Sep 99 Viewpoint
Volume Number: 15
Issue Number: 9
Column Tag: Viewpoint
by Nick DeMello
Never underestimate Steve Jobs. Frankly, I was a little worried after Macworld. Based
on the new product announcements, things seemed to be slowing down at Apple. Then,
last week at Seybold, Steve Jobs presented a host of new tools and toys that are going to
be appearing on a lot of Christmas lists. Here's what I heard:
Jobs began talking about one of Apple's corner stone technologies: QuickTime. He spoke
about the recently released QuickTime 4.0 with QuickTime Streaming, and segued into
QuickTime TV. This new broadcast network of QuickTime Streaming channels is
expanding to include channels by Rhino Records and Warner Brother Records. Jobs
pointed out distinctions that make QuickTime TV different from other streaming
systems include the interactivity (for example the ability to click on embedded
elements to purchase a CD version of a broadcast album). Also, its adherence to
industry standards (RTP and RTSP), and the release of Apple's OpenSource
distribution of a QuickTime Streaming server.
Next up was Mac OS 9. Jobs announced this would be released in October and stepped
through nine key features of the new OS. Two predominant (and interdependent)
themes were apparent: Internet integration into the desktop and security. Those nine
key new features included:
• Sherlock 2 - The new Sherlock features channels, grouping plug-ins
according to categories. Furthermore, there seems to be an API for not just
changing how Sherlock parses a web page but letting it connect by different
protocols. ODBC from your desktop? With each release Sherlock seems to be
blurring the line between network and desktop applications.
• Multi-user Interface - You now login to all the Mac OS flavors (9 and X),
with all your Internet preferences, desktop settings, and user files configured
for and accessible only to your login. Very similar to NetBoot.
• Login by Voice Recognition - Taking a page directly from the Millinium TV
series, Phil Schiller (this guy gives the best demos) demonstrated how you
login to the new Mac OS, it recognizes your voice as you speak a key phrase.
Time will tell how well this feature fares in a crowded office, but it sure looks
impressive.
• KeyChain is Back - Mac OS 9 includes the KeyChain. Save your passwords
for your Internet accounts, AppleTalk logins, eMail program, and more on
your KeyChain. Then just lock or unlock access to everything with one
password - voice recognition protected. If you build software that uses
passwords, it's time to look at the KeyChain APIs.
• Auto OS Updating - The new Mac OS can update itself as new releases are
posted electronically by Apple. Is there an API for your application to make
use of this functionality? Is my Mac going to prompt me for a credit card
number when it's time for a major upgrade? How granular is the control for
selecting what you want and do not want updated?
• Encryption - Security was definitely a theme with this release. In
addition to voice recognition and the KeyChain, encryption is built into the
user interface. Encrypt files on the desktop. Expect an API for accessing these
encryption tools from within your application as well.
• File Sharing Across the Internet - AppleShare IP at the end user level.
This illustrates a trend at Apple that we've seen with the G3, PowerBooks, Mac
OS X Server, and across the board. Get it done, get it right, roll it into the
main product and look for something new to try. Much better that the old days
of installing the latest OS or buying the latest Duo to find out you've just
volunteered to be a beta tester.
• AppleScript Over TCP/IP - Did I say security was the theme? You can
now run AppleScripts that control remote computers across the Internet.
People are going to be looking at the security issues of this feature very
closely.
• Network Browsing - with Navigation Services 2.0 and NSL (see MacTech
Feb '99) you can now browse and mount remote AppleShare IP volumes on
your desktop.
Mac OS 9 looked sharp and provided some very compelling arguments to buy Macintosh
hardware. Speaking of which...
iMac & iBook
Happy Birthday iMac. On August 15th Apple introduced the iMac, in that first year
they've sold 2 Million units. In July, Apple introduced iBook - over 140,000 orders
for those have been taken in just over a month.
Steve highlighted two important (and familiar :-) statistics about these sales: 90% of
these users are connected to the Internet, and 33% are first time computer buyers.
The fact that he keeps hammering on these statistics illustrates the two places Apple is
putting it's focus.
First, that "i" stands for Internet. Sherlock, File Sharing over IP, personal Web
Sharing, AppleScript over TCP/IP, NSL, QuickTime TV, Nav Services 2.0, KeyChain,
100 base T ethernet, AirPort - if anyone hasn't figured it out yet, Apple is trying to
make the Macintosh the ultimate Internet access and navigation tool. Not a Thin Client,
or a dumb terminal, Apple wants Macintosh to be to the Internet, what a BMW is to the
autobahn. You don't need a Mac to check eMail, browse the web, or move files across
the Internet, but Macintosh is making it so easy and feature rich that that doing it any
other way is starting to feel like a bicycle on the freeway.
Second, easy to use. Jobs reminded attendees that Apple had embraced USB and
FireWire and the advantages of each. Hot swappable drives, plug-in play keyboards,
mice, and more. As of Seybold, 125 USB devices were shipping for Macintosh, 250
more were announced. Sixty FireWire devices were announced, and 24 were shipping
(plus about 7 million FireWire cam corders already out there).
All in all, these G3 based machines have been a big hit. Which brings us to the next
point...
G4
Apple introduced its new desktop powerhouse. Dressed up in Apple's "new pro colors
of carbon and clear and based on the blue and white G3 desktop case, Apple's G4
processor made its debut.
A super computer is defined as a machine that does over 1 billion floating point
operations per second (1 gigaflop). According to Jobs, the new G4 does 2 gigaflops with
a theoretical limit of 4. This incredible speed is largely due to the Velocity Engine (nee
AltiVec, see MacTech July '99). The Velocity Engine, is a Vector co-processor,
allowing the parallel processing of arrays of data - accelerating graphics, encryption,
communication, and many other types of processes.
Immediately, Apple began shipping the first of three configurations, a 400 MHz G4
machine for only $1,500. Two weeks later a 450MHz with optional wireless (ala
AirPort) connectivity for $2,300 is scheduled to ship, followed by a 500 HMz with
DVD RAM (removable, rewritable 5 GB media) will begin shipping.
Phil brought out a 600 MHz Pentium III - the prize of the wintel world. The usual
bout of Pentium thumping demos followed. While we were waiting for the Pentium to
finish, Steve announced that (to be fair) Apple had exposed the new G4 system to the
battery of performance tests that Intel has on their website. These are the tests that
Intel uses to tout the performance of their Pentium III processor, so one would expect
them to be a little slanted towards the strengths of that processor. Sure enough, the G4
was reduced to (on average) only 3 times faster than the Pentium III.
Mentioned in passing, the new G4's not only sport an optional wireless card for
interfacing with Apple's AirPort wireless base station - they can act as a wireless
base station using software emulation of the AirPort system.
As the sale of super computers are still restricted by the US government, it seems the
G4 machines will be for sale in the states only - it seems exporting a Macintosh is now
a breach of national security. (Pentium based machines are ok to export though, the
U.S. Government thinks they are harmless)
Oh, One More Thing...
So after all that Steve thanked us and started walking for the door. Then stopped,
snapped his fingers, and said that there was just one more thing. He then unveiled
Apple's new Cinema Display. This spectacular display is a 22" 1600 x 1024 letterbox
flat LCD display. This is the largest LCD display brought to market and sports a digital
connection to the new G4. In extremely limited quantities, this display will be
available on October 1st, only from the Apple web store, and only in the 500 MHz G4
bundle above.
Santa's going to be very busy come December.