Apple Computer yesterday announced its long-awaited multitasking version of the Macintosh operating system as MultiFinder, and also introduced its the HyperCard filing system, ImageWriter LQ and three communications products. MultiFinder is claimed to offer fast switching between up to 30 applications, supports background printing and other tasks, and users can see multiple applications – including ones under MS-DOS with appropriate co-processor – concurrently and move quickly between them. Standard on all Macs shipped from the autumn, it will be available to existing users at an unspecified price. HyperCard is a file system based on the concept of a stack of information-carrying cards of text, graphics, video, music, speech or animation, and includes an English-based scripting language, HyperTalk. Buttons are created to define relationships between cards in the same stack or in other stacks and buttons can also be used to initiate tasks such as driving external devices. Apple sees it being used by novices to create things like audio-visual presentations. It too will be included with all new Macs from October. The new EtherTalk Interface Card links the Mac II to existing Ethernetworks. AppleShare PC software, used with the AppleTalk PC Card, enables MS-DOS micros to share information with the AppleShare File Server. Apple File Exchange translates files between MS-DOS, ProDOS and Mac-DOS, so that for instance documents created with DisplayWrite to be manipulated with MacWrite. The new ImageWriter LQ is a 27-pin wide-carriage matrix printer that does 216 by 216 dots per inch, and offers optional colour printing. No UK prices were given for any of the new products yesterday.
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