Cupertino, Calif. - More details are coming to light about Apple's first Personal Digital Assistant, which is expected to be called Apple Intelligent Assistant. Due to debut at the Consumer Electronics Show here late this month, the Assistant will use a unique software framework, giving it more flexibility and power than existing handheld electronic organizers, sources said.
Apple will ship the device in January, as previously reported (see MacWEEK, March 3 and April 6). The Assistant is expected to cost less than $700, a price sources said should steadily drop over the next year. The hardware will be built by Sharp Corp. of Osaka, Japan, which will introduce its own version of the product, with different bundled applications, simultaneously with the Apple release. Other vendors are expected to adopt Apple's Assistant OS for their own devices.
The handheld Assistant will be a solid-state, RISC (reduced instruction set computing)-based device that runs applications up to two times faster than a Mac IIfx and will use a pen for input.
> Software.
The Assistant's interface will look like a Finder without a menu bar. Icons that represent the device's applications, or "applets," can be double-tapped with either the pen or a finger to get into the Assistant's built-in programs.
The programs are actually forms that run on top of an "unstructured data soup," sources said. They include an address book, a calendar, a to-do list, a notebook, a white board and electronic mail. Each piece of data is treated as an object and is automatically linked to all the forms where it appears.
For instance, tapping a name entered in the calendar will bring up the name's address-book record.
The Assistant recognizes printed handwriting; it does not require training to work and doesn't restrict users to blocks or lines. It also will convert sketched images to smooth polygons.
Navigating the Assistant's interface is simple: Users just write out a sentence, and the device parses the words and takes them to the appropriate form. For example, if a user writes "New York City subway," the device can display a map of the system through an accessories applet (which accesses the map on a static-RAM card plugged into the Assistant).
Several developers, including Random House Inc., are expected to supply Assistant content on SRAM cards. Titles could include maps, thesauri, books and foreign-language dictionaries.
What makes it possible for the Assistant to do so much in its 512 Kbytes of internal RAM is the combination of a new multitasking operating system and a custom-designed memory management unit, which helps applets run in a fraction of available memory.
> Networking.
On the Mac desktop, Apple plans to provide a System 7 extension that mirrors the Assistant's applets. The device will come with a cable for "docking" it to the Mac. Apple is considering supplying a serial connection for Windows machines, which could dramatically expand the Assistant's possible market, observers said.
An infrared link for communicating to another PDA, at speeds of up to 38.4 Kbps, will be built in. When one user, for example, enters data on the white board applet, the data would automatically appear on the screen of the linked Assistant.
The Assistant also will include a standard Apple serial port for third-party fax modems. These modems most likely will be supported by a new version of AppleTalk Remote Access, which will allow Assistants on the road to access a network and exchange mail and other data.
MacWEEK 5/04/92
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Apple tuning Quadra 950: 33-MHz due
Same price as 900, 30 percent faster
By Mitch Ratcliffe
San Francisco - The Quadra 950, a new high-end Macintosh that Apple will announce and ship on May 18, should test the theory that the latest song always draws the most applause.
The 950 is a faster version of the Quadra 900, the tower model it will replace. The new CPU reflects Apple's promise to deliver more frequent upgrades, bumping up performance for comparatively little additional money. The company reportedly will deliver 950s for the same prices it now asks for similarly configured 900s.
A 33-MHz 68040 processor at the heart of the new machine may improve performance by 30 percent over the 25-MHz Quadra 900. But the new model will ship without several performance-enhancing features users said they had hoped to see in the next high-end Mac.
Users wanting better I/O performance will get the speed they have waited for. A new 25-MHz I/O controller replaces the Quadra 900's 16-MHz version, which should contribute to better overall CPU performance and network interface throughput.
The 950, however, will lack a SCSI-2 compatible controller, which reportedly was included in the original 950 design. Instead, sources said, the new model will rely on the same controller used in the 900. That chip allows SCSI transfers at up to about 4 Mbps. It does not, however, support SCSI-2's Fast mode, which provides transfer rates of up to 10 Mbps, or Wide SCSI, which will make possible 20-Mbps transfer rates, once supporting disks and cables become available.
Users said hard disk speed is a major limitation in the Quadras.
"If we are going to use a Quadra 950 as a server, Apple will really have to crank up the I/O for better throughput to the disk," said Marianne Marino Pierce, vendor liaison at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif. She said the lab has turned to Intel-based database servers because Quadra 900 performance has been too slow.
"FoxBASE queries that take only a few minutes on our PC servers can take as long as 40 minutes on the 900s," Pierce said.
But graphics application and QuickTime users will find the Quadra 950 a more colorful machine for the money. With its video RAM fully loaded, it will support 24-bit color for Apple 16-inch and smaller monitors, and 16-bit color on the Apple 21-inch monitor. The 950 will require 80-nanosecond or faster VRAM; the 900 used 100-nanosecond VRAM.
That may not be enough for power users, however. "I'll probably need to add a board [to the 950] to get the resolution I need on a larger monitor," said Herman Poole, senior software engineering specialist at Ford Aerospace Co. in Palo Alto, Calif. He uses his IIcx as an X Window server, which he said requires a larger screen to accommodate both Mac and X applications.
"A problem with the Quadra 950 is the price," Poole said. "For $8,500, I can get a SPARC2 with color and keyboard."
John Jackson, chief engineer at Asaph Studio in Santa Ana, Calif., agreed that the Quadra 950 will be expensive when compared with the performance of other computers, including older Macs.
"We're always looking for better speed; the 950 would make a great server," Jackson said. But he said his company probably would look for a cheaper solution. "I could take an older Mac II and put third-party stuff in for less money, including faster SCSI and video, and I'll have a blindingly fast machine."
Quadra 950 logic board upgrades are expected to be available for less than $2,000 within a few months of the rollout.
According to sources, the Quadra 900 will be dropped from the Apple price list shortly after the 950 ships. Pricing on the Quadra 700 probably will remain unchanged.
MacWEEK 5/04/92
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Consultants to Apple: Clean up PowerBooks, bring back SE/30
MCN members seek vendor certification
By Andrew Gore
Wakefield, Mass. - Improved PowerBook reliability, vendor certification of consultants and the return of the SE/30 were among the action items topping a list formulated by attendees at last month's Macintosh Consultants Network's 8th International Consultants Conference.
More than 130 consultants and trainers attended the four-day event in this Boston suburb. Apple and numerous third-party vendors were on hand to show their products, while all three of Apple's newly authorized distributors showed up to recruit new value-added resellers.
When participants sat down to formulate their list of action items for the Mac industry, there were plenty of issues competing for a place among the top 10 spots.
> SE/30 again.
Although the top 10 were not listed in any particular order, one item gained almost universal approval: a demand that Apple resurrect the SE/30. Participants said the original 68030-based compact Mac, which was discontinued last fall, made a cost-effective server and that the Classic II, its slower, slotless successor, is a poor substitute.
> Bad PowerBooks.
Many consultants reported that problems with the notebook Macintoshes, although often relatively minor, are pervasive among their clients. Consultants also asked Apple to deliver a video-out option for all PowerBooks.
> Macintosh server.
Repeating a demand from last year's action-item list, MCN members put in a call for an optimized Macintosh server. This unit, they said, should deliver fast processing and I/O at a low price, without superfluous features such as built-in color graphics.
> Updated SCSI manager.
Attendees reported frustration that Apple hasn't updated its SCSI manager software to support such performance enhancements as SCSI direct memory access and SCSI-2.
> Event support.
Before consultants can take full advantage of System 7, participants said, Macintosh developers need to support full and robust suites of Apple events. The appearance of scripting tools, including Apple's upcoming AppleScript, makes event support all the more important, they said.
> Certified consulting.
To help ensure minimum competency levels among consultants, MCN members called on vendors to develop testing and certification programs for their products.
> Call 1-800-CONSULT.
Meeting attendees called on Apple to put together and maintain a list of Mac consultants, including their expertise and references, and furnish the list to Mac buyers.
> Better interface.
Vendors should provide special support programs so consultants can troubleshoot without the delays associated with most support hot lines, attendees said. Early information on upcoming products, beta releases and hardware-seeding programs would get them ready for problems before they happen, participants said.
> Macintosh image.
The last two items on MCN's list were more about positioning than product.
Consultants said they want Mac vendors to stop touting their products as requiring no user training. Although Macintoshes may be easier to use than other computers, saying that users don't need training is misleading and inaccurate, participants argued.
Consultants also put out a call to Apple to promote the Mac as a serious business machine that's just as good as a DOS-based computer for database applications.
Consultants weigh pros, cons of selling Macs
By Andrew Gore
To sell or not to sell, that is the question many consultants are wrestling with now that Apple will let them deal Macintoshes under its new Value Added Reseller program.
At the Macintosh Consultants Network's conference in Wakefield, Mass., last week, a trio of distributors - Ingram Micro Inc. of Santa Ana, Calif., Merisel Inc. of El Segundo, Calif., and Tech Data Inc. of Clearwater, Fla. - were courting consultants to sign VAR contracts with them. The three distributors last February were authorized to recruit new VARs for Apple (see MacWEEK, Feb. 24).
"Vendors are only just beginning to realize what a powerful support and marketing resource consultants are," said Martin Fishman, general manager of Macamerica, Merisel's Mac distribution group. "They can do more than just supply computers, they can supply the applications that'll make customers want to buy [Macintoshes]."
Many consultants also were enthusiastic about the benefits of supplying Macs to their customers. Consultants will be able to supply complete solutions, since they would have access to an array of third-party products through distributors, many said. Conversely, clients will no longer have to strike separate deals with a retailer to implement a consultant's solution.
Some consultants, however, said they worry that reselling hardware could affect their objectivity when recommending solutions to their clients.
"Just because now we can sell Macs doesn't mean we're all going to run out and open retail storefronts," said Larry Barcot, chairman of MCN's board of directors and a corporate consultant in Costa Mesa, Calif. "Our business is offering solutions for the Mac; that'll always come first."
MacWEEK 5/04/92
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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cc:Mail 2.0 gets needed face lift
By Stephen Howard
Version 2.0 of cc:Mail for Macintosh, due this month from Lotus Development Corp., will focus on interface and usability, an emphasis that is important for two reasons. First, in the future this electronic-mail package will become an optional interface for Notes, Lotus' flagship groupware product. Second, the current version of cc:Mail is deeply flawed.
The upgrade will implement many Macintosh-specific features and is supposed to boost LAN performance. MacWEEK examined a pre-release version of cc:Mail 2.0, so we didn't test its speed.
In the IBM PC and compatible market, cc:Mail is a major force but has been relatively unknown on the Mac. It is especially amenable to mixed-platform environments, and a Mac client has been available since 1989; the problem has been the interface. Lotus purchased cc:Mail Inc. last year. Version 2.0 is the first major release since that acquisition.
>The interface.
cc:Mail's Inbox and message windows resemble those of other mail packages. They include iconic buttons across the top, lists of messages, or addresses and text contents beneath.
The main cc:Mail window and the standard message form (there's only one) are packed more densely with controls than before, and the menu bar has been reorganized and simplified. A new Windows menu is a useful addition, since cc:Mail spawns more modeless windows than any other Mac mail package. System 7's balloon help is available for most but not all on- screen controls.
The new design is superior to the previous one. In particular, the various ways of addressing mail are much improved, and the interface for enclosures is better. cc:Mail 2.0 displays the icons of enclosed files in a resizable area of the message window, without obscuring the message text as the current version does. Double-clicking on one of these icons either launches the file or displays its contents using an appropriate XTND filter, if installed. (The current version opens the file into the text editor - even if it isn't a text file - usually resulting in a window full of garbage.)
This new XTND-based viewing feature provides a good way to distribute formatted memos or pictures to Mac users. Since the XTND-filtered image is shown in the cc:Mail message window, users can view files without copying them to their hard disks or running other applications.
Version 2.0 can equate DOS file-name extensions with Mac applications if you try to launch an enclosure that was sent from a PC. But this extension-mapping feature doesn't come with any common extensions predefined, which it should.
>Multimedia messaging.
Lotus is touting Version 2.0's compatibility with QuickTime, but cc:Mail's "support" works like this: When you double-click on an enclosed QuickTime movie, cc:Mail asks for an application that can play it. cc:Mail itself cannot play QuickTime movies; users must have a QuickTime-movie-playing application. But the program does record and play sounds directly, and it can store multiple sounds in one message, which is better than most.
The main textual portion of a message can be formatted but only within close limits. For instance, you can choose any font you want as long as it's monospaced. Your font selection affects only your view; messages are sent and saved as plain text. And while the program supports TrueType, it doesn't let you enter an arbitrary font size. You can colorize your font and the area surrounding it but only with a palette of 16 preselected colors.
The nicest new text-formatting feature is the ruler, which lets you select tab settings and thereby create tables in plain- text mail messages.
>Internetworking.
The basic structure of cc:Mail has not changed. It still uses a central set of database files that are accessed by intelligent clients without the aid of a mail server program. cc:Mail's server is a file server, which can be AppleShare but is more commonly a PC running Novell Inc.'s NetWare.
Because this main "post office" is an inert group of files, cc:Mail services are available on any computer that has the client software and access to the file server. This design makes cc:Mail far less complicated to maintain in a cross- platform environment. Unfortunately the color, font and form restrictions for messages are products of cc:Mail's multiplatform cohabitation.
>Highs and lows.
cc:Mail 2.0 has one fantastic new feature that many Mac E-mail users have been waiting for: a full-text Find. The command looks through a user's Inbox, shared Bulletin Boards, Archives and user-created Folders (including the outgoing mail log). Searches can be limited to any of those areas and can be cumulative. The results of a Find can be read normally or filed into Archives or cc:Mail's Folders. This tool is unmatched in any Mac E-mail program.
The new Mac client for cc:Mail, like the previous one, is an application rather than a desk accessory. Version 2.0 asks for 1.2 Mbytes of RAM, although it can get by with 800 Kbytes. In most cases, you will not be able to run this program on a 2- Mbyte System 7 Mac. That's a problem.
The current Mac cc:Mail has nowhere to go but up. While the current version has precious few benefits over its competitors, this month's upgrade changes the balance. Version 2.0 will be more System 7-aware than any other Mac E-mail program, and its cross-platform design is simple and effective. Despite interface improvements, cc:Mail 2.0 still won't be a fine example of a Mac application, but finally it will be a decent mail program.
Mac clients are $195 for eight users. Client upgrades are free. The server is $495.
cc:Mail Inc. is at 2141 Landings Drive, Mountain View, Calif. 94043. Phone (415) 961-8800; fax (415) 960-0840.
MacWEEK 5/04/92
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Goldhaber to be named Kaleida CEO
By Jon Swartz
Cupertino, Calif. - After six months of recruiting and contract negotiations, Apple and IBM Corp. this week are expected to appoint Nat Goldhaber as CEO of Kaleida, their multimedia joint venture formed last October.
Goldhaber was a founder of Centram Systems West, which developed TOPS, peer-to-peer networking software for the Macintosh, PC and Unix. Centram was sold to Sun Microsystems Inc. in 1988 and is now called Sitka Corp.
Goldhaber was most recently a partner in the venture-capital firm Cole, Gilburne and Goldhaber, which has investments in ON Technology Inc. and Shiva Corp., both based in Cambridge, Mass., and Macromedia Inc. of San Francisco.
Apple and IBM also are expected to announce the appointment of Dan'l Lewin, a former Sony, Apple, NeXT Computer Inc. and GO Corp. executive, as Kaleida's vice president of sales and marketing, according to sources.
"Goldhaber is a very interesting choice for the job," said Denise Caruso, editor of Digital Media: A Seybold Report. "His experience as head of a networking company will be important to Kaleida's products, and as a venture capitalist he is accustomed to working with a wide range of technologies and companies."
Despite his skills, Goldhaber has a troublesome road ahead, Caruso said. "Teaching the people involved with setting standards and building products how to collaborate without shedding blood will be difficult."
Goldhaber reportedly will be joined on Kaleida's board by David Nagel, senior vice president of Apple's Advanced Technology Group; Robert Carberry, IBM's assistant general manager of personal systems; and one more high-ranking executive each from IBM and Apple.
The venture is expected to initially employ 20 to 30 people temporarily at Apple's headquarters here but will relocate in California's Silicon Valley later this year.
IBM and Apple representatives declined to comment on the announcement.
MacWEEK 5/04/92
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Apple to host for in-house developers conference
By Raines Cohen
Cupertino, Calif. - While Apple is preparing to host thousands of commercial developers at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, Calif., next week, work is under way on a separate series of conferences aimed at a different breed: in-house corporate developers.
The company will hold three Apple Enterprise Computing Conferences in the United States this summer. Whereas next week's Developers Conference primarily consists of Apple product managers detailing Apple technology and system software, the three-day Enterprise conferences will expose attendees to their peers, Apple customers, integrators and consultants, sharing information on Mac-based IS solutions they have developed.
The conferences will consist of three tracks: management, technical and case studies. Topics will include cross-platform development, network integration and object technologies, with session titles such as Support in the Enterprise, the Economics of VITAL (virtually integrated technical architecture lifecycle) and Computer-Aided Software Engineering on the Mac.
An exhibit area at each conference will include selected third-party developers, integrators and consultants.
"We'll really be adding a lot of depth to the VITAL framework we've outlined," said Ed Forman, manager of IS marketing for Apple. "We'll spend several hours on each part."
Attendance at any of the conferences is $695 per person.
Apple Travel's Meeting Services department, which is handling conference registration, is at 20100 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 150, Cupertino, Calif. 95014. Phone (408) 253-3111 or (800) 879-3678; fax (408) 253-3014.
MacWEEK 5/04/92
News Page 3
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Special Report: Problems with the PB floppy
By Henry Norr
You come home with a shiny new PowerBook under your arm. After unpacking it, firing it up, admiring the screen and playing with the Puzzle desk accessory, you're ready to load your software. You pull out your master disks and insert the floppy for your program.
But instead of a new icon on your desktop, what you see is enough to burst your PowerBook bubble: a message that says, "This disk is unreadable - Eject or Initialize?"
You're not alone: It's an experience that thousands - perhaps tens of thousands - of early PowerBook buyers have confronted. The miniaturized SuperDrive simply couldn't deal with many disks that appear undamaged on desktop Macs. And since the problem showed up most often with 800-Kbyte master disks used for commercial software distribution, there was a good chance you'd run into it during the first few hours with your new purchase.
>A partial solution.
Apple has made modifications to several PowerBook components to address the issue, and current units should be trouble-free, according to company officials. But machines built before last month may still be susceptible to floppy problems; even users who have returned their notebook once to Apple for a fix may need an additional upgrade - a replacement drive - if they are still encountering unreadable disks.
The problem has at least two sources: electromagnetic emissions from the inverter board, a component that drives the backlighting of the PowerBook screen, and design glitches of the original controller for the PowerBook floppy drive.
Apple uncovered and fixed the first problem within weeks of the PowerBooks' release last fall (see MacWEEK, Dec. 10, 1991). The notebook's design was slightly modified to incorporate a new layer of shielding around the inverter board, which is located near the floppy drive.
For early adopters having problems with their floppies, Apple recommended a short-term workaround - simply turning off backlighting while copying files from a problem disk - and offered the shielding as a free retrofit, initially through its PowerBook service program and since April 20 through authorized resellers.
If you have an older unit - a 140 with a serial number less than F2150, or a 170 with a number below CK205 or starting with F2 - that has not already been retrofitted, and you are experiencing floppy problems, take your notebook to your dealer or call the PowerBook repair hot line at (800) 767- 2775. After some quick over-the-phone diagnostics to verify the problem, the support staff will arrange to have your machine picked up and taken to a service center for installation of the shielding.
When you take or send your PowerBook for service, however, you may not want to settle for just the shielding if you want to be sure of the most complete fix available. In recent weeks Apple has introduced a revised version of the floppy drive itself, and the new unit - labeled the Rev B floppy drive - also is available free of charge, under the PowerBook's one-year warranty, to customers who have had significant problems with their original drives, whether or not they already have shielding installed.
>The Wozniak legacy.
Surprisingly, part of the problem goes back to the 1970s, when Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak designed a variable-speed floppy disk controller for the Apple II. In an effort to maximize capacity, the legendary Woz developed a scheme that packed more data sectors on the larger outer rings of the disk than in the smaller rings near the center; to ensure even data flow, the drive motor accelerated when outer tracks were in use.
Apple retained that design for the 400- and 800-Kbyte drives used in Macs until the late 1980s. In contrast, most other floppy formats, including those used by IBM PCs and compatibles as well as 1.4-Mbyte Mac disks, distribute data evenly around the floppy.
The disk-duplicating machines used to create disks for commercial software distribution lack variable-speed motors. In order to produce 800-Kbyte Mac disks, they in effect mimic the Mac format. Although not always within Apple's tolerances, the resulting floppies are ordinarily close enough to be readable by desktop Mac drives.
But in some cases - one in 20, according to an estimate provided by one Apple source - the duplicated disk may be just far enough out of tolerance to make it unreadable by the more demanding PowerBook drive. Apple says it's working with disk-duplication companies to help them overcome the problem; in some cases, tuning up the duplication equipment reportedly brings the disks into spec.
Apple also has worked with Sony Corp., which manufactures its floppy drives, to modify the drive controller to make the PowerBooks more tolerant. As of about April 20, Apple said, all new PowerBooks have incorporated the revised Rev B drive, and dealers as well as the repair hot line are now authorized to replace the original drive, free of charge, for users who have had persistent problems with 800-Kbyte floppies.
If you run into problems only rarely and don't want to bother with service, there's always a work-around, provided you have access to a desktop Mac: Copy the contents of the problem floppy to a hard disk, from there to a different floppy - one you know works in your PowerBook - and finally to your notebook. Alternatively, once the files are on the hard disk, you can use System 7 file sharing or a third-party product such as Traveling Software Inc.'s LapLink Mac III to transfer the files directly to the PowerBook's hard disk.
MacWEEK 5/04/92
Special Report Page 24
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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ProductWatch: Across-the-board speed
Now that compatibility problems have been solved and even- faster '040s are being released, a growing number of power users are turning to this leading-edge technology.
By Larry Stevens
Each new CPU, from the early 68020 to the 68030 and the current 68040, has yielded quantitative speed benefits for power users. But more than any of its predecessors, third- party '040 boards and Apple's Quadras are enabling the Mac to excel in applications such as complex rendering, as well as CAD and calculation-intensive scientific jobs that were formerly the province of workstations and minicomputers.
This is not to say that '030 Macs aren't being used for those same applications. But, said Pat Turner, research and development engineer at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Fort Pierce, Fla., "When we were using IIcx and IIci machines without '040 accelerators, the Macs were so slow that if a workstation was available, we'd use it. The Mac was the last resort."
Turner designs oceanographic equipment, and his primary computer application is finite element analysis, which he does on his Mac using COSMOS/M software from Structural Research and Analysis Corp. of Santa Monica, Calif.
He said that for smaller files, COSMOS/M could complete its calculation on an '030 Mac in a reasonable period of time. But as his drawings became more complex, "Using an '030 Mac began to work against the creative process. It was hard to keep our minds concentrated on what we were doing when the screen took 10 minutes to redraw."
>A 300 percent improvement.
Now, using TransWarp 040 cards from Applied Engineering, many of Turner's COSMOS/M calculations have been reduced from 10 minutes to about three minutes - a better than 300 percent improvement.
Doug Knudson, manager of production software development for Media Central Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., agreed that '040 boards allow Macs to take on tasks that formerly had to be performed by workstations or minis, but only up to a point.
His company compiles data about advertising, creating 45- Mbyte files in ACIUS Inc.'s 4th Dimension that contain half a million detailed records about advertisers, ads by column size to the fraction of an inch and dollar volume to the penny. Each month Knudson uses his Mac to massage that mountain of data into stacks of reports.
According to Knudson, this process took 14 to 18 hours with an '030 Mac IIci, even with a floating-point math coprocessor.
"It was a real problem. We were tying up too much hardware for too long," Knudson said. Now, with a TokaMac CI 25 from Fusion Data Systems Inc., Knudson's monthly processing job takes only about five to seven hours.
As a result, Knudson said, "We're able to stay on a Mac instead of moving to a workstation." But not forever. Because his data files are still growing, Knudson is now shopping for a Sun Microsystems Inc. workstation. "We're just getting too big for the Mac," he said. "But the TokaMac board is forestalling that eventuality so that we can change platforms slowly and at our own pace."
Fusion Data Systems was one of the first companies to produce '040 boards. Its early TokaMac line, released in 1991, ran on the SE/30, LC and IIsi. Last fall, the company released a model for the IIci. Other '040 boards include Radius Inc.'s Rocket, Applied Engineering's TransWarp 040 and Impulse Technology's Performance/040.
>Not sold on '040.
While '040 accelerators are the most current technology, many Mac users who need speed have opted not to purchase one just yet. Two primary reasons are behind this reluctance: software incompatibility and marginal speed gains over fast '030 processors.
The most serious problem users have experienced with '040 boards is software incompatibility.
When '040s were introduced, a host of Mac applications, including many popular programs such as Microsoft Word and Excel, could not run with the '040's cache in copyback mode (the fastest setting).
While all board manufacturers now provide a control panel that automatically either reverts the '040 to a slower mode or turns the cache off depending on the requirements of the application, running an '040 in this slower mode defeats the purpose of the board. Some manufacturers provide software to check their '040 accelerator's compatibility with your system and applications.
>'030 vs. '040.
The second reason some users have opted not to buy an '040 is that they found it provided only marginal, if any, speed advantage over an '030 accelerator, which is cheaper and less prone to compatibility problems.
While the '040 is a faster chip than the '030, until very recently all '040 accelerators ran at 25 MHz. For example, when compared with a 50-MHz PowerCache, an '030 accelerator from DayStar Digital Inc., many users found their '040s about the same or even slower for many applications - especially those that rely on integer calculations.
Because the '040 has an on-board FPU (floating-point unit), it normally fares better at non-integer math than the '030, which has to rely on a separate coprocessor chip. However, the vast majority of Mac applications, including virtually all office automation and page-layout software, do very little, if any, floating-point calculations.
Six months ago Walt Roshon, a manager at DuPont Imaging Systems in Wilmington, Del., tested a number of '040 accelerators to use mostly for office-automation projects. He found that he had to turn off the copyback cache for many of his applications to work. Even with the '040's cache turned on, DayStar's '030 PowerCache card, which he also tested, was often faster.
"Why should I buy an '040 board that we can't use [at optimal setting] for most of our software?" said Roshon. "And even when we can use it, I don't notice much difference between it and the PowerCache's fast '030." Roshon eventually bought the DayStar board, which he says was about $700 less than the '040 boards he was looking at.
But Roshon is quick to point out that '040 boards have made progress in the six months since his purchase. "We'll be keeping our eyes on the technology," he said.
By now, the problem of incompatible software has been all but eliminated. Through a combination of patches supplied by board makers and upgrades by software vendors, most major applications are compatible with the '040's fastest cache mode.
And faster '040s are on the way. Impulse Technology and Radius both have recently released 33-MHz '040s, and the other accelerator companies are expected to follow very shortly.
Also this spring, Apple is expected to release its Quadra 950, which includes a 33-MHz '040 processor.
David Methven, DayStar product manager, said now that '040 software compatibility and speed problems are being cleared up, his company will soon enter the market. He said DayStar will provide either a 33- or 40-MHz '040 accelerator within six months and that it will offer DayStar '030 board owners some kind of upgrade discount, which at press time had not been determined.
>Growing in variety.
Besides increasing in clock speed, '040 boards also are growing in variety. The Radius Rocket 25i and Fusion Data's TokaMac CI 25i and SX 25i are based on Motorola Inc.'s less expensive 68LC040.
This chip is the same as the 68040 except that it doesn't have an FPU. The board is geared for users who need high speed but whose applications do not use floating-point calculations, such as page-layout and many multimedia applications.
Fusion's TokaMac ELC25, which runs on the Mac LC, is based on another variant: Motorola's 68EC040 chip, which does not have an FPU or a PMMU (paged memory management unit). Without a PMMU, you can't use System 7's virtual memory.
However, the TransWarp 040 is the only board discussed here that supports virtual memory. While all manufacturers said they're looking for ways to have their '040 accelerators support virtual memory, Steve Becker, product manager for the Rocket line, points out, "Virtual memory flies in the face of why people buy the accelerator, because it slows down performance."
One final difference in boards is that the TokaMacs are the only boards discussed here that use processor direct slots - all others use NuBus slots. As a result, TokaMacs can run on non-NuBus machines and save slots on NuBus Macs.
When '040 accelerators were first introduced, many high-end users rushed to be in the forefront of this new technology, reaping the speed benefits and compatibility frustrations of the early '040 accelerator boards. Now with faster and more- compatible boards available, even the most conservative users can take advantage of this new technology.
Product Info
Applied Engineering
TransWarp 040: $2,699
3210 Beltline Road, Dallas, Texas 75234
Phone (214) 241-6060
Fax (214) 484-1365
DayStar Digital Inc.
50-MHz PowerCache: $1,949
50-MHz PowerCache with 68882
FPU: $2,349
5556 Atlanta Highway, Flowery Branch, Ga. 30542
Phone (404) 967-2077
Fax (404) 967-3018
Fusion Data Systems Inc.
TokaMac CI 25: $2,595
TokaMac SX 25: $2,595
TokaMac LC 25: $2,495
TokaMac II FX 33: $3,995
TokaMac CI 25i: $1,695
TokaMac SX 25i: $1,695
TokaMac ELC 25: $1,295
8920 Business Park Drive, Suite 350, Austin, Texas 78759
Phone (512) 338-5326
Fax (512) 794-9997
Impulse Technology
25-MHz Performance/040: $2,195
33-MHz Performance/040: $3,295
210 Dahlonega St., #205, Cumming, Ga. 30130
Phone (404) 889-8294
Fax (404) 781-8738
Radius Inc.
Rocket 25: $1,999
Rocket 33: $2,499
Rocket 25i: $1,499
1710 Fortune Drive, San Jose, Calif. 95131
Phone (408) 434-1010 or (800) 434-1010
Fax (408) 434-0770
MacWEEK 5/04/92
Product Watch Page 45
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Review: Ray Dream designs for pros
Program is faster and easier to use
By Philip Bishop
Ray Dream Designer 2.0 has a more intuitive interface than most 3-D software, several exciting new modeling features and a rendering engine built on distributed computing.
With this release, Ray Dream Inc. has redefined its target audience for Designer and has come much closer to achieving its goal - bringing 3-D illustration squarely into the studios of Macintosh 2-D design professionals.
Most of the changes in the System 7-savvy upgrade of Ray Dream Designer (last reviewed in MacWEEK, Feb. 19, 1991) occur in LightForge, Designer's modeling module. One of the most powerful innovations is the ability to create objects with multiple cross sections.
In Version 1.1 an object consisted of a single cross section, which meant you could work with only one shape per object. While you could create scaled clones of a shape within an object - for example, from a circle you could make a large base taper to a point to create a cone - you still were limited to a single cross section.
In Designer 2.0 an object can be composed of any number of cross sections. Markers very similar to the tabs found in word processors are used to indicate the cross sections in the Elevations window.
A new cross section gets a new marker with a unique color, so you can keep track of a design's various components. Two arrows beneath the toolbox in the Cross Section window let you cycle through the multiple cross sections, making it easy to select the one you want.
Multiple cross sections add a new level of sophistication that should not be underestimated. In Version 1.1 even something as basic as a cylindrical column with a square top and base had to be created in separate parts and assembled in SceneBuilder, the program's assembly and lighting module. Now you can create complex extruded designs within LightForge.
>Beziers and type.
Still more creative license is given the user through the new Convert to Bezier option. Primitives in the Cross Section window can be reduced to their path level and edited as if they had been created from Bezier curves, just like in a 2-D drawing program. This holds true for text, too, which is supported in the new version.
Both Type 1 PostScript and TrueType fonts are supported, and text can be entered directly from the keyboard or via the Clipboard. Being able to manipulate 3-D text objects in a professional environment is a real boon for graphic artists.
Logo designers, in particular, should have a field day with this feature. We were able to create 3-D text logos very easily by converting letters to Bezier curves, stretching a few points, applying a texture and rotating the object with Ray Dream's Virtual Trackball feature to find a suitable perspective.
Several of the enhancements in 2.0 are real timesavers. For example, no longer do you have to wade through an ocean of dialog boxes to initiate screen redraws. Once you have drawn your 2-D shape in the Cross Section window and determined an elevation in the Elevation window, Designer immediately renders a 3-D preview. This is not the lifeless, segmented default representation found in Version 1.1, but rather a full- color, shaded preview that is drawn in the background while you continue working.
Now you have immediate feedback about how an object will look in the real world. We noticed little diminished performance as a result of this continuous preview updating, which was very impressive, although our word processor did slow down when we took notes while an object redrew in the background.
A couple of system crashes marred our work with the earliest release of Version 2.0, but Ray Dream attributed the problem to a conflict with Now Software Inc.'s Super Boomerang extension, a bug it claimed to have quashed with its 2.0.2 update. Users experiencing problems will receive a free update disk.
>Finding your way.
One of the most daunting tasks in 3-D illustration has been maneuvering your way around a 2-D representation of 3-D space. The Preview window offers another feature we have not seen in other modelers - a Virtual Trackball that lets you click in the window and hold the mouse button down to sweep an object through a full spectrum of perspectives.
The Virtual Trackball is an excellent and easy way to experiment with ideas, allowing you to choose a completely new orientation for your object. For 3-D novices it gives an immediate feel for how objects look.
Another innovation comes in the interface for the SceneBuilder. The Perspective window, which shows objects in relationship to another, projects profiles of objects on three walls of the x, y, z coordinate box to show the position of an object as you move it. This makes it very easy to locate objects in space - usually a daunting task in 3-D applications.
The Hierarchy window uses a collapsible outline format to represent the relationships of grouped objects and lets you choose which objects to display. By going deeper into the hierarchy, you can display successively finer levels of organizational detail. For example, you may choose to display a small assembly, which may be several levels deep, or an entire scene that includes multiple groups of lights and objects.
Double-clicking on an object in SceneBuilder's Objects window causes LightForge to launch and open to the object so you can edit it. Overlapping projections in the Perspective window now can be distinguished and selected through a pop- up menu appearing automatically under the arrow tool.
>A turn of the screw.
Designer now lets you move 2-D primitives created in the Cross Section window a full 360 degrees, both clockwise and counter-clockwise. The ability to rotate primitives to create twisted and sweeping objects was a glaring omission from Version 1.1.
Through a dialog box you now can choose not only the degree of rotation, but also whether it is to be computed from the center of the viewpoint or the center of the primitive. Check a box in the same dialog and you can rotate a primitive any number of degrees. You can elect to twist from the center of the viewpoint to create "corkscrews" or rotate from the center of the primitive to create twisted objects.
>Distributing the wealth.
An important addition to SceneBuilder is the incorporation of distributed computing into the production process, which allows several Macs to share the load of rendering a complex image. This feature, which requires the purchase of multiple copies of Designer or of additional low-cost rendering engines called DreamNet, promises to greatly reduce rendering time, a major bottleneck in any 3-D project. This feature, however, was shipping as this review went to print, so we'll evaluate it in a future issue.
One DreamNet engine comes with the Designer package; additional engines are $200, with discounts for purchasing multiple copies.
Ray Dream Designer supports only ray-traced rendering, which generally gives the highest quality but is slower than other rendering algorithms because it calculates every reflection and shadow for every pixel.
However, Designer gives you good control of rendering parameters, which can sacrifice some output realism for speed.
The quality of Designer's ray-traced images is, in fact, photo- realistic, and a production format dialog gives you very precise control over print and video output, as well as image size and resolution.
Rendered files still can be saved only in PICT, DXF (Drawing Interchange File) and Macromedia Inc.'s Swivel 3D format. While this is good for many uses, the lack of TIFF and Encapsulated PostScript formats is an annoying omission for graphic artists. Ray Dream, however, told us that 96 percent of its users manipulate Designer renderings with Adobe Photoshop before going to press, for which PICT support and Designer's alpha channel implementation are highly appropriate.
We also would like to see more zoom levels in SceneBuilder - two aren't enough - and one level of undo is never enough in this or any other graphics program.
In the Elevation and Cross Section windows a pop-up menu under the Pointer tool reveals additional tools to remove and add points in a primitive or an elevation. Yet when one of these tools is selected, the Pointer changes but the icon doesn't appear in the toolbox. This doesn't affect performance but can be confusing when you are working quickly.
Also a bit disconcerting are references in the program's manuals to 1.1 menu items that have changed in Version 2.0. We hope Ray Dream will give a thorough proofreading before the next printing.
Ray Dream Designer 2.0 is faster than 1.1. Most computations in 2.0 are carried out behind the scenes while discrete messages let you know which operation is being performed. Version 2.0 hasn't eliminated the wait for rendering, although Ray Dream appears to have found some effective ways to manage computational time.
Nonetheless, Mac hardware still has a way to go before it can make 3-D software of any kind purr.
>Conclusions.
We were very impressed by the improvements in LightForge. It was a pleasure to use and felt close to 2-D illustration environments. But having to create multiple files for components of an illustration gets cumbersome at times and doesn't feel very drawlike.
And we still do not like having to import these individual files into a separate module for assembly, lighting and rendering to create a finished illustration (although being able to create complex designs using multiple cross sections should reduce assembly requirements).
We have to believe that, without sacrificing the program's power, there must be a way to unify LightForge and SceneBuilder. Having said this, there is no question that Designer 2.0 represents an excellent value in an upgrade. Not only does the program offer improved performance and an array of excellent new features, but it does so with no price increase.
Score Card: Ray Dream Designer 2.0.2
Overall value Very good
Performance Good
Features Very good
Ease of use Very good
Documentation/support Good
List price $895
On Balance
Ray Dream has taken significant steps toward fulfilling the goal of making Designer a 3-D illustration tool for graphic arts professionals traditionally based in 2-D. Objects now can be created using multiple cross sections, primitives can be edited at the path level, and text is finally supported. The program is faster than before and easier to use. It still is divided into two modules, however, which slows the creative process; Ray Dream needs to find a way to unify them. Overall, Ray Dream has done a very good job at realizing its goal.
System 7 Compatibility
Balloon help Yes
TrueType Yes
Publish and subscribe No
Apple events Yes
32-bit addressing* Yes
*According to vendor.
Ray Dream Inc. is at 1804 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, Calif. 94043. Phone (415) 960-0768; fax (415) 960-1198.
MacWEEK 5/04/92
Reviews Page 33
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Knife: PB 100s find a way back home
As the Knife noted last week, many things are shaky and events sometimes seem to be on the verge of getting out of hand here in California. And as last week drew to a close, affairs in general assumed an intensity not usually associated with everyday life, even in this state. But the sudden appearance of Patti Davis' acidic autobiography opened up more old wounds than even the Knife was willing to tolerate. As has often been said in other contexts, it's wiser to let sleeping Reagans lie.
Apple also apparently has taken a similarly laid-back attitude about the languishing sales of the PowerBook 100. It's no secret that the PowerBook 140 and 170 models have been primarily responsible for the success of the Mac laptops since their introduction last year. But it's a little surprising to learn just how slow 100 sales have actually been.
Sources have told the Knife that one superstore outlet somehow convinced Apple to take an almost unprecedented return of a sizable quantity of PowerBook 100s that the dealer had decided it simply couldn't move. Or perhaps it's just that this particular dealer has discovered a heretofore secret store of clout.
There also was another indicator that the PowerBook 100 has turned out to be the black sheep of the Mac laptop family. Last week the Knife learned that Apple recently decided to change the employee purchase rules for the 100. Now Apple employees will be able to legally purchase up to four 100s. At a price in the low-rent neighborhood of about $900, including the external disk drive, it will be interesting to see how successful this internal promotion turns out to be.
>Time marches on.
The Macintosh has been front and center at Apple for so long that it's easy to forget about the Apple II family. Thus the Knife was only mildly surprised to learn that the company has decided, at long last, to drop the Apple IIGS from the price list, probably in October. That will leave the Apple IIe as the sole available model of the computer with which Apple was started in the first place.
Signs of success. While it's true that there have been a few misses in Apple's product introductions over the years, there also have been some outstanding successes. And the Knife is willing to bet that one new Mac, scheduled for introduction in January, will be a big-time success. This new Mac will be available in two major configurations that could very well be the replacements for both the Mac IIci and the IIsi.
According to sources, one version of the new January Mac will be powered by a 16-MHz 68030 without cache, and the other will be powered by a 33-MHz '030 with cache. In addition, the latter one also will include a FPU (floating-point unit) for that extra added kick that's so appreciated in those processor- intensive tasks.
All the details on the housing haven't come in yet, but the Knife can confidently report that the three-slot box will be a new standard that will feature a bay for an optional built-in CD-ROM drive. Hard drive options probably will include an 80-Mbyte, 220-Mbyte and 400-Mbyte drive. The 220-Mbyte unit, by the way, should have already debuted in the upcoming Quadra 950.
This also will be the first Mac ever with a built-in connector for future CPU upgrades. Let the good times roll.
>Window on OCE.
Apple has a lot of prestige riding on Open Collaboration Environment (OCE), which it plans to have ready for distribution by October. The workplace will only get more closely integrated with each passing season, so it's probably wise on Apple's part to get this technology in place as soon as possible. And since the real world includes a growing number of Windows machines, the success of Apple's OCE plans rests on the availability of a Windows OCE Toolbox. To that end Apple has been talking to a host of Windows and Mac developers who might be up to the task of developing the Windows OCE Toolbox.
The judicial system may have developed a rather severe case of the hiccups, but the MacWEEK mug system is still in great shape. The insider information can be surrendered to Mac the Knife at (415) 243-3500, fax (415) 243-3650, MCI (MactheKnife), AppleLink (MacWEEK) and CompuServe/ZiffNet/Mac.
MacWEEK 5/04/92
Opinion Page 102
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
