Apple to Begin Shipments of Beta-Quality System 7.0 to Developers

Revises Customer Ship Schedule

Cupertino, California -- September 19, 1990 -- Apple Computer, Inc. today announced it has reached a major milestone in the development of its System 7.0.  Apple will begin initial shipments of beta-quality versions of System 7.0, the next version of Macintosh computer system software, to Macintosh third-party developers in October.

Apple will hold the beta cycle open to solicit thorough developer feedback and to allow them to begin developing applications to assure a wide array of System 7.0 applications for customers when the new version of system software ships.  To meet Apple's exacting quality standards, they have revised estimates for customer shipments of System 7.0 from the end of 1990, to the first half of calendar 1991.

"Our commitment is to produce the highest quality system software for our developers and customers," said Roger Heinen, vice president of software engineering. "Apple's internal standards for software testing are extremely rigorous, and with the additional feedback from our developers we are confident System 7.0 will shatter traditional notions of what personal computers can do."

System software controls the way the computer works and provides a foundation for applications software such as word processing and spreadsheets. Macintosh system software is best known for producing the distinctive graphical user interface that set standards for all computing environments.  System 7.0 represents the most significant enrichment to the Macintosh since its inception in 1984.

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