On January 20th, Apple Computer, Inc. announced record earnings
of $2.38 billion for the first fiscal quarter (October 1 to December
30, 1994). Net income for the quarter was $188 million, or $1.55
a share (as compared to $40 million and $0.34 in the same period
last year). Apple also announced that it had shipped its one millionth
PowerPC-based Macintosh or upgrade, realizing the goal it had set out
for itself at the Power Macintosh debut in March 1994.
  Bandai to Make Mac Game Machine 
Bandai Co. Ltd. of Japan, the first official MacOS licensee, will ship a
$500 (US.) home entertainment/multimedia CD-ROM player based
upon Macintosh architecture. The device, tentatively named ‘Pippin’,
will connect to a television and will sport a PowerPC 603 processor,
a quadruple-speed CD-ROM player, 16-bit audio and video, up to four joysticks, two serial ports, a GeoPort, an Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) port and four megabytes of RAM. Pippin will be able to run most Mac CD titles with only minor tweaking; additionally, all Pippin titles should run without modification on a Macintosh. The device is ex- pected to be available by December 1995.
  Apple Takeover Rumors Abound 
The January 16 issue of InformationWeek surprised the industry
by suggesting that Oracle, Philips Electronics and Masushita were
serious bidders for Apple Computer, sending Apple’s stock price
flying upwards. The InformationWeek article went on to suggest
that Philips and Masushita would carve up Apple’s manufacturing
department, with Masushita claiming the PowerBook division. A few days later, an old rumor surfaced: that IBM would purchase a miniorty stake in Apple, for $60 a share. None of the parties involved corroborated the validity of the allegations, and there is no indication anything will amount of the rumours.
  Copland Delayed Until Mid-1996 
Apple’s System 8, (better known as ‘Copland’) has had its release
date pushed back to summer 1996. With the onslaught of Mac clones
and varying architecture, Apple decided it wise to incorporate ‘hard-
ware abstraction’ into Copland, remedying the MacOS’s dependancy on
specific hardware components. Apple also indicated that extra develop-
ment time was required to ensure compatibility between Copland and the new PCI (Peripheral Component Interface) expansion standard debuting in Power Macintoshes this summer.
  MessagePad 120 to Debut 
The Newton MessagePad 120 will soon debut in the United States
and Canada. Though functionally identical to the MessagePad 110,
the 120 will sport a new, more legible anti-glare screen, a de-
tatchable flip-top lid, a higher powered PCMCIA Type II slot, and
a socketed ROM for easier operating system upgrades. The MessagePad 120 will ship in both one megabyte and two megabyte RAM configurations, with prices beginning at $599 US.
  New GeoPort Software, Kit to Debut in February 
The new GeoPort Telecom Adapter Kit allows users to make their
computers the focal point for all their personal communications
by providing intelligent, full-duplex speaker phone capabilities;
a single source of voice messages, fax and email; and a high speed
(14,400 bps) send and receive fax modem. The kit includes Geo-
Port Telecom Adapter hardware, Apple Telecom 2.0 software,
Cypress Research Corporation's MegaPhone screen-based telephone software and Aladdin Systems' SITcomm Special Edition communications software. Apple plans to make the kit available in the U.S. and selected markets in February, 1995. Because GeoPort Telecom Adapter capabilities are software-based, existing GeoPort users will be able to install Apple Telecom 2.0 and MegaPhone software, available free of charge from various online services. The upgrade software and manuals can also be acquired for a nominal fee through a toll-free number. Suggested retail pricing for the GeoPort Telecom Adapter Kit will be set individually by Apple authorized retailers.
  Apple Unveils Mobile Message System 
The Apple Mobile Message System is a wireless messaging solution
that allows users of notebook computers and PDAs to receive short
and long wireless messages, calendar updates, news updates, and a
variety of other information via a nationwide paging network. The
all-in-one-box solution integrates the hardware, software, and services necessary to send and wirelessly receive messages with a PCMCIA-equipped Apple PowerBook or Windows-compatible notebook computer, or a Newton MessagePad. The integrated package includes the Apple Notification Service, a "one-stop" activation, billing, and support program; a PageCard wireless message receiver with LCD screen from Socket Communications; DateBook & TouchBase Pro Bundle software from Adobe Systems; Update! receive software and Notify! send software from Ex Machina; message trans- mission via the PageNet nationwide wireless network; and wireless gateway services by The National Dispatch Center, Inc.
For more information and a list of authorized resellers of the Apple Mobile Message System, (order number M3516LL/A), call the Apple Mobile Message System fax-back number, 1-800-510-4955.
  Apple Cuts Workgroup Servers Prices 
Apple has reduced prices on all PowerPC-based Workgroup Servers,
which now come standard with AppleShare Clients for Windows, Apple
RAID software to provide additional data protection, and Retrospect
remote software from Dantz Development Corp. for automatic back-up
of server and client data (on systems with DAT drives). GraceLAN
Server Manager 3.0 from TechWorks, Inc. is also available at no charge to PowerPC- based Workgroup Server customers. Effective immediately in the US. (and depending on system configurations), the Workgroup Server 6150 ranges in Apple Price from $2,549 to $3,159; the Workgroup Server 8150 ranges in price from $4,759 to $7,169; and the Workgroup Server 9150 ranges in price from $5,929 to $8,709.
