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9-May-89 15:26:30-GMT,40718;000000000000 Return-Path: <mjohnson@apple.com> Received: from apple.com by sumex-aim.stanford.edu (4.0/inc-1.0) id AA27887; Tue, 9 May 89 08:26:30 PDT Received: by apple.com (5.59/25-eef) id AA23059; Tue, 9 May 89 08:25:07 PDT for info-mac@sumex-aim.stanford.edu Date: Tue, 9 May 89 08:25:07 PDT From: Mark B. Johnson <mjohnson@apple.com> Message-Id: <8905091525.AA23059@apple.com> To: info-mac@sumex-aim.stanford.edu, macworkers@rascal.ics.utexas.edu Subject: System 7.0 Q & A System Overview Q: Why is Apple talking about System 7.0? A: Apple is discussing with developers the core technologies under development for inclusion with the next major Macintosh System Software release, System 7.0. Apple's goal in talking about System 7.0 is to shorten the amount of time necessary to bring a new generation of powerful application software to Macintosh users. Q: Why is Apple telling the Press? A: Apple is informing the press to explain what we're working on in our labs, why we've chosen the paths that we have and how these technologies will affect users and developers. Q: What is Apple's message to users? A: System 7.0 will extend the user's reach through an expanded set of capabilities that utilize the same consistent, intuitive techniques that users already know. Q: What's in System 7.0? A: Although the complete feature set of System 7.0 will not be announced until later this year, the following projects will be a part of the release: * Virtual Memory/32-Bit Addressing * IAC Architecture * Outline fonts * New Print Architecture * Layout Manager * Database Access Manager * Finder 7.0 In addition, System 7.0 will integrate 32-Bit QuickDraw (introduced in April) and the Communications Toolbox (shipping Q3). Apple is also discussing with developers other projects currently under development: * Sound Manager Enhancements * File System Enhancements * International Text Support * Installer 3.0 The complete feature set of System 7.0 will be announced later this year. Q: When will System 7.0 be made available to customers? A: Apple will announce customer availability later this year. Q: What Macintosh computers will be able to run System 7.0? A: System 7.0 is being designed to run on all Macintosh Plus, SE, SE/30, II, IICX and IIX computers. System 7.0 will require two megabytes of RAM. 68030-equipped Macintosh computers and Macintosh II computers with PMMU will have the additional benefit of Virtual Memory. Q: Apple says that eventually all Macintosh computers will run System 7.0. Does that mean that all Macintosh computers will eventually be shipped with two megabytes of RAM? A: Not necessarily. Apple is exploring various configurations of RAM, ROM, processor and hard disk that will support System 7.0. Q: What does that mean? A: The total amount of memory that a Macintosh uses for system software is a combination of RAM and ROM. In general, when more software is put into ROM, a Macintosh requires less RAM. In addition, for Macintosh computers with PMMUs, the hard disk can be used to extend RAM with virtual memory. These technologies provide for many alternative configurations in the future. Q: Is Apple announcing System 7.0? A: No. Apple is making a directional statement to third-party developers about new technologies that will be included in a future version of Macintosh System Software. Q: What are Apple's plans for System 7.0? A: Apple will move the entire Macintosh product line to System 7.0. During this transition, Apple will offer both the System 6.0 series and System 7.0 CPU configurations. Q: How many current applications will be compatible with System 7.0? A: Application software that conforms to the Inside Macintosh guidelines will be compatible with System 7.0. As System 7.0 is still in development, it is impossible to determine which applications will be 100% compatible. When System 7.0 ships, Apple plans to make a compatibility report publicly available. Q: What should customers do to prepare for System 7.0? A: There is nothing that users need to do now. In making new purchase decisions, customers should buy the Macintosh configuration that suits their current needs. Users and businesses that need to make long range decisions now may want to purchases machines with two megabytes or more of RAM today. Q: Why will System 7.0 need two megabytes of RAM? A: The new features of System 7.0 will require more memory than is available in a one megabyte system to operate effectively. Q: Where is the multitasking Macintosh Operating System? A: The Macintosh operating system has been multitasking since the introduction of MultiFinder. Many applications take full advantage of MultiFinder by allowing concurrent printing, recalculating spreadsheets, sorting databases, and downloading files. Q: Isn't Apple now putting Macintosh users through an OS/2 experience? A: Absolutely not. System 7.0 is an extension of today's Macintosh System Software. Apple is designing System 7.0 to provide for upwardly compatible applications which is a fundamental part of the Macintosh System Software strategy. System 7.0 will allow developers to create even more innovative Macintosh software and hardware that extends the power of today's Macintosh. Q: Can a Macintosh II-class machine running Apple's Virtual Memory operate with 1 megabyte of physical RAM? A: While this configuration may work, Apple will recommend 2 megabytes of RAM when running System 7.0. Q: I own a Macintosh II computer with one megabyte of RAM and I want to upgrade to System 7.0. Should I buy more RAM or an MMU? A: RAM. The least expensive way to upgrade a one megabyte Macintosh II to System 7.0 is to add another megabyte of RAM. Q: Does Apple have plans to add new capabilities to the System 6.0 series? A: No. Users of the System 6.0 series can continue to use their systems. The upgrade path for System 6.0 series users is System 7.0 with more RAM. Q: Why not? A: Apple believes in providing consistency across our products for our users and developers. This consistency can only be achieved by focusing on one system software platform. That platform is System 7.0. Q: Does this mean that all users need to upgrade to System 7.0? A: No, users can continue to use the System 6.0 series and their current applications. System 7.0 and new applications software will provide many new capabilities that many users will want. System 7.0 offers users an opportunity to add more functionality to the Macintosh computers they own today. Core Technologies for System 7.0 Virtual Memory Q: What is Virtual Memory? A: Virtual Memory (VM) extends the user's available memory by transparently treating the hard disk as additional RAM. Q: Why is Virtual Memory important? A: Virtual Memory allows users to run more applications at once and work with larger amounts of data than they can today. Q: Will Virtual Memory be compatible with application software? A: Yes. Virtual Memory is backward compatible with all applications that adhere to Inside Macintosh. Q: Which Macintosh computers can use Virtual Memory? A: Macintosh IIx, IIcx, and SE/30 are ready to use Virtual Memory--no additional hardware is needed. Macintosh II can take advantage of Virtual Memory by adding the 68851 PMMU coprocessor onto the Macintosh II logic board (a socket is provided on the board for this chip). This coprocessor chip is on the Apple price list. This is the same co-processor needed to run A/UX, Apple's version of AT&T's UNIX operating system. Apple's 68000-based systemsQMacintosh Plus and Macintosh SEQcannot take advantage of the Virtual Memory capability of System 7.0. Macintosh SE owners have the option of the Macintosh SE/30 logic board upgrade to gain Virtual Memory capabilities. Q: Why can't Macintosh Plus and Macintosh SE use Virtual Memory? A: The 68000 microprocessor used in the Macintosh Plus and Macintosh SE does not have the memory management hardware necessary for Virtual Memory. This memory management capability is one of the primary differences between the 68000 and its successor chips. 32-Bit Addressing Q: What is 32-Bit Addressing? A: 32-Bit Addressing enables the Macintosh to use up to 4 gigabytes of memory. The basic software and hardware of the Macintosh already supports the 32-Bit Addressing model. However, Macintosh currently is limited to 8 megabytes of memory because 32-Bit Addressing is not yet fully implemented throughout the system. Q: Why is 32-Bit Addressing important? A: Macintosh users want more memory for a variety of uses. Some just want to run more applications under MultiFinder. Some want to use graphics software that creates multimegabyte images. Some want to use enormous databases. And some want to manipulate even larger word processing documents. More memory has endless uses. Q: So does the transition to 32-Bit Addressing mean lots of application incompatibility? A: No. Applications that conform with 32-Bit Addressing guidelines ("32-Bit Clean") already run on all Macintosh computers. These applications will immediately benefit from the enlarged memory space with System 7.0. Applications that are not 32-Bit Clean will continue to run under System 7.0 but will not have the benefit of additional memory space. Apple has been working with its third-party developers to make sure that all application software abides by 32-Bit Cleanliness rules. Q: What Exactly is "32-Bit Clean"? A: Applications that follow Apple's memory manager guidelines in Inside Macintosh are 32-Bit Clean. 32-Bit Clean applications are both upwards and downwards compatible with 24-Bit and 32-Bit Addressing modes. These guidelines are repeated in Technical Note #212 "The Joy of Being 32-Bit Clean." Q: What if my existing software is not 32-Bit Clean? A: Applications that are not 32-Bit Clean continue to run with System 7.0. Q: Will 32-Bit Addressing become standard? A: Yes. At some point in the future, Apple will make 32-Bit Addressing standard on new Macintosh computers. Q: Since much of system software is in ROM, will I need a new ROM to get the benefits of 32-Bit Addressing? A: Apple is researching ways of offering 32-Bit Addressing to all Macintosh II computers. While an optional ROM upgrade is not out of the question, other alternatives are being considered. Apple will keep developers and customers updated on issues relating to 32-Bit Addressing. Q: What does 32-Bit Addressing mean for Macintosh Plus and Macintosh SE? A: These Macintosh computers cannot get the benefit of 32-Bit Addressing. 32-Bit Clean and non-32-Bit Clean applications will continue to run on these computers. Only Macintosh computers using the 68020 or 68030 microprocessor can have the benefit of 32-Bit Addressing. Interapplication Communication Architecture Q: What is Interapplication Communication Architecture? A: Interapplication Communication Architecture (IAC) is a framework for applications to exchange commands and data, both locally and over networks. IAC consists of several pieces: * Program-To-Program Communications (PPC)Qa low-level tool for exchanging data between two programs, either locally or across networks. PPC provides a unified, consistent programming interface for both local and network communication. PPC will be able to deliver messages either Immediate (IPC) or Store-and-Forward. * Event Manager PPCQa high-level tool for applications to exchange commands and data. Event Manager PPC presents a simple, natural interface to applications. * AppleEvents(TM)Qan Apple-defined protocol of standard messages that Applications can send to other applications. Examples include "Open Document," "Print," "MoveWindow." * Live Copy/Paste and Link ManagerQLive Copy/Paste gives you live links between documents. For example, the user can link a spreadsheet table into a word processing document; whenever the spreadsheet changes, the word processing document is automatically updated. * Clipboard Copy/PasteQa current capability of Macintosh and is also part of IAC. Macintosh applications universally support copy and paste between applications via the Clipboard. Q: What does Live Copy/Paste offer the user? A: As applications begin to offer Live Copy/Paste, users will be able to make applications work better together and avoid repetitive copy and paste. Users can build up libraries of commonly used objectsQlike graphics or paragraphs of textQand link them into their documents. When you need to changethe data, you change every occurrence of that data. And, because Live Copy/Paste works with AppleShare(R) file servers, you can easily share data with another person. Imagine linking in the sales numbers from each of your sales people's spreadsheets. Your master spreadsheet is always up-to-date. Q: Does Live Copy/Paste work with existing applications? A: No. Applications must be revised to take advantage of Live Copy/Paste. Apple is simplifying the task by providing extensive user interface guidelines and toolbox support for Live Copy/Paste. Apple's outline fonts Q: What are outline fonts? A: Outline fonts are mathematical descriptions of characters. Sharp text at any size on any device can be generated from outline fonts. Today, the fonts in your Macintosh are called "bitmap" fonts. These fonts are small collections of pixels that create the text you see on the screen. With bitmap fonts the System File can become huge and still not have all the fonts in all the sizes you might want. The new Apple fonts are outline fonts. Q: What are the benefits of outline fonts? A: Outline fonts provide sharp text at any size on any device. This means beautiful documents on the screen for multimedia presentations as well as on the page from any printer. Outline fonts also simplify the customer experience by creating a single font standard for the Macintosh computer. Q: This is confusing. I thought my Macintosh "Style" menu already had a function for outline fonts. A: It does, but that is something different. The "Outline" option in the Style menu actually traces the character to give it an outlined appearance. It looks like this. It is simply a graphics trick. However, the new Apple fonts are called outline fonts because they are based on mathematical outlines, not bitmaps. These outline fonts are also called spline fonts or scalable fonts. If you really want to get carried away, keep in mind that you will be able to "Outline" the outline fonts! Q: Do Macintosh owners need to buy PostScript fonts anymore? A: Macintosh owners may want to buy PostScript fonts that are not yet available in Apple's format. It is important to remember that today's PostScript fonts, like all of the existing Macintosh font technology, will still operate normally in the future. For example, PostScript fonts and bitmaps will remain popular on 1MB Macintosh computers like the Plus and SE. PostScript fonts may also remain useful in multivendor environments. We expect some vendors will continue to offer their typefaces in PostScript format and add the Apple format version of that typeface. However, the Apple font format will be all most Macintosh owners really need. Q: How many fonts will be available in the Apple format? A: Hundreds of fonts will be available within a few months of first shipment, and thousands soon after. It is impossible to answer this question precisely. There are two main reasons for this. First, since Apple's format was designed to be very flexible, many vendors will be able to automate the conversion of their existing library to the Apple format. Second, the open format is available to anyone, so even small players will be able to create new typefaces. Apple does not have to get involved in licensing or support. Since there are hundreds of specialized fonts now available in bitmap formats, these are all candidates for conversion to outline. Q: Will Apple be providing fonts in the new format? If so, how many? A: Apple does not intend to be in the font business, so we will offer a core set of fonts and then stop. This promotes a healthy aftermarket for type vendors. The Apple core set will consist roughly of the fonts Apple ships today with Macintosh computers and LaserWriter printers, plus a small number of additions. The final list will be announced later. Q: Who really needs this technology? After all, LaserWriter NT and NTX users already enjoy scalable type. Why put it into the Macintosh? A: Today, the benefits of outline fonts are available from Apple only through these two LaserWriter models. Now, outline fonts will enhance the screen display, the ImageWriter II, the AppleFax Modem, the ImageWriter LQ and the LaserWriter IISC. A wide range of third-party output devices will also use these fonts for best possible text quality. Q: Does this mean that future Apple printers will not support PostScript? A: No. Keep in mind that the existing Apple printer line consists of both "intelligent" and "passive" printers. Where we put the processing power is generally a price/performance decision. Consequently, future Apple printers will support the new Apple font format in a variety of ways. Apple is committed to maintaining excellent system support for PostScript printing. However, our policy is to not comment specifically on hardware products under development. Q: Does this mean that Apple won't be using Display PostScript? A: Yes. But this should come as no surprise. Apple announced over a year ago that we will be improving the internal software of the Macintosh instead of adopting an outside language. This removes limits from what Apple can do in software while maintaining excellent backward compatibility. This new font format, like 32-Bit QuickDraw, demonstrates both of these benefits. At the same time, we are committed to maintaining an excellent interface to PostScript printers. New Print Architecture Q: What is New Print Architecture? A: The New Print Architecture is designed to extend the printing capabilities of Macintosh. Q: What are the advantages of the the New Print Architecture? A: There are three advantages to the New Print Architecture: 1. New features. Background printing on all printers, increased performance, support for outline fonts, color/gray scale support, elimination of document reformatting, and an enhanced user interface will extend the lead the Macintosh has in printing. 2. A wide variety of new printing devices. Where in the past it has taken years to support new printers on the Macintosh, with the New Print Architecture it takes only a few months. We expect to have more well integrated printers available on Macintosh than any other computer. 3. Compatible expansion for the future. Expandability is designed into the new print architecture. With the New Print Architecture we expect to be able to transparently offer new features to both the user and application. Q: How does the New Print Architecture compare to printing in Presentation Manager? A: So far there are very few drivers for Presentation Manager. With Presentation Manager, Microsoft is writing application independent drivers for the first time. Apple has utilized four years of experience to develop a new print architecture that utilizes outline fonts, the Line Layout Manger, 32-Bit QuickDraw, and other system utilities. With the New Print Architecture the Macintosh will remain the benchmark printing platform. Q: Is it true that all of the current printer drivers will be incompatible with System 7.0? A: Yes. Apple's New Print Architecture is designed to make the creation of printer drivers easy. When System 7.0 ships, Apple will have new printer drivers to support all Apple output devices. Q: Who will write replacement drivers for these devices? A: Apple will work closely with third-party developers to help in the creation of new printer drivers built around Apple's New Print Architecture. Line Layout Manager Q: What is the Layout Manager? A: The Layout Manager allows applications to display typographical quality text. Q: What are the benefits of using the Layout Manager? A: Using the Layout Manager, applications can display sophisticated formats like kerning, ligatures and justification for any text. For international text systems, like Japanese or Arabic, the Layout Manager has additional support for composed characters. Database Access Manager Q: What is the Database Access Manager? A: The Database Access Manager is the Macintosh System interface that allows applications to transparently connect to remote databases on host computers. Q: What benefits does this Database Access Manager give to developers? A: The main benefit is that applications like spreadsheets, desktop publishing, or graphics programs can now directly access host data in a standard way regardless of the host computer and database. Q: How does Apple's approach compare to IBM's OS/2 Extended Edition or Microsoft's SQL Server products? A: The Apple Data Access Manager provides standard access to remote host databases. This is where the bulk of computerized data is found. In contrast, the IBM product is only a local database that resides on a single user's machine. The Microsoft product is a local area network database requiring a dedicated computer. Both the IBM and Microsoft database extensions are optional. The Data Access Manager is a standard part of Macintosh System Software. Q: What databases does the Database Access Manager support ? A: ORACLE, Sybase, Ingres, Informix, RDB, Vax-RMS and IBM systems. Many other databases will be supported in the future. Finder 7.0 Q: What's new about Finder 7.0? A: Finder 7.0 improves the Macintosh user interface in three important ways. First, Finder 7.0 will integrate system functions that previously had different user interfaces into one consistent, intuitive interface. Second, we are building in new powerful features like a quick-find facility, document stationery templates, aliases that will allow users to organize their files in multiple ways, and others. Third, Finder 7.0 will be extensible providing for the integration of new capabilities like electronic mail and backup in the future. Q: Will desk accessories continue to run with Finder 7.0? A: Yes they will. In addition, because applications can now be installed in the Apple menu like desk accessories, developers will be able to provide users with better desk accessories. These new desk accessories will have all the power of applications with the instant-access features of the original desk accessories. Q: What's the relationship of Finder to MultiFinder? A: MultiFinder is a set of operating system capabilities that give the Macintosh the capability to run multiple applications concurrently (multitasking). The Finder is the system utility software that gives Macintosh users control over their desktop. The Finder is what you use whenever you launch (double-click) an application, drag a file onto your hard disk, move folders between windows, etc. Q: How does the Finder compare to Presentation Manager or Windows? A: Neither PM or Windows has a Finder. With these systems, the user sees a graphic display but does not get the intuitive, direct control over system functions that the Macintosh provides. For example, in the Macintosh, a user can copy a file from one disk to another by merely dragging it. In Windows or Presentation Manager, file copy requires the user to type cryptic file names into a dialog box and then the system does the copy. This forces users to remember file names exactly and to remember arcane name formatting restrictions. Q: I have a large number of files on high-capacity hard disks. Will the Finder 7.0 do anything to help manage files better? A: Finder 7.0 takes advantage of a new system feature called the Desktop Manager which can handle many more files more quickly. In addition, the quick-find facility will allow users to access files more quickly by automatically finding the folder a file is stored in, opening it on the desktop, and highlighting the file that the user seeks. System Software Explorations Sound Manager Enhancements Q: What are the improved audio capabilities? A: The audio improvements represent new functionality in the Sound Manager including: * a real-time sequencer * multiple channels of simultaneous sound * audio compression/expansion * integration of MIDI management tools Q: Why are these improvements so important? A: The sound enhancements provide the foundation for more and better audio in current applications as well as a whole new range of applications with integrated audio capabilities. File System Enhancements Q: What's new in the Macintosh File System for system release 7.0? A: Five enhancementsQFileIDs, Catalog Search, Desktop Manager, File System Manager and B*tree ManagerQwill make the Macintosh work smarter for users. Q: Why are the File System Enhancements important? A: As applications take advantage of System 7.0 features, customers will have greater ability to organize their hard disks and manage those drives more effectively. Applications will be able to locate documents much more quickly and under a wide range of search criteria. Q: How does the Desktop Manager improve performance of large disks? A: Currently, desktop information (file icons and comments) is stored in an invisible Desktop file. Because of the current implementation, there is a limit of approximately 2,000 entries in the desktop file and, more importantly, performance becomes sluggish long before the maximum number of entries is reached. The new Desktop implementation removes this size restriction and greatly improves performance in all cases. Installer 3.0 Q: What is the "one button Installer"? A: The "one button Installer" is actually version 3.0 of Apple's installation program. Installer 3.0 offers "one button" solution to installing system software on Macintosh personal computers. Installer 3.0 also offers complete control of the installation process to those users who want to customize their installation. MultiFinder Q: Is MultiFinder a multitasking operating system? A: Yes. MultiFinder shares the CPU's time among a number of applications so that a customer can work on a word processing document while downloading a file or recalculating a spreadsheet. In technical terms, multitasking is the ability to perform a number of tasks concurrently. MultiFinder uses a cooperative scheduling algorithm to run several applications concurrently. Q: Will there continue to be a distinction between MultiFinder and single Finder? A: No. In System 7.0, MultiFinder will always be turned on. Q: Why will MultiFinder always be on in System 7.0? A: Many parts of System 7.0 depend on the functionality of MultiFinder. As a result, MultiFinder will always be turned on. Q: What is pre-emptive scheduling? A: Pre-emptive scheduling is a method of allocating CPU time among several applications that involves temporarily interrupting each application in turn when that application has used up its available time. Q: Why doesn't MultiFinder offer pre-emptive scheduling? A: Apple choose to focus on other features that we feel are more important. Apple is looking at offering pre-emptive scheduling in future releases of Macintosh System Software. HyperCard Q: Will HyperCard support System 7.0 features? A: Future releases of HyperCard will support System 7.0. While some features are transparently supported, others will necessitate additional development. For instance, HyperCard will need to be extended to take advantage of the high-level SQL calls included in System 7.0. Likewise, support for other features in the Live Copy/Paste will mean adding additional code. Other features, like resolution-independent graphics and Apple's outline fonts, are transparent to HyperCard and will need no additional work. Macintosh Communication Toolbox Q: What is the Communications Toolbox? A: The Communications Toolbox is a powerful facility that gives the Macintosh a fundamental capability to communicate with remote computers, providing users and applications with consistent and extensible access to terminal emulation, data connection, and file transfer functions. Q: Why has Apple developed the Communications Toolbox? A: Apple is extending the consistency and modularity that characterize the user-interface Toolbox to the communications environment. With the Macintosh Communications Toolbox, Macintosh sets a new standard in empowering users and developers to take advantage of communications. Q: When will it be available? A: The Macintosh Communications Toolbox will be released to developers during the third quarter of 1989. The Communications Toolbox will become standard system software when released as part of System 7.0. Q: How will users get the Communications Toolbox? A: Apple is encouraging the third-party developers who incorporate the Communications Toolbox into their applications to bundle the Communications Toolbox with their application. 32-Bit QuickDraw and LaserWriter 6.0 Q: What is 32-Bit QuickDraw? A: QuickDraw is the graphics system software, given away in every Macintosh, that is responsible for putting objects, icons, text, and pictures on the Macintosh display. On 68000-based machines, it supports 8 colors. Until recently, on 68020/030 Macintosh computers, QuickDraw supported up to 256 colors. Today, extensions to QuickDraw, called "32-Bit QuickDraw," allow QuickDraw to work with the entire range of visible color, over 16 million colors. There is no longer any color limitation on color Macintosh computers. Q: How will the product be distributed? A: Developers can license 32-Bit QuickDraw and System 6.0.3 from Apple for shipment with their products. In addition, 32-Bit QuickDraw will be distributed to all dealers, user groups and bulletin boards typically receiving Apple System Software. 32-Bit QuickDraw will be incorporated into System 7.0. Q: What markets would want 32-Bit QuickDraw? A: 32-Bit QuickDraw is especially useful in markets demanding high-quality color. In publishing and video, full color is useful for showing realistic images from natural sources. For presentations, it is helpful for producing the continuous tone "ramps" from one color to another that are used in slides. Finally, 24-bits of color make continuous data easier to visualize for many scientific applications. As an enabling technology, image visualization can be expected to open many other new markets. Q: What are 16-bit, 24-bit and 32-bit color? A: 16 bits of color can produce very life-like images, 24 bits per pixel is known as "full color" because with 16 million colors available, the eye loses its ability to distinguish between color incrementally. The additional 8 bits of color that differentiate 24-bit color from 32-bit color are usually used to store non-color information about the pixel; for example, one of the bits could be used for "transparency" information to allow a level of the background to "show through" the color of a pixel. This is known as an "alpha" byte. Q: What is LaserWriter 6.0? A: LaserWriter 6.0 is a new release of Apple's LaserWriter driver. Nearly all Macintosh applications use Apple's graphics system software, QuickDraw, to draw on and off the screen. The LaserWriter driver translates QuickDraw instructions into PostScript commands, allowing PostScript printers (like Apple's LaserWriter printers) to reproduce what the user sees on the screen at high resolution. Q: What's new about LaserWriter 6.0? How is it different from the LaserWriter 5.2 driver that now ships with LaserWriter printers and System Software? A: Color printing. LaserWriter 6.0 adds the capability to translate color QuickDraw images into color PostScript commands. Any application that supports color QuickDraw now also supports color printing on color PostScript printers. Previously, unless an application sent color PostScript directly to the printer, color printing was not possible on these printers. Halftone printing. Users of monochrome PostScript printers benefit as well. Color images are halftoned by the printer. Halftoning is a technique that produces dot clusters of varying size that are perceived as different shades of gray. The resulting print is much more faithful to the original image than a high-contrast print composed only of solid black and white regions. Faster text printing. The font query mechanism has been improved substantially in LaserWriter 6.0. It takes less time for the printer to report its available fonts to the Macintosh. The result is reduced overall time-to-print, especially for users who have large font library hard disks connected to their printer. 32-Bit QuickDraw printing. LaserWriter 6.0 supports output of images created using 32-Bit QuickDraw. A print of a 32-bit image will show smoother color transitions; in general, rendering will be more accurate and realistic than an 8-bit image print. Extensible menu for page-size choices. The Page Setup dialog of LaserWriter 6.0 includes the page size choices US Letter, US Legal, A4 Letter, and B5 Letter. It replaces the Tabloid choice of previous drivers with an "Other" button. Clicking this button causes a pop-up menu to appear, offering the page sizesTabloid, No. 10 Envelope, and A3. Additional page sizes can be added to this menu by installing the proper resource. Thus, printer vendors can ship a driver with their product that includes a page size specially created for that device. Current color printers have smaller printable areas than the LaserWriter, and thus some parts of full-page images are lost when printed on these devices. Users can now avoid this by selecting a page size appropriate for their printers. Q: Will all applications work with LaserWriter 6.0? A: Apple's testing indicates that most applications will work fine with LaserWriter 6.0. Most applications use QuickDraw for printing as well as for screen imaging; these applications rarely have problems with LaserWriter 6.0. Other applications do their own conversion of a screen image to a PostScript page description, and send this PostScript directly to the printer (bypassing most of the LaserWriter driver). Some of these applications will not print as expected with LaserWriter 6.0. There are several possible effects: 1. Output of a color image is in black and white, even on a color printer.Many applications that send their own PostScript to the printer do not send any of the PostScript required for color printing. It is difficult for an application to determine whether the printer is color or not. The options are A) ask the user, or B) assume a black and white printer. Most applications do the latter. 2. No output. A few applications that send their own PostScript rely on certain variables in the Laser Prep code that is a part of the LaserWriter driver. Apple has discouraged this practice, but not with 100% success. The Laser Prep code has changed in LaserWriter 6.0. Applications that assume that certain variables are defined will generate PostScript errors when the user tries to print; nothing will be printed. The work-around for this is to use LaserWriter 5.2 until the developer revises the application. 3. Other problems when printing. Some problems may occur when printing using "Color/Grayscale" mode, but not with "Black & White" mode. This is because a few applications assume they will be printing in black and white. They try to write directly to data structures that changed when the color capability was added to the driver. The work around for this is to use "Black & White" mode when printing until the developer revises the application. Q: In the past, new LaserWriter drivers were incompatible with older drivers. Is this still the case? A: Yes. LaserWriter 6.0 is not compatible with LaserWriter 5.2. LaserWriter "wars" can be avoided by ensuring that all users on a network who share printers have the same version of the driver installed. Q: Should every user change to LaserWriter 6.0? A: No. Those users who meet one of the following criteria, should use LaserWriter 6.0: 1. Use a color Macintosh (IICX, II, IIX, or SE/30) and print documents containing color (or grayscale) 2. Use a printer with an attached font library disk (i.e. have several hundred fonts available) 3. Share a printer, via a network, with any other user who uses LaserWriter 6.0 Q: How do I get LaserWriter 6.0? A: LaserWriter 6.0 will be part of Apple's color disk that will also include 32-Bit QuickDraw. This disk will be distributed to all Apple authorized dealers. The driver will also be distributed to electronic bulletin boards, user groups, APDA, VAR reps, Apple System Engineers, and reps for National and University Accounts. LaserWriter 6.0 will be available for licensing to vendors of color PostScript printers and other third-party developers. Q: Will LaserWriter 6.0 be included with system software or LaserWriter II printers? A: No. LaserWriter 5.2 will continue to ship with both system software and LaserWriter II printers. When a new Macintosh is added to an existing network whose users have LaserWriter 5.2, it will be fully compatible. The network will need to update to LaserWriter 6.0 only if one or more users desire its color and font-handling features.