to be puter runs its PCI chips at 33 ROM chip, information in the PCI puters in 1996. It will implement a universal card if it can use MHz, but if you upgrade the com- chip set may constitute a card- PCI 2.1, which is really just a either 5-volt signaling or the more puter to a 120-MHz Pentium unique ID, which (to make a long refinement and a clarification of expensive 3.3-volt signaling. processor, PCI is forced to run at story short) makes plug-and-play the PCI 2.0 standard. (Not only is Given that background, here a slower rate—30 MHz! (The services happen correctly. If that PCI 2.1 backward-compatible, PCI are the advantages of 66-MHz, 32- explanation is tricky; send me isn’t the case, the card vendor 2.1 cards will work correctly in bit PCI: e-mail if you want the details.) must ensure that its driver code, PCI 2.0–compliant Power Macin- • It makes the transition to 66- PCI-based Power Macintosh which is loaded as an , tosh computers.) The only impor- MHz, 64-bit PCI easier, because it computers run PCI on a separate checks for some unique charac- tant news is that there is, really, forces the industry to adopt 3.3- bus at a constant 33 MHz. Not teristic of its card and, based on no news: PCI 2.0 is the standard volt signaling now rather than only does this always give users what it finds, either loads itself or for the next few years, and there’s later. the highest PCI performance exits without loading anything. no reason to wait for PCI 2.1 • 0.5µ chips are smaller and possible, it also allows Apple to (Whew!) before developing PCI cards. use less power. create new, faster computers (as But there’s more to Open In addition, the new imple- well as allowing users to upgrade) Firmware than just facilitating mentation of PCI is expected to And here are the disadvan- without worrying about the effect plug-and-play capability for PCI. improve the implementation of tages: of changing the processor clock Open Firmware makes it possible bridges and the speeds of read • To work in 66-MHz, 32-bit speed on PCI performance. for Apple and other vendors to operations—from approximately PCI slots, existing 33-MHz cards • Better plug-and-play capa- offer computers that give users a 45 MB/second to over 80 MB/sec- must either be universal or use bility—and more. Open Firmware choice of operating systems at ond—and target (processor-to- only 3.3-volt signaling—and even is a cross-platform standard (IEEE startup time. You will see Mac OS card) operations—from approxi- then, such cards would slow the 1275) for booting PCI cards in an computers that support multiple mately 40 MB/second to over 90 entire bus down to 33 MHz. OS-independent environment. operating systems in the CHRP MB/second. • 66-MHz, 32-bit PCI necessi- Apple has adopted Open (Common Hardware Reference tates following stricter PCI bus- Firmware in conjunction with PCI, Platform) time frame—late 1996— The Future of PCI loading guidelines. (At double the which gives better plug-and-play or maybe sooner. By late 1996, both customers and frequency, the bus has half as capability to PCI-based Power • Better bridging. Though this solution vendors will want higher much time to get useful work Macintosh computers than Win- is a technical point, it is an exam- throughput, and the members of done, and bus transitions need to dows-based computers can deliver. ple of how Apple works hard to the PCI SIG are already talking settle as quickly as possible.) Here’s the difference: The make its computers as easy to use about how to evolve PCI. The • 66-MHz, 32-bit PCI would unique PCI ID required on every as possible. The PCI architecture eventual goal is a 66-MHz PCI bus require new computers to be PCI card identifies only the PCI is limited to a “bridge” of four (doubling today’s standard fre- manufactured with both old (33- chip set used, not the card itself— slots. Multiple bridges can be quency for PCI) that is 64 bits MHz, 32-bit PCI) and new (66- so multiple PCI cards have the connected, but cards not on the wide (doubling the size of today’s MHz, 32-bit) PCI slots to ensure same PCI ID. The result? The best main bridge must be addressed PCI bus). backward compatibility with exist- that Windows 3.1 can do is say, differently. However, 64-MHz, 64-bit PCI is ing PCI cards. “Here are five PCI cards that might On the Intel-based personal too big a step to take at once, so be yours. Which one do you want computer side, this means that two possible interim steps are 66- 33-MHz, 64-bit PCI to try?” (Unfortunately, I don’t the user may have to load a differ- MHz, 32-bit PCI and 33-MHz, 64-bit 33-MHz, 64-bit PCI would use a have any word on whether Win- ent driver for a card depending PCI. Both methods promise a theo- two-part connector, with the first dows 95 can do better than this.) on which slot the user plugs the retical maximum data transfer rate part identical to the ISA connec- The Mac OS identifies PCI card into (which in turn means of 264 MB/second, but each has its tor used today. Here are the cards flawlessly. If a PCI card has a potential confusion to the user). advantages and disadvantages. advantages of this architecture: ROM chip in it, it must have an PCI-based Power Macintosh com- • Existing 32-bit PCI cards, Open Firmware name property, puters, on the other hand, use a 66-MHz, 32-bit PCI including those that use 5-volt which is unique to the card itself. Mac OS service called the Name To understand the trade-offs of signaling, would continue to (Windows 95 doesn’t support Registry to ensure that the same 66-MHz, 32-bit PCI, you have to work. (They would plug into the

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections News 7 first part of the two-part connec- 66-MHz, 64-bit PCI Influencing the The Future Is PCI tor, leaving the second part of the Customers will eventually want Future of PCI If you’re an devel- connector empty.) simultaneous access to multiple For the moment, though, the oper, this is Apple’s message to • New 64-bit PCI cards high-bandwidth services, and by question is, which is to come you: PCI costs less, lets you do would work correctly in existing the end of the decade, the tech- next—66-MHz, 32-bit PCI, or 33- more, and allows you to sell to a 33-MHz, 32-bit PCI computers. nology should be in place to MHz, 64-bit PCI? When asked, wider audience—and you should (This is a requirement of the PCI deliver them through a 66-MHz, “Which of these two versions of start designing for PCI now. 2.0 specification.) 64-bit version of PCI—and that’s PCI does Apple think is the best If you develop any kind of • New computers could have where the PCI SIG members see one?” Apple engineers replied in a software that needs high band- only one kind of PCI connector PCI heading. 66-MHz, 64-bit PCI way that shows how Apple is width, be aware that PCI will (the 64-bit connector) and still be will deliver a theoretical maxi- changing: “We’ll go with whatever enable you to provide worksta- able to accept both 32-bit and 64- mum of 528 MB/second. the industry decides.” tion-class solutions that are bit PCI cards. (However, comput- 66-MHz, 64-bit PCI is also “Whatever the industry impossible today. er vendors might still have both where PCI will end. According to decides” is, more accurately, what If you’re any other kind of kinds of slots, just to save on the various engineers, PCI can’t be the members of the PCI SIG developer, you may not need to cost of the connectors.) expanded past this point; the decide. And since Apple is a mem- do anything differently, but it industry will have to go to a new ber, this gives you an opportunity doesn’t hurt for you to know that 33-MHz, 64-bit PCI has the bus architecture to get greater to influence the future of PCI. If PCI is a solid, responsible choice following disadvantage: bandwidth. But you shouldn’t you have any strong feelings for a new expansion bus architec- • The extra 32 bits of the 64- have to worry about that until about whether PCI should evolve ture. It means more sales of bit PCI bus would necessitate the around 2002—which happens to to 66-MHz, 32-bit PCI or 33-MHz, faster Mac OS–based computers use of the more expensive Bump be seven years from now, a time 64-bit PCI, please contact Apple at at lower prices—which will help Grid Array (BGA) chip packaging. span roughly equal to that of APPLE.PCI. make you and your company (However, if 33-MHz, 64-bit PCI NuBus. (Coincidence? We think more profitable. ♣ does become the next step, BGA not.) packaging could drop in price.)

integrated infrared into its prod- peripherals, the new systems will processors, the PowerBook 5300 Apple News ucts, their exceptional battery provide additional customers for series offers users desktop-level life, and industrial design are all your products. (For details, see PowerPC processor performance PowerBook excellent. . . . These notebooks “Expandability Through PC Cards in a compact, portable package Computers should be in huge demand.” and Expansion Bay” on page 8.) that’s a full inch smaller, and continued from page 1 The rest of this article intro- Highlights of the powerful com- nearly a pound lighter, than duces you to the new systems. puters include the following: Apple’s previous top-of-the-line Journal said that “. . . by all Complete information about • the PowerPC 603e processor PowerBook 500 series. Power- accounts [the] nifty machines are them can be found on the Inter- for running new “native” applica- Book 5300 configurations start as certain to sell briskly,” and net’s World Wide Web at http:// tions—such as complex graphics, low as U.S. $2,200. DataQuest forecasts that Apple www.info.apple.com/gomobile/; page layout, and sophisticated By comparison, leading PC will sell 1 million PowerBook for detailed technical specifica- presentation programs—that notebook vendors in this price systems in the next 12 months. tions, see the new Macintosh couldn’t run on a notebook range often use slower, older Response to the new systems developer notes included on this before processors—for example, 486DX2 was immediate and positive. month’s edition of the Developer • the largest screen offered and 486DX4 chips running at According to the Wall Street CD and at the Apple FTP site on yet with PowerBook systems— speeds between 50 MHz and 75 Journal, “Analysts say the the Internet (get address). This with an optional 10.4-inch dual- MHz; higher-end Pentium-based machines are elegant and light- month’s CD Highlights includes a scan or active-matrix color display machines usually start at prices weight, with advanced features description of the developer • an open design for the easy well over U.S. $3,000. that draw Apple at least even on notes; see page 11. addition of innovative cards and Designed to meet the needs of the technological front with its peripherals business and higher-education laptop rivals.” One analyst— PowerBook 5300 Family: • easy wireless file sharing, customers, all configurations of Kimball Brown, vice president of Power, Expandability, through built-in infrared commu- the PowerBook 5300 come with a mobile computing at DataQue- Wireless Communications nications minimum of 8 MB of memory, st—said about the new systems, The PowerBook 5300 models are • long battery life expandable to 64 MB; either a 9.5- “Some of their features surpass the highest-performance Power- inch grayscale display or a 10.4- all competitors in the portables Book computers ever; if you’re Built around 100-MHz and inch dual-scan or active-matrix industry. The way Apple has a developer of PC cards or 117-MHz PowerPC 603e RISC color display; and either a 500

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections 8 News

MB, 750 MB, or 1.1 GB internal networking cards, hard drives, addition of hard drives and mag- to make wireless file transfers hard drive. All configurations ship and other solutions. Because neto-optical removable media using the AppleTalk network with advanced, lithium-ion batter- Apple’s PC card slots are fully drives. Internal power lines system. With Apple IR File ies, with an estimated battery life compliant with version 2.1 PC enable the addition of AC power Exchange, PowerBook 5300 of three to five hours of continu- Card and Socket Services, any of supplies and other devices. Cus- systems can automatically locate ous working time per charge. your PC cards that are 2.1-com- tomers who want the lightest and wirelessly connect to com- pliant—including those you’ve configuration possible can patible, infrared-equipped com- Expandability Through PC previously sold to the PC mar- remove the floppy drive and puters and then conduct data Cards and Expansion Bay ket—will work with the Power- replace it with the PC Card Stor- transfer at the full LocalTalk The expandability options of the Book 5300 models without any age Tray, which holds four Type II speed of 230.4 kbs. Apple’s PowerBook 5300 line offers hard- additional setup by the user as or two Type III PC cards and ships infrared hardware is compliant ware developers opportunities to long as they include a Macintosh with the new PowerBook systems. with the IrDA infrared standard, sell existing PC cards to new driver. With the tray installed, customers and Apple is working on an IrDA- customers. Additionally, you can In addition, a user can cus- save 0.4 pounds, dropping the compliant software implementa- develop new peripheral devices tomize a PowerBook 5300 system overall weight to between 5.5 and tion for the future. that connect through a new hard- by removing the unit’s 5.8 pounds. To make connecting to net- ware feature, the PowerBook drive from the PowerBook expan- works easy, Apple has teamed expansion bay. sion bay and replacing it with a Easy-to-Use Wireless with Farallon Computing to cre- The PowerBook 5300 line variety of peripheral devices, Networking With Apple IR ate a desktop infrared receiver, provides a wide range of expan- including additional hard drives, File Exchange the Farallon AirDock, that makes sion options through two Type magneto-optical removable media The PowerBook 5300 models any desktop Macintosh computer II–size PC card slots, or one drives, and internal AC power also are the first PowerBook a wireless network station. By Type III–size slot for PC adapters. The expansion bay uses computers to employ infrared using the AirDock, PowerBook card–based high-speed , a standard IDE connector for the technology, enabling customers 5300 customers can have full access to all of their network devices, including printers, servers, and Internet access, PowerBook 5300, 2300, 190, exactly as if they were on a wired network—without plugging in a and Upgrade Pricing single cable.

Model Display; memory Price range PowerBook 5300 (U.S. only; prices Availability and Price vary elsewhere) The PowerBook 5300 series, PowerBook 5300 Grayscale; 8/500 MB $2,199–$2,299 which ships with a variety of pre- PowerBook 5300cs Dual-scan color; 8/500 MB $2,799–$2,899 installed utility, communication, PowerBook 5300cs Dual-scan color; 16/750 MB $3,499–$3,699 compatibility, and game software, PowerBook 5300c Active-matrix color; 8/500 MB $3,699–$3,899 is already available worldwide. PowerBook 5300c Active-matrix color; 16/750 MB $4,499–$4,699 Pricing for the new systems is PowerBook 5300ce Active-matrix color; 32 MB/1.1GB $6,499–$6,799 shown in the table “PowerBook 5300, 2300, 190, and Upgrade PowerBook Duo 2300c Active-matrix color; 8/750 MB $3,499–$3,699 Pricing” on this page. PowerBook Duo 2300c Active-matrix color; 20 MB/1.1 GB $4,499–$4,699 PowerBook 2300: The PowerBook 190 Grayscale; 4/500 MB $1,649–$1,699 Smallest, Lightest Power- PowerBook 190 Grayscale; 8/500 MB $1,849–$1,899 Book Computers PowerBook 190cs Dual-scan color; 8/500 MB $2,199–$2,299 The PowerBook Duo 2300c brings to the market the PowerBook 190 Logic Board Upgrade Kit performance of the same 100- with PowerPC 603e processor $1,199–$1,299 MHz PowerPC 603e processor used in the PowerBook 5300 PowerBook 500 series expansion board family. The newest PowerBook upgrade with PowerPC 603e processor $699–$749 Duo uses the same award-win- ning form factor as earlier mod- PowerBook Duo 200 series logic board upgrade els, and it’s compatible with with PowerPC 603e processor $1,199–$1,299 previous PowerBook Duo 200 series docks and peripherals. In

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections News 9 addition to its RISC processor, the plugging peripheral devices into Duo 200 models and 40 MB for maintain their current Windows new Duo models incorporate a its expansion bay. PowerBook 500 models. 3.1 environment in one drive larger display than previous mod- PowerBook 190 and 190cs The upgrades need to be container, while installing Win- els—a 9.5-inch active-matrix color models include a 66/33-MHz installed by qualified Apple ser- dows 95 in another one on the display—into a system that weighs Motorola 68LC040 processor and vice providers; they’ll be available same computer; they can select less than five pounds. a 10.4-inch, dual-scan color or 9.5- beginning in mid-October. For either drive container as the start- PowerBook Duo 2300 models inch, passive-matrix grayscale prices, see the table on page 8. up drive through the PC Setup ship with 8 MB or 20 MB of mem- display. They ship with either 4 control panel. ory, expandable to 56 MB, and MB or 8 MB of memory and a 500 either a 750 MB or a 1.1 GB hard MB . drive. The centered trackball Customers will be able to employed by current models has upgrade their systems to RISC Macintosh DOS been replaced by the improved performance with an optional New Power Apple trackpad pointing device, logic board that includes a Power- Compatible which gives customers more PC 603e processor. Eventually, Macintosh Com- precise control. other upgrades will be available, Systems Can The new PowerBook Duo including a 10.4-inch active-matrix puters Outperform systems also ship with pre- color display, which requires the Maintain Both installed software, including PowerPC upgrade, lithium-ion Pentium eWorld (which includes a World batteries, infrared communication Windows 3.x and Wide Web browser) and password technology, and video output. Here’s the latest in the bench- security, and will be available PowerBook 190 and 190cs Windows 95 mark wars: Apple Computer’s worldwide in mid-October. See models, which will also include newest Power Macintosh systems the table “PowerBook 5300, 2300, pre-installed software, will be Apple’s Software Quality Assur- outperformed Windows comput- 190, and Upgrade Pricing” (page available worldwide by mid-Octo- ance team has determined, based ers based on equivalent clock- 8) for expected pricing. ber. Expected prices are shown in on test results from running speed Pentium processors by up the table on page 8. Microsoft’s official Windows 95 to 44 percent overall, according PowerBook 190 System Compatibility Tests, that to a study recently completed by Family: Performance PowerPC Upgrades the following cross-platform Competitive Assessment Services and Affordability for PowerBook 500 and Macintosh systems are compati- (CAS). Offering performance, features, PowerBook Duo 200 ble with Windows 95 when con- The application-level bench- and expandability available with Series Systems figured with a minimum of 8 MB marks included 10 different appli- the previous top-of-the-line In announcing the revamped of RAM for the Windows 95 cations measured on 58 different PowerBook 500 series, the new PowerBook line, Apple also environment: tasks. The applications used were PowerBook 190 and 190cs com- announced 100-MHz PowerPC • /66 Microsoft Excel, Word, and Fox- puters will carry price tags start- 603e processor upgrade options DOS Compatible Pro, ClarisWorks from , ing as low as U.S. $1,649. for current Apple Macintosh • Macintosh LC 630 DOS Wolfram Research’s Mathematica, Employing the same design PowerBook Duo 200 and Power- Compatible Macromedia Freehand, Fractal and form factor as the Power- Book 500 series customers. • 640CD Design Painter, FrameMaker from Book 5300 series, including the PowerBook Duo 200 systems can DOS Compatible Frame Technology Corporation, trackpad and optional 10.4-inch be upgraded with a logic board • DOS for Deltagraph Professional from screen, the PowerBook 190 kit, while the PowerBook 500 Power Macintosh 6100 and Perfor- DeltaPoint, and Ashlar Vellum. series computers support many upgrade involves an expansion ma 6100 Series An analysis of the CAS report of the same industry-standard board upgrade. on the new Power Macintosh features as the new 5300 models. Both upgrade cards come with Not only will these systems run systems revealed that, overall, Built-in PC card slots, capable of 8 MB of memory, leaving the RAM Windows 95, they’ll also provide the Power Macintosh 7200, 7500, holding two Type II–size PC slot open on upgraded Power- one marked improvement over and 8500 were 24, 30, and 44 cards or one Type III–size PC Book systems. Customers can PCs: They’ll enable users to easily percent faster, respectively, than card, gives customers a wide then increase their systems’ mem- switch between Windows 95 and the Pentium-based systems run- variety of communication and ory by simply having their existing Windows 3.x. Most PCs won’t let ning at the same clock speed. expansion options, including the memory expansion cards trans- customers maintain both versions The report also revealed that, same PC cards that can be used ferred to the slot when the of Windows on the same system. on the graphics and publishing by PowerBook 5300 customers. upgrade is installed. Customers Macintosh DOS-compatible applications tested, Similarly, PowerBook 190 cus- can also purchase new memory systems have always given cus- • the Power Macintosh tomers will be able to expand cards at the time of the upgrade, tomers the ability to create sepa- 7200/75 was 62 percent faster their systems by removing the expanding memory to a maxi- rate drive containers on their sys- than the 75-MHz Pentium-based computer’s floppy disk drive and mum of 56 MB for PowerBook tems. This feature lets customers PC tested

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections 10 News

• the Power Macintosh Under the agreement, Apple’s text-to-speech technol- languages, and will provide Chi- 7200/90 was 58 percent faster Netscape will adopt selected ogy is one of the most sophisticat- nese, French, Italian, and Japanese than the 90-MHz Pentium-based Apple technologies to enhance ed available, and offers a variety of in the future. PC tested the overall Internet experience voices that range from the best • the Power Macintosh for customers. Netscape has quality in the industry, to the Applying Speech to 7500/100 was 71 percent faster agreed to incorporate QuickTime most efficient in size and speed, Applications than the 100-MHz Pentium-based and QuickTime VR into future to the most fun and entertaining. Apple’s text-to-speech technolo- system tested, and was 55 percent releases of Netscape Navigator. There are 22 different voices, and gies can be easily incorporated faster than the 120-MHz Pentium- Netscape’s adoption of Quick- all are created through synthesis. into third-party applications with based processor tested Time and QuickTime VR will True means the use of Apple’s Speech Manag- • the Power Macintosh make it easier for people to use there are no recorded sound er (application programming 8500/120 was 80 percent faster various types of multimedia data bytes to take up valuable disk interfaces). In most cases this can than the 120-MHz Pentium-based through Netscape Navigator and space and RAM. Game develop- be done with just a few lines of processor PC tested will strengthen the positions of ers, educational software develop- code, resulting in more inexpen- Apple’s technologies as industry ers, and CD-ROM developers can sive applications on the market These tests were conducted standards for video, sound, and have any amount of text read with this powerful text-to-speech before Windows 95 became avail- music (QuickTime) and virtual aloud from their applications ability. able and so were conducted using reality scenes (QuickTime VR). using Apple’s text-to-speech tech- The Man- Windows 3.1 or Windows 3.11 for Netscape also plans to enhance its nology, with a small, fixed amount ager is expected to be available Workgroups (using the operating Apple Macintosh offering through of space taken up on the CD. later this year. PlainTalk 1.4 Eng- system pre-installed on each AppleScript and Macintosh Drag Apple’s text-to-speech technol- lish Speech Recognition runs on a computer). However, tests con- and Drop support. ogy comes in four versions: PowerPC processor–based Mac ducted by PC World on a beta Apple will distribute its • MacinTalk 2—for any Mac OS–compatible computer to version of Windows 95 showed Netscape Navigator network- OS–compatible computer run- work. that both Excel 5.0 and Word 6.0a navigation software as part of the ning .0.7 or later ran slower (on both 8 and 16 MB Apple Internet Connection Kit. In • MacinTalk 3—for any 33-MHz Where to Find computers) under Windows 95 addition, Apple has incorporated 68030 (or faster) or PowerPC PlainTalk 1.4 than under Windows 3.1. (See the Netscape’s Internet registration processor–based Mac OS–com- PlainTalk 1.4 software and Speech August 1995 issue of PC World, service into the Apple Internet patible computer running System Manager documentation aare page 113.) Dialer, a key feature of the Apple 7.0 or later available in the the Developer CD For more information, you can Internet Connection Kit. The • MacinTalk Pro—for any Series. On the August 95 Tool find an Apple press release, Apple Internet Dialer makes it 68040 or PowerPC processor– Chest CD, the pathname is Dev.CD “Newest Power Macs Trounce easy for users to get connected based Mac OS–compatible com- Aug 95 TC:New System Software Pentium PCs,” on the Worldwide with an Internet service provider puter running .0 or later Extensions: PlainTalk Speech Tech- Web at the following location: of their choice. • MacinTalk Español Mexi- nologies. http://www.info.apple.com/pr/ cano—for any 68020 (or faster) or You can also find PlainTalk 1.4 library/1995/august.html. PowerPC processor–based Mac on the World Wide Web, using the OS–compatible computer run- address ftp://ftp.info.apple.com/ ning System 7.0 or later Apple.Support.Area/Apple The Mac An example of a product that .Software.Updates/%21Hot_ uses text-to-speech well is Scholas- Downloads/PlainTalk_1.4.1/ . ♣ Netscape Adopts Speaks Back tic’s Wiggleworks™ for the Macin- tosh, a consumer education title QuickTime, Apple Computer, Inc., recently that reads stories to children while released a new version of its the text and images are displayed QuickTime VR PlainTalk technology, version 1.4, on the screen, and allows the which includes three compo- children to add their own text, in Strategic nents: English Speech Recogni- which the program will read aloud. tion, English Text-to-Speech, and Apple is now also providing Agreement Mexican-Spanish Text-to-Speech. text-to-speech for Mexican-Span- In addition to providing out-of- ish. This new product allows CD- Last month, Apple Computer, Inc., the-box benefits for customers, ROM discs, educational software, and Netscape Communications PlainTalk 1.4 gives developers and any other application that Corp. announced a strategic agree- opportunities to add high-quality takes advantage of the technology ment in which the two companies speech (English or Mexican-Span- to be read aloud in Spanish with a will share technology to enhance ish) to their 680x0 or PowerPC Latin American accent. Apple con- Internet access for customers. processor–based applications. tinues to synthesize many more OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections Technology 11 Technology

CD Highlights Inside This Section

System Software Edition, Human Interface: This Old Interface 12 QuickDraw 3D—The Future Is October 1995 (Virtually) Here 14 OpenDoc Human Interface FAQs 21 This month’s Worldwide System Software Developer Notes Update 10/95 folder contains U.S. and Worldwide versions Included here are developer notes for several of System Software 7.5.2 for the Power Mac- new products: The AppleVision 1710AV Dis- intosh 7200, 7500, 8500, and 9500 comput- play, the Apple AV architecture, the Macin- ers. Some points to remember to make your tosh PowerBook 190 and 5300 computers, Simplified Chinese script systems. Other installer experience a happy one: the Macintosh PowerBook Duo 2300c com- scripts will be supported in future versions. • To create floppy disks from the disk puter, the Macintosh PowerBook Processor images, use the Disk Copy 4.2 or ShrinkWrap PowerTalk Access Modules 1.4.2 applications in the Utilities folder. To This package contains sample code and tools create net install folders on your desktop, for creating PowerTalk and PowerShare ser- use the DropDisk 1.0b5 or ShrinkWrap 1.4.2 vice access modules (SAMs). These samples applications. are essentially half-gateways for the Pow- • The installer program for these versions erTalk and PowerShare application program- of system software must determine at run ming interfaces (APIs); you must supply the time the type of computer it is installing the other half, which you write for the service software on; therefore, you must run the API of choice. The sample code is not com- installer on the appropriate computer, even if pletely functional, but provides a good start- you are installing on a drive that is not the ing place for development of a service access current startup drive. module. • U.S. system software can be found in the Worldwide System Software folder under System Software Edition The package contains sample code for the English, U.S. three types of service access modules: • The “•common disks” folder contains Card Upgrade Kit with PowerPC 603e for the • CSAMs (catalog SAMs) disk images common to the PowerPC PowerBook 500 series of computers, and the • PMSAMs (personal messaging SAMs) 7200/9500 and PowerPC 7500/8500 folders. Memory Card Interna- • SMSAMs (server messaging SAMs) Do not install from this folder (you can’t tional Association (PCMCIA) expansion card anyway, as it contains no Install 1 disks); interface. Please be aware, however, that the pack- install from the images in the PowerPC age has several shortcomings: 7200/9500 or PowerPC 7500/8500 folders. GXifier 1.1 • It contains seed-quality code. You bear The GXifier automatically adds tables to the responsibility for complete testing of Some of the more observant of you will existing TrueType fonts that allow those fonts derived products. notice that this disc is still not bootable; to be used more effectively with applications • This sample code does not cover all of we’re working with our vendors to make sure that support GX typography. The 1.1 version the functionality of the SAM API. future discs will consistently start up most adds support for more scripts, and adds • Optimization trade-offs between memo- Macintosh computers and CD-ROM drives. more information automatically to fonts. ry and performance have not been imple- We hope to have this in place for the January This package requires QuickDraw GX. mented. 1996 CD. The document About the GXifier can be • The package does not produce a Power- Here are some of the other new and opened in SimpleText if QuickDraw GX is PC “native” version; however, it does use the revised items this month. installed. The GXifier only works with True- latest universal headers. Type fonts in the Roman, Arabic, Hebrew, • The tools may be awkward to use. Cyrillic, Devanagari, Traditional Chinese, and please turn to page 24

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections 12 Technology

Human Interface This Old Interface

By Peter Bickford

Having just moved into my first real house, I’ve become a bit—well, Next comes the second reality check. With the list of problems in I guess obsessed is the proper word—with all things house-related. hand, ask how much can be done given the constraints of time and In fact, my twice-a-day trips to Home Depot have led at least one budget. Decide what the scope of your redesign effort should be. cashier to suggest direct-depositing my paycheck there. I wound up Do you want to simply repair a few glitches, do a major remodeling digging and jack-hammering a 20-foot-long trench around the side job on specific problem areas, or do a full renovation of the human of my house so I could get that elusive third phone line I’d always interface? Whichever way you go, it’s best to be up-front about it dreamed of. And yes, after buying out all the dual coaxial jacks in now. If marketing is set on a beta version two months from now, you two different Fry’s Electronics stores, my new house now has Ether- won’t be able to explore new paradigms in human-computer inter- net access from all the upstairs rooms. Not that I own two comput- action. Being realistic about the trade-offs of product quality, time, ers with that could talk to each other—I just fell prey to the and resources now will save everyone a lot of frustration later on. It homeowner’s obsession of “keeping up with the Joneses.” Unfortu- also lets the interface designer choose a plan of attack that has a nately, the “Joneses” I sit next to are the Networking group here at chance of succeeding on some level, rather than having to constant- Apple, about half of whom seem to have ISDN or T1 lines running ly back up and change course. directly to their home networks. The other homeowner’s obsession is “fix ’em up” shows, the Interface Repair—Getting Visible Results grand trinity of which are Hometime, The New Yankee Workshop, for Little Effort and This Old House. Hometime features a far-too-perky couple When you go to sell your house, chances are your real estate agent whose favorite way of kicking back together is mixing a few tons of will present you with a list of simple repairs you can do to make the concrete and laying down a building foundation. The New Yankee house much more attractive to buyers. These usually begin with Workshop stars Norm Abrams (“Norm!”) whose little workshop giving the house a fresh coat of paint, clearing away debris from the contains more high-tech laser sights and bizarre machinery than front yard, cleaning and uncluttering rooms, and so on. When I was were ever built for the “star wars” defense program. My favorite, looking at houses a month or two ago, it was amazing how much however, is This Old House, where the host shows how a little clever difference these little touches could make in houses that were oth- remodeling can transform a dilapidated tar-paper shack into a luxury erwise structurally identical. condominium. In honor of this show, I wanted to use this month’s You can get a similar effect with a new version of your application column to give some advice on transforming your old, clunky inter- by practicing a little interface repair. Start by holding a two- or three- faces into sleek, easy-to-use ones that will make your customers hour interface review, with a particular emphasis on finding incon- beam with pride and your competitors die of jealousy. sistencies with the Macintosh human interface guidelines or between one part of the program and the next. Use the Human Repair, Remodel, or Renovate? Interface Checklist, which you can find in Appendix C of Macintosh As you begin to plan the next version of your product, it’s a good Human Interface Guidelines, to find problem areas. Run a mechan- time to look at the old version with fresh eyes. Pretend you haven’t ical resource checker such as SoftPolish to find misspellings, bad been dedicating the last year or two of your life to this project, and button placements, nonstandard Command-key combinations, and try to picture how the product looks to a new user. What are its so on. In a few days, you can often find and fix a hundred or more essential strengths? Where is it confusing or annoying to use? Most little annoyances that cumulatively add up to major trouble for your important, what are its fundamental weaknesses? This is a good time interface. to gather the opinions not only of team members, but also of poten- You can also make a big impact by cleaning out deadwood fea- tial customers (who can see flaws that are “hidden in plain sight” tures and buttons from your program. Follow the 80/20 rule (20 from more experienced users) and expert reviewers (who can help percent of your program’s features constitute 80 percent of the use; diagnose underlying design problems). the other 80 percent are only used 20 percent of the time) to decide The goal of this review is to come up with a list of places where which features are important for people to be able to use easily, and the interface could be improved. For now, don’t worry what the which can be relegated to less obtrusive areas of the interface (or rationale for the current implementation was, or what technical better, omitted entirely). Unclutter menus and dialog boxes by problems stand in the way of fixing the interface. Be brutally honest weeding out low-value options and buttons, or integrating them in compiling your list of problems—as brutally honest as a customer more completely into your program’s overall design. or a magazine reviewer would be. The key is not to defend the pre- Finally, when you’re done spring cleaning your program’s feature vious design, only to ask, “How can we make it better?” set, work with a good visual designer to fix any graphically confusing

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections Technology 13

areas of your interface and possibly give it a cleaner, more unified some assurance that you won’t be ripping this same code out in look. In doing so, it’s a good idea to remember some other real the next version. estate agent advice and keep the decor understated and neutral. The whizzy black 3D treatment that you use today will look hope- Renovation—Cracks in the Foundation lessly outdated tomorrow. Stick with the classics and let people Conscientious repair and the occasional feature renovation should concentrate on using your application rather than gaping at your carry you through most of a well-designed product’s life. There may button designs. come a time, however, when you decide that the best way to save your program’s interface is to burn it down and try again. Interface Remodeling—Major Attacks on a Needless to say, this decision should not be made lightly. Unless Few Bad Problems your interface has been spectacularly unsuccessful, it will have a None of us (OK, there was this one weird guy I knew . . .) concen- number of loyal users who have gone through the trouble of learn- trate the bulk of our attention on the bathrooms when buying a ing the current interface, and who will have to unlearn or relearn house. Usually, we’re too busy checking out the yard, the living behaviors in a new interface. A complete renovation should only be room, or whatever feature of our current residence is making us the undertaken when either there are deep problems with basic func- craziest. I, for instance, had been fretting over the two-prong outlets tions of your application, or when technology has changed to an where we lived and refused to look at homes without grounded extent that your product’s architecture is going to cause it grave wiring. Meanwhile, my wife, who is sensitive in these matters, made trouble in the future. sure that there were enough rooms so that she could have her own One renovation in progress here at Apple is OpenDoc. More than home office without having to share it with 8,000 comic books. Any a decade after the genesis of the Macintosh computer, application inspection of kitchens and bathrooms generally consisted of making development was in crisis. To accommodate customers’ demands sure they existed. for various features, many mainstream applications had turned into But kitchens and bathrooms are actually some of the most fre- monoliths, unwieldy in size and impossible to maintain. Without quently used areas of a house, and any slight defects in them some great change, the trend toward bigger, slower, and more com- become big headaches over time. Make the cabinets in the kitchen plex applications seemed unstoppable. too low, and there won’t be enough space for your appliances In this case, what was required was to lay a whole new founda- underneath them. Make them too high, and shorter folks will have tion. OpenDoc switches the basic user focus from applications to to stand on a chair to get to the upper shelves. A clumsy layout may documents. Instead of users trying to find the right tool with all the leave you bumping into things or having to shut drawers in order to features they’d ever need, then doing their work from within that open the refrigerator. Although these sort of problems are invisible tool, OpenDoc lets users create documents, then freely bring in when you move in, they cause kitchen and bathrooms to be the whatever tool they need in order to work with a certain type of most common parts of a home for you to rip out, rethink, and content in that document. As a result, users can choose their remodel later. favorite graphic editor to create graphics, a to work with The same can be done with human interfaces. If you listen in on text, a video editor to edit video, and no longer worry about finding your customer support lines, you’ll often find that just a few features some gargantuan dinosaur of a program that attempts to do all of of your program are causing the majority of your calls. If this is the these at once. case, you’ll want to concentrate your redesign effort on rethinking Renovations are costly. They require a huge amount of thought these features. A classic design approach works well here, where and resources if they’re to be done right. For the interface designer, you identify the problem by talking to users, work through a num- they’re a course of very last resort. But sometimes, as in the case of ber of possible solutions with the engineering team, then prototype OpenDoc, they’re the difference between watching your house and test them on users until you find one that really works. crumble around you, and taking a risk and building a foundation for Remodeling is more costly than doing simple repairs, both in the future. terms of time and resources. As a result, it’s critical that the Till next time, remodeled design gets to the heart of the user’s problems with- Doc out causing new ones. Don’t just show your users screen shots and believe them when they mutter “everything looks fine to me.” Peter Bickford is a proud new homeowner and member of Apple- All that means is that the new design seems to fix the one prob- Soft’s Human Interface Design Center. He can be reached by lem they had been sore about in the old system. Have users work AppleLink at THE.DOKTOR, unless he’s out wandering through with prototypes so they can get a feel for the reworked feature in Home Depot in search of some house thing. the context of doing their daily work. Only that way will you have

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections 14 Technology QuickDraw 3D–The Future Is (Virtually) Here By Bob Megantz to take. Here’s what you should interface). In this way, you’ll be computers can use the Quick- be doing with QuickDraw 3D: building a cutting-edge product Draw 3D 3DMF file format. In the personal computer user • First, if your application that you can port to the Windows Equally important, you’ll be experience of the future, three- creates or uses 3D objects, add market with minimal effort. able to create QuickDraw 3D dimensional graphics will be used the ability to import and export applications for both the Power as commonly as two-dimensional 3D objects in QuickDraw 3D’s 3D QuickDraw 3D for Power Macintosh and Windows plat- graphics are today. Whether cus- metafile (3DMF) format. This Macintosh and Windows forms next year when Apple tomers use design or scientific gives you the ability to participate QuickDraw 3D is the first API releases QuickDraw 3D for Win- software, in this new market as quickly and designed specifically to require dows. Apple is committed to applications, games, or any of a inexpensively as possible. and take advantage of the Power- establishing QuickDraw 3D as an number of other kinds of soft- • Second, if your application PC processor, and it demonstrates open industry standard, has pub- ware, they will increasingly supports documents, it should the expanded capabilities made lished the full QuickDraw 3D API expect—if not demand—the “vir- support the QuickDraw 3D View- possible by the transition to RISC. and the specification for the tual reality” feel that 3D provides. er, which allows an application to Just to give one example, Quick- 3DMF file format, and will not QuickDraw 3D, Apple’s open, display a 3D object for the user to Draw 3D takes advantage of the charge royalties for its use. cross-platform 3D graphics tech- manipulates. (Doing so is simple PowerPC processor’s floating- All of these factors create a nology, is the foundation for and requires the use of only five point performance to deliver fast powerful incentive to use Quick- adding 3D graphics capabilities, QuickDraw 3D calls.) interactive rendering. Draw 3D, and Apple expects to with relative ease, to your existing • Third, if your application QuickDraw 3D is shipping with see plenty of applications and applications and for developing does 3D rendering, you should Power Macintosh computers, and related products for sale in the new 3D graphics applications. modify it to use the QuickDraw you can license it for any products near future. In fact, many devel- QuickDraw 3D will open new 3D interactive renderer. Not only that need it. By the end of this opers have already announced or markets both for Apple Comput- will your users get a richer 3D year, Apple estimates that 90 are currently working on Quick- er, Inc., and for you, among cus- experience, they can also speed percent of all Macintosh comput- Draw 3D–based products. tomers who have never used 3D your application up (without any ers shipped will be Power Macin- So what is QuickDraw 3D, and technology and among high-end modifications on your part) by tosh models, which means that what makes it so special? graphics users. Mass market appli- adding a graphics accelerator there will soon be a large installed cations such as word processors, card. base for QuickDraw 3D applica- The QuickDraw 3D spreadsheets, and games can use • Fourth, if you’re building a tions. In addition, Macintosh Architecture QuickDraw 3D–based graphics in 3D application from scratch, you Quadra and Performa machines The QuickDraw 3D architecture the same way they currently use should use the full QuickDraw 3D can be upgraded to Power Macin- supplies a standard set of 3D 2D graphics. You can also use API (application programming tosh capabilities, and other 680x0 operations; see the figure “The QuickDraw 3D to create high-end CAD/CAM and film and broadcast applications that are less expen- sive for you to create, are more focused, and run on less-expen- sive hardware that the competi- tion—that is, current top-of-the- line products that require powerful (and expensive) work- stations. Apple has combined the best of both worlds—an exciting, pow- erful 3D architecture and an easy adoption curve. You can easily get the QuickDraw 3D software or plenty of information on it; for several sources of information, see the box “Where to Find QuickDraw 3D and Related Infor- The QuickDraw 3D architecture. This simplified functional diagram of QuickDraw 3D shows mation” on page 18. those parts that can be customized by developers. As promised, QuickDraw 3D has an adoption curve that’s easy

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections Technology 15

QuickDraw 3D architecture” known as widgets, attach to an of input devices, allowing the user ness, to the object. This informa- (page 14) for an overview. When object so that the user can inter- to input object shapes in 3D using tion is also passed to the Quick- you create an object, it’s often actively change the scene—for devices such as 3D trackballs, Draw 3D application. easiest to start with one or more example, by modifying the type of pressure-sensitive tablets, or 3D Once a 3D object has been standard shapes, such as boxes, lighting used or by moving the scanners. created, QuickDraw 3D’s render- that you then modify as needed. object’s position. Selecting an Once you have created an er converts its mathematical rep- QuickDraw 3D includes a com- object automatically attaches the object, you can change its appear- resentations of 3D geometry to plete set of these 3D shapes, appropriate widgets, and widget ance in a number of ways. You 2D pixels on the screen, incorpo- called geometries, including functions are represented on the can shine any of several types of rating lighting, object characteris- shapes you can use to create screen by symbols known as lights on the object, and the lights tics and look, and the camera more complex objects. To change handles. (For example, a lighting can interact with (“illuminate”) perspective chosen. You can use an object’s shape, you can rotate widget might look like a tiny light the objects and scenes in different either QuickDraw 3D’s interactive it, scale it, or perform any of a with a beam to indicate the direc- ways, representing different levels renderer, which quickly produces number of other “transforms”; tion and type of light used.) of quality and computational in real time a solid representation QuickDraw 3D has the capability The QuickDraw 3D user inter- complexity. (In future versions of of the object that you can manip- to transform objects in a number face applies consistent standards QuickDraw 3D, you’ll be able to ulate and edit, or a standard wire- of useful ways. and guidelines to widgets and implement your own light and frame renderer, which shows just 3D graphics designers rely on other interface elements, making illumination algorithms.) You can the framework of the object with- an application’s tools to create, them an extension of the Macin- also choose one of QuickDraw out a lot of the details. Quick- alter, and assemble objects or to tosh interface. Apple provides a 3D’s “cameras” to determine how Draw 3D has been designed so place objects in a scene. The QuickDraw 3D user interface the 3D objects in a scene are that some material properties are QuickDraw 3D user interface, toolkit so you won’t have to rein- projected onto a 2D plane from added to an object by its shaders, which you use to access and vent common elements and can whatever perspective you desire. while others are implemented by control these tools, applies con- apply your 2D interface knowl- Finally, you can use QuickDraw the renderer. In the near future, sistent standards and guidelines edge to 3D applications—which 3D’s shaders to add an inherent you will be able to utilize special- to the tools, making these ele- helps both you and your custom- quality, such as that of metal or purpose plug-in shaders and ments an extension of the Macin- ers. In addition, a QuickDraw 3D wood, and to apply an overall renderers, once they’re available, tosh interface. These tools, application can use a wide variety “look,” such as shininess or dull- to add additional control of how the scene is rendered. Rendering 3D objects can require lots of computation, so QuickDraw 3D allows you to add an accelerator card to help with the calculations and speed up the process. Furthermore, hardware graphics acceleration is transpar- ent to your application—because of QuickDraw 3D’s design, your 3D code automatically runs faster as soon as the user plugs in a graphics acceleration card. The QuickDraw 3D Acceleration Layer (QAL) plug-and-play hardware accelerator manager provides for a wide variety of accelerator cards, whose capabilities range from simple (for games) to pow- erful (for animation or graphic design). Features currently available in accelerator cards include Gouraud shading, which allows you to improve an object’s color An example of Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG). When a hardware accelerator is present, the by interpolating the colors along QuickDraw 3D interactive renderer can support CSG, which allows geometric objects to be the edges of each triangle in a “added” and “subtracted.” The object pictured here is a cube that has part of a sphere sub- typical object, as well as texture tracted from it. mapping, which allows you to

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections 16 Technology apply a picture to a surface, Macintosh platform without the Here’s an important fact: plane being viewed and another resulting in more visually complex ability to cut and paste text or Although QuickDraw 3D requires that allows spherical rotation of objects without increasing the graphics from one program to the PowerPC processor, you the object (the “virtual sphere complexity of the object itself. another.) Apple hopes that one of should support the 3DMF file interface”). You use the last but- Another feature, anti-aliasing, lets the major contributions of Quick- format even if your application is ton, called the zoom button, to you smooth the edges of lines to Draw 3D to the computer indus- 680x0-based. Why? Because that move the object to a new location prevent jagged images. You can try will be its 3D metafile (3DMF) way, your application can still in the picture area. If you want, also make objects transparent, format, which should make 3D contribute to and benefit from you can add a mark or “badge” to controlling the transparency of objects more widely usable. the QuickDraw 3D world by its alert users that they are looking at each color and the overall degree QuickDraw 3D data is shared ability to import and export 3D a 3D object that they can manipu- of transparency separately. using QuickDraw 3D’s 3DMF objects in the 3DMF format. late, not a static 2D image. When hardware graphics accel- format, which allows 3D objects eration is present, QuickDraw 3D created by one application to be The QuickDraw 3D Viewer What Makes also supports Constructive Solid used by other applications. The As Gregg Williams pointed out in QuickDraw 3D Special? Geometry (CSG), which lets you 3DMF format is platform-inde- his August 1995 Strategy Mosaic QuickDraw 3D development was control the interaction of two or pendent; it specifies objects, their (page 8), “If your software sup- driven by customer demand. The more objects—for example, properties, and properties of the ports documents, it should also figure “How customer and devel- drilling a hole in an object or scene that contains them (includ- be able to select, cut, copy, and oper requirements drove the fusing two objects together. (See ing orientation, lighting, camera, paste all the data types (pictures, design of QuickDraw 3D” (page “An example of Constructive Solid texture, shading, and custom text, sound, movies, and 3D 17) tells an important story. Apple Geometry ” on page 15 for an data). The file format preserves all objects).” Apple sees 3D graphics chose the architecture and fea- example of a solid created using object properties exactly as creat- as a differentiating technology for tures of QuickDraw 3D so that CSG.) In addition, QuickDraw 3D ed by the user in either text or the Mac OS platform, and the 3D you can produce applications that applications can utilize parallel binary formats. data type must be usable wherev- users want—applications that processing using multiple proces- If your application doesn’t er it makes sense. Fortunately, the allow users to create, manipulate, sors for fast rendering of large support a QuickDraw 3D feature QuickDraw 3D Viewer makes it and incorporate 3D graphics into and complex scenes. (such as a particular object geom- easy for you to support the 3D documents and presentations as etry), you can use an alternate data type—you need learn only easily as they can with today’s 2D The 3DMF Format representation (a different geom- five new calls to implement a 3D graphics. One of the barriers to the wide- etry). You can also extend and Viewer. Apple made sure that Quick- spread use of 3D has been the customize 3DMF files, and the file The 3D Viewer provides a Draw 3D is a technology that inability of customers to use 3D will retain all custom data regard- simple method for displaying 3D makes sense for you as well. This objects outside the program that less of whether other applications objects stored in 3DMF files or in meant that, for example, Apple created them. (Imagine the support the custom data. memory, together with a set of had to deliver not only a 3D controls permitting limited user graphics technology but also a set interaction with the models. You of human interface guidelines, can add the 3D Viewer to an which would free you from the existing application (one develop- burden of devising a human inter- er did it in a weekend) without face. In addition, Apple made sure implementing the full QuickDraw that QuickDraw 3D will, in fact, 3D API. offer you new business opportu- In the screen shown in “A nities; for details, see the section sample 3D Viewer ,” you “How Will QuickDraw 3D Be use the controller strip at the Used?” later in this article. bottom of the 3D Viewer window By eliminating many of the to manipulate the location and most common obstacles found in orientation of your point of view. current 3D graphics applications, Going from left to right, the first QuickDraw 3D moves 3D graph- button, called the camera angle ics from the domain of highly button, lets you choose different specialized artists and equipment camera angles from a pop-up to average users and personal menu. You use the second but- computers. Because it creates ton, called the distance button, to standards for 3D graphics and A sample 3D Viewer window. The four buttons in the controller move the object closer or farther makes 3D applications easier to strip at the bottom of the window allow you to control your away. The third button, called the use, it will generate more user view of the 3D object. rotate button, has two modes, interest; users will be more one that provides rotation in the inclined to use 3D graphics in all

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections Technology 17

gies. Even novice users will be able to easily paste editable 3D graphics into their 2D applica- tions and then manipulate them in an intuitive and consistent way; experts, using QuickDraw 3D’s fast interactive renderer, will be able to work directly with 3D art as they do currently with 2D art. The QAL plug-and-play hard- ware accelerator manager, described earlier, will allow your unmodified applications to run faster when the user plugs in a hardware accelerator card. Accel- erator cards optimized for a given application (for example, a sim- ple, inexpensive card for games or How customer and developer requirements drove the design of QuickDraw 3D. Apple designed a more powerful card for QuickDraw 3D to deliver a 3D architecture that met customers’ needs. In the process, Apple CAD/CAM applications) will be made sure that QuickDraw 3D made sense for developers, too. available from Apple and other vendors. Apple has designed the Quick- of their applications rather than and complexity in an attempt to application for visual design. Draw 3D API to be extensible so only in special situations. differentiate their products. But According to Robin Landsbert, that you can add your own value With QuickDraw 3D, Apple is QuickDraw 3D’s modular and Microspot’s development team to the technology in future ver- providing you with a foundation open architecture reduces the “ambassador,” the team was so sions that support plug-in fea- for making 3D graphics ubiqui- cost of adding 3D graphics to impressed after attending a tures. For example, you could tous. QuickDraw 3D includes the your applications, thereby allow- QuickDraw 3D presentation by develop custom shaders for tex- capabilities required by experi- ing you to develop smaller, less- Apple that they “completely turing or illumination, or custom enced users with sophisticated expensive products focused on scrapped two years worth of widgets for the user interface. needs, while the 3D Viewer more specialized applications and rewriting the new version of the Apple implemented QuickDraw library allows you to provide targeted at specific markets. (You application and started again. 3D as a Code Fragment Manager users with more basic 3D fea- can read more about Apple’s After only six months of coding (CFM) shared library. A CFM tures—such as the ability to view market strategy for QuickDraw with QuickDraw 3D, we were library is a piece of code that can and manipulate 3D graphics—to 3D in the next section.) already miles ahead.” Landsbert be shared by different applications less sophisticated users. Quick- Customers will in turn be able goes on to add that “our impres- after being loaded into memory. Draw 3D’s user interface is easy to buy less-expensive software sion of QuickDraw 3D is that it is Once QuickDraw 3D is installed, to use, yet it provides a high level with features that more closely extremely fast and powerful, and applications can access it through of performance by allowing users match their needs and that will be with its future extensibility it will the by relying to manipulate actual objects easier to master. In addition, provide third parties an opportu- on the Code Fragment Manager. rather than the less-detailed wire- because QuickDraw 3D greatly nity to greatly improve upon it. frame representations used in eases the effort associated with Technical support from Apple was How Will QuickDraw 3D most current 3D graphics tech- developing 3D applications, small- excellent, and working with the Be Used? nologies. Artists and other experi- er developers can create mar- alpha and beta code showed that The market for 3D applications is enced users know how much ketable applications that were Apple’s design was thorough and still relatively small because of the more natural it is to work in the previously impossible because of the code was very stable right cost (for both software and hard- real world; realistic object manip- the investment required. The from the start.” ware) of 3D graphics capability, ulation will help make 3D graph- result will be cutting-edge applica- While you’ll find QuickDraw the high levels of expertise ics attractive to more users. tions that will differentiate you 3D relatively easy to implement, if required, and the limited penetra- Many current 3D graphics from your competition and result you follow Apple’s human inter- tion of 3D graphics into the over- products are expensive and com- in increased profitability. face recommendations, you’ll find all graphics markets. As shown in plex, with poor user interfaces One company that benefited that customers will be able to use the figure “Increasing the market and limited portability. Develop- from QuickDraw 3D’s ease is QuickDraw 3D graphics with the for 3D” (page 18), current 3D ers often make this situation Microspot, developer of 3D same ease that they’re used to graphics products address a few worse by providing more features World, an entry-level 3D modeling with other Macintosh technolo- markets in the middle of the

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections 18 Technology pyramid, leaving others, both (Though at the bottom of the versions will allow users to place will make the Power Macintosh above and below, unexploited. pyramid, the games market repre- objects in a scene with higher a prime target platform for Apple is providing QuickDraw 3D sents an immediate opportunity precision so that, for example, high-end workstation modeling to allow you to open up the for extensive use of QuickDraw two objects that touch each other applications. graphics market both above and 3D.) As mentioned earlier, Apple will precisely retain their relative One developer we talked to is below the CAD/CAM, multimedia, expects that many applications positions when rotated or when already taking advantage of the and graphics arts segments cur- will begin by supporting the the camera position is changed. A extensibility of QuickDraw 3D. rently addressed. 3DMF file format and the Quick- future version of QuickDraw 3D Spatial Technology provides ACIS How will QuickDraw 3D widen Draw 3D Viewer first. will support Boolean operations solid modeling technology that is the market for 3D? First, Quick- One reason 3D graphics has (like cutting holes in objects) and licensed to over 140 companies Draw 3D will improve perfor- been less than popular with mass provide higher-order geometries worldwide, including Autodesk, mance, ease-of-use, and interop- market customers is that they to allow users to more easily Inc. (makers of the industry-stan- erability of applications targeted haven’t had the modeling exper- create large and complex objects dard AutoCAD program). Accord- at current 3D markets. Cost- tise (or the time or desire) to and scenes. ing to Dick Sower, founder and effective applications running on create 3D objects. Instead, It will also be possible to CEO of Spatial, “Spatial Technology relatively inexpensive computers they’ve relied on clip art libraries, extend the QuickDraw 3D library and Apple are working together to whose features are optimized for most of which don’t offer 3D of technologies by providing ensure that Apple developers have specific tasks will provide a much graphics. The 3DMF file format custom geometries that are most access to world-class 3D modeling larger universe of users with capa- standard will make it possible to useful in high-end CAD/CAM tools. We will be providing com- bilities that are currently only develop 3D “clip art” much more applications—an opportunity for plete QuickDraw 3D support available to experts using work- easily than before. In fact, some of you if you develop for the CAD/ throughout our suite of tools, and stations. you have already announced CAM market. Building advanced we feel that QuickDraw 3D repre- The larger portion of the products that are essentially made CAD/CAM applications based on sents a very large opportunity in graphics arts market, as well as up of 3DMF-compliant clip art. As QuickDraw 3D technology the 3D modeling market.” the desktop publishing, general 3D clip art libraries proliferate, productivity, and game markets in you can expect to see far more the lower section of the pyramid, widespread use of 3D graphics will gain access to 3D features among mass market customers. Where to Find when you use QuickDraw 3D to QuickDraw 3D’s advanced add 3D capability to your applica- features, together with plug-in QuickDraw 3D and tions that currently support 2D renderers that will soon be avail- graphics. This will start with a able, will help promote its use in Related Information migration down further into the applications targeted at the high- graphic arts market, but will con- er-end CAD/CAM and the film • If you have a PowerPC processor–based Mac OS computer and tinue into other markets as well. and broadcast markets. Future 16 MB of memory, you can download the QuickDraw 3D software and sample programs from the Internet. To get the software, overview and marketing information, or technical data, connect to location http://www.info.apple.com/qd3d/. You can also get information through FTP using the address ftp://sam.austin.apple.com/Apple .Support.Area/QuickDraw3D/. • The reference book for QuickDraw 3D is 3D Graphics Program- ming With QuickDraw 3D, by Apple Computer, Inc. (Addison-Wesley, $39.95 in the United States). Not only does it tell you how to use QuickDraw 3D, an attached CD contains the software, various tools, and the API in both QuickView (for users of the Macintosh Program- mer’s Toolbox Assistant) and Adobe™ Acrobat formats. If you don’t have Internet access, this book is one sure way to get QuickDraw 3D. • Apple’s quarterly programming magazine, develop, has articles on QuickDraw 3D in issues 22 (“QuickDraw 3D: A New Dimension for Macintosh Graphics”) and 23 (“The Basics of QuickDraw 3D Geome- tries”). You can find these articles on the September Reference Library Edition of the Developer CD and on the World Wide Web (at Increasing the market for 3D. The more expertise that 3D location http://www.info.apple.com/dev/develop.html). graphics requires, the fewer the opportunities for using it. • If you would like a white paper entitled “Apple QuickDraw 3D—A QuickDraw 3D promises to make 3D technology more com- Technology Overview,” send your request by e-mail to monplace in markets both “above” and “below” today’s mar- [email protected]. kets for 3D.

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections Technology 19

QuickDraw 3D will help the you may need to translate the 3D attributes) with which users are QuickDraw 3D’s capabilities can Macintosh platform move into representation used by the 3DMF currently forced to interact. You be put to use in games. Gerbils! is new graphics markets—both at format to the one used internally can implement the interactive a “rodent-coaster” game, in which the high end and at the low end— by your existing application. For renderer as a subset of the Quick- you make and change tracks that because of the advantages it pro- example, the 3DMF format Draw 3D API; you’ll get QAL sup- a gerbil runs on, knocking off vides over current solutions. First defines a sphere by its center and port as well. However, you won’t other rodents along the way. and foremost, QuickDraw 3D radius, while your application be able to take advantage of Pangea started out in 1987, devel- provides a more natural, intuitive might define a sphere by three QuickDraw 3D’s human interface oping games for the Apple IIGS. medium that facilitates and sim- points on its surface. Depending improvements in this scenario, so The company’s Mac OS games plifies many tasks, making Quick- on the extent of the differences, you should also keep your prod- include Firefall Arcade (published Draw 3D applications useful to a you may need a couple of days to ucts up-to-date by planning to by Inline Software) and Power greater number of people. For support the 3DMF format in an support the full QuickDraw 3D Pete (published by MacPlay). example, in an application that existing application. API—for example, at the next Brian Greenstone of Pangea uses QuickDraw 3D, an object is Next, modify your existing 2D major product revision. describes his experience with created just once; lighting, per- applications to support the 3D Finally, new 3D applications— QuickDraw 3D: “I was absolutely spective, and other appearance Viewer. The 3D Viewer is easy to especially PowerPC processor– amazed at just how quickly I was details can be easily changed later implement; only five function compatible games—should of able to get the first prototype of with little additional effort. calls are required. Once you pro- course take full advantage of Gerbils! up and running. My con- Redrawing or rephotographing vide 3D Viewer support, your QuickDraw 3D by providing core tact at Apple came over to my objects from different angles or users can paste 3D objects into architecture support and using apartment and handed me a with different lighting is no longer their documents and manipulate Apple’s user interface guidelines. Gerbils! design spec, a Quick- necessary. Also, as mentioned them. Draw 3D manual, and the earlier, you can create QuickDraw Next, you should also modify QuickDraw 3D Uses: libraries. Working only a few 3D applications that are tailored your existing 3D applications to Some Concrete Ideas hours a day, within four days I to a specific market. These target- support the interactive renderer. QuickDraw 3D can be used in just had a small section of track being ed, cost-effective applications will This will greatly improve an appli- about any type of application; displayed with the camera run- open up markets unavailable to cation’s performance by allowing your imagination is really the ning down it. Within two weeks I current 3D applications. real-time manipulation of the limit. An obvious application for had basic track editing, and within actual objects rather than the QuickDraw 3D technology, of one month the whole program QuickDraw 3D Integration simple bounding boxes (which course, is games. was basically up and running. You can utilize the various com- simply show the position of the Pangea Software’s Gerbils! “QuickDraw 3D was unbeliev- ponents of QuickDraw 3D in your object) or wireframe models demo (see the “Gerbils!” screen ably easy to pick up and get going applications individually or (which don’t show any material shot) is a good example of how with. About the only thing I had together. This flexibility allows you to immediately provide some of QuickDraw 3D’s benefits and move to full utilization when you are able. The steps toward com- plete adoption of QuickDraw 3D, from easiest to most difficult, are explained below. The first step is to support the 3DMF file format. This means that all of your current and future applications that use 3D graph- ics—both 680x0-based and Power- PC processor–based—should be able to read and write 3DMF files. Large numbers of applications that support 3DMF and wide- spread availability of 3DMF- encoded data will rapidly estab- lish 3DMF as a 3D file format standard. Apple has supplied a parser for Gerbils! Brian Greenstone of Pangea Software said QuickDraw 3D enabled him to create this translating common file formats real-time game in a month (including the learning curve for QuickDraw 3D). to the 3DMF format. In addition,

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections 20 Technology

Early QuickDraw 3D Adoption Company/product 3DMF Viewer Renderer Full use Comments 3D Labs, Inc./GLINT 3D graphics accelerator chip Artifice, Inc./ DesignWorkstop y auto•des•sys, Inc./FormZ y planned Byte by Byte Corp./ Sculpt y y Electric Image, Inc./ Electric Image Animation System y y Fractal Design Corp./ Poser y Graphisoft R&D Software Development Ltd./ ArchiCAD 4.55 y Graphisoft, Inc./ MiniCad 6 y planned Hash, Inc./ Animation Master 3.0 y y HSC Software Corp./ unnamed products y Kandu Software/ Cadmover for Power Macintosh y CAD file-translation package Linker Systems/ The Animation Stand y Will render models into animation frames Macromedia/ Extreme 3D y y Macromedia Digital Arts Group/ Freehand y y Support through add-in software module MacPlay/ Descent y Game Matrox Graphics, Inc./ Matrox Graphics Accelerator 64-bit PCI graphics accelerator card Model Masters L.L.C./ Model Monger y Professional 3D clip art Microspot USA, Inc./ unnamed product y y 3D design, modeling, and visualization application Radius/ unnamed 3D hardware y Ray Dream, Inc./ Ray Dream Designer y y SketchTech, Inc./ Upfront y y Specular International/ Infini-D y y Strata, Inc./ StudioPro and Vision 3D y y Adds support for Web browsing Syndesis Corp./ InterChange (for Windows) y 3D object file translation for Windows file formats Valis Group/ PixelPutty Solo y 3D modeler and animation program Vertigo Technology, Inc./ Vertigo 3D Media Authoring Software y y Viewpoint DataLabs International, Inc./ unnamed products y Broad range of 3D clip art Vibro-Acoustic Sciences, Inc./ AutoSEA y y Vibro-acoustic analysis tool Virtus Corp./ Virtus Walkthrough Pro and Virtus VR y YARC Systems Corp./ The SCREAMER y QuickDraw 3D display system using RISC coprocessor and GLINT chip

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections Technology 21 to write was the code for generat- Current and Future Plans Future versions of QuickDraw The developers who have used ing a 3D spline [for the track]— for QuickDraw 3D 3D, currently planned for release QuickDraw 3D so far are very QuickDraw 3D has calls built in QuickDraw 3D was released on next year, will include several new excited by the possibilities it for doing pretty much everything August 8th, and is available to features. First, Apple will provide opens up. Remember, too, that else.” Brian goes on to say that everyone. Apart from a nominal support for plug-in renderers and Apple is depending on you to “QuickDraw 3D is the best ver- licensing fee for distributing the shaders and supply additional implement QuickDraw 3D in the sion 1.0 of anything Apple has API, no royalties are charged for object geometries. As explained ways described at the beginning ever released. It’s amazingly fast using QuickDraw 3D. You’ll find a earlier, these additional features of this article. Doing so ensures considering what it does, and the complete SDK with full API docu- will help make your QuickDraw that you will have a state-of-the- hardware acceleration is equally mentation at Apple’s QuickDraw 3D applications useful and popu- art product and that the Mac OS impressive. It brings a Power Mac 3D Web site (http://www.info lar for both less- and more-sophis- remains the state-of-the-art plat- 9500 pretty darn close to low-end .apple.com/qd3d/). QuickDraw ticated customers than are cur- form for personal computing. ♣ SGI performance for a fraction of 3D is currently shipping with the rently using 3D technology. the cost.” PCI-based , In addition, Apple will supply a Bob Megantz is a principal in Another hot area for Quick- 7500, and 7200 computers and user interface toolkit that will TacTec, a technology licensing Draw 3D development is on the will be available in stand-alone make it even easier for you to put and business development Internet’s World Wide Web, Mac OS packages. QuickDraw 3D to work in your consulting firm in San Jose, where 3D Web browsers may Several dozen companies have applications. The QuickDraw 3D California. provide an exciting market announced that they will support preview renderer, another new opportunity for some of you. In QuickDraw 3D. (Check the feature, will help make the Special thanks to Apple Develop- general, you’d create a 3D Web QuickDraw 3D Web page for process of working in 3D more er Technical Support Engineer browsers that make navigation complete and up-to-date listings. natural by allowing fast, high- Nick Thompson for his help in through a Web site much more See also the table on page 20.) quality object preview with preparing this article. evocative and interesting. For QuickDraw 3D accelerator cards sophisticated lighting and shading example, a user might “walk” have been announced by Apple, prior to the final render. down a hallway with pictures on YARC Systems, Radius, Matrox, the walls. Clicking a picture and Newer Technologies. Apple 3D for Free could move the user to a new will provide a QuickDraw 3D As it so often does, Apple is location—for example, the Web implementation for the Windows putting an entirely new technolo- page of the museum in which platform in 1996; once that hap- gy—QuickDraw 3D—in your the picture is located. To imple- pens, QuickDraw 3D–based hands. By preventing you from ment 3D Web browsers, you can graphics will be viewable by the having to reinvent the wheel, use viewers and helper applica- vast Windows market, and you’ll Apple is giving you new capabili- tions that use QuickDraw 3D as be able to port your QuickDraw ties without burdening you with the playback engine and the 3D–based applications to run on the costs of designing, maintain- 3DMF file format for the objects PCs as well as on Power Macin- ing, and promoting the underly- users view at a Web site. tosh computers. ing technology. All you have to do is use it! OpenDoc Human Interface FAQs Selecting, Implementing Tool Bars and Palettes, Embedding, and Scripting time. For example, I want to could be a discontinuous selec- select a word in a text part, tion. Discontinuous multiple By Kerry Ortega, Geoff Schuller, bringing content into and out of an oval in a drawing part, a selections can be made only with- Dave Curbow, and Elizabeth an OpenDoc document, and clock part, and a complete in a single part, not among multi- Dykstra-Erickson, OpenDoc scripts that are tied to an Open- drawing. Will I be able to do ple parts. Human Interface Team Doc part. There should be some- this in OpenDoc? OpenDoc doesn’t allow dis- thing for everyone here. A: That depends. The content continuous selection across part This month, we’re covering sever- you’re describing could all be part boundaries, because all parts do al questions about OpenDoc’s Q: I’d like to be able to select of a continuous multiple selec- not provide the same commands, behavior when multiple parts content within different parts tion, if the containing part’s con- and consequently it would be are involved, the mechanics of of the document at the same tent model allows that; or, it difficult for the user to predict

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections 22 Technology what will happen to the selection. the user selects a music staff and set of tool icons across different editor handles the information it Because of this, OpenDoc dis- a graphics object and invokes the part editors—that’s certainly gets from the Clipboard, typically plays only the menus of the active command Scale, that command possible. some of the content will be past- part; it supports menu switching, could very well produce a differ- A related issue is reusing the ed and some of it will be lost. rather than menu sharing. ent effect on each type of con- same tool palette but having the When the text part’s Copy com- If the user attempts a selection tent: The music staff might play a tools within that palette change mand is invoked, it copies the that crosses part boundaries, musical scale, and the graphics according to the part that is selected content to the Clipboard OpenDoc displays the menus of object might change its relative active. For example, a part editor in several different formats. One the parts’ container (that is, the size. Imagine the kinds of unex- developer may decide to reuse a of the formats is “text without next hierarchical level up), which pected behavior this problem “standard” tool, such as a text tool graphics,” which the e-mail part may or may not support the com- might create. or a paint bucket tool. Reuse can accept. Then, when the user mands the user wants to invoke. For these reasons, we decided assists users in predicting the pastes the content into the e-mail There are several alternatives against this approach and decided behavior of the tool and gives part, the “text without graphics” to the above and we considered to limit the user’s selection to a them the perception of universali- data is pasted in and the other many during the design of Open- single content/part kind. We think ty that doesn’t cost developers nontext data is ignored. Doc. Here is one example of an this, along with the menu switch- anything to provide. (In fact, this Similarly, when your part edi- alternative that we felt would not ing capability, will clarify to the decreases your development tor copies content onto the Clip- be successful, along with why we user what commands are avail- time.) The OpenDoc human board, one of the formats it felt it was problematic: Allow able. interface guidelines encourage should supply is “content minus users to select content from mul- you to reuse functionality from any embedded parts.” Thus, parts tiple kinds of parts and show the Q: I’d like to have a univer- other editors so that you don’t that don’t support certain types of intersection of the applicable sal tool bar that contains have to create it all yourself. (For data will be able to receive as commands in the menus. In order standard tools that apply to details, see page 16 of the May much of the copied data as possi- to do this, OpenDoc would have content for all different kinds 1995 issue of Apple Directions.) ble during a paste operation. The to determine what kind of parts of parts. For example, I’d like We aren’t delivering any code objective is to allow the user to and what kind of content were to use the same paint bucket to support multiple parts sharing transfer as much data as possible selected, and then determine tool to change colors in my the same palette in release 1.0, during a copy-paste operation. which commands would apply to paint part and my word but because many people have If you are unable to support all of them. This results in a sig- processor part. Will OpenDoc expressed interest in this, we are embedding, you may want to nificantly reduced set of com- let me do this? considering it for the future. display the embedded content as mands that could be used on the A: This is an interesting idea, but being of type NoPart, which caus- selected parts. This seriously OpenDoc does not provide a Q: My text part does not sup- es a gray box to appear until the constrains what the user can do facility like this. There are differ- port embedded parts. If other relevant editor is available or the to those parts, and thus is far ent ways of interpreting what text is pasted or dropped into user translates the part. The gray from optimal. you’ve asked. As described above, it, the content is merged. But box alerts users to the fact that Another problem that could menus switch as a part becomes what should I do when a user your editor could not display occur is that, while several differ- active. Likewise, tool palettes, copies some text that con- some of the pasted content. An ent parts might have certain com- rulers, and so on also switch, so it tains embedded parts, and alternative is to notify the user mands in common, a single com- isn’t possible to use the same tool then pastes this into my text that only some of the content can mand might produce a different in different parts. However, if you part? Should my editor paste be pasted. In this case, we suggest effect when applied to different are simply suggesting that it in the text, ignoring the other using the alert shown below. kinds of content. For example, if would be nice to have a standard “nontext” parts, or should it refuse to paste anything? Q: What should happen when A: We encourage you to support a user copies non-OpenDoc embedding to maximize data content into an OpenDoc transfer and to minimize user document and vice versa? confusion. However, if you are A: A key goal of the OpenDoc unable to support embedding, user experience is something we you must be able to handle past- call “round-trip integrity.” By this ing data in special ways and we mean that content being inform users of the implications. moved from one place to another Consider the following exam- should not be altered unnecessar- ple: A user copies some text and ily. For example, dragging any graphics from a text part and content into an OpenDoc docu- pastes it into an e-mail part. ment should not alter the content A “Some data can’t be pasted” alert box. Depending on how the e-mail after it is dropped. The intent is

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections Technology 23 that the user should be able to SurfWriter 2.0 part editor should system has multiple screens, ruler, and place the window so drag it back out to the Finder and not automatically change the place the palette on the same that it is adjacent to the relevant the content that is dropped will content’s kind to SurfWriter 2.0 screen as the document window side of the part (the ruler could be identical to the original. just because it’s now residing in it supports. The most important be horizontal, vertical, or both, In other words, if the user an OpenDoc part. Leave the con- considerations for placement of depending on the content copies a drawing document from tent’s kind alone! That way, the tools are proximity to content, model). Further, users should be the Finder into an OpenDoc user can later extract the content flexibility of placement, and able to dismiss rulers. document, the drawing content (whose kind is SurfWriter 1.0) and reachability. In other words, users We appreciate any comments inside the OpenDoc document give it to someone who doesn’t should be able to easily associate you have on this topic; you can should contain all the content have OpenDoc. the tool with the content it modi- send them to the address and properties from the original The representation and kind of fies. The user should also be able [email protected]. drawing document. For example, the part should only be changed to change the location of the all of the contents (in all of the when the user has made some palette (and the system should Q: How do I attach scripts to stored representations) should be change that absolutely cannot be remember the new location). OpenDoc parts? preserved, as well as the name of handled by the old representa- Finally, the user should be able to A: Scripting allows customization that drawing, the kind of the tion. For example, when the user hide and show the palette, dismiss of the interface. We expect that content, the last editor used to embeds another part into our it (using a close box), and recover most users will experience script- edit that drawing, and so on. example SurfWriter 1.0 part, its it (using a menu command). ing indirectly, by using There is one exception to this representation and kind must be If the document contains documents created from com- rule, which occurs in the case of changed to one that supports several parts that use the same mercially available stationery that merged content. If a drawing is embedding—because the Surf- part editor, the palettes should be contains embedded scripts. For copied into a drawing part, the Writer 1.0 representation does positioned in the same spot on example, in filling out an electron- contents of the drawing are not support embedding. After the desktop, regardless of which ic medical form, a user might be merged into the destination part this, the kind cannot be changed part is active. The palette should unaware that an embedded script instead of being embedded in it. back, because to do so would not be affixed directly to a part— is invisibly validating data as it is In this case, the destination part require removing the embedded this is an inefficient use of screen entered. Nonetheless, we want uses only one of the content part. real estate and would cause you to know how scripting works representations; any others are One final note on kinds: The unnecessary repainting of the in OpenDoc and what kinds of discarded. In addition, the prop- user has control over the con- document when another part user interfaces you should sup- erties of the original drawing tent’s kind. In the Part Info dialog becomes active. Positioning your port in order to allow scripts to document are not preserved, box, the part’s kind is shown in a tool palette inside your part not be added to parts. because the drawing is now part pop-up menu. All kinds that the only artificially increases the size Conceptually, scripts may be of its new home and will inherit editor supports—for example, of your part, but can obscure attached either to the part as a the appropriate properties of the SurfWriter 1.0 and 2.0—will be in content within your part or cause whole or to some intrinsic con- containing document. It has a that list, as well as a mechanism content in the container to tent within the part (for example, new identity! for translating to other kinds. The reflow. This would violate the text fields, menu commands, Another important aspect of user may change to any support- WYSIWYG principle. command buttons, radio buttons, the data interchange issue has to ed kind. Of course, the kinds When your part is the root part pop-up menus, or other controls do with a part’s kind, which is available in the pop-up menu may and your editor supports a ruler, and graphics objects). Any part one format (or “representation”) change over time. For example, if place that ruler at the top of the may have a script property associ- of a part’s content. A standard you look back at our previous window. When the part is inactive ated with it, and the script may be kind is a data format widely used example, once the part’s kind has it should still display the ruler, attached in many ways, which will among traditional applications— been changed from SurfWriter 1.0 since the user may find it useful be explained later. for example, “styled text” is to 2.0, the SurfWriter 1.0 kind when looking at the placement or If a part editor supports attach- understood by many word would no longer be found in the content of embedded parts. ing scripts to its intrinsic content, processors. It is important that pop-up menu. If a ruler is necessary for a part the intrinsic content—a text field, your editor not arbitrarily change that is embedded, you can use for example—has no script prop- a standard kind to an OpenDoc- Q: My part has several differ- overlaid frames if the container erty in which to store the script specific kind. ent tool palettes and rulers. supports them (in this case, an because it is only one element of For example, let’s assume that Where should I initially place overlaid frame would be a ruler the part itself (which can have its SurfWriter 1.0 is a traditional these? that appears just above the own script property). Still, the application and SurfWriter 2.0 is A: Our human interface guide- embedded part), but in certain user interface for the intrinsic an OpenDoc part that allows lines suggest pinning to the situations this solution doesn’t content’s script should be similar embedding. When the user upper left. Therefore, place your work well. In these situations, we to that used for attaching scripts drags SurfWriter 1.0 content into main palette in the upper left of recommend that you create a to embedded parts, and there an OpenDoc document, your the screen. When the user’s floating window to contain the should be no difference between

OCTOBER 1995 AppleDirections 24 Technology editing the script of a part and Info command from the Edit a part is activated, its menus are through the drag-and-drop fea- editing the script of a part’s intrin- menu, and clicking the Settings displayed and, if your part sup- ture. For example, if the user sic content. button. This opens the script for ports scripting, you can add com- drags and drops an OSA (Open There are several ways that a this part and allows the user to mands to your part’s menus that Scripting Architecture) script file user can attach scripts to parts. edit it. Please be aware that, as provide direct access to its script onto a button part, the button One way is the required user the part developer, you are editor. You may also provide part editor should copy the con- interface method and the others responsible for adding the Set- keyboard shortcuts, such as the tents of the script into the but- are alternative methods. The tings button to your part’s Part Command-Option-click shortcut ton’s script property. ♣ required method involves the Part Info dialog box. that HyperCard uses, to provide Info dialog box. A user can create One optional method for direct access to your part’s script and edit a part’s script by select- attaching a script to a part is editor. Another optional method ing the part, choosing the Part through menu commands. When for adding a script to a part is

CD Highlights

continued from page 11 sounds using the built-in sound hardware present by using the TrapAvailable code to found on Macintosh computers. Sound Man- check for the _IconDispatch (0xABC9) trap. PT/PS Products Guide ager 3.0, released in 1993, added support for The TrapAvailable code is presented in Vol- The PowerTalk/PowerShare Products Guide 16-bit CD-quality audio, redirection of sound ume VI of Inside Macintosh, and as sample starts with a description of the technology to third-party hardware cards, and plug-in code in many of the snippets on the Devel- and how it provides solutions for communi- audio compression/decompression software oper CD. This sample runs under Think C cation and collaboration. Following that is a (codecs). 7.0.4, CodeWarrior 6, and MPW 3.3.1 with the complete catalog of PowerTalk and Power- Sound Manager 3.1 adds two new audio universal headers. Share applications. codecs, significant performance increases on • PowerMacOr68K. This snippet shows the Power Macintosh line of computers, and how to determine whether your application QuickTime 2.1 asynchronous alert sounds. It is completely is running on a Power Macintosh or on a The QuickTime system software extension backward-compatible with previous versions 680x0-based Macintosh, and shows how to enables you to integrate video, graphics, of the Sound Manager. determine exactly which type of processor is sound, sprites, text, music, and animation running. It also works around an off-by-one into documents. By providing a standard way Snippets Update error with gestaltNativeCPUType. This sample for all Mac OS programs to control these This folder contains four new snippets from runs under Think C 7.0.4, CodeWarrior 6, and multimedia elements, QuickTime makes Virginia (Ginny) McCulloh of Apple Develop- MPW 3.3.1 with the universal headers. them easier to use. QuickTime 2.1 includes er Technical Support. • ShadingWinds. This little application support for smoother video, sprite anima- • GetOwnerGroup. This sample demon- includes code for detecting whether a win- tion, CD-ROM AutoStart, 16-bit audio com- strates how to determine the owner and dow has been rolled up by WindowShade. pression, and MPEG. It also includes the group of a directory (folder). It’s really a This code runs under Think C 7.0.4 and MPW capabilities of the Apple Multimedia Tuner. modification of Brian Bechtel’s and C.K. 3.3.1 with the universal headers. You can find more information on Quick- Haun’s “Select Folder w/ Gray files” sample; Time at Apple Computer’s QuickTime site on instead of reporting the vRefNum and the Coming Next Month the World Wide Web. The site address is parID in a dialog box, it reports the owner I’ll try to ship the much-requested new ver- http://quicktime.apple.com. name and group name of the directory. This sion of SWAt, as well as the usual new and This package also contains version 3.1 of sample requires Think C 7.0.x or MPW 3.3.x. revised tools, utilities, and sample code. the Sound Manager. The Sound Manager 3.1 • IconUtilCheck. This snippet shows how software consists of to determine whether the icon utilities are Alex Dosher • the Sound Manager system software available. According to technical note OV-16, Developer CD Leader extension Inside Macintosh: More Macintosh Toolbox • a new version of the Sound control specifies that the gestaltIconUtilitiesAttr panel 'icon' Gestalt selector (in the GestaltEqu files) can be used to determine whether the Available since the introduction of the icon utilities are present under System 7, but Macintosh II in 1987, the Sound Manager is this selector was not implemented until Apple’s digital audio software solution that system software version 7.1.2. This snippet allows any application to play and record determines whether the the utilities are

OCTOBER 1995 Directions Apple Business & Marketing 25 Business & Marketing

Marketing Feature Apple Guide—Intelligent Help for Your Business

By Kris Newby developer advantages. If you’re an immediate answers to computer- Intelligent Features application developer, Apple related problems, improving a Danny Goodman, co-author of As your software or hardware Guide can reduce your support user’s experience. Danny Goodman’s Apple Guide grows in complexity, so does the costs, lower manual printing costs, These findings led Apple to Starter Kit, sums up the impor- burden of providing your custom- and improve customer satisfac- focus its efforts on creating a help tance of Apple Guide: “By far the ers with support and training. The tion. If you’re a custom developer, system in which answers to task- greatest benefit of this technology natural reaction to this complexi- Apple Guide opens up new busi- related questions are presented in is the level of integration it offers ty is “up-sizing.” To educate cus- ness opportunities to create client- discrete steps. This is different between an application (or solu- tomers on new features, you end specific training and help prod- from the traditional approach to tion) and its online help/tutorial up adding pages to your manuals. ucts. This article provides an writing documentation—where system. This system doesn’t just To guide customers through overview of these business bene- procedures are buried within display flash cards atop applica- complex procedures, you end up fits, an extensive list of Apple feature-focused chapters or sec- tions—users clearly sense that the adding technical support people. Guide resources (on page 28), and tions. A task-oriented approach help system is watching what But if you’re beginning to think testimonials from some of your lets users electronically find a they’re doing. Perceptive users that there’s a better, more eco- colleagues who are putting Apple quick answer to a question such will recognize this as the dawn of nomical way to support your Guide to good work. as, “How do I download stock an intelligent system that won’t customers, it may be time to take quotes into a graph?” rather than let users make mistakes.” a closer look at Apple Guide, the Apple Guide’s Task- having to search through multiple Apple Guide’s architecture Mac OS technology for creating Oriented Approach feature-focused chapters, such as consists of three parts: a system intelligent help systems. Before releasing Apple Guide, “Creating Graphs” and “Down- software extension that installs at Apple Guide is the first Apple Computer, Inc., conducted loading Online Information.” startup, a Faceless Background active-assistance help engine to more than three years of research Apple believes this approach is Application (FBA) that loads be integrated into a personal and analysis on the kind of help fundamentally more useful to when help is invoked, and one or computer. When we speak of people need while working on users—though it’s often harder to more application-specific help active assistance, we’re referring computers. From these studies, develop, since it requires more databases that a guide designer to Apple Guide features that Apple designers formulated these research to anticipate users’ creates using an Apple Guide enable users to accomplish tasks conclusions: needs and behavior. authoring tool such as Guide with minimal direction. Apple • Most computer users don’t Originally, Apple Guide was Maker. Here are some of the Guide help systems are able to read user manuals from cover to designed as a dedicated Mac OS unique features that make Apple anticipate user preferences and cover—they use them when help system. But as enthusiasm Guide particularly well suited to needs. And they can actively lead they’re unable to perform a for the technology spread, Apple helping computer users: users through the steps required desired task. Guide’s scope expanded to its • Context sensitivity. This to complete desired tasks. With • Frustration is compounded current configuration—that of a Apple Guide feature enables a Apple Guide technology, you’re when users can’t quickly locate general-purpose help engine help system to detect where a able to do more than create answers to questions within tradi- accessible by all developers. Hav- user is working in a program and electronic reference manuals— tional documentation. ing this help technology available whether or not this user has you’re able to create electronic • Users prefer answers to as a consistent, easy-to-use, plat- completed a specified task. It can teachers. computer-related questions to be form-wide standard is expected to Beyond the benefits that Apple presented in concise steps. further improve the overall Mac- Market Research Monthly will Guide provides your customers, • Interactive, context-sensitive intosh user experience. return next month. Apple Guide offers a number of help systems can provide more OCTOBER 1995 Directions 26 Business & Marketing Apple also check a user’s Macintosh support specific Apple Guide services to offer your customers. In the next sections of this model, so that a user only features. (For technical details on (See “Apple Guide Business Bene- article, we’ve included descrip- receives instructions for features how to begin using Apple Guide, fits” on this page for an overview tions of how Apple Guide is being available on that model. The see the article “Giving Users Help of Apple Guide features and ben- used by four different types of benefit of this feature is that users With Apple Guide” in develop, efits.) developers: a commercial soft- are only presented relevant topics Issue 18, June 1994, and the other In addition, developers are just ware developer, a hardware devel- when help is invoked. resources listed on page 28 of this beginning to explore the creative oper, an in-house developer, and • Interactivity. Apple Guide’s article.) potential of this relatively new a Macintosh prepress service interactivity enables help systems technology, and over the next few provider. These Apple Guide to respond to users’ actions by Apple Guide Business months, you’ll see an increasing developers also discuss why they coaching them through the next Benefits number of clever Apple Guide chose this technology and how it step in a process or by notifying Your customers are the first-tier implementations come to market. helps their businesses. them when they’ve incorrectly beneficiaries of a well-designed For example, Purdue University’s executed a step. One of the most Apple Guide help system. They’ll biology department has created Intuit’s Intuitive popular interactive features is the gain access to a help interface an Apple Guide–based interactive Help System “coach” mark. Developers can use that they’re familiar with, and training tool that takes students Intuit is not only the number-one these animated circles, X’s, they’ll be able to find answers to through the dissection of frog and publisher of personal finance underlines, and arrows to direct common questions faster than chicken embryos. Route 66 Geo- software, but its flagship prod- users’ attention to screen areas. they would using traditional user graphic Information Systems, a ucts, and MacInTax, As a guide developer, you have manuals. And this, in turn, should Dutch company that is also based include two of the best built-in the ability to mark either static or help your business reduce sup- in Silicon Valley, was able to local- help facilities on the market dynamic interface objects, port costs and improve customer ize their route planning applica- today. Intuit hopes to increase its enabling you to interactively lead satisfaction. tion’s help system into three competitive lead in this area by a user through a series of steps. For companies who take full languages in only nine days. shipping a new Apple Guide help • Multimedia content deliv- advantage of Apple Guide’s rich Learning Systems in Colorado system with the next version of ery. In cases where a picture (or feature set, the benefits are corre- Springs ships an Apple Guide Quicken for Macintosh. sound) “is worth a thousand spondingly greater. You may be help system with their multimedia What initially drew the Quick- words,” graphics, QuickTime able to reduce manual printing authoring tool, Scene Slate. And en team to Apple Guide technolo- movies, or audio can be launched and shipping costs. You can use they use Apple Guide instruction- gy was the promise that it would from an Apple Guide panel. your Apple Guide support as a al panels to annotate their Quick- save in-house programming • The Huh? button. Apple competitive marketing advantage. Time-based tutorial. (For more resources. Quicken’s propri- Guide delivers answers to specific And if you’re a custom software ideas on creative uses of Apple etary help system had grown so questions in a succinct format, developer, Apple Guide can pro- Guide, see the “Apple Guide large that the technical publica- but users can click the Huh? but- vide you with new development Solution Ideas” box on page 27.) tions group was having trouble ton at the bottom of a Guide panel to get more information on a given topic. Apple Guide Business Benefits Apple Guide technology was created so that you could add Feature Benefit simple guides to most applica- System-wide integrated help engine Provides consistent user help interface with Mac OS and tions without having to make any applications, and faster user learning curve core code changes. Any applica- tion that uses the Macintosh Task-oriented, question-driven system Reduces technical support calls by addressing Toolbox according to Inside Mac- frequently asked questions intosh guidelines will automatical- Interactive, context-sensitive support Provides faster answers to questions, improved customer ly support basic Apple Guide satisfaction, product differentiation capabilities such as Help menu Paperless help solution Reduces manual printing, assembly, and shipping costs visibility, panel linking, coach marks, and context checks. You Media integration of graphics, audio, Delivers better help, improves customer satisfaction just have to place an Apple Guide and QuickTime movies database file in the same folder as Assistance for multiple applications, with- Presents opportunity for third-party or in-house guide creation an application. If you want to write out modification of application core code guides that provide more complex Active-assistance business opportunity Differentiates and positions your company as a leader assistance, you may have to change in intelligent systems parts of your application code to

OCTOBER 1995 Directions Apple Business & Marketing 27 persuading in-house programmers specializes in intelligent assistance then used Claris XTND to bring port center. It’s providing custom- to maintain and extend it. So when solutions, they compiled and this edited text into Guide Maker. ers with tips and tricks for setting Leigh Chapman, a senior technical categorized questions and They’ve also added a digital audio up SCSI-based storage systems, as writer at Intuit, previewed Apple answers within a database. Then track that enables users to have well as an escalation path for Guide’s rich feature set, he they moved them over to their instructions read aloud. troubleshooting problems. Rapini jumped at the chance to move to Apple Guide system. “One of the biggest advantages adds, “You can’t get the type of this Apple-maintained technology. “Using this approach, we knew to using Apple Guide over our old active assistance that Apple Guide “Apple Guide is a big win for that we’d answered the questions help system is its context-sensitiv- provides from the other electron- our department,” says Chapman. that were most important to our ity,” says Chapman. “Apple Guide ic documentation readers on the “It enables us to provide our customers,” says Chapman. “And can sense where in a program a market. customers with a help system that we found we were able to use user is working and call up appro- “What I like best about Apple is better supported and has more words that made sense to them, priate help topics. Next year we’ll Guide is that I can put a wealth of features.” rather than forcing them to learn also save printing costs, because information into the system fold- Because Intuit’s approach to our corporate terminology. For we’ll be able to remove step-by- er on a drive, and it becomes part writing instructional materials was example, we found that many step instructions from our manu- of the computer system’s built-in already task-centered, as opposed users didn’t understand what we als, replacing these with pointers help system,” says Rapini. “Drives to feature-centered, the move to meant by reconciling accounts— to our help system.” may move from office to office, Apple Guide’s question-and- most think of this task as balanc- but our customers will always answer format was relatively easy. ing checkbooks. We expect that Microtech’s Drive to know where to find product infor- In preparation for this transition, Apple Guide’s question-and- Reduce Costs mation. And even though up- team members revised their exist- answer format will eliminate or Microtech International, a mass front Apple Guide development ing help system to include fre- shorten many support calls.” storage device company located costs are fairly high, we’ll come quently asked customer ques- The Quicken team also found in East Haven, Connecticut, is out ahead because of reduced tions. Working closely with the they could reuse much of their using Apple Guide technology to technical support and product Quicken technical support group existing manual content by trans- reduce technical support and costs, and improved customer and guideWorks, a company in ferring text from FrameMaker to product costs. satisfaction.” Monte Sereno, California, that Microsoft Word for editing. They “Within the next twelve months, we hope to eliminate our Guiding Pharmacists hard-copy manuals by placing Through 70,000 Products most of our user information in Last fall, Bergen Brunswig, one of Apple Guide Solution Ideas an Apple Guide help system,” says the largest pharmaceutical distrib- Dominic Rapini, Microtech’s utors in the United States, sent Apple Guide technology can be used for more than just creating ques- director of marketing. “By ship- new Macintosh LC 575 comput- tion-and-answer help systems. Because of its unique active-assistance ping this information inside our ers, along with their Accu- features and its ease of use, a wide variety of computer users are drive system folders, we’ll save Source™ CD ROM–based prod- employing Apple Guide to build everything from university tutorials to thousands of dollars in printing uct catalog, to their 3,000 employee procedures. Here are just a few ideas on ways to use Apple and shipping costs.” pharmacy customers. Guide. This 50-person hardware com- This California-based pharma- • a more attractive, reliable delivery mechanism for the information pany was also quick to recognize ceutical distributor finds itself in a typically delivered in Read Me and What’s New text files another advantage to using Apple surprising role—that of a Mac OS • a facility for teaching short cuts to power users Guide: It provides a convenient, software developer—because the • a help system that enables users to load different categories of low-cost way to deliver informa- custom software that it creates help topics according to experience level or specialty (for example, tion that will encourage custom- helps sell more products. Not only spreadsheet users could specify whether a business accounting or ers to buy more drives. Within its does Bergen Brunswig’s Accu- home finance help database should be installed) Apple Guide help system, Source™ system offer pharmacists • a menu that asks new users if they’d like the help system to step Microtech will be working with a fast way to check stock and order them through a few key startup tasks the guideWorks organization to any of 70,000 products, but it pro- • a troubleshooting checklist for users to complete before they call add step-by-step instructions for vides the company with detailed technical support setting up RAID systems (for product information and a search • a step-by-step training tool that walks employees through the writing data to multiple drives function for evaluating generic filling out of electronic company forms, such as expense reports and simultaneously); advice on buying drug alternatives. Making the most purchase orders storage for video production; and of the productivity software that • integrated help facilities for any custom Excel spreadsheet, or for ordering information for other ships with its Macintosh LC com- any Claris FileMaker, ACI 4D, or FoxPro database products in the Microtech line. puters, Bergen Brunswig also • a help button in your application alert or dialog boxes that takes Apple Guide is also helping sends customers ClarisWorks tem- users directly to relevant Apple Guide instructions Microtech reduce calls to its sup- plates for pharmacy shelf signs.

OCTOBER 1995 Directions 28 Business & Marketing Apple

One of the product champions Bergen Brunswig, with the aspects of the company’s prod- QuickTime movies, to pharma- behind AccuSource™ is Bergen help of Apple Guide, is now able ucts and ordering system. For ceutical manufacturers. Brunswig’s vice president of R&D, to provide pharmacists with example, pharmacists are able to The indexing and search capa- Jim McLaughlin. When McLaugh- services above and beyond launch a QuickTime movie in bilities of the system also help the lin first saw a pre-release version those of competitors. Taking Apple Guide that shows them company bridge the terminology of Apple Guide, he said definitive- advantage of the Macintosh LC how to connect their hand-held gap between pharmaceutical ly, “I want it.” Soon after, he 575 computers’ built-in multi- stock-checking devices to a manufacturers and pharmacists, recruited guideWorks, a guide media capabilities, the company Macintosh. To help offset the providing cross-references to the development consultant, to add has embedded QuickTime costs of this system, Bergen plethora of pharmaceutical brand an Apple Guide database to Accu- movies into its Apple Guide Brunswig sells ad space, in the names, chemical names, and Source™. database to explain specific form of screen savers and generic alternatives. And as the

Apple Guide Resources Books and Articles Training Classes • “Giving Users Help With Apple Guide,” develop, Issue 18, June • Creating Apple Guide Help Systems. In this Developer University 1994. This is a technical overview on how to add Apple Guide to your class, you can learn how to develop an Apple Guide database from start application. to finish. The next class will be held on November 6–8 at Developer • Apple Guide Complete: Designing and Developing Onscreen Assis- University’s Cupertino facility. For additional class dates, a detailed tance by Apple Computer, Inc.; Addison-Wesley, ISBN: 0-201-48334-3; course description and outline, or registration, call 408-974-4897 or visit $39.95. For beginning and advanced guide developers, Apple Guide the Web site http://www.info.apple.com/dev:developer university. Complete is a book and CD-ROM package that provides everything you • Intro to Apple Guide Development. This class, sponsored by the need to successfully produce guide files, including Guide Maker, the Apple Business Consortium, is designed to help developers evaluate software you use to build and test guide files. adding Apple Guide to their services and to provide attendees with • Real World Apple Guide by Jesse Feiler; M&T Books, ISBN: 1- enough information to begin creating simple guides. For more informa- 55851-429-5; $39.95. This “getting started” book includes everything tion, call 800-681-4636 or 408-366-8330. you need to create your own Apple Guide help systems, including a CD- ROM containing Guide Maker and other tools. It comes with examples of Online Resources Apple Guide help for HyperCard stacks, 4D databases, WordPerfect, • eWorld. Use the path Macintosh Development Forum:Technical Microsoft Word, and other programs, along with tips on creating cus- Discussions:Category—Apple Guide. tomized Apple Guide applications with MPW, MacApp, CodeWarrior, and • AppleLink BBS. Follow the path Developer Support:System 7.5 Think C. To order, call 800-488-5233. Talk:Apple Guide Discussion. • Apple Developer Services Web page. You’ll find this page at the Authoring Tools location http://www.info.apple.com/dev/developerservices.html. • Danny Goodman’s Apple Guide Starter Kit by Danny Goodman and • Apple Developer Services FTP site. Use the address Jeremy Joan Hewes; Addison-Wesley, ISBN: 0-201-48349-1; $34.95. ftp://ftp.info.apple.com. This self-contained “getting started” book and disk package includes a • guideWorks Web page for Apple Guide. The site address is graphical development tool, Apple Guide Starter (a full-functioning demo http://www.guideworks.com/. of this tool is available at http://www.guideworks.com). Apple Guide • Anarchie Guide. For an amusing example of a guide, check out this Starter automates guide creation by giving you Apple Guide windows in companion help system for the shareware Internet tool, Anarchie, created which you can write content, specify coach marks, attach “Huh?” but- by Quinn the Eskimo “down under.” See the Web site tons, and more. The program then generates the GuideScript text and http://redback.cs.uwa.edu.au/quinn/www/softwaredevelopment.html. compiles the guide database with the included Guide Maker Lite pro- • Apple Guide Internet mailing list. Send a message to gram. The book features expert advice about guide design, planning, and [email protected] containing the message “subscribe apple- organization from a member of Apple’s Instructional Products group. guide ”, replacing with your • Guide Composer. This new Apple Guide authoring tool from StepUp actual name. lets you enter your guide content in the same windows that your users • The Apple Guide Custom Solution Sampler CD. You can obtain this will see. There’s no guide script syntax to learn—guide files are automat- sampler through the Apple Solution Provider Network mailing and the ically compiled using Apple’s Guide Maker Lite (shipped with Guide Apple Developer Services FTP site. Composer). Guide Composer allows you to add AppleScript scripts, • Apple Evangelism Overview. This presentation is designed for con- buttons, pictures, sounds, coach marks, and custom code to your pan- sultants and MIS managers trying to decide if they want to add Apple els. For more information, download a free demo at ftp://mirror.apple Guide to their services. To order an electronic version of the presentation, .com//mirrors/Info-Mac.archive/dev/guide-composer-demo.hqx or visit send an e-mail message to [email protected]. StepUp’s Web site at http://rampages.onramp.net/~stepup.

OCTOBER 1995 Directions Apple Business & Marketing 29

AccuSource™ customer base the process. Then, he pasted text to change core software code to speed improvements and back- grows, McLaughlin anticipates from this document into a tem- support complex Apple Guide ward compatibility through Sys- that Bergen Brunswig’s new plate provided in the Apple Guide features. The time and effort tem 7.0. This backward compati- Apple Guide system will help authoring tool, Guide Maker. “It required for your specific project bility will enable you to amortize keep 800-number support costs was all very easy,” says Harper. is highly dependent on the cur- guide creation costs across a under control. Previously, an employee rent state of your technical docu- larger installed base and provide Summing up his thoughts on wanting to know how to com- mentation and the level of assis- your existing customers with Apple Guide, McLaughlin says, plete a certain shop procedure tance you wish to provide. If another reason to upgrade. Apple “Apple Guide is a strategic tech- had to thumb through a manual you’re a company that has already Guide will also support OpenDoc, nology for providing our custom- three inches thick. “This was a laid the groundwork for a task- enabling developers to create ers with better service. When custom guides that can be people start seeing these types of dropped into applications created user-aware help systems, I think by other developers. they’re going to start clamoring Taking the long view, the real for them.” “Perceptive users will recognize [Apple Guide] importance of Apple Guide is that as the dawn of an intelligent system it’s the first step toward active- A Prepress Training Tool assistance computing. With each For Midwest Litho Arts, a busy that won’t let users make mistakes.” new release of the Mac OS, Apple electronic prepress shop run- —Danny Goodman will provide you with more tools ning around the clock in Des that help you build intelligence Plaines, Illinois, training new into your applications. And by employees and integrating new doing everything you can to sup- procedures into its operations port Apple Guide today, you’ll be were proving to be increasingly time-consuming process and, oriented help system, your transi- able to provide your customers difficult tasks. With Apple Guide, honestly, most trainees would tion will be relatively easy. If, on with the best possible help sys- the company found a fast, easy, just ask another employee. This the other hand, you have a more tem and be all the more ready to and consistent way to put its cut into production time,” traditional set of technical docu- take advantage of active-assis- shop procedures online for explains Harper. mentation, allow for more devel- tance technologies as they’re training and reference. New employees have to be opment lead time. released. ♣ Dennis Harper, Electronic trained on shop applications, The good news for anyone Systems Coordinator at Midwest and this training is time-inten- interested in Apple Guide is that Litho Arts, used Apple Guide to sive and difficult to keep consis- development is rapidly getting Kris Newby ([email protected]) develop a simple online proce- tent because of multiple work easier, as Apple refines this tech- is a technical communications dure for converting a Photoshop shifts. “Apple Guide provides us nology and as more third-party consultant and freelance writer file to an EPS/JPEG compressed with more consistency in train- developers create tools for it. In based in Palo Alto, California. file. This guide gives step-by-step ing. Now every batch of new addition to Apple’s own authoring instructions for making this con- employees is taught the proce- tool, Guide Maker, two new version. Approximately 30 to 40 dures in exactly the same way. authoring Macintosh color technicians use And it saves us a lot of time. We tools—Guide Composer and this guide, as do new employees can put the procedure online Danny Goodman’s Apple Guide undergoing training. once, and it’s there for future Starter Kit—make guide develop- “This was my first Apple reference,” says Harper. ment significantly easier for Guide, and I developed it as part Harper plans to put 20 to 30 designers unfamiliar with pro- of an eight-hour training session I more procedures online in the gramming techniques. And for attended on the technology,” says near future. He also plans to work those of you who want to get a Harper. According to Harper, it on Apple Guides for his clients, so jump start using this technology, took him three hours to get this that they can better prepare mate- there’s a growing number of first guide up and running. He rials to send to prepress. Apple Guide consultants available believes future guides will take for hire. (See the “Apple Guide approximately thirty minutes, The Learning Curve Resources” box on page 28 for depending on the complexity of There’s a bit of pain that comes more information on these prod- the procedure. with getting up to speed on any ucts and services.) For the Photoshop conversion new technology, and Apple Guide guide, Harper initially created a is no exception. New guide devel- Looking Ahead word-processing document opers have to learn Apple Guide Apple Guide 2.0, which will ship describing the various steps of conventions and may even have by the end of 1995, will include

OCTOBER 1995 Directions 30 Listings Apple Listings

Developer University Schedule

Apple Computer’s Developer University (DU) courses provide “how-to” November instruction in all aspects of programming the Macintosh computer. With Creating Apple Guide Help Systems 11/6–11/9 course offerings on a broad range of subjects, from PowerPC and OpenDoc $1200 to Newton and MacApp, Developer University (DU) will give your engineers Multimedia Development with QuickTime VR 11/7–11/9 the information they need to build Macintosh and Newton software using $1500 the latest Apple technologies. The following is the schedule of DU course offerings for the remainder of PowerPC BootCamp 11/6–11/9 1995. Courses marked with an asterisk (*) are held in Portsmouth, New $1200 Hampshire. All other classes are held at the Apple R&D Campus in Cuperti- Apple Events/AppleScript Programming 11/13–11/17 no, California. $1500 Programming OpenDoc 11/13–11/15 September $1200 Programming OpenDoc 9/18–9/20 $1200 Programming with OpenDoc Development Framework 11/13–11/17 $1600 Scripting with AppleScript* 9/18–9/19 Advanced C++ 11/27–12/1 $600 $1200 Multimedia Development with QuickTime VR 9/26–9/28 $1500 December Programming with QuickDraw 3D 12/4–12/6 October $1000 Programming with OpenDoc Development Framework 10/2–10/6 QuickStart Mac OS Programming 12/4–12/8 $1600 $1500

Object-Oriented Fundamentals 10/9–10/13 Multimedia Development with QuickTime VR 12/12–12/14 $1500 $1500 Newton Programming: Essentials 12/11–12/15 Programming OpenDoc 10/16–10/18 $1500 $1200 Programming OpenDoc 12/11–12/13 Writing Reusable Code 10/16–10/18 $1200 $900 Scripting with AppleScript 12/11–12/12 Newton Programming: Essentials 10/23–10/27 $600 $1500

Programming QuickDraw 3D 10/23–10/25 To register for a class or to get a complete course description by fax, call $1000 the Developer University Registrar at 408-974-4897.

QuickStart Mac OS Programming 10/23-10/27 Course descriptions can also be found electronically at the following $1500 locations: Macintosh Debugging Strategies & Techniques 10/30–11/1 AppleLink: Developer Support:Developer Services:Apple $900 Information Resources:Developer Training: Developer University Scripting with AppleScript 10/30–10/31 $600 eWorld: Computer Center:Apple Customer Center:Apple Developer Services:Developer Information: Developer University Internet: http://www.info.apple.com/dev

OCTOBER 1995 Directions Apple Listings 31

The Internet Page

This feature is devoted to informing you about where you can go on the http://quicktime.apple.com Internet for online information about Apple Computer, Inc.; its products, This site contains the QuickTime Continuum page with news and technical technologies, and programs; Mac OS and Newton programming; and other and marketing information about QuickTime. This page focuses on hot new subjects that pertain to the business of computer product development. QuickTime developments, which means that much of its content is currently You’ll find this feature particularly helpful when you view it at the Apple dedicated to QuickTime VR. Directions Web page (located at http://www.info.apple.com/dev/). There, all the names of the locations listed in this article are linked to the sites them- http://qtvr.quicktime.apple.com selves; clicking the names will take you directly to the relevant Internet This is the location of the QuickTime VR page, which includes not only location. We’ll update this feature every month, based both on what Apple is information about how QuickTime VR works and how you can get started doing on the Internet and on your feedback. programming with it, but also QuickTime VR movie samples, which you can view by downloading the QuickTime VR player from the page. Apple Sites This section describes Web sites maintained by Apple Computer. http://www.info.apple.com/gx/gx.html This site contains the QuickDraw GX home page. http://www.info.apple.com/dev/ This site contains the Apple Developer Services and Products page, and is http://www.apple.com/documents/otherappleservers.html probably the most important World Wide Web page for you. Not only does it This is the site of the Apple Internet Servers page. Once you’ve exhausted contain the online version of Apple Directions, and develop, the Apple Tech- the obvious Web sites just listed, this page will give you ideas about where nical Journal, but this page also links you to a variety of other sites that give else to go on the Internet to find the information you need. This page you access to the gamut of Apple’s online developer support services. includes lists of other Web sites as well as Gopher and FTP sites. http://www.apple.com/ This site contains the Apple Computer home page, with links that will even- Non-Apple Sites tually let you get to just about all the other Internet sites maintained by We can’t guarantee the information the following sites contain, since they’re Apple, even the ones listed separately here. If you visit the Apple Developer not created by Apple, but we think you’ll find them useful and interesting— Services and Products page first, you can get to the Apple Computer home even entertaining. page, with links that will eventually let you get to just about all the other Internet sites maintained by Apple, even the ones listed separately here. http://home.mcom.com/home/internet-search.html This site contains the Internet Search page, which gives you access to http://www.austin.apple.com/macos/ InfoSeek, Lycos, and WebCrawler, three excellent Web search engines. If This is the Mac OS Web site. You can go here for the latest information on you use Netscape, you can reach this location just by clicking the Net the Mac OS, including details about Copland, white papers on new Mac OS Search button. technologies, marketing and strategic information, and software updates, examples, demos, documentation, tools, and other items to help you devel- http://www.class.com/MacTech/URLs.html op new Mac OS products. This site contains a useful list from MacTech magazine of Internet locations on a variety of subjects, most of them pertaining to the technical aspects of http://www.info.apple.com/opendoc/ Mac OS development. This is the site of Apple’s OpenDoc home page, featuring Developer Depot, where you can find the latest OpenDoc release, documentation, and tools, http://www.freepress.com/myee/ultimate_mac.html and Developer Showcase, from which you can download and sample actual This site contains the ULTIMATE Macintosh page, including more Mac OS OpenDoc parts! information and software than you could possibly imagine exists. We think you’ll particularly enjoy the software archives and games sites, from which http://www.info.apple.com/qd3d/ you can download real-live software and play with it. Apple’s QuickDraw 3D home page contains everything you need to know about QuickDraw 3D (QD3D), including QD3D applications you can “test http://www.cs.brandeis.edu/~xray/mac.html drive,” listings of developers who support QD3D with links to their Web Nathan’s Everything Macintosh page is another treasure trove of Macin- pages, and thorough developer information. tosh information; it contains a thorough listing of Apple and other corpo- rate sites that pertain to Mac OS development as well as games, e-mail http://www.info.apple.com/powermac/powermac.html mailing lists, periodicals, a listing of FTP sites, software archives, and http://www.info.apple.com/ppc/ppchome.html even Apple II information. Also visit Nathan’s home page at World Wide These are two useful sites for information about Power Macintosh Web location http://www.cs.brandeis.edu:80/~xray/, which includes the computers. so-called Comprehensive Image Map of Everything, a graphical index of

OCTOBER 1995 Directions 32 Listings Apple

http://www.hotwired.com/ the World Wide Web complete with hypertext links to hundreds of other Not much about Apple here, but we thought you’d have fun at the Wired locations. magazine Web site. Before you get in, you have to go through a fairly simple (no-UNIX-required) registration prodedure. http://www.cilabs.org/ The location of the CI Labs home page, which contains a great deal of Open- http://www.nisus-soft.com/~nisus/ Doc content. The location of the Nisus Software home page, which we list partly because of its clever layout. The page looks like a Macintosh desktop; clicking the http://rever.nmsu.edu/elharo/faq/vendor.html icons on the desktop takes you to Nisus’s various Web postings. Just for The Macintosh Vendor Directory, a directory of companies that make and fun, click the Trash icon and see where you end up! ♣ sell products for the Macintosh computer. Know of a particularly useful site? Whether it’s a Web page, an FTP http://www.metrowerks.com/ site, or a newsgroup, let us know about it and we’ll consider This is Metrowerks’s Web site, with information about its CodeWarrior adding it to this feature next month. Send your suggestions to PowerPC development tool. [email protected].

New This Month These are World Wide Web locations that we’ve just become aware of; http://www.guideworks.com/ many are new this month to the Internet. This non-Apple site is the location of the guideWorks home page; it con- tains so much information about Apple Guide that you can think of it as http://www.apple.com/whymac/ the Apple Guide home-away-from-home page. Includes the latest Apple The source for official Apple ammunition to fight the war against Win- Guide updates, authoring tools, frequently asked questions, books, train- dows 95. This site was set up by Michael Mace and Apple’s Platform ing, and developer support. Marketing Group to broadcast the Macintosh advantages and to provide the Apple community with the information it will need to counter the http://www.astro.nwu.edu/lentz/mac/programming/tools.html Microsoft marketing machine. You’ll be especially interested in the series This non-Apple site is a terrific source for Apple and non-Apple Macin- of Windows 95 vs. Macintosh Updates, prepared in the wake of the Win- tosh programming tools. dows 95 release. http://west.ucd.ie/ http://www.info.apple.com/gomobile/ The Web site for University College Dublin—WEST (Web Educational This site contains complete information about Apple’s just released Pow- Support Tools), winner of the recently announced Apple Enterprise erPC processor–based PowerBook computers and the full line of Apple Awards in the Client/Server—Education and Government category. Infor- mobile computing solutions. mation about their work, and demos of their software, are contained at this site. http://www.info.apple.com/dev/thirdparty/third_party.html Apple Fellow Guy Kawasaki set up this Web page to list your hardware http://ohlala.atg.apple.com/ and software products. Fill out the form located at the site to add your In your copious free time, log on to this site for a peek inside Apple. This products; that way, everybody on the ’net can find out about what you’re is the home page of Oh La La!, the cafe located just inside the main up to. entrance of Apple’s R&D Campus. It contains a live video feed so that Apple employees can check the length of the line before heading over for http://www.info.apple.com/dev/evangelism/powertalk/powertalk.html an espresso or a latte. (Who knows, if you log on at the right time, you Apple’s PowerTalk home page, with resources for PowerTalk just may catch a glimpse of Apple Directions Editor Paul Dreyfus taking a programmers. coffee break with develop Editor-In-Cheek Caroline Rose.)

APDA Ordering Information To place an APDA order from within the United States, contact APDA at 800-282-2732; in Canada, call 800-637-0029. For those who need to call the U.S. APDA office from abroad, the number is 716-871-6555. You can also reach us by AppleLink at APDA or by e-mail at [email protected]. More detailed APDA ordering information is available at the following locations: • Internet: http://www.info.apple.com/dev/apda.html • AppleLink: Developer Support:Developer Services:APDA • eWorld: in the Developer Corner of the Computer Center

OCOTBER 1995