Apple Developer News

This bundle will provide teachers and students in grades 3 through 12 with a range of tools to conduct teaching and learning activities using the Internet. Applications should facilitate information access, communication, collaboration, publishing, and curriculum development. "Teaching tools" should help teachers teach about the Internet, develop curriculum, and get started with the use of online subscription services. "Learning tools" should help students communicate and collaborate with others, publish their work, and conduct research. This proposed bundle will contain desktop solutions only: No server-based products will be considered.

Software that fits into any of the following categories is requested:

• Information Access: Software that helps make researching on the web easier, including but not limited to web whacking, bookmark organizers, meta-content browsers, and search tools.

• Communication: Software that supports synchronous and asynchronous communication, including but not limited to chat software, videoconferencing, shared-whiteboard technology, and e-mail.

• Security: Web filters and security software (at the desktop level)

• Publishing: Web page builders, graphics/video converters, web clip art/sounds/video collections, and HTML editors.

• Curriculum: Fee-based online curriculum services/projects/materials, HTML-based lesson plans/classroom activities, hybrid reference CDs, and electronic Internet tutorials.

• Other: You may submit product briefs for products not covered in this feature set, as long as they are desktop-based products that support teaching and learning on the Internet.

Apple is not developing Subwoofer into a product at this time, but many of you have expressed interest in using it in your products. Since much of the work on it has been completed, Apple has been investigating ways to get it to you. To this end, Apple intends to license Subwoofer to the Macintosh Internet Developer Association (MIDAS) and support their efforts to make Subwoofer available to the Apple developer community.

Subwoofer will be made publicly available through the MIDAS web site. To download the current Subwoofer specification and check for public availability, visit the following web site:

Designed as an Internet client for use by children in grades K-8, Bosco combines the features of several "best-of-class" component software applications. The result is an innovative and easy-to-use toolkit that gives younger children and their educators seamless Internet integration of everyday classroom lessons.

Built atop Apple's OpenDoc and Cyberdog technologies, Bosco also incorporates Hutchings Software's Rapid-I Button, Kantara's Internet Search Service (KISS) for Kids, SoftLinc's LEXI spelling checker, and Corda Technologies' C-TextBox text-editing tool.

According to the study, called "Homescan Tracker: 1997 PC Brand Loyalty and Purchase Intentions in U.S. Households," 51.1 percent of Gateway 2000 owners and 47.6 percent of Macintosh computer owners are planning to buy another personal computer (between November 1, 1996, and July 31, 1997) and intend to select those brands again. Here are the results for the top eight personal computers:

Brand Loyalty for Repeat Buyers (percentage)*

Gateway	51.1
Apple	47.6
Dell	33.9
IBM	33.4
Compaq	30.9
Hewlett-Packard	30.8
Acer	30.7
Packard Bell	25.6

* Percent planning to buy the same brand currently owned between November 1, 1996, and July 31, 1997. (Source: AC Nielsen Homescan, Panel*Views Survey 4Q96)

The study also reveals that most first-time buyers are not high-income, college-educated professionals. Based on these findings, IDC and AC Nielsen believe that vendors can ensure success by adjusting distribution strategies, marketing programs, and pricing to reach this new wave of buyers. Here are some of the other key findings from this report:

* Nearly 13 million households are actively considering purchasing a personal computer, though not all intentions will be fulfilled. Based on these findings, an estimated 11 million personal computers will be bought by U.S. households in 1997.

* The typical household planning to buy a personal computer (November 1, 1996, to July 31, 1997) is headed by a married couple between the ages of 30 and 49, with children under 18 years old.

* 26 percent of households are planning to purchase a personal computer from a computer specialty store (including superstores such as CompUSA).

* The median income for a household that owns a personal computer is between $40,000 and $45,000. Nearly 60 percent of these households are headed by a married couple.

* Users of personal computer are not all male; personal computer purchase decisions are more heavily influenced by female consumers than ever before.

The Apple-branded loan program, which began on June 1, is available to qualifying individuals, 18 years of age or older, who purchase Apple-branded products in retail stores. The program combines low-interest loans with low qualifying income requirements and flexible payment options. For example, students can use cosigners to help them qualify and can defer payments on the loan's principal by up to four years. Borrowers can accelerate their payments or pay off the balance of the loan at any time, without prepayment penalty.

The sweepstakes began in May and continue through October 10, 1997. Students can pick up a sweepstakes form at their campus reseller or from Apple's sweepstakes web site: