Item 1484694 93/03/20 11:48 From: CONRAD_GEIGER@NEXT.COM@INET# Internet Gateway Subject: Hypercard Compatibility for NeXTSTEP Users from Thoughtful Software News FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mishelle McClure Baun Thoughtful Software 616 East Locust St. Fort Collins, CO 80524 Phone: (303) 221-4596 Fax: (303) 221-0841 email: info@thoughtful.com THOUGHTFUL SOFTWARE SHIPS PRE-RELEASE VERSION OF HYPERSENSE Breakthrough product offers Hypercard Compatibility to NeXTSTEP users FORT COLLINS, Colorado, March 15, 1993 - Thoughtful Software announced today that HyperSense (tm), the advanced hypermedia authoring software for the NeXTSTEP operating system, has begun shipping in a pre-release version. HyperSense is a powerful HyperCard (rtm)-compatible authoring system which enables users to create their own multimedia documents and applications. "When we set out to create HyperSense, our goal was not simply to duplicate the functionality of HyperCard, but to create a much richer environment, giving users even greater flexibility and ease of use, while still maintaining backward compatibility with HyperCard Stacks," states Douglas Simons, product manager and founder of Thoughtful Software. "I think we've succeeded admirably on both counts." With HyperSense, a user can quickly and easily create a wide variety of documents, including simple brochures, personal databases, interactive tutorials, and business presentations. "NeXTSTEP users have been waiting for software which would allow an average user to develop multimedia documents, complete with built-in scripts for navigating through the document," said Mr. Simons. HyperSense not only allows a user to store and organize many types of information, but also to infuse that information with additional meaning. The ability to add simple scripts to any object in a document enables the user to bring that document to life, manipulate the information it contains in virtually any way imaginable, and establish connections to information in other documents. HyperSense provides the ability to construct these "interactive documents" without complex programming, and with complete freedom to modify the structure of a document at any time. "What is unique about HyperSense software is that it brings the flexibility of Interface Builder together with a truly accessible scripting language," continues Simons. The English-like scripting language, SenseTalk, allows users almost unlimited flexibility in what they create, without requiring a large initial investment of time. The SenseTalk language itself can be extended with External Modules containing new SenseTalk commands, written in Objective-C. The NeXTSTEP user community is excited about the introduction of HyperSense. As Eric Celeste, longtime NeXT enthusiast and former editor of the Boston Computer Society's NeXT newsletter put it, "HyperSense is great. It is so nice to be able to create helpful applications so quickly again. I am very excited to have this tool in my NeXT bag of tricks." Key Features of HyperSense include: - SenseTalk Scripting Language, compatible with HyperTalk - Object Oriented Drawing, with multiple layers on a page - Word Processing, including multiple fonts, embedded graphics, and spell-checking - Data Base Creation, with both fixed formats and customization of individual pages - Importing of HyperCard Stacks - Powerful Tools for Browsing, Inspecting, and Modifying Documents - Digital Audio Recording & Editing - Button and Field Creation and Inspection Tools - Import and Export of TIFF and EPS Graphics - Custom Tool Palettes, with pre-scripted objects ready to drag into any document - XModu,e`Developers Kit to fachlitate custom extensions to the SenseTalk language The pre-release version of HyperSense is available for $299 from Thoughtful Software ($99 for students). This price includes a free upgrade to HyperSense 1.0, which is scheduled to debut to 10,000 people on May 25th at the NeXTWorld Expo in San Francisco. After May 31st, the retail price of HyperSense will be $499.