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 Copyright © 1998 Shiro Wilde |
Apple has released its latest update to the Mac OS, version 8.1. Incorporating the new, more efficient HFS+ file system, faster application launching and networking, DVD support, and numerous other enhancements, this update is a must-have for OS 8 users. Currently only available for US systems - international versions should appear within 90 days. As this is a hefty 16 MB download excluding IE4, MRJ2, QD3D, and Location Manager 2.0.1, you may want to purchase the CD instead; available in February. Mac OS Runtime for Java 2.0 (MRJ) is the latest and greatest Java implementation for the Mac, with faster execution and compatibility with the latest standards. QuickTime 3.0 wasn't quite ready for the OS 8.1 release, but should be ready soon. This promising major update has just left "Beta" for "Final Candidate" status. Apple's old faithful HyperCard 2.4 Beta 16 is having its second public appearance, with added support for QT 3. |
Macromedia has been busy over the past few months, shipping the powerful DHTML-savvy web design tool Dreamweaver. Plenty of developments on the Director front, with an update to Director 6.0.2 now available. The Flash Asset Xtra allows incorporation and complete Lingo control of Flash media within Director, and the imaginatively named Export Xtra for Java lets you export to Java from Director. Finally, Macromedia has previewed FreeHand 8, which looks set to bury Adobe Illustrator with powerful new "lenses" that enable transparency, magnification and an array of other effects. |
Claris has shipped upgraded versions of all its flagship products, including FileMaker Pro 4, which features integration with Home Page 3, allowing databases to be published on the web. Home Page 3 is now more refined than its predecessors and still as easy to use. As of February 1, Claris becomes FileMaker, Inc., with the majority of Claris products being absorbed into mothership Apple. |
Adobe has a busy year ahead with major upgrades on the way, including Photoshop 5. It seems Adobe is getting very serious about recapturing professional digital video and DTP market share by doing complete rewrites for both Premiere 5 and the successor to PageMaker. Of course, Quark finally shipped XPress 4 last year - will it hold its position ? PageMill 3 should appear in February. |
Netscape has hit a few snags recently. With profits falling, one eighth of its workforce is due to be laid off in company restructuring. The latest news is that Netscape will give away Communicator 4 and the source code to Communicator 5 for free, to compete with MSIE. Version 5 is currently at the Preview Release stage, but not yet ready for public viewing. |
Microsoft shipped Internet Explorer 4 in January at Macworld SF, but as bug reports abound, the word on the street is that the inital 4.0 "final" release was actually a rebadged beta. Cheers, Bill. On a more positive note, Office 98 is actually shaping up to be a good product for MS. Rather than simply porting the Windoze version, this is real Mac software, to be delivered in a timely fashion. See what $150m buys you ? |
Riven fans ought to pick up the Riven 1.01 update, which fixes a few minor glitches. |
The final word is that the Winter X Games 98 took place at Crested Butte, Colorado last month. The event, cooked up by ESPN and only in its second year, is one of the foremost snowboarding events in the world. It's also a more extreme prelude to this month's Winter Olympics in Nagano, which features snowboarding for the first time. Get those satellite dishes in gear. |
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Mac
OS 8.1 US Update |
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Dreamweaver
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