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The WebDeck site, located at http://www.webdeck.com/, lets people play card games on the web with other people for no charge. The site currently offers hearts, euchre, and spades games, and more are on the way. The games are written in Java, which means they work on the Mac OS, UNIX, and Windows.
WebDeck's site receives, on average, more than 1,000 visits per day, with the average person playing for about 30 minutes. The games prominently display a new 500-by-80-pixel ad banner every minute. For details, visit this web site:
This offer will expire 30 days from the posting date.
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This announcement opens a totally new licensing phase, in which Apple licenses only its operating system. In the past, licensees had no choice but to license both hardware and software from Apple. Mac OS-compatible vendors will now be able to innovate and differentiate on top of CHRP, which will broaden existing markets and provide new market opportunities for Mac OS developers.
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Marimba's Castanet technology automatically distributes and maintains software applications and content within a company or across the Internet. The Castanet Transmitter (server) and Castanet Tuner (client) work together to keep software and content up-to-date. By bundling the Castanet Tuner with Mac OS 8, customers can view any type of "channel," from internal corporate applications to multimedia consumer channels.
The PointCast Network broadcasts up-to-the-minute news directly to a viewer's computer screen. Headlines scroll across the screen in animated "SmartScreens." PointCast broadcasts national and international news, stock information, industry updates, weather from around the globe, and sports scores.
Mac OS 8 represents a milestone in operating system introductions from Apple. Marimba's Castanet Tuner and the PointCast Network complement Mac OS 8's outstanding Internet integration. Mac OS 8 also includes an easy Internet setup feature that leads the user through choosing an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or network connection, access to leading browsers from Microsoft Corporation and Netscape Communications, and new Internet features such as Personal Web Sharing and Personal Net Finder. As well as continuing to enhance Apple's multimedia capabilities through the QuickTime Media Layer, Mac OS 8 has a new 3D look and feel, a multithreaded native PowerPC processor Finder, and "spring-loaded" folders and pop-up windows, increasing the system's ease of use. For more details, see the complete Apple press release:
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The findings emerged from CI's recently released spring 1997 Consumer Technology Index (CTI), the largest and most comprehensive survey of technology ownership and usage among home, workplace, and self-employed users in the United States. The repurchase rates measure what percentage of each brand's users who bought a personal computer in 1996 purchased the same brand of computer they previously owned. According to the CTI results, about four in five Apple Macintosh users who purchased a personal computer in 1996 bought another Macintosh (see table below).
Top 1996 Repurchase Rates
(Source: CI's Consumer Technology Index, 1997)
Not surprisingly, the CTI survey found that respondents who purchased computers for personal use generally showed lower brand loyalty than individuals who work on employer-provided computers. In fact, Apple's Macintosh was the only brand to have a repurchase rate above 50 percent in the home market, while nine of the top eleven brands have loyalty above 50 percent in the workplace segment. The differences are due mainly to price sensitivities among home computer users, who are spending their own funds rather than company funds, and to the fact that home users do not need to go through the purchase-approval cycles present in many corporations.
For more details, see the CI press release at this web site:
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The winner in the Education and Academia Category was The Virtual Alphabet Book, a CD-ROM/Internet application developed by Susan Abdulezer of New York. Abdulezer utilized Apple Media Tool, QuickTime, and QuickTime VR tools in developing The Virtual Alphabet Book, which presents the traditional alphabet in a nontraditional, interactive way, using sign language, Braille, soundscapes, and virtual objects. While the application is designed for all children, it is geared especially toward those with various learning disabilities.
Apple Media Tool, QuickTime, and QuickTime VR proved essential to Abdulezer's project, because, as she explains, "I've always been more interested in developing concepts and ideas than programming. That's the real significance of this technology: It's just me, an Apple computer, software, peripherals, and some good ideas. These tools give people really powerful ways to express themselves and make a significant difference."
For details, see the complete Apple press release:
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The interactive multimedia kiosks at the stadium, located in the media center and VIP room, will be linked by a high-speed Ethernet network to over 30 of Apple's most advanced personal computers, the Power Macintosh 9600/233. Using Apple's QuickTime and QuickTime VR technologies, the kiosks will display video reports and 360-degree panoramic views in real time. In addition, the kiosks will include background information on game participants, records, schedules, and venues.
In choosing the official multimedia production platform, the Games Organizing Committee compared major technologies and systems from suppliers in China and abroad. Macintosh was selected due to its integrated multimedia, superior graphics, unrivaled ease of use, and seamless hardware, software, and network integration.
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Here are the seminar dates:
There are two easy ways to register for the seminar: Call 800-947-5670 ext. 100 or fax requests to 617-932-6812.
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Second, CWUG has organized a special deal on the hard-to-find lithium backup batteries inside every desktop Macintosh computer. As a result of negotiations with the battery manufacturer, CWUG is able to offer you these special prices: U.S.$ 10.95 for Performa/Quadra 630-series computer batteries and U.S.$ 7 for batteries compatible with all other desktop Macintosh computers. CWUG also includes installation instructions with each order. (Send $2 per order--not per battery--from the United States. International orders will be taken by credit card only, and additional shipping charges will be required.
For ordering details, see the ClarisWorks web site:
You can purchase these products from this web site:
Both of these offers expire August 1, 1997. For more details, see the AMUG web site:
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If you have any suggestions or comments regarding Apple Developer News, we'd like to hear from you. You can send an e-mail to
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MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES
The MacDirectory Web Link Exchange Program
MacDirectory Online, a global web- and print-based directory of Macintosh resources, has started a program for exchanging web site links. Here's how it works: If you help promote MacDirectory by including a live Internet link to http://www.macdirectory.com on your web site, then MacDirectory will return the favor. You'll receive increased traffic to your web site, and best of all, it's free. You can submit your site to the MacDirectory "Macs-on-the-Net" program on this web page:
United Kingdom Internet User Demographics
Red Square Communications is conducting an ongoing survey on the demographics of United Kingdom Internet users. This data could be useful if you plan to sell Internet-related software or hardware into this geographic market. Preliminary survey results are available at this web site:
For a weekly summary of similar Internet market research, consider subscribing to the NUA newsletter. See this web site for details:
Ad Banner Discount at Game Site
WebDeck Software, makers of interactive card games on the Internet, is offering a special ad banner discount to Apple Developer News subscribers: You can receive a 50 percent discount on their normal rate of U.S.$ 30 per ad banner, per month.
PRODUCT AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Apple Announces a New Licensing Strategy
Apple Computer is moving into a new phase of its licensing strategy, which recognizes these as two separate entities:
The first implementations of Mac OS 8 and CHRP (for Common Hardware Reference Platform) will ship this summer.
Marimba and PointCast Products to Ship With Mac OS 8
As part of its goal of giving you more development opportunities and giving users a richer Internet experience, Apple has just announced that it is including Marimba's Castanet Tuner and the PointCast Network with Mac OS 8, a major system software release from Apple that is on schedule for introduction in July 1997. Apple also announced that it will have a dedicated Apple channel on the PointCast Network, so that Macintosh users can have the latest news from Apple delivered straight to their desktops.
Apple Unveils New Color Ink-Jet Printer Line
Furthering its commitment to expand the availability of high-quality, complete color printing solutions, Apple announced three new color ink-jet printers for home, education, and small/medium business settings. The entry-level Color StyleWriter 4100 offers Mac OS customers a high-quality, affordable, four-color printing solution. The midrange Color StyleWriter 4500 provides Mac OS users with high-quality, photorealistic color and multimedia printing capabilities. The Color StyleWriter 6500 offers professional quality ink-jet printing capabilities to both Mac OS and Windows users--a first for Apple. Apple also introduced the StyleWriter EtherTalk Adapter II, an easy-to-use printer networking device that lets Mac OS users share Apple's color ink-jet printers on an EtherTalk network. The new ink-jet line results from a recent OEM (original equipment manufacturer) licensing agreement with Hewlett-Packard, the industry's largest manufacturer of ink-jet printers. The agreement gives Apple access to state-of-the-art printer engine technologies. For availability, prices, and technical specifications, see the Apple press release:
ClarisWorks for Kids Beta Software Available Online
Claris Corporation announced that a time-limited, prerelease Mac OS version of ClarisWorks for Kids is now available free of charge from the ClarisWorks for Kids Web site. The first complete productivity software solution designed specifically for grades K-5 (ages 5-11), ClarisWorks for Kids is an all-in-one writing, painting, graphing, and list-making educational software solution for children. It is also compatible with ClarisWorks 4.0, one of the most popular K-12 software solutions of all time. For more product information, or to download the beta version, visit this web site:
OTHER DEVELOPER NEWS
Apple Macintosh Again Leads PC Industry in Brand Loyalty
For the third year in a row, the Apple Macintosh led the personal computer industry in repurchase loyalty in 1996, according to new research from Computer Intelligence (CI), the computer and communications industries' leading source of fact-based information. Following Apple in purchase loyalty rankings were Gateway 2000, Acer, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, IBM, NEC, Packard Bell, and AST.
Apple Mac 81% Gateway 2000 72% Acer 69% Compaq 60% Hewlett-Packard 58% Dell 58%
Apple Customers Win Smithsonian Technology Awards
Two recent awards given by the Ninth Annual Computerworld Smithsonian Awards Program highlight the ability of Apple technologies to enable innovative solutions to real-world problems. The winner in the Medicine Category was the Quality Care Tracking Project, developed by InterMountain Health Care (IHC) of Salt Lake City, Utah. IHC developed its winning application using Apple's WebObjects software. IHC's Quality Care Tracking Project links quality improvement teams with a vast storehouse of medical and related data, and provides instant communication to a network of 24 hospitals, more than 70 clinics, and 750,000 insured individuals.
Apple is Official Multimedia Provider for China National Games
Apple Computer International Ltd. announced that Macintosh hardware and software has been chosen as the official multimedia production platform for the Eighth China National Games, to be held in Shanghai in October. Together with large, touch-screen displays located at the stadium and in central Shanghai, the Macintosh systems will provide the first interactive multimedia kiosks ever used at any large-scale sporting event in China.
EVENTS
Apple Media Workflow Management Seminars, June to August
Tapping into the need for its publishing customers to manage digital workflow efficiently and productively, Apple announced the launch of a new Masters of Media seminar series, Media Workflow Management. It is cosponsored with Kodak Professional (a division of Eastman Kodak), Canto Software, and 4-Sight. The 13-city seminar series begins June 24, in Atlanta and continues as an international series that is expected to reach 25 countries by the end of 1997. This free seminar series aims to help attendees from prepress, publishing, and creative design markets learn efficiencies in job management, media capture, and file transmission, eliminating bottlenecks and improving quality using new digital technologies.
Atlanta, GA June 24
Chicago, IL June 26
Philadelphia, PA July 8
Reston, VA July 10
Toronto, Canada July 15
New York, NY July 17
Boston, MA July 22
Minneapolis, MN July 24
Denver, CO July 29
Dallas, TX July 31
Seattle, WA August 5
San Francisco, CA August 7
Santa Monica, CA August 12
Rhapsody Sessions at MACWORLD Expo Boston, August 5 to 8
Apple Developer Relations, in conjunction with Mitch Hall Associates (the sponsors of MACWORLD Expo), will be offering nine hours of Mac OS development sessions during MACWORLD Expo Boston. One of these sessions will recap the technical highlights of the May 1997 Apple Worldwide Developer Conference. To participate, developers must register for the conference track of MACWORLD Expo Boston. By registering for the conference track, developers also gain access to the trade show, which includes access to Developer Central, the developer tools area. Apple will also be hosting special Rhapsody development labs during MACWORLD Expo. Apple Developer News will post more details in a future issue. To register for MACWORLD Expo Boston, see this web site:
WEB-BYTES--Pointers to More News and Software
ClarisWorks Users Group Special Offers
The ClarisWorks Users Group (CWUG) has two special offers for Apple developers. First, it's offering a U.S.$ 5 discount on a one-year subscription to the ClarisWorks Journal, a monthly 24-page newsletter. The offer includes a full year's membership in CWUG, which includes unlimited technical support for ClarisWorks, access to the CWUG web site, and a software library.
Special Java Component Offer
Argent Software has been developing Java components on the Macintosh using Metrowerks CodeWarrior and Symantec Visual Cafe. Argent is currently working on an update of its components to fully support the Java Development Kit (JDK) 1.1.2 and the Java Beans architecture. A free evaluation version is available on the Argent web site:
Argent is also presenting the following offer to Apple developers: If you buy Argent Coffee Table Class (U.S.$ 100), you'll get the Argent Coffee Table Applet for free (a U.S.$ 29 value), as well as the prerelease JDK 1.1.2/Java Beans version of Argent Coffee Table Bean. You'll also be automatically signed up for a raffle of the upcoming Argent JDBCGrid applet, which allows very simple web access to your SQL database data. (To benefit from this offer, you must type "Java rocks on Mac OS!" in the additional comments field). This offer expires July 31, 1997.
AMUG Summer Membership Specials
The Arizona Macintosh User Group (AMUG) is currently offering two summer membership deals:
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The ADN editor: kris@newbytech.com
To provide feedback on the technologies discussed in this issue, send e-
mail to the appropriate contact:
Rhapsody rhapsody-dev-feedback@apple.com
Copyright © 1997 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.