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Volume Number: 11
Issue Number: 12
Column Tag: Newsbits
By John Kawakami, MacTech Magazine Editorial Assistant
Now CodeWarrior Supports BeBox Development Too
(AUSTIN, TX) - October 3, 1995 - Metrowerks, Inc. of Austin, Texas (ME,VSE:
MWK) and Be, Inc. of Menlo Park, California today announced a new set of
CodeWarrior-based programming tools for the “BeBox” computer system.
Concurrent to this announcement, Be, Inc., founded by its Chairman & CEO, Jean
Louis Gassée, former president of Apple Computer’s product division, announced the
launch of its next-generation BeBox computer system. The new BeBox features an
innovative twin PowerPC 603 microprocessor architecture and the new BeBox
operating system. The new BeBox OS is a true real-time pre-emptive multitasking
operating system and features a host of built-in functions including an integrated
database. With CodeWarrior 8, scheduled to be delivered on January 9, 1996,
Metrowerks will add full BeBox support to the list of architectures currently
supported by its Mac-hosted CodeWarrior programming software. Current
CodeWarrior 7 users will be able to build BeBox-based applications using BeBox
headers and libraries included with all BeBox computer systems.
In addition to providing full BeBox support in Metrowerks CodeWarrior, Be, Inc.
also announced today that it has licensed the CodeWarrior Integrated Development
Environment. Be, Inc. and Metrowerks have modified the CodeWarrior IDE to run in
native mode on the new BeBox computer system. The new CodeWarrior-based BeBox
IDE and limited use CodeWarrior compilers will be bundled with every BeBox
computer system.
Metrowerks has offices in the United States and Canada. Additional information on
Metrowerks is available on the Internet at http://www.metrowerks.com, by sending
email to info@metrowerks.com, or by calling (512) 305-0400.
Be, Inc. offers an exciting alternative to the current evolutionary approach to
advancing personal computing platforms. Be, Inc.’s BeBox is a high-performance,
low-cost system designed to meet the demands of sophisticated computer users and
developers who are frustrated by the limitations of current architectures. It’s the
first true real-time, object-oriented system that features multiple PowerPC
processors, true pre-emptive multitasking, an integrated database, fast I/O, and a
wide range of expansion options -- all at an extremely affordable price. With its
combination of powerful hardware, an innovative new portable operating system, and a
host of advanced sound, graphics, video, and communications capabilities provided by
Be and third-party partners, the BeBox is poised to become a significant alternative
platform for next-generation applications. Additional information on the BeBox is
available on the Internet at http://www.be.com, by sending e-mail to info@be.com, or
by calling (415) 462-4141 (in Europe call (33) 1 49 06 73 77).
Oracle Power Objects for the Macintosh
A Cross Platform Visual Development Environment
Oracle Power Objects is an easy-to-use, object-oriented database tool for rapid
development and deployment of scalable, client/server applications. Designed from
inception to support development across multiple systems, Oracle Power Objects runs
simultaneously in Windows 3.1, Windows 95 and Macintosh environments. While each
version is optimized for its native operating system, applications developed with
Oracle Power Objects are portable between platforms with no modification of code. A
version supporting IBM’s OS/2 Warp will be available later this year. The
availability of Oracle Power Objects is expected to increase the number of
client/server applications accessible to Macintosh users, as well as improve the
integration of Macintosh software with corporate enterprises and database management
systems.
“The availability of Power Objects for Macintosh is a major step forward in
cross-platform development for the corporate world,” said Michael Willcocks, Apple
vice president, Enterprise and Government marketing. “With Oracle Power Objects,
we offer to in-house developers, system integrators and consultants a powerful tool to
rapidly create and deploy client/server applications so the Macintosh can play a
significant role in the enterprise computing environment.”
There are several ways to get a 90 day demo of Power Objects, the least
convenient being an 18 megabyte download from the web at http://www.oracle.com/.
The most convenient method is to request a CD ROM from their web, or via phone:
(800) 492-9870. The product runs on Windows Version 3.1 and Macintosh System
7.0 or 7.5, with OS/2 and Windows 95 versions scheduled for availability later this
year.
Oracle Power Objects is available in two editions: Oracle Power Objects Standard
Edition 1.0, priced at U.S. $395, and Oracle Power Objects Client/Server Edition 1.0,
priced at U.S. $1,995. The Client/Server Edition comes bundled with native data
access drivers for any Oracle7 database, Sybase SQL Server (Version 4.2 or higher)
and Microsoft SQL Server (Version 4.2 or higher).
For a limited time, Apple will offer Oracle Power Objects Standard Edition 1.0 at
a special introductory price of U.S. $99 through APDA. Within the United States,
customers may
contact APDA at (800) 282-2732, in Canada by calling (800) 637-0029, and from
other countries by calling (716) 871-6555.
Apple Reveals Plans to Support Developers Better
Apple Computer, Inc. recently outlined comprehensive enhancements to its developer
relations efforts, in response to the needs of its developers worldwide. At the Software
Publishers Association Conference, Apple announced organizational changes as well as
plans to make information, tools and support more accessible to developers, regardless
of their company size or stage in the product development cycle.
To better serve the development community, Apple recently made significant
adjustments to its developer organization, consolidating all support and service
activities under one vice president of Developer Relations. Evangelists have been
designated for each of the company’s key worldwide market groups to promote close
alignment between developers and Apple’s solutions marketing efforts.
Apple also is relying on the World Wide Web (WWW) to facilitate global
developer communication. Kawasaki recently launched a Third Party Products WWW
site at http://www.info.apple.com/dev/thirdparty/third_party.html. Designed to
promote developer products to prospective users, the site currently features hundreds
of items; additional entries are added every day. Purchasing information, search
capabilities, and links to developer WWW sites are integrated into the pages. The site
is expected to be connected soon with Apple’s main home page at http://www.apple.com.
Other WWW-based information tools are being created to augment Apple’s rich
library of global online developer reference materials at
http://www.info.apple.com/dev/. One recent addition is the release of several SDKs for
free. Recognizing that timely access to the latest technologies and programming
information results in superior software, Apple is distributing more Mac OS related
SDKs through the WWW at no charge to developers. To see the latest free SDKs, ftp
from:
ftp://ftp.info.apple.com/Apple.Support.Area/
Developer_Services/System_Software_Extensions/
According to recently published research by International Data Corporation
(IDC), the Macintosh developer opportunity compares favorably to Microsoft Windows
development along several dimensions:
• Macintosh systems generate nearly 75% more software revenues per system;
• Windows application development costs 50% more on average, per dollar of
revenues;
• Marketing costs for Windows-based products average 54% higher than for
Macintosh products.
IDC expects the Macintosh installed based to double during the next five years,
growing as fast as the Windows base.
PowerTap Multiprocessing Scheduled for DayStar and Apple Mac OS
Systems
Developers using PowerTap can soon take full advantage of the multi-processor
machines from DayStar and Apple. Version 3.0 will distribute processing across not
only networked Macintoshes, but also the additional onboard processors. With
PowerTap’s very simple black-box approach, developers of number-crunching
software can skip the theory on task scheduling, networking, shared memory models
and semaphores and still benefit from the enormous, untapped CPU power available.
PowerTap v3.0 is scheduled for release in December 1995.
Requirements: System Software: v6 or 7. Mac Models: Mac Plus through PCI
PowerMacs. Compatibility: Systems 6 and 7; A4, A5, native; Threads Manager;
multi-processor; CodeWarrior, MPW, Symantec TPM; C, Pascal, FORTRAN.
Emerson Kennedy, PO Box 2530, Redmond, WA 98073. Phone: (800)
297-3888; fax: (206) 865-8133.
Just Can’t Get Enough
If you just cannot get enough of Apple’s press releases, and your monthly copy of Apple
Directions is simply leaves you wanting more, you should check out Apple Directions
Express. It’s a condensed, web version of Directions, with the latest breaking news
from Apple.
http://www.info.apple.com/dev/appledirections/
adexpresscurrent.html
HyperCard 2.3 Bug Fix
The original release of HyperCard 2.3 contains a bug in the Color Tools XCMDs. The
bug affects color stacks created on a PowerPC which are later run on a 68K machine.
Those who purchased 2.3 before August should download an updater from:
ftp://ftp.info.apple.com/Apple.Support.Area/
Apple.Software.Updates/US/Macintosh/Utilities/
HC_Color_Tools_2.3.3_Update.sea.hqx
QuickCam * Network = Video Phone
Connectix now offers a $250 retail price video phone package consisting of a QuickCam
and videophone software. It’s available for the Macintosh and Windows, and runs
across Netware, Appletalk, and the Internet. Connectix, phone: (800) 950-5880,
(415) 571-5100; fax 415.571.5195; email: Connectix@aol.com or CompuServe
75300,1546; web: http://www.connectix.com/