Apple Introduces Mac OS 8.6

Free Mac OS Update Improves Sherlock Search Feature, System Stability and PowerBook Battery Life

WWDC, San Jose, California—May 10, 1999—At its annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), Apple Computer, Inc. today introduced Mac® OS 8.6, an update to the Macintosh® operating system that provides an easier to use and more powerful Sherlock™ search feature; increases system stability; and delivers significantly improved battery life for PowerBook® users. Mac OS 8.6 is available today as a free update for Mac OS 8.5 customers and can be downloaded from www.apple.com/macos.

“Mac OS 8.5 has been a hit with Mac customers all over the world and Sherlock has changed the way people access information on the Internet,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s vice president of worldwide product marketing. “Mac OS 8.6 builds upon this great foundation and is packed with new features that will benefit millions of Macintosh customers, whether they have an iMac, PowerBook or Power Macintosh.”

The primary new features in Mac OS 8.6 include:

Pricing and Availability
Mac OS 8.5 customers can download Mac OS 8.6 free of charge at www.apple.com/macos. Mac OS 8.5 customers can order Mac OS 8.6 on CD-ROM for U.S. $19.95 with order forms also available at www.apple.com/macos. Mac OS 8.6 will ship on many Macintosh computers immediately and will be included with all Macintosh computers in the coming weeks.

Apple also today announced its new line of PowerBook notebooks that continue the product’s tradition of being the fastest notebook computer in the world. With PowerPC G3 processors running up to 400MHz, the new PowerBook line benchmark over twice as fast as the fastest Intel notebooks**. In addition, the new PowerBook line features battery life up to five hours (with one battery, up to ten hours with optional second battery). The new PowerBook line is almost 20 percent thinner and, at 5.9 pounds in weight, nearly two pounds lighter than their award-winning predecessors.

Apple today also announced the shipment of the Macintosh version of OpenGL 3D graphics software; and an agreement with Dragon Systems to bring their award-winning speech recognition software to the Macintosh.

* Apple tests using industry-standard CaffeineMark3 benchmarks.
** Based on industry standard ByteMark integer processor test.

Apple Computer, Inc. ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II, and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Apple is now recommitted to its original mission—to bring the best personal computing products and support to students, educators, designers, scientists, engineers, businesspersons and consumers in over 140 countries around the world.

Press Contacts:
Russell Brady
Apple Computer, Inc.
(408) 974-6877
brady2@apple.com

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Apple, the Apple logo, AppleScript, FireWire, Mac OS , Macintosh and PowerBook are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Sherlock is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the individual companies and are respectfully acknowledged.