We’re glad you’re back. As we prepare for New Year’s Day (we know that many in the Mac-using world have been looking forward to 1997 since about the beginning of 1996), we’re happy that you’ve joined us for our special year-end issue.
We know what you’re thinking - if it’s the year-end issue, why do we have a picture of Santa on the cover? Simply put, we like this holiday stuff. We also want to stay in good with the guy from the North Pole. There’s a lot of cool stuff we want to find under the ATPM tree - new hardware, software upgrades and a lot more readers. We’re happy last year’s “wish list” came true. Apple’s on the way up, Macintosh prices are on the way down and our readership continues to grow.
Over the past 12 months the Macintosh world has been turned upside-down, inside-out and spun around. We’ve suffered the indignities of bad press, bad mouthing and a very bad perception of Apple’s position in financial and consumer marketplaces. Today, as we prepare for the new year, we’re confident that Apple Computer has not only survived, it has already begun to thrive - again.
To the Future and BEyond…
We’ve seen a lot of changes during the past year, especially in the way we can browse the Web, search for information and communicate via e-mail. Michael Tsai’s Personal Computer Paradigm column this month focuses on these changes and what, in his view, Apple should do to make things even better.
Our cover story this month focuses less on Apple’s past and more on the cool things in Apple’s present and what’s planned for its future. It’s called “Not Looking Back.” Perhaps that’s good advice for all of us. Take a look at H.M. Fog’s story inside and see why.
One area of interest for all Mac users is the recent pace of enhancements and upgrades to our favorite System software, often available “free” via the Internet. We think this torrid pace of enhancements and upgrade offerings will continue. In Chad Poland’s Segments piece “Keeping It Up to Code,” he shares his views on trying to keep all our software up-to-date. This month’s Apples, Kids & Attitude reminds us why it’s called a personal computer - no matter the year. We hope that never changes...
Name that New Year…
While most of the world will be referring to the coming new year as 1997, we’d rather call it the year of the “Be” (Be Inc. that is). Speculation surrounding this company is a melodrama/soap-opera/cloak-and-dagger mystery that rivals the best of TV’s midday offerings. Who’s talking to who about Be truly has the industry “a-buzz.” We’re looking forward to the next episode of this hi-tech story. We think something big is going to be announced. But alas, we’ll all have to wait until next time. We’ll keep you posted. Please feel free to send us your thoughts.
Kernel Mustered in the Lab with the…
Reports are that Apple has developed a stable micro-kernel as the foundation of OS 8. We don’t know if this work was inspired by Ellen Hancock or Dr. Gil, but we do know it happened in the Apple lab. We’re all waiting for a commercial version of this handiwork so until then we’ll look around for more evidence. The announcement does indicate that nay-sayers about OS 8 really haven’t got a “Clue.” We’ll see how this mystery develops. We have a feeling there’ll be more than one pair of hands (and pieces of code) involved.
Movin’ On Up…
Since last New Year’s Day, ATPM’s readership has increased roughly ten-fold. We thank you for your support. To accommodate our continuing growth (and our future plans) we will soon be expanding and enhancing our Web site. It will also mean new e-mail boxes for ATPM and the staff. We’ll keep you posted. Until then...
