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The New Old Apple (3/28/98)
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Everyone who still lends any credence to the rumors that "Rhapsody is dead" should definitely take a look at these notes from a recent Bay Area NeXT Group meeting. Apple reps apparently managed to turn what was supposed to be a demonstration of Java integration into Rhapsody into a feel-good love-in that left everyone confident and upbeat about the future of both Apple and Rhapsody. And Steve Jobs wasn't even present with his Reality Distortion Field.
The technical revelations are very interesting. In addition to the Java info that will be of most interest to the propeller-head crowd, there were more than a few tidbits that should be noteworthy to the average Mac user. For one thing, Apple confirms once again that as of this summer, Rhapsody "Yellow Box" applications will run on the Mac OS, which heavily implies that the Mac OS is indeed going to receive a major guts-level overhaul, probably with the Mach kernel at its core, bringing true protected memory and pre-emptive scheduling to Apple's bread-and-butter operating system. Java in both the Mac OS and Rhapsody will indeed be 100%-Java compliant, and not a bastardized Microsoft version, though Apple's Java will also support Microsoft extensions as per last August's agreement. (Interestingly, it appears that Microsoft "wants out" of the Java virtual machine business. Hmm.) Apple also verifies that the Quicktime Media Layer is "fully integrated" into Rhapsody, ColorSync is coming, and Applescript will be "100% supported--" all of which is music to our ears.
Perhaps even more relevant, though, is the touchy-feely sense of community and morale that shines through the report. Instead of revealing a demoralized Apple, the meeting showed that at least the Rhapsody team was upbeat, well-staffed, well-funded, and ready to change the world. Whodathunkit?
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 3/28/98 episode: March 28, 1998: Microsoft may soon find itself waging a two-front war against the U.S. government. Meanwhile, Adobe reveals a substantial profit drop, blamed primarily on reduced Mac sales, and Rhapsody and Apple are alive and well and ready to change the world again...
Other scenes from that episode: 575: Two-Front War (3/28/98) As many of you may have already read elsewhere, The Justice Department's not the only faction of the federal government that's breathing down Microsoft's back. In addition to the ongoing Redmond Justice drama, it appears that the software giant's also going to have to continue to contend with Orrin Hatch and his Senate Judiciary Committee, who, after its original hearing on competition in the software industry earlier this month, appears unsatisfied that all is as it should be... 576: That Sky Falling Again (3/28/98) Bad news for graphics giant Adobe, who reported their first quarter financial results and revealed a fairly massive 43% drop in profits. And though it's still a profit instead of a loss, some people are taking the news to be a foreshadowing of things to come, as well as an indication that the Mac continues to struggle as a platform...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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