Apple Debuts Power Macintosh Line

Three New Models Combine the Power of RISC with Mainstream Software, Including Macintosh, DOS, and Windows; Prices Start at Less than $2,000

New York -- March 14, 1994 -- PRNewswire -- Apple Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) today unveiled Power Macintosh -- a new line of Apple Macintosh personal computers that offers the power of workstation computers, the affordability of mainstream personal computers, and the capability to run applications for Macintosh, MS-DOS, and Microsoft Windows.

The company believes that Power Macintosh represents the platform for the next generation of personal computing. Power Macintosh running System 7 marries, for the first time, the power of RISC (reduced instruction set computing) technology with a mainstream personal computing operating system. As such, Apple believes that it has established a foundation that is, at once, so robust and approachable that it will catalyze the development of richer applications, more intuitive software, and -- ultimately -- wholly new ways of using computers.

The three new Power Macintosh models -- the Power Macintosh 6100/60, 7100/66, and 8100/80 -- join the midrange and high-end of the Macintosh family. Fueled by the PowerPC 601 microprocessor, which was jointly developed by Apple, IBM, and Motorola as part of their historic 1991 alliance, Power Macintosh computers offer the highest performance of any personal computer available today.

When running new versions of application software optimized for PowerPC, Power Macintosh systems offer two to four times the performance of today's Intel 486 and Motorola 680x0-based personal computers. Power Macintosh computers also outperform systems based on Intel's advanced microprocessor, Pentium. Applications that require complex computation, such as graphics and engineering applications, may run up to 10 times faster on Power Macintosh than on current personal computer offerings. More than 150 software developers worldwide have committed to shipping PowerPC optimized or "native" versions of their applications.

Apple is also providing a bridge from its Power Macintosh systems to thousands of existing applications for DOS and Windows with a new software program called SoftWindows from Insignia Solutions. SoftWindows comes bundled with certain Power Macintosh configurations and is also sold separately.

"This introduction marks a major milestone in personal computing," said Michael Spindler, Apple's president and CEO. "Just as Macintosh changed the course of computing ten years ago, today we are defining a new era in personal computing with Power Macintosh. For customers, this means unequalled price/performance today, preservation of their past investment in Apple products, and unmatched potential for future growth. And for DOS and Windows customers, Apple offers a smooth on-ramp to the platform.

"Unlike previous new platform introductions in the industry, this is a rare occasion when a new platform comes to market with thousands of applications already available on day one, and allows customers to carry forward their previous investments," Spindler added.

With their cross-platform compatibility, Apple expects the new systems to attract Macintosh, DOS, and Windows users. Power Macintosh computers should be particularly popular in professional and mainstream business sectors with customers whose appetite for increased speed and power was only previously met through more costly workstations. These customers would typically use computers for high-performance tasks, including publishing, graphic arts, science and research.

Mainstream Operating System

Power Macintosh computers run an optimized version of the Macintosh System 7 operating system. This means Power Macintosh users can enjoy the ease of use, simple plug-and-play, and thousands of software applications that have distinguished the Macintosh platform to date. Additionally, System 7.1.2, the version of the Macintosh operating system for Power Macintosh, has key features, such as the QuickTime multimedia architecture and QuickDraw graphics architecture, that have been tuned for even better performance. Apple plans to add additional new features for the PowerPC processor and introduce new technologies that capitalize on its advanced power.

Exceptional Compatibility

Because Power Macintosh computers run the mainstream Macintosh operating system, these new systems are compatible with previous Motorola 68000-based Macintosh systems. This means that Power Macintosh customers can choose from thousands of current Macintosh applications, peripherals, and cards -- including Apple's existing family of LocalTalk, Ethernet and Token-Ring products -- and run them unaltered.

With the addition of the SoftWindows emulation software, DOS and Windows users have the ability to run most of their current applications on their Power Macintosh computers with performance similar to that of Intel 386 and 486 computers, depending on the application and system configuration.

"At Ernst & Young we have always been strong advocates of the Macintosh. Apple's PowerPC strategy again proves we were right in our platform choice. Moreover, with Power Macintosh running SoftWindows at 486 speeds, we are able to run DOS-based, CD-ROM applications so well that we'll likely replace many of our last remaining Intel PCs," said Yves Tiberghien, senior manager, Ernst & Young Accountants, Belgium.

Strong Developer and Applications Support

Virtually all the major players in the software developer community today have announced strong support for the platform worldwide, including industry leading vendors such as Adobe, Aldus, Claris, Lotus, Microsoft, Quark, and WordPerfect. More than 50 native applications are scheduled to ship at or within 30 days of introduction, with hundreds slated to be available in the first six months. Native applications (meaning those written specifically to tap the power of PowerPC) span a broad range of titles and categories, including publishing, education, multimedia, technical markets and general business (see related release, March 14, 1994, "Hundreds of Optimized Applications Announced for PowerPC").

"The speed and performance inherent in the new applications are extremely important in high-end applications such as publishing. With Power Macintosh, Apple has not only removed a performance bottleneck, but is providing an open road for future advancements," said Terry Schwadron, managing editor of the Los Angeles Times and president of the Worldwide Publishing Consortium (WWPC), a nonprofit, independent consortium of key publishing solutions providers.

The first wave of Power Macintosh applications will primarily take advantage of improved speed. Apple expects that, in the future, Power Macintosh will enable new and enhanced capabilities in the area of intelligent software, animation and high-resolution video, integrated video and telecommunications, and advancements in speech recognition and language processing.

Availability and Pricing

Power Macintosh systems and a range of PowerPC 601 processor-based upgrades will be offered worldwide through Apple authorized resellers. Systems are available immediately in the U.S. and other selected regions worldwide.

The U.S. Apple price ranges from $1,819 for the Power Macintosh 6100/60 base system equipped with 8MB of DRAM and a 160MB hard disk, to $4,249 for the Power Macintosh 8100/80 base system offered with 8MB of DRAM, a 250MB hard disk and 2MB of VRAM.

Product availability and pricing will vary outside of the U.S.

Server Products

Apple Business Systems also announced that it plans to introduce Apple Workgroup Servers based on the PowerPC microprocessor in May. The client software for Apple client/server applications, including AppleShare, AppleSearch and Apple Remote Access, is compatible with Power Macintosh systems today. Apple server software, including AppleShare and AppleSearch, will also be upgraded to run under emulation on the servers and will be available in May. Specifics on the various server upgrade options will be made available in the coming weeks.

Headquartered in Cupertino, CA, Apple Computer, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets personal computer, server, and personal interactive electronics systems for use in business, education, the home, science, engineering and government. A recognized pioneer and innovator in the information industry, Apple does business in more than 120 countries.

NOTE: Apple, the Apple logo, AppleShare, LocalTalk, Macintosh, Macintosh Quadra, and Performa are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. AppleSearch, GEOPort, Macintosh Centris, PlainTalk, Power Macintosh, QuickDraw, and QuickTime are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. MS-DOS is a registered trademark and Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. NuBus is a trademark of Texas Instruments. SoftWindows is a trademark used under license. PowerPC and PowerPC 601 are trademarks of International Business Machines, used under license therefrom. All other brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

/NOTE TO EDITORS: For more detailed product information and pricing, see the Product Specifications, Upgrades and Pricing attachment. If you are interested in receiving Apple press releases or product data sheets by fax, call 1-800-AAPL-FAX (1-800-227-5329) and enter I.D. number 6172.

ATTACHMENT

Power Macintosh

Product Specifications, Upgrades and Pricing

-- Power Macintosh 6100/60

The most affordable Power Macintosh computer runs at 60-MHz, offers full storage and expansion features (including one 7" NuBus slot and an optional built-in CD-ROM) in a slim-line design. The base model, equipped with 8MB of DRAM and 160MB hard disk, has an Apple price of $1,819.

Apple Price/CPU Only

8/160 $1,819.00

8/250CD $2,289.00

8/250CD/AV/2MB VRAM $2,599.00

16/250/SoftWindows $2,519.00

-- Power Macintosh 7100/66

Running at 66-MHz, this is ideal for general business computing. Based on Apple's Macintosh Quadra 650 design, it offers greater expansion (three NuBus slots) and support for more colors and larger displays. The Apple price for a configuration with 8MB of DRAM, 250MB hard disk, and 1MB of VRAM starts at $2,899.

Apple Price/CPU Only

8/250/1MB VRAM $2899.00

8/250CD/1MB VRAM $3179.00

8/500/CD/AV/2MB VRAM $3989.00

16/250/SoftWindows/1MB VRAM $3379.00

-- Power Macintosh 8100/80

Based on the familiar Macintosh Quadra 800 mini-tower design and running at 80-MHz, this is the highest-performance Power Macintosh model with the most flexibility. It accommodates three NuBus expansion slots, built-in video support for up to 16.7 million colors, extensive storage options, dual-channel SCSI and Level 2 cache memory. A configuration with 8MB of DRAM, 250MB hard disk, and 2MB of VRAM starts at $4,249.

Apple Price/CPU Only

8/250/2MB VRAM $4249.00

8/250CD/2MB VRAM $4519.00

16/500CD/AV/2MB VRAM $5659.00

16/1000CD/2MB VRAM $6159.00

16/500/SoftWindows/2MB VRAM $5309.00

-- Configuration Details

All models come equipped with a built-in floating-point math coprocessor; on-board Ethernet; 16-bit, CD-quality stereo sound; and connections for the Apple GEOPort Telecom Adapter, so users can send faxes from the computer and connect to on-line information. In addition, there are separate configurations of each Power Macintosh model to support a CD-ROM drive, SoftWindows, and Apple AV Technologies -- speech, telecommunications, and advanced video capabilities. PlainTalk speech-recognition and text-to-speech software comes standard with AV systems, and is also sold separately for all models.

In addition to Apple's existing family of LocalTalk, Ethernet, and Token-Ring products, Apple plans to offer a high performance, 7" Token-Ring card for all NuBus-based Macintosh systems. The new card includes driver software that supports Novell Inc.'s Netware protocols when used in conjunction with Insignia Solutions' SoftWindows product. This new driver is planned to be included with version 1.4.4 of Apple's Network Software Installer disk and will provide performance enhancements and Netware support for the existing Apple Token-Ring 4/16 NB card.

-- PowerPC 601 Processor Upgrades

Apple announced it has begun shipping a range of logic board and processor upgrades based on the PowerPC 601 chip for many current Macintosh systems. Logic board upgrades, which provide existing Macintosh models with the full functionality of PowerPC technology, are available for the Macintosh Quadra 840AV, 800, 660AV, 650, and 610 models; the Macintosh Centris 660AV, 650, and 610 computers; the Macintosh IIvx and IIvi, and Performa 600 products.

Lower-cost processor upgrade cards are now available for the Macintosh Quadra 950, 900, 800, 700, 650, and 610 models, as well as the Macintosh Centris 650 and 610 computers. The processor upgrade card takes advantage of the processor-direct slot (PDS).

Additionally, Apple Business Systems will provide PowerPC microprocessor upgrades to customers of Apple's Workgroup Server 60 and 80 models. These PowerPC processor upgrades will allow customers of Motorola 68000 server systems to upgrade to servers running Macintosh System 7 on PowerPC.

In the future, Apple plans to provide PowerPC technology upgrade products for the Macintosh Quadra 605; LC 550, 575, and 520; and the Performa 550. Apple also plans to continue to work on upgrades for other Macintosh models. In addition, Apple is working in conjunction with third-party developers to provide an array of options for customers to upgrade to PowerPC technology.

Apple Price

Power Macintosh Upgrade Card $699.00

Power Macintosh 6100/60 Logic Board Upgrade $999.00

8MB DRAM

Power Macintosh 6100/60AV Logic Board Upgrade $1399.00

8MB DRAM/2MB VRAM

Power Macintosh 7100/66 Logic Board Upgrade $1499.00

8MB DRAM/1MB VRAM

Power Macintosh 7100/66AV Logic Board Upgrade $1699.00

8MB DRAM/2MB VRAM

Power Macintosh 8100/80 Logic Board Upgrade $1899.00

8MB DRAM/2MB VRAM, 256K Cache

Power Macintosh 8100/80AV Logic Board Upgrade $1999.00

8MB DRAM/2MB VRAM, 256K Cache

-- Power Macintosh Accessories

Power Macintosh 6100/60 NuBus Adapter Card $ 99

Power Macintosh 256K Cache Card $299

(for the 6100/60 & 7100/66) Power Macintosh Display Adapter $ 29 NOTE: Apple, the Apple logo, AppleShare, LocalTalk, Macintosh, and Macintosh Quadra are registered trademarks of, and AppleSearch, AudioVision GEOPort, Macintosh Centris, PlainTalk, and Power Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Insignia Solutions, Insignia and SoftPC are registered trademarks of Insignia Solutions, Inc. NuBus is a trademark of Texas Instruments. SoftWindows is a trademark used under license. PowerPC is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation, used under license therefrom./

CONTACT: Betty Taylor of Apple Computer, Inc., 408-974-3983; or Maureen O'Connell of Regis McKenna Inc., 408-862-6689/ 03:03 EST