For Immediate Release
Apple Introduces Mac OS 8.6
Free Mac OS Update Improves Sherlock Search Feature, System Stability
and PowerBook Battery Life
WWDC, SAN JOSE, California-May 10, 1999-At its annual Worldwide
Developer Conference (WWDC), Apple Computer, Inc. today introduced
Mac OS 8.6, an update to the Macintosh operating system that
provides an easier to use and more powerful Sherlock search feature;
increases system stability; and delivers significantly improved
battery life for PowerBook users. Mac OS 8.6 is available today as a
free update for Mac OS 8.5 customers and can be downloaded from
www.apple.com/macos.
"Mac OS 8.5 has been a hit with Mac customers all over the world and
Sherlock has changed the way people access information on the
Internet," said Phil Schiller, Apple's vice president of worldwide
product marketing. "Mac OS 8.6 builds upon this great foundation and
is packed with new features that will benefit millions of Macintosh
customers, whether they have an iMac, PowerBook or Power Macintosh."
The primary new features in Mac OS 8.6 include:
* Updated version of Sherlock-the personal search detective
introduced in Mac OS 8.5-with over 25 plug-ins that allow fast
searches of popular web sites such as CNN Interactive, CNET,
Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Music Boulevard and Rolling Stone, in
addition to Internet search engines such as Alta Vista, Excite,
HotBot, Infoseek and Lycos. Sherlock's "find by content" feature now
includes the ability to search the content of PDF and HTML files
stored on your hard drive;
* Advanced power management technologies that increase PowerBook
battery life by more than one hour on PowerBook computers;
* Support for many Nokia or Ericsson IRDA-capable mobile phones,
allowing PowerBook users to check email or access the Internet
through their mobile phone (requires a compatible PowerBook, phone
and service provider);
* Improved USB and FireWire integration, providing superior plug and
play and support for the latest USB and FireWire peripherals;
* Support for DVD-RAM disks, allowing users to store and share
information using this emerging high-capacity format;
* Enhanced game support through integration of Apple's Game Sprockets
technology, the basis for many of the most popular Mac games;
* Mac OS Runtime for Java (MRJ) 2.1.1, the latest version of Apple
Java Virtual Machine, running Java software up to five times faster*
and with support for JDK 1.1.7;
* AppleScript 1.3.7, supporting scriptable access to the Internet so
Macintosh users can upload and download content and data within
automated workflows, and adds the ability to schedule AppleScripts so
they can run when the computer is unmanned;
* ColorSync 2.6.1, enhancing publishing automation through improved
AppleScript integration, easy configuration of ColorSync profiles and
CMM selections, and support for JPEG and GIF files.
Pricing and Availability
Mac OS 8.5 customers can download Mac OS 8.6 free of charge at
www.apple.com/macos. Mac OS 8.5 customers can order Mac OS 8.6 on
CD-ROM for U.S. $19.95 with order forms also available at
www.apple.com/macos. Mac OS 8.6 will ship on many Macintosh computers
immediately and will be included with all Macintosh computers in the
coming weeks.
Apple also today announced its new line of PowerBook notebooks that
continue the product's tradition of being the fastest notebook
computer in the world. With PowerPC G3 processors running up to
400MHz, the new PowerBook line benchmark over twice as fast as the
fastest Intel notebooks**. In addition, the new PowerBook line
features battery life up to five hours (with one battery, up to ten
hours with optional second battery). The new PowerBook line is almost
20 percent thinner and, at 5.9 pounds in weight, nearly two pounds
lighter than their award-winning predecessors.
Apple today also announced the shipment of the Macintosh version of
OpenGL 3D graphics software; and an agreement with Dragon Systems to
bring their award-winning speech recognition software to the
Macintosh.
* Apple tests using industry-standard CaffeineMark3 benchmarks.
** Based on industry standard ByteMark integer processor test.
Apple Computer, Inc. ignited the personal computer revolution in the
1970s with the Apple II, and reinvented the personal computer in the
1980s with the Macintosh. Apple is now recommitted to its original
mission-to bring the best personal computing products and support to
students, educators, designers, scientists, engineers,
businesspersons and consumers in over 140 countries around the world.
Press Contact:
Russell Brady
Apple Computer, Inc.
(408) 974-6877
brady2@apple.com
