Watching Apple contains summaries of news from Apple Computer, Inc. For complete information on each topic, see the URLs given. This month's topics are:   Apple Releases Blue Box For Rhapsody   Apple Announces Charitable Donations   Apple Delivers QuickTime 3.0 Preview Release     Apple Releases Blue Box For Rhapsody On 19 November 1997, at its European Developer Forum, Apple Computer, Inc. announced that it is extending the capabilities of its recently introduced Rhapsody Developer Release for Power Macintosh by providing developers with the "Blue Box." The Blue Box is a version of the MacOS running under Rhapsody in native mode, providing excellent speed and responsiveness. The availability of the Blue Box enhances software developer investments in the MacOS by allowing existing MacOS applications to work with Rhapsody. Rhapsody is the code name for Apple's next-generation operating system. In October, as planned, Apple shipped the Rhapsody Developer Release for Power Macintosh to more than 10,000 software developers worldwide. The developer release is intended to allow software developers to begin creating applications that will run on the new operating system. Developer release versions of Rhapsody for PC Compatibles and the advanced cross-platform development environment, "Yellow Box" for Windows, have also been delivered to Apple developers. The availability of the Blue Box gives Rhapsody access to a wide range of MacOS technologies, including the ability to run most current MacOS applications. The Blue Box allows the MacOS to run in full screen on Rhapsody, and users can quickly switch between the Blue Box and Rhapsody environments. Apple expects Rhapsody to complement MacOS in the company's overall operating system strategy. The MacOS will move forward as Apple's volume operating system, delivering market-leading ease-of-use, multimedia and internet integration. Rhapsody will initially be targeted at server and high-end desktop applications. Rhapsody aims to integrate MacOS ease-of-use and functionality with the market-leading technologies pioneered by NeXT Software, Inc. in OPENSTEP. For full details on Apple's operating system strategy, visit Apple's operating system website at http://www.macos.apple.com/.     Apple Announces Charitable Donations Apple Computer, Inc. announced on 20 November 1997 that it will donate U.S. $10 for every consumer purchase of MacOS 8 before 15 January 1998 to one of the following charities: The Humane Society of the United States, which promotes the humane treatment of animals of all kinds; Second Harvest Food Bank, which collects and distributes more than 500 million pounds of food to people in need each year; or The Make-A-Wish Foundation, which fulfills the special wishes of children under the age of 18 who have life-threatening illnesses. All contributions will be made in the name of the consumers who participate in the upgrade program. For additional information on MacOS 8, please visit the MacOS 8 website at http://www.macos.apple.com/macos8/.     Apple Delivers QuickTime 3.0 Preview Release Apple Computer, Inc. announced on 01 December 1997 that it has reached a major milestone in the development of QuickTime 3.0 with the public availability of the QuickTime 3.0 Developer Preview Release. QuickTime 3.0 is the latest version of the award-winning, industry-standard software architecture for creating and publishing digital media for MacOS and Windows. The QuickTime 3.0 Developer Preview Release is available for immediate download from the web at http://www.quicktime.apple.com/preview/. In addition to QuickTime's leading audio and video technology, QuickTime 3.0 is unique in that it offers a single integrated digital media solution that now includes both interactive virtual reality and 3D animation capabilities. QuickTime 3.0 is significant as it brings the full power of QuickTime, including the ability to capture, edit, compress, and playback digital media, for the first time to all major personal computer platforms, including MacOS 8 and MacOS 7.x, Windows 95 and Windows NT 4. QuickTime 3.0 supports the playback, editing and integration of major video file formats, providing one of the highest levels of video interoperability in the market. These video formats include QuickTime Movies, comprising over 50 percent of video content found on the internet according to New Media Magazine; AVI, a common Windows video format; and DV, an emerging digital video standard for consumer video cameras. QuickTime 3.0 also supports industry standard still image file formats, such as Photoshop, for content creators; TIFF, for digital print publishing; JPEG, image compression for still pictures on the internet; and PNG, an emerging internet standard. QuickTime 3.0 also supports many digital audio, animation, and MIDI formats. In addition, QuickTime 3.0 has a real-time special effects architecture, enabling digital content creators instant access to more than 150 transitions, filters and special effects.   Erica J. Marceau erica@applewizards.net     http://www.applewizards.net/