Buying a Multimedia Computer This Holiday Season?
Questions to Ask to Avoid Christmas Eve Nightmares

CUPERTINO, California---November 23, 1994--The complications of buying a
multimedia computer for the holidays can give you more nightmares than
Scrooge himself had on Christmas Eve. But before you give up and mutter
"Bah, Humbug!," consider this a multimedia computer can be a springboard
to years of family fun and learning. With the explosive growth of
multimedia PCs on the market and new CD-ROM titles for every member of the
family, there has never been a better time to buy.

Multimedia is generally defined as the ability to show video footage and
animated images, and play digital-quality sound on a computer using a
CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory). It is the latest rage among
consumers, and for good reason. All ages can enjoy the proliferation of
exciting new CD-ROM titles that suit every interest -- from learning to
cook Thai meals, preparing for college boards, learning to speak German,
visiting the Amazon rainforest, to learning how to read. Making the
multimedia computer purchase, however, can be intimidating with all of the
computer brands, technical jargon, hardware, software and peripherals from
which to choose. So, here's a quick holiday guide to help multimedia
computer buyers avoid nightmares and make the best choice for the family.

Avoiding Christmas Eve Nightmares: Seven Questions Consumers Should Ask

* Christmas Eve Nightmare #1: Trying to Use the Computer -- and Not Being
Able To -- Consumers should ask: Will I be able to use it without taking
classes? Make sure that the multimedia computer you are buying is truly
easy to use. You might want to go to a local computer retailer and take a
"test drive" of a demonstration computer to find out which computer you
feel comfortable using. Go with the computer you can use without asking
for too much help---one you can use right away.

* Christmas Eve Nightmare #2: Figuring Out Which Cable to Plug in Where
Consumers should ask: Can I set up my new multimedia computer at home, by
myself? Make sure that the multimedia computer you are buying is easy to
set up. Cables should be labeled to match the ports they plug into, and
software should already be loaded on the machine, so everything is ready
to go when you turn on the computer. It is often easier to stay with one
manufacturer so that all of your hardware and software is designed to work
together and all of your instructions are in one place.

* Christmas Eve Nightmare #3: Having to Open Up Your Computer to Make it a
Multimedia PC Consumers should ask: Is this a true multimedia computer? A
true multimedia computer comes with built-in sound capability, a CD-ROM
drive, and video and audio input and output. These capabilities will make
your system multimedia-ready right out of the box. With most computers,
you will need to open up the computer and add in boards, even for basic
multimedia functionality such as sound. You may need to add software, too.
Adding software and hardware to turn your personal computer into a true
multimedia machine can be an expensive, time-consuming and a frustrating
experience.

* Christmas Eve Nightmare #4: Adding Equipment to the Computer. Consumers
should ask: Can I easily add things to the computer later on? Make sure it
will be easy and affordable to add extra options to your system when
you're ready. It's easy to add external components if the computer already
has a SCSI connector (SCSI simply refers to a kind of plug that connects a
computer to external equipment). You may also want to ask your dealer if
there are open slots inside the computer for adding multimedia
components.

* Christmas Eve Nightmare #5: Dealing with Configuration Files. Consumers
should ask: Will I have to deal with configuration files? Most PCs require
you to inspect or change configuration files, even for ordinary tasks like
running multimedia games and education titles. Configuration files tell
the computer how to communicate with different hardware and software, and
dealing with them can turn even the jolliest Santa into the Abominable
Snowman. You won't have to face this nightmare if you buy a personal
computer that does not have configuration files.

* Christmas Eve Nightmare #6: Finding Out You Can Only Run One Kind of
Computer File. Consumers should ask: With this computer, can I read and
write Apple Macintosh, DOS and Windows files with this computer? A
multimedia computer should be able to read and write files from the major
computer platforms such as Macintosh, DOS and Windows. This will make your
personal computer much more versatile and it won't limit your software
options.

* Christmas Eve Nightmare #7: Discovering Your New Multimedia Computer Will
Be Obsolete in a Month. Consumers should ask: Is this a high-performance
computer, and can I upgrade to even faster performance later? A multimedia
computer should have a lot of power, and be easy to upgrade to even faster
performance later. Computers powered by RISC (Reduced Instruction Set
Computing) microprocessors are well-suited to multimedia. RISC
microprocessors at first could be found only in the world's most powerful
workstation computers, but are now used in some very affordable multimedia
personal computers, such as Apple's Power Macintosh. Multimedia computers
that are based on RISC or have an upgrade path to RISC will offer
excellent long-term performance and value far into the future.

By asking the right questions, consumers will be able to avoid holiday
nightmares when purchasing a multimedia computer--and end up with an asset
that will help the family learn, work and be entertained for years to
come.

Apple Computer, Inc., a recognized pioneer and innovator in the information
industry, creates powerful solutions based on easy to use personal
computers, servers, peripherals, software, online services, and personal
digital assistants. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Apple
(NASDAQ:AAPL) develops, manufactures, licenses and markets products,
technologies and services for the business, education, consumer,
scientific & engineering and government markets in over 140 countries.

Apple Computer Inc
20525 Mariana Ave
Cupertino, CA 95014
408-996-1010
-----------------------------------------------------------------
An Introduction to Multimedia

What is Multimedia?

Multimedia is the combination of different types of media such as sound,
video, text, animations, photos and illustrations. Many people think of
CD-ROMs and games when they think of multimedia--but it s much more than
that. With multimedia we can create, use and combine graphics, text,
music, video and images in our office Or in our home on our personal
computers. Multimedia can enhance our personal productivity, make our
business presentations more professional and interesting, provide us with
entertainment, and of course help us learn.

What Is a CD-ROM?

CD-ROMs look exactly like the audio CDs consumers listen to. The difference
is that CD-ROMs can combine elements of books, movies, television, music
and computer programs all on one disk. CD-ROM technology is compelling
because of its capacity to store huge amounts of all types of data,
including multimedia graphics, video, sound and text. One CD-ROM can hold
as much data as 500 floppy disks. But large storage capacity is just part
of the story. CD-ROMs allow for permanent storage of data, plus provide
the ability to search, sort and retrieve large volumes of information.

But multimedia is more than CD-ROM technology; it is the creation of
graphics, text, music and video. Today it means easy cut and paste video,
access to real-time information and image capture and recording. we have
moved beyond simply playing games, storing data and watching video to
actually creating and interacting with all facets of multimedia.

Is Multimedia a Big Market Area?

It's exciting technology and the booming sales show it Apple sold 50,000
CD-ROM players in 1992; in 1993 the company delivered more than 1 million!
In fact, 1993 was a turning point for the CD-ROM industry as a whole. In
just one year, approximately 7.2 million CD-ROM drives were sold
worldwide--an annual shipment growth rate of 170 percent! ! Most computer
manufacturers now offer CD-ROM drives as a standard component of their
systems.

What About the Future?

Multimedia is here to stay! In fact, the number of multimedia-capable
personal computers with CD-ROM drives will increase by approximately 5
million in each of the next two years. And by 1999, an estimated 8 of
every 10 computer users will have CD-ROM players attached to their
systems'.

Apple and Multimedia

Apple and Multimedia Apple's leadership in multimedia dates back to the
first Macintosh in 1984 with its built-in sound capabilities. From the
beginning, Apple has integrated media such as sound, graphics and
networking into its personal computers--so all Macintosh personal
computers are multimedia machines. With the introduction of the Macintosh
630 computers--dcsigned specifically for multimedia use--and a suite of
multimedia computer products, Apple continues to raise the bar on
multimedia. Through its New Media group and other areas within the
company, Apple continues to be instrumental in building the multimedia
marketplace by working with developers of CD-ROM titles, as well as
creating several consumer multimedia products--for the Macintosh and other
platforms as well.
--end----end----end----end----end----end----end----end----end--

 ============================================================
 From the 'New Product News' Electronic News Service provided
 via AOL (Keyword = New Products) & Delphi (GO BUSINESS PROD)
 ============================================================
 This information was processed from data provided by the 
 company or author mentioned. For additional details, please 
 contact them directly at the address/phone number indicated.
 OmniPage Pro is now used for converting all printed input! 
 ============================================================
 All submissions for this service should be addressed to:
 BAKER ENTERPRISES,  20 Ferro Dr,  Sewell, NJ  08080  U.S.A.
 Email: RBakerPC (AOL/Delphi), rbakerpc@delphi.com (Internet)
 ============================================================
