Apple Computer recently debuted three new models of the Power Macintosh line, which feature the PowerPC. The Power Macintosh models 6100/60, 7100/66 and 8100/80 range from $1819 to $4249, depending on configuration. Apple is also taking a hint from the marketplace and now has a very aggressive pricing policy, immediate product availability, developer support for the new models, compatibility with prior Macintosh products, PC compatibility, along with a reasonable upgrade path for current Macintosh models.

IBM has been using the PowerPC in their workstation since last year and it would be logical to assume that a PC compatible motherboard is on the horizon. There are already rumors about competitors to the PowerPC from other manufacturers.

Adobe announced an important upgrade for their PhotoShop product which allows Power Macintosh users to replace critical sections of the current PhotoShop product and allow it to run in the native PowerPC mode. Adds tremendous speed!

Aldus has recently created an Interactive Publishing division to deal with digital video and other interactive products.

During the recent Pre-Publishing and Print Production Conference and Expo, I found that the pre-press industry is changing dramatically. There is a trend away from the large "heavy metal" mainframe and minicomputer based color separation methodology of the past to the newer distributed PC based systems. Could the pre-press industry fall away like the former typesetting industry?

At the recent National Design Engineering Show and International Control Engineering Exposition, held during National Manufacturing Week, I saw several examples of multimedia and simulation software being used on the factory floor for process control and training.

If you are interested in interactive flying or driving games and are waiting for a low priced, yet high quality joystick, you need to look at the new JETSTICK from CH Products. The trigger and the fire button are both rated at 10,000,000 shots and the potentiometers are rated at 2,000,000 life cycles. This is up to 100 times more than similar products on the market today. It should be in stores now and has a suggested retail of only $39.95. (CH Products' joysticks have helped control the motion of the full-sized dinosaur models and computer generated imagery in the movie Jurassic Park and have also been used aboard the Space Shuttle on a recent mission.)

Copyright © 1994 Rick Smith All rights reserved.