Jun 97 - Newsbits
Volume Number: 13
Issue Number: 6
Column Tag: Newbits
Jun 1997 - Newsbits
by Jessica Courtney
Apple MessagePad 2000 Sales Booming Less Than A
Month After Product Ships
The Apple Newton MessagePad 2000 is roaring out of the gate. Apple Computer, Inc.
reports that less than a month after its March 24 ship date, the newest member of its
Newton family of mobile business appliances is selling briskly at both the corporate
and retail levels.
Announced last October, the MessagePad 2000 offers features that are important for
mobile professionals, including e-mail, fax, and Internet access capability (modem
and Internet service provider account must be purchased separately), as well as
personal productivity software at a fraction of a laptop's weight: 1.4 pounds. Built
around the 160 MHz StrongARM processor, the MessagePad 2000 performs up to ten
times faster than current handheld computers in the market today and works easily to
exchange data with both Windows and MacOS-based computers.
The MessagePad 2000 and its Newton Operating System Software can be an important
productivity tool for users of desktop systems that run either platform.
The MessagePad 2000 incorporates a new version of the Newton operating system
enabling it to support additional functionality such as voice recording and a 16-level
gray scale screen. The computer comes preconfigured with a web browser and e-mail
client software (modem and Internet Service Provider required for Internet access), a
word processor, spreadsheet (available in most configurations), and Newton address
book, calendar, and notes applications. The computer can exchange data with many
major Windows and Macintosh personal information management applications,
including Microsoft Schedule+ 7.0, Lotus Organizer 2.1, and Claris Organizer 2.0
using Apple's Newton Connection Utilities (included). The computer's Auto Dock
feature makes these data transfers easy. The MessagePad 2000 can also transfer data
to and from Microsoft Excel or Word on both Windows and MacOS-based systems.
Weeks of Run-time on a Single Charge Four AA alkaline batteries or a rechargeable
battery pack with one-hour recharge will power the device for up to six weeks of
normal usage. The computer has two Type II PC Card slots that support many wired and
wireless communication solutions already shipping for the Newton operating system,
as well as expansion for applications and memory cards. An instant on feature lets you
quickly begin working -- there is no waiting for the device to bootup. The MessagePad
2000 comes standard with 5MB RAM and 8MB of ROM, Cirrus Voyager chip set, and a
power efficient, backlit screen with 16-level gray scale. The entire width of a fax or
web page can be scaled to be viewed and the screen can rotate 360 degrees which means
that users can view and work on the screen, either horizontally, vertically or upside
down, depending on their preference. A built-in microphone and speaker enables users
to record and play back voice dictation. Options include a lightweight, touch-type
keyboard (available as standard in some configurations), NiMh rechargeable battery
pack, AC adapter, and additional flash memory cards. Built in software enables direct
printing to serial, IrDA and LocalTalk printers. The optional Print Pack allows
printing to parallel printers.
The MessagePad 2000 retails for approximately U.S. $950 to U.S. $1,100, depending
on configuration.
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Purity Software Offers WebSiphon
Purity Software announces a competitive upgrade program that can save users $150
when purchasing WebSiphon, the powerful server-side web application development
tool for Macintosh web sites. The offer enables users of any retail version of NetCloak
or NetForms to purchase a full retail copy of WebSiphon v1.0.2 at a special
promotional price of $345 and is available until June 30th, 1997. Users who
purchase WebSiphon under this program will receive a free upgrade to WebSiphon
v1.5 when it ships later this year.
The competitive upgrade program was developed in response to requests by NetCloak
and NetForms users who feel restricted by the limited feature-set available in current
versions of these products.
WebSiphon allows you to rapidly design custom server-side web applications by
embedding an easy to learn scripting language directly into your HTML documents.
WebSiphon also includes Verona, the only Macintosh flat-file database server written
specifically for use on a web site. Unlike other authoring solutions currently
available, WebSiphon's scripting language is actually a compiled language designed
from day one to produce outstanding performance on a Macintosh web server. The
language offers extensive support for variables, conditional statements, powerful
looping, and built-in functions. Function libraries included with WebSiphon are quite
powerful, with over 80 functions available, and provide web-related services such as
client redirection and authorization, string manipulation, date and time, text file
support, full math support, and more. In addition, the upcoming WebSiphon v1.5
upgrade will increase the power available incredibly.
WebSiphon requires a Macintosh computer running System 7.5 or higher, 1 MB RAM
for WebSiphon, and a Macintosh web server.
A demonstration copy of WebSiphon is available from Purity Software's web site at
http://www.purity.com/websiphon/.
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Astrobyte Announces New Web Authoring XTension
Astrobyte announces BeyondPress 3.0, the latest version of its web authoring XTension
for QuarkXPress. The 3.0 version supports both Windows and MacOS, includes all the
document-conversion features of its predecessor, and adds powerful Web page
authoring and management tools.
WYSIWYG Web Authoring
BeyondPress 3.0 lets designers create web pages using advanced text formatting and
page layout tools. Using the Cascading Style Sheet support of Microsoft Internet
Explorer 3.0 and the upcoming Netscape Navigator 4.0, plus Bitstream's TrueDoc font
technology, BeyondPress converts stylized text in a QuarkXPress document to
formatted text on a web page, retaining the intended fonts and type size. BeyondPress
uses HTML tables to approximate the layout of a QuarkXPress page.
BeyondPress 3.0 helps designers place text, images, and multimedia/interactive
elements on web pages by letting them drag these elements into a page. QuickTime,
Java, RealAudio, animated GIFs, and Shockwave files can be imported into web pages
just as images and text are brought into QuarkXPress pages. Java applet preview
capabilities, live play of animated GIFs and QuickTime movies, and image-editing
features add to BeyondPress' utilities. BeyondPress also supports Live Picture's
FlashPix format, in conjunction with the Live Picture XTension.
BeyondPress 3.0 builds on the authoring environment of QuarkXPress. Web designers
benefit from QuarkXPress' advanced find/change, spell checking, box borders,
rotation, polygonal shapes, and master page features when creating web pages.
BeyondPress adds full drag-and-drop capabilities, letting designers move images,
text, or entire pages from QuarkXPress to an HTML editor or to the Finder, retaining
text formats, image quality, and the approximate layout of the page.
Document Conversion
As in previous versions, BeyondPress 3.0 will convert existing QuarkXPress
documents to web pages, without changing their formatting. Images can be cropped,
scaled, and converted to JPEG and GIF formats. Modified color palettes can be created
for individual images, or a specific color palette can be applied to all images.
BeyondPress can convert all images on a page to the Netscape 216 color palette (the
colors that most browsers display best on both Windows and MacOS). Hypertext links,
background colors and images, and complex image maps are easily created with
BeyondPress.
Single-user copies will be $495 worldwide until June 30; $595 thereafter.
BeyondPress 2.0 users can upgrade for $149 until June 30; $179 thereafter.
BeyondPress 1.0 users can upgrade for $249 until June 30; $299 thereafter.
Cyberpress users can upgrade for $349 until June 30; $449 thereafter.
BeyondPress 3.0 is available directly from Astrobyte, from its Web site
http://www.astrobyte.com.
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Motorola Bundles DAVE with StarMax Systems
Thursby Software Systems, Inc. (TSS), developer of MacOS cross-platform solutions,
announced a bundling agreement with Motorola Computer Group (MCG) that includes
DAVE software to be shipped with StarMax systems beginning in mid-May.
DAVE V1.0.1 is the latest release from Thursby Software. It is a very fast, new
version of its powerful MacOS to Windows networks connectivity software. Motorola
has strategically included DAVE for cross-platform connectivity with new StarMax
configurations focused on the "enterprise" market. DAVE is the only software solution
that enables StarMax users to share files and printers with Windows NT (Server and
Workstation), Windows 95 and Windows for Workgroups computers using TCP/IP.
DAVE makes the StarMax fit into Microsoft networks as if it were a PC.
This solution is unique because DAVE uses the open, industry standard protocol TCP/IP
for file sharing, not AppleTalk. It is installed on the familiar MacOS system and not the
PC. No additional hardware or software is required; it simply utilizes the current
network infrastructure. DAVE makes the MacOS system totally compatible and
interoperable with Wintel networks, supporting Internet and corporate intranet
access, while requiring little intervention from PC administrators.
DAVE is designed with ease-of-use in mind and is as AppleShare-like as possible.
Users select DAVE from the Chooser and then easily mount PC user's shared
directories. DAVE is a full featured product, integrating with NT Services for
Macintosh and supporting multiple mounts. It offers a secure environment through
encrypted passwords and supports both the 68K and PPC Macintosh.
DAVE retails for $179.00 and is available worldwide. Information regarding Thursby
Software products can be found at http://www.thursby.com.