New products ready for Macworld
Meanwhile, a raft of third parties are lining up product announcements of their own for the show, which runs Jan. 4-8 in San Francisco's Moscone Center.
Video
Desktop video for consumers will be well-represented. Global Village, now owned by Boca Research, will unveil a hardware/software video-capture suite for Universal Serial Bus-equipped Macs running Mac OS 8.6 or later. Priced for consumers, the product will include easy-to-use editing software.
AVerMedia MicroSystems will also be showing digital video peripherals for consumers, including capture, editing and compression tools based on the USB and FireWire standards.
Portable video products are the bread and butter of iRez Video Products, which will be demonstrating the Kritter SV portable video system; the CapSure Card, a full-motion analog capture card in PC Card form; and the $69.96 Reel-Eyes video editing system.
Media 100 Inc. will be focusing on the professional market with its iFinish streaming media production systems. While it is based on Windows NT systems, iFinish includes support for QuickTime 4 streaming.
Audio software
Sonic Desktop Software will show off SmartSound, which the company bills as visual software for generating multimedia soundtracks.
Trexar Technologies Inc. will roll out Version 3.0 of MacTuner, its Mac-based product for receiving radio and television transmissions via the Internet, and will unveil a Mac-related portal site. Cakewalk will show off Metro SE, a new version of its audio and MIDI editing software.
3-D hardware
Formac Electronics Inc. will offer its Proformance 3 video accelerator PCI card bundled with its ProCyber 3-D Shutter glasses. Used together, the two produce a 3-D effect in RAVE and OpenGL games.
Although the company's only Mac products to date have been unsupported beta drivers, 3dfx Interactive Inc. will hold a press conference on the second day of Macworld Expo, prompting speculation that the company may be on track to introduce its new Voodoo4 and Voodoo5 cards for the Mac market.
For more multimedia gear on tap for Expo, check out Macworld.com's special report.
Graphics software
Binuscan Inc. will be promoting its $50 Watch & Smile photo-retouching application for consumers. The software also features QuickTime import and can create interactive slide shows. These shows can be exported to a dedicated Web site for viewing by visitors who have downloaded a free player application.
The new PhotoImpression 2000 will be the focus of Arcsoft's Macworld Expo presence. The software, available in Mac and PC versions, is aimed at consumers interested in retouching and manipulating images. It comes with templates for creating cards and calendars.
Kaidan Inc. and PictureWorks Technology Inc. will be revealing their PiXi Photographic VR Object Starter Kit and PiXi Manual Turntable tools for creating and managing VR photographs for the Web.
Storage
At Expo, storage vendors will capitalize on the FireWire and USB ports built into all new Mac models. QPS Inc. will roll out its new line of Que! USB and FireWire CD-RW and DVD-RAM drives with translucent iMac-style blue faceplates as well as new Que! SCSI CD-RW drives.
Meanwhile, MicroNet Technology Inc. said it will showcase an assortment of professional-level FireWire storage products.
Microtech International Inc.'s booth will feature the IBM Microdrive 170MB and 340MB, which the company bills as the world's smallest hard drive; SmartFDD USB external floppy; USB CameraMate, a digital film reader; and a variety of CompactFlash and SmartMedia cards.
For more storage product news from Expo, check out Macworld.com's special report.
Peripherals
Adesso Inc. will demonstrate a variety of USB devices, including the Tru-Form, an ergonomic keyboard in translucent blue; a compact, powered USB hub; and what the company said is the world's smallest USB keypad.
Wacom Co. Ltd. will offer its $99 Graphire USB input system which includes a cordless, scrolling mouse and cordless, pressure-sensitive pen, both in translucent colors that complement the iMac's design scheme.
Former modem manufacturer Global Village will be showing a PCI-based DSL modem card that will be available initially to ISPs, with a consumer version scheduled for release by mid-year.
The CompuCable Manufacturing Group will offer its GDock, which adds serial ports and more (four USB ports, two serial ports, one parallel printer port and one ATAPI converter) to Power Mac G3s and G4s.
PC peripheral manufacturer KB Gear Interactive will bring to the Mac its line of drawing tablets, digital cameras and learning keyboards. Most of the buzz surrounding this week's Macworld Expo/San Francisco focuses on new Apple Computer Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) wares that may (or may not) be announced during iCEO Steve Jobs' Wednesday morning keynote presentation.
Meanwhile, a raft of third parties are lining up product announcements of their own for the show, which runs Jan. 4-8 in San Francisco's Moscone Center.
Video
Desktop video for consumers will be well-represented. Global Village, now owned by Boca Research, will unveil a hardware/software video-capture suite for Universal Serial Bus-equipped Macs running Mac OS 8.6 or later. Priced for consumers, the product will include easy-to-use editing software.
AVerMedia MicroSystems will also be showing digital video peripherals for consumers, including capture, editing and compression tools based on the USB and FireWire standards.
Portable video products are the bread and butter of iRez Video Products, which will be demonstrating the Kritter SV portable video system; the CapSure Card, a full-motion analog capture card in PC Card form; and the $69.96 Reel-Eyes video editing system.
Media 100 Inc. will be focusing on the professional market with its iFinish streaming media production systems. While it is based on Windows NT systems, iFinish includes support for QuickTime 4 streaming.
Audio software
Sonic Desktop Software will show off SmartSound, which the company bills as visual software for generating multimedia soundtracks.
Trexar Technologies Inc. will roll out Version 3.0 of MacTuner, its Mac-based product for receiving radio and television transmissions via the Internet, and will unveil a Mac-related portal site. Cakewalk will show off Metro SE, a new version of its audio and MIDI editing software.
3-D hardware
Formac Electronics Inc. will offer its Proformance 3 video accelerator PCI card bundled with its ProCyber 3-D Shutter glasses. Used together, the two produce a 3-D effect in RAVE and OpenGL games.
Although the company's only Mac products to date have been unsupported beta drivers, 3dfx Interactive Inc. will hold a press conference on the second day of Macworld Expo, prompting speculation that the company may be on track to introduce its new Voodoo4 and Voodoo5 cards for the Mac market.
For more multimedia gear on tap for Expo, check out Macworld.com's special report.
Graphics software
Binuscan Inc. will be promoting its $50 Watch & Smile photo-retouching application for consumers. The software also features QuickTime import and can create interactive slide shows. These shows can be exported to a dedicated Web site for viewing by visitors who have downloaded a free player application.
The new PhotoImpression 2000 will be the focus of Arcsoft's Macworld Expo presence. The software, available in Mac and PC versions, is aimed at consumers interested in retouching and manipulating images. It comes with templates for creating cards and calendars.
Kaidan Inc. and PictureWorks Technology Inc. will be revealing their PiXi Photographic VR Object Starter Kit and PiXi Manual Turntable tools for creating and managing VR photographs for the Web.
Storage
At Expo, storage vendors will capitalize on the FireWire and USB ports built into all new Mac models. QPS Inc. will roll out its new line of Que! USB and FireWire CD-RW and DVD-RAM drives with translucent iMac-style blue faceplates as well as new Que! SCSI CD-RW drives.
Meanwhile, MicroNet Technology Inc. said it will showcase an assortment of professional-level FireWire storage products.
Microtech International Inc.'s booth will feature the IBM Microdrive 170MB and 340MB, which the company bills as the world's smallest hard drive; SmartFDD USB external floppy; USB CameraMate, a digital film reader; and a variety of CompactFlash and SmartMedia cards.
For more storage product news from Expo, check out Macworld.com's special report.
Peripherals
Adesso Inc. will demonstrate a variety of USB devices, including the Tru-Form, an ergonomic keyboard in translucent blue; a compact, powered USB hub; and what the company said is the world's smallest USB keypad.
Wacom Co. Ltd. will offer its $99 Graphire USB input system which includes a cordless, scrolling mouse and cordless, pressure-sensitive pen, both in translucent colors that complement the iMac's design scheme.
Former modem manufacturer Global Village will be showing a PCI-based DSL modem card that will be available initially to ISPs, with a consumer version scheduled for release by mid-year.
The CompuCable Manufacturing Group will offer its GDock, which adds serial ports and more (four USB ports, two serial ports, one parallel printer port and one ATAPI converter) to Power Mac G3s and G4s.
PC peripheral manufacturer KB Gear Interactive will bring to the Mac its line of drawing tablets, digital cameras and learning keyboards. Smith Micro Software Inc. said it will announce two new products as well as showcase HotFax MessageCenter Pro, its new Mac-based voice mail management package. Meanwhile, Pagoo.com will show off Pagoo Call Catcher, a service that takes voice mail messages when a single phone line is being used for Net connection, then plays the message on screen.
Pervasive Software Inc. said it will debut Tango 2000 for the Mac, which the company characterizes as a next-generation Web development environment for database-driven sites.
For more networking news from Expo, check out Macworld.com's special report.
Business software
FileMaker Inc. will roll out Version 5.0 of FileMaker Pro Server as well as show off FileMaker Pro 5.0, which it released in September.
Intuit Inc. will show the 1999 tax-year version of its Quicken MacInTax line of tax-preparation applications.
Likewise, Block Financial will release the 1999 edition of Kiplinger Tax Cut Deluxe.
After acquiring the applications from Now Utilities, Power On Software will demonstrate new releases of contact and scheduling software Now Contact and Up to Date. SPSS Inc. will preview its SPSS 10.0 data-analysis software, which the company said is "expected to return to the Macintosh platform in 2000."
Smith Micro will show Conexs, which enables live audio and video conversations over the Internet, and WebCatalogBuilder, an e-commerce product that uses templates for creating on-line stores.
For more business software bound for Expo, check out Macworld.com's special report.
Programming software
REAL Software Inc. will show the latest version of its REALBasic visual, object-oriented BASIC development environment. The company said this new version can import Visual Basic projects, easing the porting of applications to the Mac.
Gaming
The National Macintosh Gaming Championship 2000 Series will be held during the show, offering gamers the chance to test out the latest games and battle for bragging rights.
MacSoft will be selling the recently released Unreal Tournament first-person shooter. The company will also show the soon-to-be released Mac port of Civilization: Call to Power as well as announce several new titles.
The Mac version of Diablo II will be shown for the first time by developer Blizzard Entertainment. Bungie Software will show new movies of its upcoming games Oni and Halo, although neither will be in final form; the company also promises a surprise announcement.
Utility software
Connectix Corp. will launch new products "in the Virtual PC family." (Although it will remain at Version 3.0, the software will ship with new versions of the Windows operating system). The company will also demonstrate and sell RAM Doubler 9.
Utility maker Aladdin Systems will show Version 5.5 of StuffIt Deluxe, which the company said features 20 percent better compression and improved support for cross-platform file formats (including the PC-standard Zip format).
MindVision Software will remove the veil from new software that, the company said, "will change the way people use their Apple portables." The company will also show updates to MindExpander, its compression/expansion utility, and Installer VISE, its software installer. Smith Micro Software Inc. said it will announce two new products as well as showcase HotFax MessageCenter Pro, its new Mac-based voice mail management package. Meanwhile, Pagoo.com will show off Pagoo Call Catcher, a service that takes voice mail messages when a single phone line is being used for Net connection, then plays the message on screen.
Pervasive Software Inc. said it will debut Tango 2000 for the Mac, which the company characterizes as a next-generation Web development environment for database-driven sites.
For more networking news from Expo, check out Macworld.com's special report.
Business software
FileMaker Inc. will roll out Version 5.0 of FileMaker Pro Server as well as show off FileMaker Pro 5.0, which it released in September.
Intuit Inc. will show the 1999 tax-year version of its Quicken MacInTax line of tax-preparation applications.
Likewise, Block Financial will release the 1999 edition of Kiplinger Tax Cut Deluxe.
After acquiring the applications from Now Utilities, Power On Software will demonstrate new releases of contact and scheduling software Now Contact and Up to Date. SPSS Inc. will preview its SPSS 10.0 data-analysis software, which the company said is "expected to return to the Macintosh platform in 2000."
Smith Micro will show Conexs, which enables live audio and video conversations over the Internet, and WebCatalogBuilder, an e-commerce product that uses templates for creating on-line stores.
For more business software bound for Expo, check out Macworld.com's special report.
Programming software
REAL Software Inc. will show the latest version of its REALBasic visual, object-oriented BASIC development environment. The company said this new version can import Visual Basic projects, easing the porting of applications to the Mac.
Gaming
The National Macintosh Gaming Championship 2000 Series will be held during the show, offering gamers the chance to test out the latest games and battle for bragging rights.
MacSoft will be selling the recently released Unreal Tournament first-person shooter. The company will also show the soon-to-be released Mac port of Civilization: Call to Power as well as announce several new titles.
The Mac version of Diablo II will be shown for the first time by developer Blizzard Entertainment. Bungie Software will show new movies of its upcoming games Oni and Halo, although neither will be in final form; the company also promises a surprise announcement.
Utility software
Connectix Corp. will launch new products "in the Virtual PC family." (Although it will remain at Version 3.0, the software will ship with new versions of the Windows operating system). The company will also demonstrate and sell RAM Doubler 9.
Utility maker Aladdin Systems will show Version 5.5 of StuffIt Deluxe, which the company said features 20 percent better compression and improved support for cross-platform file formats (including the PC-standard Zip format).
MindVision Software will remove the veil from new software that, the company said, "will change the way people use their Apple portables." The company will also show updates to MindExpander, its compression/expansion utility, and Installer VISE, its software installer.