Apple Announces The PowerCD CD Player

New Portable Three-in One CD ROM Drive Offers Portability, Photo CD, and
CD-Audio Capabilities

HANNOVER, Germany--March 24, 1993--Apple Computer, Inc. today announced its
plans for the first in a line of CD-ROM-based multimedia products from its
Personal Interactive Electronics Division (PIE). PowerCD is a three-in-one
CD player that enables users to play CD-ROM, Photo CD and audio compact
discs. Apple expects the addition of PowerCD along with its existing
AppleCD 300 to further promote CD-ROM technology and enhance its offerings
for the Macintosh personal computer family.

Available as an external device, the portable PowerCD drive offers
three-in-one capabilities. The combination of PowerCDs multiple features
will offer users access to Macintosh CD-ROM titles on their computer, full
support for Kodak Photo CD formats and the ability to play audio CDs, when
connected to a television or Macintosh computer. The new PowerCD player
offers users a flexible portable device for accessing CD-ROM or Photo CD
discs for business presentations, reference databases, photo archives,
learning programs and entertainment. The PowerCD is light weight and can
be battery operated, thus making it a perfect peripheral for mobile
professionals.

"Building on the positive response Apple has received from our CD-ROM
offerings, the availability of PowerCD is great news for mobile business
professionals, home computer users and the CD-ROM community. Users will
have a light weight, easy to use, portable CD-ROM solution that can access
CD titles, view Photo CD images and play audio compact discs" said Gaston
Bastiaens, vice president and general manager of Apple's PIE Division.

PowerCD Capabilities 

PowerCD has a built-in SCSI port to enable users to connect their Macintosh
desktop or PowerBook computer and use it as a CD-ROM drive.

Viewing Photo CD Images on a Television or Macintosh Computer 

By connecting the PowerCD drive to a television, users can access
photographic images stored on single and multisession Kodak Photo CD
discs. By using the PowerCD remote control, customers will be able to zoom
in, rotate, crop and view images in any order. A Photo CD image is a
digitized version of a 35 mm photograph or negative that a user can also
open and view on the Macintosh computer screen. With the PowerCD drive and
a Macintosh computer running Apple QuickTime multimedia software, a user
can easily access high-quality images, cut, copy, and paste the images
into documents, and edit them using Macintosh graphics applications.

In addition to the Photo CD capabilities, PowerCD also supports the
ISO/High Sierra file format and the CD Digital Audio Format (CD-DA). These
formats allow CD title developers to integrate audio, text and graphics.
Business professionals will be able to take Photo CD presentations and
play them on a television for customers, customizing a presentation to
suit the customer's needs by preprogramming a slide sequence.

Playing Audio CDs 

The PowerCD player can be connected easily to a stereo system and
headphones to play music compact discs for high-quality digital sound.

Pricing, Availability and Distribution 

The PowerCD is scheduled to be available in the summer of 1993 through
authorized Apple resellers. Pricing, availability and distribution will
vary by country.

The PowerCD drive is intended to include a remote control for Photo CD and
CD playback, an AC adaptor and a CVBS cinch-style video cable to connect
to a television.

Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Apple is a leading supplier of
computers to consumer, education, business and government markets
worldwide. A recognized pioneer and innovator in the personal computer
industry, Apple has been named first in customer satisfaction among
business computer users in the United States for the past two years by
J.D. Powers and Associates.

Apple Computer Inc, 20525 Mariana Ave, Cupertino, CA 95014
408-996-1010

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