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Thursday, January 22, 1997
Reality News Is Updated Every Monday And Thursday
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News Index Apple NCs Report Allegro- Late Breaking Info, Images Followup Netscape 5.0 Sneak Preview Microsoft Word 98 For Macintosh (MSOffice98) 400MHz G3 Rumor Confirmed! Retail Chains, Loosing Their Apples? MacOS 8.1 Download FTPs This Week's Apple News 400MHz G3's On The Way? HFS Plus In Action MacOS 8.1 Final Statement Return To Reality |
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Allegro- Late Breaking Info, Images Follow-up
The Allegro Images
In light of recent speculation of the supposed Allegro images, we were forced to make this update ahead of time. So please bare with us, as the following report may have some fragmentation. It has been brought to our attention that the original Allegro images published here and elsewhere on the net are all less than genuine It seems as if our source got the signs crossed while trying to swipe third base. (The images have now been removed for numerous reasons.)
Apparently, the images were depiction's of a possible interface to display Allegro's numerous elite features and were composed according to old builds of Copland and previously unseen versions of the MacOS. However, a little birdy, who obtains a nest within 1 Infinite Loop, has informed us that the many features portrayed in "the images" are in fact scheduled for this summers Allegro release. (Excluding Customization of Contextual Menus). This feature, if ever considered, would most likely be aimed at Rhapsody. Another very reliable source, close to highly placed executives at Apple Computer has told us the many extra UE enhancements such as animated icons and menus are in fact slated for Allegro and if they fail to make an appearance in the initial Allegro release, they will make it into the following "update". A lot relies on time constraints right now.
The New Appearance Manager
Here's a little early news on Allegro. The appearance manager will have a brand new look. Different from the images that were previously posted. According to a very reliable source, the new Appearance CDEV will now use a tabbed interface, instead of picture buttons, to switch between options. There are 7 different tabs of options; The first one dedicated to the "Color" options and the remaining 6 dealing with every aspect of themes. Right now, there will be no theme editor (not that one was expected). Users will however, be able to adjust the behavior of the Appearance.
Allegro is scheduled to ship with 4-5 themes. One of which being a very new and exciting "Architect" theme which is said to be very "clean" looking. In addition to the 4-5 Apple themes, they are reportedly looking into bundling third party frames. However this has not been confirmed.
The New, All In One, Internet Control Panel
Another major advancement in Allegro will be the new all in one Internet related control panel. Apple has finally consolidated the "Modem", "PPP" and "TCP/IP" CDEV's into one dialog! This is a long overdue advancement which will save you time in every possible way. I'm personally looking forward to this.
In addition to these facts, we have much more information on Allegro which we will report to you as soon as we receive confirmation. I'm sure many of you have noticed the speed improvements in MacOS 8.1. According to our sources, the change in speed from 8.0-8.1 cannot compare to 8.1-Allegro. The addition PPC code and further optimization to the PowerPC chip seems to have done wonders for the MacOS.
If you have worked with Allegro, or have anything of interest to our views, drop us an e-mail.
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We must give many thanks to a certain someone who went out of their way to obtain a copy of Netscape Communicator 5.0. According to this source, it isn't even a preview release. In fact, it is just a build of what will eventually be Netscape 5.0. All the components in the archive still read 4.0.4 rather than 5.0. Also, most of the new images have yet to be added to the build as you will see in the screen shots below.
Aurora
As soon as you launch Netscape 5.0, you'll immediately notice a feature which is very similar to that of Internet Explorer's tabs feature. Currently, this addition has been given the code name Aurora. Aurora, as you can see in this image, will become the "Workspace" for Netscape's Web Browser and can be accessed as its own window via command-B.The black box you see on the left side bar of the Aurora workspace is actually one of the buttons which will eventually hold an image like the ones on Netscape's navigation toolbar. (The images are obviously missing from the Aurora which is incorporated into the browser itself, as you will see in the images below.) This Aurora workspace will house bookmarks, history, mail, and anything else you would like to make a folder for. Users can create new folders, line separators, and drag in files and folders from their hard disk, as you can see in this image of the Workspace menu. You may also notice that the Aurora sections contain column menus. Currently there are 5 option buttons for separate categories in the Aurora Workspace.
The Browser
Here you'll see the full blown Netscape 5.0 in action, sporting the Aurora sidebar, and now a favorites bar. It's about time Netscape started adopting ideas from the Microsoft Corporation. The Aurora bar does not slide out like I.E., it serves the purpose a lot faster and just extends. You switch between sections via those black boxes, which will eventually become image buttons.
The favorites bar is very cool. You can drag bookmarks right onto the bar, choosing the position while you drag the bookmark. Speed in this release seems to be pretty fast, and navigation is smooth as always. By the time this thing hits beta, it should be quite the speed demon. This image will give you a view of Netscape 5 with Aurora retracted. You'll also notice if you take a look at the lower right hand corner that the components window is docked quite nicely. If you want to save even more space you can retract everything, like in Netscape 4, and no excess space will be wasted.
Netscape Mail
Being that this is the Communicator version, we can give you a quick peek at the new mail windows. Here you'll see an image of the new inbox, which features an Aurora-like technology to manage the different mail folders. The new message window now looks like this image. You'll notice that at the time of this image, the mouse button was on the "Quote" button (The screen shot prefs were set to make the cursor invisible). All the buttons now feature this rounded look. Earth to Netscape, this looks horrible! The square embossment looks so much better, do NOT change that. Especially in favor of this rounded business.
To conclude, this will be an amazing product come release time. But don't let our report fool you; there is a ton of work yet to be done on this release. There are also a ton of features which we cannot cover in this report. Look for an updated report later in the development process. We're cheering for you Netscape, keep up the great work and get rid of that rounded business.
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Microsoft Word 98 For Macintosh (MSOffice98)
With Microsoft Office 98 Macintosh edition just around the corner we thought it only appropriate to give you a closer look at what's in store for the Macintosh community. Thanks to a friend in the land of the evil empire we were able to acquire a copy of the MSOffice 98 Marketing Beta, which was the version demoed at MacWorld. All in all, it's a superior product. The Macintosh team has done an awesome job. Every application is chock full of features; however, you're going to need the hardware to support it.
Speed and Functionality
The included documentation states that all the MSOffice applications will run on any PowerPC based machine, but below they make a point of telling they recommend at LEAST a 120MHz 604. Well, we tested MSWord on a 7600/120 and then on 8600/300.Here is what we found.... On the 7600, MS Word 98 is quite functional for a basic school report, but if you wish to take advantage of the features you're actually paying for, it will take some waiting. Anything that involves graphics definitely spells lag. Though, if you have the time, it's not a problem. On the 8600/300 it's a different story. MSOffice zips around faster than Ghandi on his flying carpet (no pun intended). It was a pleasurable experience.
Features
As we were saying before, there are an extraordinary amount of features in these Microsoft products, and there is no way we can cover all of them. I always say they try to do too much, but with MS Word it is only expected. The overall appearance of MSWord is very appealing. It looks nothing like a Microsoft product.
Each of Word98's tool bars can easily be docked at the top and bottom of the screen by a simple drag and drop. If you would like to see MS Word 98 in full blown action, take a look at this image, where we tried to get as many tools onto the screen as humanly possible. You'll also see the 3-D capabilities of MSWord 98, and the reinstalled font menu in that image.
Users can select from a series of 3-D typefaces that are located in Word's "Word Art Gallery" which can be seen here. Once you've selected your type and entered the text you'll be able to edit the text in real time using the 3-D Settings toolbar (shown below) and the WordArt toolbar, among other things. Lighting settings, depth, and shading are just a few of the things users will be able to control when dealing with 3-D text.
Another feature which is new to MSWord, is the Table Pencil. Users will be able to draw out their tables, table columns, and rows using a pencil tool, this is extremely cool. You can view this feature here. Word98 also has full web support via the Web toolbar. Your bookmarks and settings are read directly from your browser's preference folder so bookmarks will always be in sync.
MSOffice Assistants
This brings us to the MSOffice Assistant. That little animated guy in the square window. Here you can preview the assistant's Alert phase as well as his wacky duck phase. Extra assistants will be available in the MSOffice 98 value pack. The assistant is really an extensive electronic help guide. Users may type questions in normal dialect and receive answers straight from the assistant. There is also a "tips" and "how to do" section of the help. However, I really hope this suit ships with a text manual. It can be a pain to use the assistant sometimes. It also slows down MSOffice quite a bit, being that it is always in action.
We are going to stop our coverage here, we could go all night (week) with this application. There are other things we can mention like the seamless integration of the Excel and Word 5.1 compatible menus, but time is a factor here. I must give credit where credit is due. The Macintosh team at Microsoft is really dedicated, and this suit show that. I have the highest respect for the guys and gals who code this thing. Amazing. If there is anything I can quarrel with, it would have to be the new splash screen. Put back the big blue Mac happy face :)
Next week - Excel 98
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Shortly after we published the rumor about 400Mhz G3s being ready for production at Motorola, we received a reliable confirmation from one of our readers.
According to this source, Motorola recently visited an electronic distribution company, where it demoed some current and future products. The Motorola team included a KeyAcct., a tech advisor, and a deep skilled FAE from their processor department! Their presentation included a 400MHz MPC 750 processor. The MPC 750/400 is scheduled for the market in Q2 and was already "up and running".
This is great news for both Apple and Motorola. You think the 266 705 is fast? Wait till you run one of these babies. Merced won't be here till 99 my friends.
If you have any further news on similar products or technologies, drop us a line.
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Retail Chains, Losing Their Apples?
A very reliable source close to Apple retail has informed us that Apple will be taking action against some of the retail chains who continue to provide horrible care towards their Apple product line. According to this source, we should not be surprised when Apple waves its magic wand and the Mac begins to disappear from stores such as Best Buy, Sears, and Circuit City. Need we say more?
Apple is making a valiant effort to get back into the retail game; however, they are making it clear that they aren't taking any crap. This may sound bad, but if a retail chain decides that they aren't going to respect Apple products, then that is an incentive to pick up your bags and leave. In two years these same stores will be begging for the Mac. Good for you, Apple.
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Apple has now posted MacOS 8.1 for download.
Below are a few of the sites you can access which contain the least amount of traffic. Apple currently has 30 servers running full blast. Each server can take a maximum demand of 500 clients.
You have the option of downloading the Binhex or MacBinary versions of the update.
Info.Apple.com -Default Server : Try this first, it should default you to an open server.
Individual Servers
Info.Apple.com 30
Info.Apple.com 29
Info.Apple.com 28
Info.Apple.com 27
Info.Apple.com 26
Info.Apple.com 25
To directly download the MacBinary update image, use this link.
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Missing Images? About a dozen readers mailed to tell us that they couldn't see the images in last week's update. As far as we can see, this is not a server problem, but rather a problem at the client end. The majority of our readers have no problem with the images, so there is nothing we can do. Check the preferences in your browsers and how they are set to handle images. That's all we can think of.
A source who shall remain anonymous recently whispered some juicy information into our ear regarding the future of the G3 processors. According to this source, who is close to the Motorola chip fabrication sector in Austin, a 400mhz version of the Power Mac G3 is already completed and set for production at the Motorola plants.
Could these chips possibly be the missing link in the cancellation of the Power Express series of Power Macs due out this summer? Quite a few explanations for the cancellation contain a mention of machines which may have possibly made the Power Express line of Power Macs obsolete. Here lies a definite candidate.
G3's running at 300MHz and 333MHz are already in production now at Motorola's plant with several vendors already vying for their availability. Expect to see them surface in the near future.
Either way, we are going to have to wait and see. But one thing is for sure, a 400mhz G3 will whip the living daylights out of anything Intel can put into the hands of its customers.
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With MacOS 8.1 just around the corner, we felt we should give you a look at the amount of space the new HFS Plus volume format will save you. Below is a table comparing the same file on two different volumes. One HFS and one HFS Plus. We tested this first with a 50 Byte file then with an almost 8 MB folder of files. Click on the links in the tables to see the results displayed by the finder.
50 Bytes
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HFS |
HFS Plus |
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HFS |
HFS Plus |
The Hierarchical File System (HFS) Plus volume format increases the maximum limit of allocation blocks from 65,535 to 4.29 billion. This new file format also supports 255 character Unicode file names, however, this feature won't be available till Apple revises system services, most likely in Allegro. Right now we'll have to continue to deal with 31 characters names. HFS Plus will also expand the number of files that can be contained on a single volume to 2 billion while lifting the maximum file size. But yet again, this feature won't be available to users until Apple updates its File Manager APIs. We hope to see this update in Allegro as well.
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Well what can we say? The MacOS 8.1 release date has been juggled around more than those flaming torches you see with the clowns at Disney World. The best explanation we can come up with for 8.1 missing its original download date is the set of minor bugs reported in the last beta release. According to a number of sources, beta 7, the supposed Golden Master, contained a few glitches. Mac OS 8.1b8 was then seeded to a few developers and then pulled back because of bugs. These bugs will definitely be non-existant in the release.
Another major factor, though it may not have played a roll in the release date, is the fact that there are no extensive disk repair tools for HFS Plus at the moment. This will soon change as Symantec is expected to conduct a public beta of its Mac OS 8.1 compatible Norton Utilities 4.0 (paid upgrade) in February. The final versions are not expected until March at the earliest. MicroMat's TechTool Pro 2 may be ready before Symantec's Norton Utils and will provide HFS compatibility. DiskEssentials had also announced a compatibility update, but that is not likely to be distributed until a few weeks (3) after 8.1 is actually released.
The current word is that Mac OS 8.1 has just gone GM and will be released on CD in early February and a downloadable version will be available, minus QT 2.5 and IE, two weeks before that.(Which is actually quite soon). You can order the Mac OS 8.1 CD right now from 1-800-293-6617. The CD is $13.00; the shipping is $ 6.95; and the sales tax is $1.00, which is a grand total of $20.95. Shipping will begin the first
week of February via Airborne. (Taken from the main MacNN site).
We'd also like to clear up the QuickTime situation once again. The 8.1 CD will contain QuickTime 2.5 not 3.0. There is also some speculation as to whether the CD will contain I.E. 4.0 or 3.0., this we cannot comment on, though it is unlikely to contain IE 4.0 due to many things including bugs.
In any event, it will be a great release, and you should all go out and grab a copy. If you haven't purchased 8.0 previously, you may purchase the full 8.1 CD for $99 ($30 rebate for System 7.6 owners).
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This Week's Apple NewsYes, we have finally posted a formal Contact Page which lists the appropriate e-mail addresses for users to send news, rumors, confidential info, suggestions, and so on.
Here at Reality, we encourage viewers to interact with us. We read each and every e-mail and respond when appropriate and if time permits. We welcome all viewer mail, but from now on, please direct e-mails to the appropriate addresses listed on the contact page.
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MacOS 8.1
-The GM (Golden Master) of MacOS 8.1 has been seeded to developers. Expect it to appear for download some time next week.
Be For G3!
-The next version of the BeOS for PPC will reportidly run on G3 chips
1400/2400 G3 Upgrade Cards
-New Technology has planned G3 upgrade cards for both the PowerBook 1400 and 2400. The upgrades will cost around $1000 and will be available some time around March.
Emailer Still In Development?
-A claris spokesperson told MacWeek that there are no plans to kill emailer. We don't buy it.
Bill Gates Goes Shopping
-Bill Gates was seen shopping in Seattle 2 hours prior to this update. He apparently purchased Hotmail, Texas, South Carolina, and is currently working on the Republic of China....
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