APPLE GETS MORE PC FRIENDLY
By Adnews Staff
Apple Computer is cozying up to PC users with the release of its latest products. Besides bringing three new machines with more horsepower out of the gate , the California-based company has indicated it is going to make it easier for people using programs based on DOS and Windows to switch to Apple. The new machines Apple announced this week can be fitted with special cards that let them run DOS and Windows programs. They'll be able to do it at a pretty brisk pace as well; one card, with what Apple calls a "586 100 MHz" microprocessor, runs at the equivalent speed of a 75 MHz Pentium; the other card is equipped with a 100 Mz Pentium processor. The new cards can also be installed in some older Macs, those with a PCI bus.
The new Power Macintosh 7200/120 comes with the Pentium 100 card installed. This machine can be outfitted to run 50% faster than the Power Mac 7200/90, says Apple. It is expected to be available in Canada in June, and is aimed at "entry-level business users." Two other new Power Macintoshes, the 8500/150 and 9500/150, are designed for "high-end publishing, multi-media applications and Internet authoring." The computer maker says these can run 25% faster than the machines they replace, the 9500/120 and the 9500/132. English versions of these machines will be available this week, and French versions in May.
Advertising has not yet been scheduled for the new products. BBDO Canada in Toronto is Apple's Canadian agency.