Apple’s recently released System  7.5 Update 1.0 packs a big math 
performance surprise for Power 
Macintosh users. The four-disk 
set, which updates any Macintosh 
running System 7.5 to System 
7.5.1, installs a new Math Lib-
rary Functions extension within 
the System Folder. This library 
contains new math routines which 
directly address the PowerPC’s 
floating point unit, alleviating the  reliance on SANE (Standard Apple 
Numeric Environment) instructions. 
(SANE was a standard developed for Motorola 680x0 processors and is not optimized for use with the RISC-based PowerPC; use of SANE operations on the Power Macintosh has prevented optimal floating point performance.) When installed, System 7.5 Up- date 1.0 shows a dramatic improvement in floating point operations: As illustrated in the accompanying graph (data collected with Ziff Davis’ MacBench™ Version 2.0), raw FPU performance shows an outstanding improvement of up to 56%. In real- world usage, performance still shines: a KTP Bryce image was rendered 37.5% faster with System 7.5 Update 1.0 installed.

All that glitters is not gold, however. The same MacBench 2.0 tests revealed very slight performance degradation in both video and processor functions (from 1 to 3%) with System 7.5 Update 1.0 installed. At press time, MacSense could not substantiate these poorer performance results; ironically, the additional native-code QuickDraw routines incorporated into System 7.5 Update 1.0 gave our test units a generally zippier feel. 

  

Microsoft Corp. now says that it is shipping a free correc-
tion package called Word 6.0.1. Just allow four to six weeks 
for delivery—the update is finalized, but is not expected to be ready until the end of April. A wide variety of bugs and conflicts have been fixed and the program’s lagging performance has been improved. The company claims the launch time for the appli- cation is improved up to 50% (depending on the number of fonts installed). Microsoft still recommends that users run Word 6.0.1 on at least 68040-based Macintosh (or a Power Macintosh). Registered owners of the product can get the free update by call Microsoft at (800) 315-5081.

 

Expected to ship April, Hewlett Packard’s new  LaserJet 5 series will be the first laser printers 
to offer wireless communications. The replacements 
for the LaserJet 4's will be 6-page per minute 600 
dpi laser printers equipped with built-in infrared 
networking technology. Also included are industry-
standard SIMM slots upgradable to a total of 50MB (35 MB for the 5MP). The new printers have a maximum supported duty cycle of 12,000 pages per month (as compared with their predecessors' 8,000 pages per month) from a newly designed all-in-one toner cartridge. The HP LaserJet 5MP printer includes Adobe PostScript Level 2 software to support Macintosh or mixed PC/Mac environments. It has 3MB standard memory (further enhanced through Adobe Memory Booster technology), and includes 35 built-in scalable Type 1 fonts, with an additional 75 TrueType scalable fonts on disk for Windows when using PostScript. The Macintosh printing software supports QuickDraw and QuickDraw GX environments. All of the software that ships with the HP LaserJet 5P printer also is available for the HP LaserJet 5MP printer through HP distribution. The printer is Energy Star compliant and HP claims that everything from toner to packaging has been designed with environmental concerns in mind. The HP LaserJet 5P printer is listed at $1,109 US. ($1,599 Cdn.). The HP LaserJet 5MP is $1,299 US. ($1,885 Cdn.).

                                                                               News items compiled and written by