Apple Unveils 3D Technology for the Power Macintosh

DEMO 95, Palm Springs, California--February 6, 1995--Apple Computer, Inc.
today announced that the Apple Power Macintosh computer will soon become
the first mainstream, high-volume personal computer with built-in
3D-graphics capabilities. At the Demo 95 show today, Apple publicly
unveiled Apple QuickDraw 3D, a 3D-graphics extension to the Mac OS
operating system, which developers can use to offer easy-to-use 3D
graphics in their applications. Expected to ship with Power Macintosh
computers beginning this summer, QuickDraw 3D takes advantage of the
computing performance of the Power Mac's PowerPC processor to deliver
3D-graphics capabilities and performance that previously were available
only on graphics workstations.

Graphics capabilities have always been a key strength of the Macintosh
computer, and a wide range of 3D-graphics applications currently are
available for the Macintosh. Using QuickDraw 3D as a technology
foundation, developers can more easily create powerful, full-featured 3D
applications. And, QuickDraw 3D-based applications can have a consistent
user interface, as well as a common file-format that lets users move 3D
data from application to application. 2D-graphics and productivity
applications also can be modified slightly to take advantage of QuickDraw
3D, allowing users to drag and drop 3D objects directly into those
applications.

"With QuickDraw 3D on the Power Macintosh, Apple is providing a foundation
for a completely new user experience and dramatically lowering the price
point for high-quality 3D,"said David Nagel, Apple senior vice president
and general manager of the AppleSoft division. "Soon it won't just be
graphics pros who can competently work with 3D images -- we'll see the
well-known Macintosh ease-of-use applied to creating and using 3D
graphics. We'll see interesting new software in areas such as publishing,
entertainment and education. And, because workstation graphics performance
will be available at personal computer prices, we'll see a significant
expansion of the overall market for graphics- intensive applications."

A number of important software developers today are announcing their
commitment to QuickDraw 3D, including: 3Dlabs, auto-des-sys, Inc., Byte by
Byte Corp., Diehl Graphsoft, Inc., EA Research, Inc., Electric Image,
Inc., ElectroGIG, Graphisoft, Hash, Inc., Matrox Graphics, Inc., Ray
Dream, Inc., Spatial Technology, Inc., Specular International, Strata
Inc., Syndesis Corporation, Viewpoint DataLabs International, Vertigo
Technology Inc., Virtus Corporation, and Yarc Systems Corporation.

"Apple is showing tremendous innovation in the field of 3D graphics," said
Osman Kent, president of 3Dlabs. "They are doing for 3D what they did for
2D--making it easy to use and truly useful for the everyday user. Apple's
vision, combined with the processing capabilities of the PowerPC, is going
to make the Macintosh a platform that will change the face of 3D
computing."

"The introduction of the Power Macintosh has already had a major impact on
Strata's market," said Scott Lovell, president of Strata. "With Apple's
new QuickDraw 3D, users can achieve even greater performance through
hardware acceleration of the interactive modeling view for enhanced
realtime feedback. Photorealistic feedback in realtime is breakthrough
technology, we're pleased Apple is bringing this high-end workstation
performance to 3D software on the Macintosh."

"As a leader in graphics and design hardware, Apple's entry into the 3D
marketplace is an exciting move, and reinforces the fact that 3D graphics
is core technology in the multimedia equation. The addition of Apple to
our company's list of supported hardware platforms will take Vertigo's 3D
media authoring software to a new level," said James Stewart, president,
Vertigo Technology, Inc.

"Because visual interaction breaks down communication barriers, 3D will be
integral to how we work, learn and play in the future," said John Wright,
president and CEO of Viewpoint DataLabs. "We believe QuickDraw 3D and the
Apple 3DMF format represents a significant step toward broadening the
market by putting the power of 3D at the fingertips of desktop users. With
Viewpoint's support of Apple's 3DMF, users can store, move and share 3D
geometric and appearance information among applications and through an
entire production process--the same way they share PICT images today."

Cross-Platform Support

For Macintosh developers who need to leverage their development efforts
onto the Microsoft Windows platform, Apple plans to make QuickDraw 3D
available for Windows.

Standard File Format

The new 3D metafile (3DMF) format is a cross-platform file format that
supports 3D data--not simply geometric data, but all the information that
represents a particular view or scene, such as textures, lights and
cameras. 3DMF can be used by any developer for importing and exporting 3D
data from one application to another. Using this file format, 3D data can
be exchanged among applications on the Power Macintosh as well as on other
computer platforms. Users can also expect to see libraries of 3DMF-based
"clip models" that they can use with their 3D and 2D applications.

Architecture

QuickDraw 3D is an application program interface (API) for creating,
manipulating, and rendering 3D graphics. It consists of human interface
guidelines, a high-level modeling tool kit, a shading and rendering
architecture, and a device and acceleration manager for hardware
acceleration.

Each part of the API is extensible, making QuickDraw 3D one of the most
open graphics architectures in the industry. The file format, interface,
architecture, high-level modeling tool kit, and "plug- in" shading and
rendering architectures are all designed to allow developers--and
ultimately customers--to add their own capabilities to the system. Using
3D acceleration, the user can add a 3D accelerator card to a Macintosh,
and the interactive renderer can be accelerated in any application that
makes use of it.

Availability

It is anticipated that QuickDraw 3D will be widely available to developers
for evaluation in spring, 1995. The final software is expected to be
available as a software developers kit in summer, 1995, and developers
will be able to license the technology to ship with their applications.
Apple also expects QuickDraw 3D to be included with Power Macintosh
systems, beginning in summer, 1995, and to be incorporated into the next
major release of the Mac OS, in summer, 1996. The Windows version of
QuickDraw 3D is expected to be available within six months of the
availability of the Power Macintosh version.

System Requirements

To run QuickDraw 3D, Power Macintosh systems will require Version 7.1.2 (or
later) of the Mac OS, a hard disk drive and 16 MB of memory.

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

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