Apple Computer Inc yesterday formally announced the new Macintosh System 7.5 operating system release, previewed in detail in CI No 2,432. The new release is intended to move the Mac further ahead of Microsoft Corp and its various Windows iterations by offering more ease-of-use features and greater interoperability with MS-DOS and Windows machines. System 7.5 includes an Active Assistance feature that encourages automatic control of basic operating-system functions – when a user looks for an explanation of how to operate a particular function, the program demonstrates examples, circling areas of the screen as it goes. The new release also bundles time-saving features previously available at additional cost – Apple Guide is a built-in interactive guide that, with the click of a mouse, leads the user one step at a time through tasks with on screen visual cues such as arrows and red circles around words – like Geoff Boycott commentating on televised cricket and explaining how the captain should have set his field. Another feature enables Macintosh users to set up a drop folder that enables other users on the same network share files. System 7.5 also includes the Quickdraw GX graphics utility designed to increase the power and flexibility of display of graphical images, including on-screen fonts. Previewing the new release, Apple said it thought Microsoft was trying to second-guess the features in System 7.5 in its forthcoming Chicago release of Windows. On delivery, it says only that it expects 7.5 to be out in late summer. It will preview it publicly at the MacWorld Exposition in Boston, August 2 to 5.
