The long-promised Compact Disk Read-Only Memory for the Apple Computer Macintosh finally arrived yesterday at $1,200 – UKP895 here – and the key selling plus is that the thing doubles as a Compact Disk player. The company also brought the Apple II into its AppleTalk Networking schema. The AppleCD SC drive stores up to 550Mb on a 4.7 disk, including text, graphics, sound and video – just the thing for delivering the brilliant presentations or educational exercises you developed with Apple’s HyperCard program. The drive features a 64Kb memory buffer and SCS interface – and you don’t have to put up with the sound quality of the Mac speaker – there are two audio jacks for external speakers and amplifiers, and a headphone jack. As well as the Mac Plus, SE and II, it can be used with the IIe and IIgs with an SCSI card. UK deliveries start in June. In the US, Apple also added networking products that inter alia give enhanced IIe and IIGS users full access to the AppleTalk Network and AppleShare File Server; the network currently takes Mac MS-DOS and DEC VAX computers and adding Apple II extends the system right down the educational spectrum – Apple IIs are most widely used in schools in the US. New admin support includes on-line administration so the net can be serviced without interrupting users. The AppleShare File Server and AppleShare Print Server software packages are also enhanced; the latter, formerly called the LaserShare print spooler, now supports up to five printers. The Apple II Workstation Card for enhanced IIes and the AppleShare IIGS workstation software enable users connect to an AppleTalk network via LocalTalk cabling. All arrive this summer in the US; the AppleShare File Server software is $799; Print Server, $299; II Workstation Card, $249; IIGS Workstation Software, $99; InterPoll Network Administrator’s Utility is $129.
