Apple computer deal

Canadian developers say they're ready to upgrade to Mac OS 9, now that some last-minute bugs have been exterminated.

There was some concern two weeks ago - when Apple Computer Inc., based in Cupertino, Calif., released the latest version of its flagship operating system - that it would not work properly with some of Apple's key software partners. These included Adobe Systems Inc., whose Adobe Type Manager (ATM), for example, wouldn't boot up on systems with Mac OS 9. Desktop publishing, along with multimedia authoring tools, represents a big part of Apple's audience.

However Harold Grey, group product manager with Adobe Systems in San Jose, Calif., said updates to correct the problems were posted on the Web in time for the OS's Oct. 23 launch date.

"There were some previous data structures that ATM was using that went away in OS 9," he said. "We knew these things were going to disappear; we didn't realize they were gone when they were gone. Things broke, and we just kind of scrambled to get a fix."

Grey said the testing took a little longer than anticipated, but according to Bruce Hough, national software specialist with Apple Canada Inc. in Markham, Ont., most developers had plenty of time. "We gave it to the developers three months ago," he said, adding that Apple changed the disk drive architecture to eliminate problems between Mac OS 9 and Symantec's Norton AntiVirus products.

While the problems appeared to be restricted to only a handful of programs, these applications can have a ripple effect on the compatibility of many other software titles. Tableworks, a Mac-based HTML tool made by SoftTools in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., for example, would be rendered useless if Mac OS 9 didn't interoperate with Quark Inc. products. Sarah Clancy, SoftTools' director of technical support, said the company ran into trouble a few years ago with Mac OS 8, a glitch which Apple eventually fixed.

The OS problems have not been limited to publishing. Salinas, Calif.-based Casady & Greene Inc., recently had to post updates for its Sound Jam MP MP3 player due to changes in the Mac OS sound manager. Other music-related software companies, like Edmonton-based Airworks Media Services, are just getting started on upgrades to work with the new OS.

"We're hopeful that we won't have a problem making it operate with OS 9," said Nick Kasper, Airworks director, whose Mac-based S/link converts sound files and sequences between platforms.

Apple has designed Mac OS 9 specifically for Internet users, and many of the 50 new features, including Internet file sharing, Network Browser, Internet AppleScript and an update to the Sherlock browser have been tailored to the Web. Hough said future releases may incorporate an Internet-based Help area rather than one which resides on the system alone. "That way users will get the most up-to-date information, directly from Apple's Web site," he said.

So far, sales of Mac OS 9 have been brisk, according to Ru McFarlane of Vancouver-based Apple reseller SOHO Computer Services. SOHO, which is selling Mac OS 9 for $159, has only seven or eight copies left, McFarlane said. "(Apple) releases their latest products and announces them too soon, before they have enough stock to actually ship," he said. "But once the stock builds up then of course it will be flowing quite readily."