CompuServe Messages

Here they are; Apple Charts Course for Operating Systems ========================================= [adapted from press release] March 7, 1994 – Apple Computer, Inc., today outlined its "Stand Out and Fit In" strategy for the future development of its Apple Macintosh operating-system software. "We aim to make Macintosh technology even more relevant – and available to – a much broader group of customers, including Windows and MS-DOS users," said David Nagel, Apple senior vice president and general manager of the company's AppleSoft division, which is responsible for development and marketing of system software. "We plan to extend our leadership in making computing even more natural and intuitive. And we also plan to make Macintosh the best citizen in a world that has – and will continue to have – many different types of computers in it." "Stand Out" aspects of Apple's strategy include using the power of Apple's upcoming Macintosh on PowerPC systems to extend the Macintosh user interface capabilities. With future releases of system software, the interface is expected to incorporate elements of active assistance. Over time, greater levels of intelligence are to be made available, so that the computer can more actively help the user work, learn and communicate. Other "stand out" platform innovations are slated to include advanced graphics and multimedia technologies, improved speech recognition and text-to-speech capabilities, and enhancements that should make the Macintosh operating system the best platform for collaboration services. A key element of Apple's strategy, in terms of both standing out and fitting in, is the OpenDoc component application architecture. OpenDoc defines a new way for applications to be created, using object-oriented technology. These smaller applications, or software parts, which by design are interoperable with other parts and applications, can be mixed and matched to more effectively build custom solutions. With OpenDoc, a user opens a document, which can contain any kind of information or data, and edits or manipulates different kinds of data – text, graphics, sound, animation – without switching between different applications. This new way of interacting with a document lets the user focus on the task at hand, rather than on the capabilities or idiosyncrasies of the application. "With OpenDoc, we expect our customers to benefit in two ways: they will receive the fruits of innovation more quickly, and they will have transparent software that lets them focus on their work without having to become application specialists," said A. J. Dennis of WordPerfect Corporation. "The realization of modular, [continued in the reply]