Boy those Apple guys are having a hard time swallowing this....
* The Yellow Box will also be hosted on a new Windows development and
* deployment platform slated from Apple, code named Yellow Box for Windows.
* This development and deployment platform will allow a Yellow Box
* application to be a first class Windows citizen, with complete Windows
* look and feel.
Don't eat the Yello snow...
~~~
This announcement is from:
Apple PR
Apple Announces Unified Development Strategy for Next Generation
Applications as Part of Rhapsody
New Development Platform, Code Name "Yellow Box", to Speed Creation of
Robust, Content-Rich, Cross-Platform Applications; Java Integrated
Throughout Next Generation System Software Product Line
WWDC, SAN JOSE, Calif.--May 13, 1997--At its annual Worldwide Developers
Conference (WWDC) Apple Computer, Inc. today outlined a radical software
development strategy for Rhapsody, the code name for its next generation
operating system. By utilizing the "Yellow Box" Application Programming
Interfaces (APIs), software developers will eventually be able to deploy
their applications on a wide range of operating systems including
Rhapsody, Mac OS, Rhapsody for Intel, Windows 95, and Windows NT. By
making the Yellow Box programming environment cross platform Apple
believes it can attract new software developers to the Rhapsody and Mac
OS platforms and expand the business opportunities for current Mac OS and
OPENSTEP developers.
Along with support for 100 percent Java, Apple also announced that the
programming interfaces for the Yellow Box will be exposed as Java
language calls. This will enable developers to write applications for
the new platform completely in Java thus extending the functional
capabilities of Java applications. Apple believes the Yellow Box will
allow developers to create best of breed applications, delivered across
multiple platforms, shortening development cycles and bringing the
benefits of Java to mainstream applications.
Avie Tevanian, senior vice president, Software Engineering, Apple
Computer Inc., said "What we have announced today is a compelling
proposition for software developers. As the Internet moves forward and
increases the need for heterogeneous networks, the Yellow Box is well
positioned to be a unifying force by including all major platforms in a
robust, media rich development platform. Developers can adopt the Yellow
Box APIs in the knowledge that their applications can be deployed on
multiple platforms."
Yellow Box Unifies Developer Proposition From Apple
The Yellow Box is a development platform for building robust,
content-rich desktop, Internet/intranet software applications. The
Yellow Box will be a key component in three future operating system
releases from Apple: Rhapsody, Mac OS, and Rhapsody for Intel.
The Yellow Box will also be hosted on a new Windows development and
deployment platform slated from Apple, code named Yellow Box for Windows.
This development and deployment platform will allow a Yellow Box
application to be a first class Windows citizen, with complete Windows
look and feel.
All Yellow Box-based products are an evolution of OPENSTEP--an operating
system independent, object oriented application platform. Integrating
the cross platform robustness of OPENSTEP technologies with Apple's
market leading digital media and graphics technologies will differentiate
the Yellow Box from other development platforms. Apple also confirmed at
WWDC that The Yellow Box development environment will include the
WebObjects framework that provides an HTML interface to its objects,
enabling developers to easily create dynamic web-based applications.
Apple's intention is to release a cross-platform suite of application
development tools for the Yellow Box . The "Prelude to Rhapsody" Program,
announced in April, provides early access and releases of some of the
tools. The initial suite of tools is expected to be introduced at the
same time as the developer release of Rhapsody and will continue to
support world-class object-oriented programming models. By integrating
tools from Apple, Metrowerks and others, software developers will be able
to leverage existing code and use programming languages such Java, C,
C++, and Objective C to create next generation applications. Because of
the rich collection of services and the dynamic nature of the Yellow Box,
programmers will enjoy new found increases in productivity.
Apple expects to integrate the Yellow Box into the following operating
system products:
Rhapsody
Rhapsody is the code name for Apple's next generation operating system
for PowerPC and will be the primary development and deployment platform
for Yellow Box applications. It includes four components: Core OS, based
on Mach technology; Blue Box/Mac OS compatibility environment; the
Yellow Box development environment; and Advanced Macintosh User
Interface. Apple expects Rhapsody to provide customers with an
environment that delivers industrial-strength performance, stability and
new classes of software for computing into the next century, while
preserving customer investment in hardware and software. Customers in
markets such as print publishing, multimedia, Internet/intranet Web
authoring, corporate application development and higher education and
engineering/scientific will quickly benefit from the advantages of moving
to the Rhapsody platform.
Mac OS
Apple intends to host the Yellow Box on a future version of the Mac OS,
code named Allegro. Allegro will be the follow on release from Mac OS 8,
scheduled for introduction in July 1997. Expected to be
available in mid-1998, Allegro will be based on current Mac OS underlying
technology and will include both the traditional MacOS APIs as well as
the capability of hosting the Yellow Box.
Rhapsody for Intel
Rhapsody for Intel is the code name for Apple's next generation operating
system for Intel-oricessor based personal computers. It includes three
components: Core OS based on Mach technology; Yellow Box development
environment; and Advanced Macintosh User Interface.
Timetable
Apple's intention is to release all versions of the Yellow Box-based
products simultaneously with major releases of Rhapsody. This should
ensure that all Yellow Box products stay synchronized to help developers
deploy applications across multiple platforms.
Initial Developer Reaction Favorable
Initial developer reaction to Apple Computer's unified development
strategy for next generation applications has been positive:
Lee Wilson, vice president of Marketing Chancery Software Ltd said, "We
are following Apple's Rhapsody strategy closely and believe that they are
making the right decisions about the platform. The cross platform plans
are important to all developers and we are pleased to see that Apple is
acting on this in a significant way."
Craig Isaacs, vice president of Sales & Marketing, Dantz Development
Corporation said, "Dantz is extremely pleased with Apple's decision to
support the Yellow Box APIs under Mac OS as well as Rhapsody, Rhapsody
for Intel processors, and Windows. The decision provides a boost for the
already outstanding OPENSTEP development tools. In addition, it's a huge
win for current Mac OS customers, since next generation versions of
products like our award-winning Retrospect software will be based on the
Yellow Box APIs.
"Apple has taken a major step to improve developer's business
proposition", said Greg Galanos, president and chief technology officer
of Metrowerks. "By bringing its 'Yellow Box' APIs to Rhapsody, Rhapsody
for Intel, Mac OS, and Windows, Apple is making it possible for
developers to write once and deploy on multiple operating systems in a
single step. In conjunction with Apple, Metrowerks will make these
powerful APIs available to all CodeWarrior customers for Rhapsody,
Rhapsody for Intel, Mac OS, and Windows targets."
As part of the Rhapsody development effort, Apple worked with Stone
Design Corporation to test an early version of their Create software
product on PowerPC.
"We are delighted to announce that Create is running on Rhapsody on the
PowerPC architecture, " said Andrew C. Stone, CEO and chief computer
scientist of Stone Design Corp (www.stone.com). "Once again, the
engineers at Apple have proven that the Yellow Box is the most stable and
elegantly designed development and deployment platform. Because Create
is an application created for the Yellow Box, I was able to port to
Rhapsody PowerPC in a matter of hours. Thanks to the Yellow Box, Create
already runs on other Operating Systems including Windows 95 and Windows
NT. We are shipping powerful, stable, cross-platform applications today."
"We're pleased to see Apple respond to the needs of its developers, and,
ultimately, to the needs of Mac users," said John Noerenberg, director of
Technology of Qualcomm's Eudora Division. "Bringing the Yellow Box onto
these platforms provides a more flexible migration path smoothing
everyone's transition to Rhapsody," added Alan Bird, Senior Engineer with
the Mac Eudora development team.
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