There Here--the long awaited additions to the Apple Macintosh* Family of personal computers: the Macintosh II and the Macintosh SE. These two machines offer the performance, flexibility, and above all the expandability to open up new horizons for Macintosh users. If you have dreamed of color, stereo sound, and lightening-fast speed on a Macintosh, your dream just came true.
Here are some of the highlights of these two new machines.
Macintosh II
This machine is Apple's new powerhouse. With a larger screen, color capability, expandability, and four times the speed of the Macintosh Plus, the Macintosh II is ideal for high-end scientific, engineering and desktop publishing applications.
Open Architecture
This is the long-awaited "open" Macintosh. Its open architecture, provides six expansion slots for adding a variety of cards to customize your system, such as the Macintosh II Video Card for color display and an internal SCSI hard disk (see the article on new products). The cards can be placed in any slotQjust plug in and go. Thanks to NuBus*, any card can take control of the system. That means you can work in different operating environments, such as MS-DOS or even UNIX( (described elsewhere in this issue). The Macintosh II also has one built-in 800K floppy disk drive with the capability of adding another driveQeither internal or external.
Power and Performance
The Macintosh II is built around the new Motorola 68020 micro processor that enables you to open and close applications and files, access data, execute graphics, and perform calculations up to four times faster than on the Macintosh Plus. An additional co-processor speeds up mathematical calculations 40 to 200 times faster than the micro processor could do by itself. Those of you who use calculation-intensive applications, such as spreadsheets or CAD programs that generate 3D graphics, will appreciate the speed difference immediately.
The machine comes standard with one megabyte of RAM, allowing you to run the most sophisticated and powerful software applications available today. But if one is not enough for you, memory can be expanded to two, four, five, or even eight megabytes.
Color and Sound
You may have noticed that the monitor of the Macintosh II is a separate unit. That means you can choose either the new Apple High-Resolution Monochrome Monitor or the AppleColor* High Resolution RGB Monitor. The color monitor, along with the Macintosh II Video Card, provides a palette of more than 16 million colors, probably enough for most of us.
If you're musically inclined, you'll appreciate the four-voice stereo sound of the Macintosh II, which you can use to create very high-quality synthesized voices and music. And, it's compatible with existing Macintosh sound and music software.
Two Choices
The Macintosh II will be available late this May in two configurations: with and without a 40 megabyte SCSI internal hard disk drive. Both systems come with a mouse, but the keyboard, monitor, and expansion cards are available separately. (See the article on new products for information on the two available keyboards.)
Macintosh SE
This machine a one-slot open Macintosh, the Macintosh SE, is also long on expandability and high on performance.
Expandability
On the outside, the Macintosh SE has seven built-in ports, including a SCSI port and a sound port, for adding your favorite peripherals. It also provides the option of a second 800K floppy internal drive, saving you space on top of your desk.
On the inside, you'll find something new: the Macintosh SE-Bus Expansion Slot. This slot lets you install internal cards for expanding your system without modifying it. You can install networking and communication cards, MS-DOS co-processor cards, and even a 5.25-inch MS-DOS disk drive controller card (see the article on MS-DOS). Also inside is 256K of ROM and one megabyte of RAM, which can be expanded to up to four megabytes of memory.
Power and Performance
The Macintosh SE is 15 to 20% faster than previous models in processing speed, so you can really zoom through spreadsheet recalculations and document processing. Enhanced SCSI performance is up to two times faster, allowing you to open and close applications, search large databases, and retrieve your documents in the blink of an eye.
Two Choices
The Macintosh SE comes two ways: with two internal 800K disk drives or with one internal 800K drive and one internal 20-megabyte SCSI hard disk. The keyboards, either of the two mentioned in this issue, are available seperately. See the following article on new products.
New Product Add-Ons
The introduction of the new Macintosh II and Macintosh SE computers has launched an array of new add-on products. And many of these new products are compatible with other Apple machines. So if you've been thinking of upgrading your system, read on!
Two New Keyboards
Macintosh II and Macintosh SE owners have a choice of two new keyboards. The Apple Keyboard, available now, is the standard keyboard for both machines. It's versatile, compact, and includes a numeric keypad, which is handy for entering numbers in spreadsheets.
The Apple Extended Keyboard, available in April, is a breakthrough in Macintosh keyboard flexibility. It has just about all the keys you'd ever need for dedicated word processing, database management, terminal emulation, and all types of data entry. The variety of keys allows you to use applications that run alternate operating systems and programs. For example, if those programs require special function keys, 15 are available. A T-style cursor keypad and 6 cursor contol keys are also included.
Memory Upgrades
If you often work with large files, Apple's 1MB and 2MB Memory Expansion Kits can speed things up for you.
The1MB Memory Expansion Kit is designed to expand a Macintosh II from its standard one megabyte of RAM to two megabytes. The 2MB kit expands a Macintosh Plus or Macintosh SE from one megabyte to 2.5 or 4 megabytes, and a Macintosh II to 5 or 8 megabytes.
Hard Disks
Adding a hard disk to your system is another way to speed things up and, at the same time, get the storage space you need to store all your applications and data files in one location. Five new hard disk drives have just been introduced: two external drives for Macintosh and Apple II computers, and three internal drives for the Macintosh II and Macintosh SE.
The external drives are the Apple Hard Disk 40SC with 40 megabytes of storage and the Apple Hard Disk 80SC with 80 megabytesQboth are ideal network storage devices that can be used with the AppleShare* File Server (described in last month's Quick Connect). Like the Apple Hard Disk 20SC, these drives use the SCSI interface port and have an access time of 30 milliseconds for super-fast transmission of data. And on the back of each drive is an additional SCSI port, so you can add additional drives, tape backup systems, or other SCSI peripheralsQup to three additional devices on an Apple II and six on a Macintosh.
Perhaps best of all, both hard disks work on all of the following Apple computers: Apple II Plus, Apple IIe, Apple IIgs*, Macintosh Plus, Macintosh SE, and the Macintosh II. The Apple Hard Disk 40SC will be available next month; the Apple Hard Disk 80SC in May.
The internal drives for the Macintosh II and Macintosh SE are the Macintosh Internal 20SC, 40SC, and 80SC Hard Disks, providing 20, 40, and 80 megabytes of storage, respectively. Available in May, all three disks connect to the SCSI interface and allow you to add up to six additional devices, including the new Apple Tape Backup 40SC device with save-and-restore capabilities. The Macintosh Internal 20SC Hard Disk is a good choice for the single user who needs faster access time and greater storage capacity than that provided by floppy disk drives. The Macintosh Internal 40SC and 80SC Hard Disks are the choices for people who want to use the Macintosh II as a network file server or as a scientific or engineering workstation.
Take a Drive to MS-DOS
Have you ever wished you could get data from an MS-DOS-formatted floppy disk into a Macintosh? The first and obvious problem is the size of your disk driveQit's about two inches too small. The second problem is that MS-DOS is a foreign language as far as your Macintosh is concerned, so it could not read the contents of the disk anyway.
Apple has just solved both problems. The MS-DOS world is now just a drive awayQan Apple PC 5.25 Drive, to be exact.
Designed for the new Macintosh II and Macintosh SE, the Apple PC 5.25 Drive works in combination with the internal Macintosh II PC Drive Card and the internal Macintosh SE-Bus PC Drive Card, respectively, to read, write, and display MS-DOS-formatted data on your screen. The drive comes with a special software utility that allows you to switch between data formatsQfrom MS-DOS to Macintosh and back again, or the other way around.
Now that MS-DOS and the Macintosh are on speaking terms, look for co-processor cards that will allow the new Macintosh computers to run PC application software, such as Lotus 1-2-3, dBase III, WordStar, and other popular MS-DOS programs. The world of MS-DOS has never been closer.
UNIX for the Macintosh II
For those who use UNIX-based systems can soon have the best of two worlds. Apple has just announced the Apple A/UX* Operating System as an alternative to the standard operating system on the Macintosh II. What this means is that users can harness the power of the Macintosh II (one world) to run applications designed for AT&T System V UNIXQthe operating system A/UX emulates (another world).
UNIX-based applications include high-end engineering, design, and communications programs that, before the Macintosh II, were typically run on minicomputers or large mainframe computers. Now that A/UX and the Macintosh II are here, in addition to memory expansion to two or more megabytes of memory and 40 or more megabytes of disk storage, it functions as a powerful UNIX workstation.
And there's more. With the new Apple EtherTalk* Card installed in the Macintosh II, users can access high-speed Ethernet networks used in UNIX environments. This means that, once additional Ethernet network utilities are written, you can communicate with most engineering workstations, DEC minicomputers, and even some IBM mainframes. And of course, you'll still have the advantage of Macintosh technology and software.
Together, the A/UX Operating System and the EtherTalk Card can connect you and your Macintosh II to the world of UNIX computing. Look for availability of A/UX in June, and the EtherTalk Card in May.
The Story of a Photo Shoot . . . with a Twist
It was the night before Christmas (or close to it), when Bill Campbell (Apple's executive vice president of U.S. sales) phoned Thom Marchionna with an unusual request. As a creative director for Apple's Creative Services division, Thom is accustomed to unusual requests. His job is to support the marketing effort in video, print, and other media, communi cating concepts that convey the Apple message and image. And that includes everything from creating factual brochures, User Group pieces, and newsletters to designing awards, posters, and coffee mugs. So Bill Campbell's request was just another challenge: design and produce an invitation to a holiday afternoon beer bust, do it quickly, and don't spend a lot of moneyQthere is no budget.
The real problem here was time. Squeezing another project into an agenda that didn't have a free hour left would have given a less resourceful man a headache. But Thom had an idea with a twist: Let the Macintosh art-direct the most time-consuming taskQthe photo shoot.
Here's what happened.
1. Thom conceptualized the invitation, wrote the text, sketched the art, and sent it to the top. It came back approved.
2. Thom phoned his friend in Santa Cruz, professional photographer and fellow Macintosh fanatic, Bruce Ashley, and made an unusual request of his own: Photograph a full glass of beer with a candy cane in it (huh?) using a video camera connected with a Macintosh to scan the props, then telecommunicate the digitized image as a MacPaint* file to the Apple office in Cupertino. Bruce, also a resourceful man, agreed, but only if he could consume the props when the project was done. Approved.
3. Thom next conferred with his colleague at Creative Services, Hugh Dubberly, the computer graphics manager, on the technical aspects of the telecommunication. Then he scheduled the photo shoot.
4. Back in Santa Cruz, Bruce arranged the props, connected a video camera to his Macintosh, and used MacVision* from Koala Technologies CorporationQa software/hardware video digitizer packageQto scan the props and produce a digitized image on his computer screen. Then he called Thom's Macintosh in Cupertino using a Hayes modem and Smartcom II(, a communications program.
5. An excited knot of people gathered around Thom's computer. It was displaying a frothy glass of beer with the festive candy caneQthe same image Bruce was transmitting with his machine. The image was captured and printed as a MacPaint( file, and scrutinized by the eyes of an artist. Using MacPaint, Thom added a shadow beside the glass and drew more foam on the beer, dripping it down the side of the glass. Then he sent the edited picture back to Bruce's Macintosh.
6. Bruce adjusted his props as Thom had indicated, scanned the props again, and sent the digited image back to Thom. The reply came back, "That's it. Shoot." Bruce captured the image on film this time, and the photo shootQwhich, all told, took less than half a dayQwas over.
How did the beer bust turn out? No one is revealing, but the invitation was a real eye-stopper. And what happened to the props? A grinning Macintosh isn't telling.
[BULLETIN BOARD ITEMS]
New Software for Macintosh,
LaserWriter(, and ImageWriter(
New things are happening at Apple-like . . .
% new Macintosh system softwareQFinder 5.4 and System 4.0 for all 800K drive and 400K drive Macintosh computers with at least 512K of memory
% new printer drivers for the LaserWriter and ImageWriter printers.
% new Macintosh utilities, as well as upgraded ones
You can obtain the new software from your local Authorized Apple dealer or various on-line services.
Going Platinum
In keeping with Apple's strategy for one-color product lines,
both the Macintosh Plus and the ImageWriter II are now sporting Apple's new platinum product color, replacing beige.
New Apple II Instant Pascal
This popular education language is now available in version 1.5 (replacing 1.0) and can be used with the Apple IIgs, Apple IIe, and Apple IIc. New enhancements include compatibility with non-Apple printers (such as Epson and Okidata), removal of copy protection (for easy backups and hard disk installation), and availability on double-sided 3.5-inch disks (as well as on the original 5.25-inch disks).
For a free Instant Pascal upgrade, see your Apple dealer or mail your original invoice or your version 1.0 startup disk before August 28, 1987 to: Instant Pascal Upgrade, 450 East Trimble Road, San Jose, CA 95131.
This Month in Apple's History . . .
MARCH
1976 Steve Wozniak (26) and Steve Jobs (21) finish their work on a preassembled computer circuit board and call it the Apple I.
1981 Apple Expo '81 is launchedQthe company's first national merchandising roadshow. And, The Apple Collection debutsQa catalog of clothing and lifestyle items bearing the Apple logo.
1983 John Sculley joins Apple as President and CEO.
1985 Apple Computer and 28 third-party developers dominate an issue of the Wall Street Journal with ads promoting The Macintosh Office.
Apple IIe computers are enhanced, and the company's employee count hits an all-time highQ5,700.
Did You Know?
Not every Apple II came in the now-familiar beige plastic case. In 1977 for $798, a customer could buy the Apple II circuit board alone, to which they could add their own keyboard and power supply!
Staff
Director: Cathy Hoolihan
Coordination: Apple Creative Services
Editor: Janet Joers
Design and Production: Aplin & Uno
1987 Apple Computer, Inc. Apple, ImageWriter, MacPaint, Instant Pascal, and LaserWriter are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh, Apple IIgs, A/UX, Apple Color, AppleShare and EtherTalk are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Unix is a registered trademark of AT&T Information Systems. Lotus 1-2-3 is a registered trademark of Lotus Development Corporation. WordStar is a registered trademark of MicroPro International Corporation. MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. NuBus is a trademark of Texas Instruments. MacVision is a trademark of Koala Technologies Corporation. Smartcom II is a registered trademark of Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc.
There Here--the long awaited additions to the Apple Macintosh* Family of personal computers: the Macintosh II and the Macintosh SE. These two machines offer the performance, flexibility, and above all the expandability to open up new horizons for Macintosh users. If you have dreamed of color, stereo sound, and lightening-fast speed on a Macintosh, your dream just came true.
Here are some of the highlights of these two new machines.
