Apple handed out CD-ROMs containing alpha release 9 of System 7.0 to developers last week. Some interesting features of System 7.0 will include (if you haven't seen this everywhere already) a new and improved Finder, built-in file sharing capabilities, file aliases, outline fonts, application communication abilities, and virtual memory. Neat bonuses include optional dialog balloons containing context-sensitive help. System 7.0 will also see the demise of the Font/DA Mover (finally!) and the rise of a new version of HyperCard that will take advantage of inter-application communication features to produce stacks that are almost indistinguishable from applications.

System 7.0 is not all that Apple is talking about these days. Apple executives John Sculley and Michael Spindler both emphasized that Apple is trying to sell more Macs and would lower prices to do so. Lower prices on Macs and will mean lower margins for Apple, but may help Apple win over computer purchasers from purchasing low-priced PC-clones and Windows 3.0. In some respects Windows 3.0 will not directly compete with lower-end Macs because it runs well only on higher-end IBM-style machines (at least earlier versions of Windows required high-end machines; Windows 3.0 has not been released for long enough to know for sure how well it runs). In addition, Windows has yet to become popular among users who receive it free with their machines. Between 65 and 75 percent of these people never even use Windows because of the performance toll and the cost of buying Windows-specific applications.

Related articles:
MacWEEK -- 15-May-90, Vol. 4 #19, pg. 1
InfoWorld -- 14-May-90, Vol. 12 #20, pg. 1
PC WEEK -- 14-May-90, Vol. 7 #19, pg. 19