| Apple (Cupertino, CA) is embarking on a two- to
three-year project that will redefine the Macintosh's
proprietary hardware/software architecture to accommodate
industry standards and eventually merge with IBM's PReP
(PowerPC Reference Platform). Apple's goals are to slash
the manufacturing costs of Macintosh hardware, encourage
licensed vendors to produce Macintosh clones, allow Macs
to boot rival operating systems, and expand the market for
Mac-compatible hardware and software. When the process is complete, the Mac will still be a Mac, says Apple, but it will look different from the Macs of today. Some users will bypass the Mac OS in favor of alternative operating systems, such as IBM's OS/2, Microsoft's Windows NT, Taligent's TOS, or PowerOpen-compliant Unix. And future Macs will abandon such Mac-specific features as the ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) and NuBus slots. But the transition won't happen overnight, cautions Don Strickland, vice president for Apple licensing. It will take at least two years for Apple to eliminate the dependencies between its tightly integrated system software and hardware — a traditional strength of the Mac that nevertheless blocks Apple's path toward a more open platform, Strickland explained. The sweeping changes are a key part of Apple's new strategy to license its closely guarded system software and hardware to carefully selected vendors. To make that strategy succeed, Apple has realized it must redesign the Mac to work more easily with standard I/O buses, peripherals, and components. Some of the latest Macs already incorporate a few of these changes, such as internal IDE hard drives, optional PCMCIA slots, and 72-pin SIMM connectors. Apple has also stated its intention to replace NuBus with PCI, but until now, it wasn't clear how far Apple was willing to go to conform with IBM's PReP. Apple views the transition as a three-phase process that began with the introduction of the Power Macs and System 7.5, the latest version of the Mac OS that runs on 680x0- and PowerPC-based Macs. The next phase will further minimize the hardware dependencies in the Mac OS while overhauling the Mac's 11-year-old system architecture. The new foundation is called the MRA (Macintosh Reference Architecture), which will jettison some long-familiar features peculiar to the Mac. For instance, the Command key that distinguishes Mac keyboards from PC keyboards may even disappear. MRA-based Macs will also be able to cold-boot a little-endian operating system, such as NT or OS/2, says Strickland. Today's Power Macs can't do this; the only way to launch a little-endian operating system is to first boot the machine with System 7, which means two operating systems are running (that's how Power Macs currently launch MS-DOS and SoftWindows). In the final phase, Apple sees the MRA platform eventually merging with PReP — although Apple expects that PReP, too, will have evolved by then. The whole process will take two or three years not only because of the technical hurdles but also to protect the hardware investment of current Mac owners and avoid breaking the existing software base. Ultimate success depends on how fast Apple can resolve the compatibility issues and on how PReP continues to evolve in the meantime. Changes to the Mac OS will be phased in over the same period, with new features appearing in the next two versions, code-named Copland and Gershwin. Copland is scheduled for release in late 1995, and Gershwin in 1996. Apple outlined its future plans for the Mac architecture while announcing that it has licensed several PC vendors to sell the Mac OS or Mac clones. Apple declined to name the vendors, leaving that up to the vendors themselves. However, Apple expects the first announcements could come as early as fall Comdex, and that the first products could hit the market by next spring or summer. Contrary to previous statements, Apple says its licenses will not necessarily prevent clone makers from competing directly against Apple in U.S. retail channels. But that scenario is unlikely, Strickland says, because Apple is licensing vendors who will concentrate on markets where Apple has little or no presence. Examples might include Japanese schools or other relatively vertical markets that Apple lacks the resources to pursue. The objective, says Strickland, is to recruit vendors who have a shot at dominating those specialized markets, even against competition from PC compatibles. The licenses cover not only the Mac OS but also some elements of the Mac hardware architecture — such as proprietary ASICs required to manufacture Mac clones, and Verilog models of the ASICs (application-specific ICs) for those who prefer to design their own chips. Apple is also extending its volume discounts on ASICs and other Mac-specific components to licensees. In addition, the licensing package includes technical data, marketing information, sales materials, and customer-service training. This level of support will probably limit Apple's ability to license more than six vendors in the near future, Strickland said. Old Mac vs. New MacOld MAC New MACCopyright 1994-1998 BYTE |