For Immediate Release

Apple Announces Unified Printing Architecture for Future Mac OS Releases

QuickDraw GX Printing to be Removed in Favor of "Classic" Printing
Manager Drivers

CUPERTINO, Calif.-- March 3, 1997--Apple Computer, Inc. today announced
plans to unify the dual printing architectures currently supported by the
Mac OS and standardize on the use of "classic" Printing Manager drivers,
such as LaserWriter and StyleWriter, for future Mac OS 7.x releases. In
a move to simplify users' printing experience, Apple plans to remove the
printing architecture component of QuickDraw GX, refocus QuickDraw GX as
a graphics solution, and continue to evolve its Printing Manager drivers.

"Today's Mac OS users have access to two different print driver
architectures, along with two printing user interfaces," said Jim Gable,
vice president of AppleSoft marketing. "We believe that standardizing on
Printing Manager drivers will provide the best printing solution going
forward, while we continue to evolve the advanced color and type features
of QuickDraw GX."

Unified Printing Architecture
Beginning with the Mac OS scheduled to be released in July, code-named
Tempo, Apple will provide a unified operating system printing
architecture standardizing on the Printing Manager architecture's
drivers. With the unified printing architecture, QuickDraw GX printer
drivers and QuickDraw GX printing extensions will not be a user option at
installation.

QuickDraw GX
Apple added QuickDraw GX to the Mac OS in 1993, as an extension to
QuickDraw, the graphics display system built into the first Macintosh.
QuickDraw GX was designed to provide additional color, graphics, text,
and printing capabilities. Under the new unified printing architecture
strategy, the printing architecture of QuickDraw GX will be removed and
the technology will be refocused as a graphics solution.

Impact on Developers
In place of the QuickDraw GX 1.1.5 architecture currently available, a
modified system will be delivered as a separate software library. The new
implementation of QuickDraw GX will continue to offer Apple developers
the advantages of superior graphic and typography features for Mac OS.

Developers of QuickDraw GX applications will be required to modify their
applications to use the new shared library to print via standard
"classic" print drivers. Apple is currently working with these developers
to aid them in updating their applications by providing a method that
lets them print their existing and future QuickDraw GX-based documents
via the current "classic" drivers for both PostScript and raster
printers. For more information, a Tech Note will be available at Apple's
developer website: http://devworld.apple.com/dev/technotes.shtml/

Benefits:

- Developers do not need to support and test multiple sets of printer
drivers.

- Developers who use QuickDraw GX features can reach a larger set of
Macintosh users.

Developer Reaction:
"I think this will make life a lot easier for us!"
-Adil Allawi, Technical Director of Diwan Software (Adil@diwan.com)

"We believe that the graphics component of QuickDraw GX provides
unparalleled capabilities to Apple in the fast-expanding Internet
publishing market, and can swiftly establish Apple as the leader. This
move simplifies the delivery of the sophisticated QuickDraw GX graphics
component to users."
-Mihail S. Lari, president of Lari Software Inc.
(mlari@larisoftware.com)

"PaceWorks was an early champion of focusing QuickDraw GX as a graphics
solution only, and we are therefore very supportive of the Unified
Printing Architecture. The ability to access the superior graphic and
typography features of GX without changing the printing system will be a
benefit for both users and developers. We appreciate the fact that Apple
is so proactive in preserving and improving the superior graphics
capabilities of GX in the future version of its operating system."
-Phac Le Tuan, President & CEO of PaceWorks, Inc. (phac@paceworks.com)

Impact on Customers
Apple's new unified printing architecture will help provide a simplified
printing procedure for the customer. For applications that work in both
QuickDraw GX and classic printing environments, which describes the vast
majority of Macintosh software today, no changes will be necessary.
Customers wanting to print from QuickDraw GX applications will have to
obtain updated versions of the application to print via non-QuickDraw GX
Drivers.

Benefits:

- Users can benefit from GX enabled applications without installing GX
system software.

- Users no longer need to decide between two sets of printer drivers,
Classic, or QuickDraw GX.

Apple Computer, Inc., a recognized innovator in the information industry
and leader in multimedia technologies, creates powerful solutions based
on easy-to-use personal computers, servers, peripherals, software,
handheld computers and Internet content. Headquartered in Cupertino,
California, Apple develops, manufactures, licenses and markets solutions,
products, technologies and services for business, education, consumer,
entertainment, scientific and engineering and government customers in
more than 140 countries.

Press Contacts:
Nathalie Welch
Russell Brady
Apple Computer PR
email: welch.n@apple.com
email: brady2@apple.com