Interactivity; Yamaha Media Technology; System 7.5

Martin Russ brings you the latest Apple news and views. First off the press is the low‑down on Apple's new System 7.5...

After the huge leap of System 7, and the bug fixes and System Folder internal tidy‑ups of System 7.1, Apple have just released System 7.5, which seems to represent more of a consolidation than a major new release. There are lots of small improvements and enhancements throughout the package, and it is available on floppy or CD‑ROM, but the major inclusions point the way forward to future Mac operating systems. For example, the TCP/IP support should make networking (and Internet access) much easier, whilst the QuickDraw GX offers even more sophisticated graphics, portable documents and desktop printer icons, which enable you to print documents merely by dragging and dropping anything you want printed on top of the desktop printer icon.

AppleScript now allows you to automate all sorts of routine tasks — by providing an editable 'script' which can control applications. 'Drag and drop' now extends between applications, so you won't need to cut and paste to the Clipboard as much in order to move things between different applications. But all this is just the beginning of the transition to OpenDoc, which will let you combine small programs into larger, customised applications — and with the 'drag and drop' ease of use.

System 7.5 incorporates many of the neat add‑ons that have been Shareware or Public Domain extensions — so you can have a hierarchical Apple menu, have windows collapse to just the title bar, reselect recently‑used items quickly, and more. Because many of these have now become part of the operating system, the overall reliability of the system should improve. Apple also claim that System 7.5 should be 'highly compatible' with existing software.

System 7.5 requires about 25Mb of hard disk space to be installed, and with the current prices, this may be a good time to increase your hard disk size — my new internal 540Mb drive cost just over £300. You also need at least 4Mb — and preferably 8 — of RAM, and twice these amounts for PowerMacs. However, you can reduce the RAM demands by not installing all of the features of System 7.5. I will report back on compatibility and other interesting aspects as I get to grips with it.

Yamaha Media Technology

CD‑ROMs, multimedia, and games often depend heavily on graphics, because the average computer user still only has a built‑in speaker, designed solely to cope with beeps. Most people don't bother to connect their computers up to their hi‑fi systems (which is perhaps not that surprising — my Mac generates some very loud transients when it powers up!), and therefore lose out when software is programmed to have an impressive combination of sound and vision. But rather than resorting to the domestic hi‑fi, how about adding a pair of active speakers to your system, specifically designed for computer use?

This is a good point to mention Yamaha's new Media Technology Division, and their new YST series of Multimedia Speakers. The YSTM10 model has all the features that you might not even know you needed — like all its controls on the front panel, where you can reach them, or magnetic shielding, to prevent distortion of your computer monitor picture when you place the speakers on either side of the screen. Yamaha's hi‑fi and electronics knowledge have been employed to the full on the YST10s — they use the new 'Active Servo' technology, which produces a bass response down to 80Hz from a speaker only 80mm across. And the price is quite a surprise: around £69 (including VAT). An essential purchase for the Mac multimedia user.

In complete contrast, the new division's other major hardware product is a CD‑ROM drive. Not just any drive, but the world's first quad speed CD recorder, which means that it can be used to create audio (CD), data (CD‑ROM) and even CD‑I compact discs, using write‑once CDs. With suitable media and software, you can make a 74‑minute disc in about 19 minutes. Contact Yamaha's Media Technology Division on 0908 366700, or fax them on 0908 368872.

Interactivity

Opcode have recently formed a new multimedia division, Opcode Interactive. I have been looking at two of their CD‑ROMs for the Macintosh (also available in PC Windows format): Allie's Playhouse and The Musical World of Professor Piccolo. Allie's Playhouse is designed for children aged from three to eight years old, and features two rooms in a house full of objects. When clicked on, these either lead into specific activities (like karaoke‑style nursery rhymes, or painting by numbers) or just make a noise. Some of the audio comes from the CD as high‑quality sound, and some comes from the Mac. Help is at hand from Allie the alien (whence the name of the CD‑ROM), and a 'friend', who describes what to do in each of the activities. With the aid of two judges, a two‑year old and a six‑year old, I reached a qualified 'thumbs‑up' verdict, although some more 'depth' would have been nice — more pictures to paint, more samples, more games options, and so on.

The Musical World of Professor Piccolo is designed for those of eight years and upwards, which includes adults too. The title page uses a view of 'Music Town' as the starting point for a wide range of fun and educational activities, all strongly tied to music — even the games! You can explore a symphony orchestra, dissect a rock song, learn about jazz music, read about and hear many musical instruments, and even take an interactive music course. The music theory lessons have some quite taxing exercises — the one on rhythm is quite a challenge at the higher levels. Again, my only major criticism is a slight lack of depth in some areas, but my six‑year old judge thought it was wonderful! The majority of the sound comes from the CD, so the quality is excellent — especially the Rock song example, where you can listen to each instrument in turn, while the rest of the band drops down in volume.

The program is fun, educational, and full of the musical emphasis you would expect from Opcode (Allie's Playhouse even has a page where you assemble samples into rhythmic sequences!). All in all, it's a good combination for anyone who wants to avoid the current crop of shoot‑em‑ups, horror and gore on CD‑ROM. The judges — oh, all right, it's a fair cop, they're my kids actually — certainly seem to put these CD‑ROMs alongside Broderbund's Just Grandma and Me and Arthur's Teacher Trouble in their request charts. Contact MCMXCIX on 071 723 7221 for availability details.

On The Net

After the Internet ftp server address given last month proved to have 'gone away', I began to wonder if it had been the victim of some sort of conspiracy. My fears seemed to be confirmed when one of the standard MIDI watering holes apparently moved because someone had been uploading copyright material (standard MIDI Files, perhaps?). And when you hear that the login blurb for some ftp sites grimly announces that 'this connection is being logged', you really do begin to think that perhaps 1984's Big Brother has arrived 10 years late!

Happily, the Internet is not all doom and gloom. One of the side effects of the media hype has been a matching explosion in companies who will provide Internet access, in much the same way as Bulletin Boards have been operating for years — and in fact, some of these companies seem to have their origins in BBS‑land. So it is very welcome that after many years, when my only route to 'The Net' was via a long distance call to London or Cambridge, I am promised that I will soon be able to surf with only a local call in the new year — a good belated Christmas present. Watch out for local providers in your area...