Developers Announce PowerPC Mac Applications

D. A.

Apple has distributed kits for developers who want to write applications for System 7 on the PowerPC. Numerous developers--both small and large--are announcing support for the Mac PowerPC platform. Apple's PowerPC Macs will run the many current Mac applications, but native applications will feature exceptional performance, according to developers. For example, Fractal Design says its early version of Painter, when running native on a PowerPC, showed speed improvements of two to four times versus the Windows version of Painter running on a Pentium.

Apple says that it will release its first Mac PowerPCs in the first half of this year, and sources say the first systems could ship as early as March 14. System 7 for the PowerPC is now undergoing final testing.

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Companies developing native Mac applications for the PowerPC.

ACI US 4th Dimension, 4D Server
Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop and other programs
Aldus PageMaker, Persuasion, FreeHand, Digital Darkroom, Fetch, and others
Artwork Systems (Belgium) Vectorization and PostScript editing applications
   for high-end labeling and packaging applications
Canto Software Cumulus image database
Claris ClarisWorks and other applications
Deneba Canvas precision-drawing program
Fractal Design Fractal Design Painter, Fractal Design PainterX2,
   and other applications
Frame Technology FrameMaker for Macintosh
Graphisoft Software Development ArchiCAD architectural building modeler
Great Plains Dynamics 2.0 and Dynamics C/S+ accounting software
HSC Software Kai's Power Tools image-editing application
Insignia Solutions SoftWindows for the Mac with PowerPC
Itedo Software (Germany) IsoDraw 2-D graphics
Metrowerks (Canada) Compilers
Microsoft Excel, Word, Works, Mail, Pr
oject, Schedule+, and PowerPoint
Specular International Infini-D, BackBurner, and other applications
Wolfram Research Mathematica
WordPerfect WordPerfect, WordPerfect Works, and probably WordPerfect Office