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Be Announces BeOS Version DR8


RELEASED AUGUST 5, 1996

For more information contact

North America & Pacific:
Alex Osadzinski, alex@be.com
+1 (650) 462-4126

Europe:
Jean Calmon,
jcalmon@beeurope.com
+1 49 06 73 75


DEVELOPER RELEASE 8 OF THE BeOS ANNOUNCED
Release integrates new 3-D, Internet, UI and hardware capabilities

MENLO PARK, Calif (August 5, 1996) - Be(tm), Inc., announced today that it will ship Developer Release 8 of the Be Operating System (BeOS(tm) DR8) during the week of September 2. The new version of the multiprocessor-based operating system adds large segments of new functionality to the system, including support for 3D graphics, integrated support for Internet mail, web, and remote log-in capabilities, new user interface classes and UI guidelines, the first version of the Game Kit, and wider support for new hardware.

"With previous releases of the BeOS we laid the foundation, framed the house and put in the plumbing, with DR8 you see us finishing the rooms and beginning to trim the windows", said Jean-Louis Gassée, Be's president and chief executive officer. "To us, DR8 also represents our continuing commitment to our developers, and much of what you see in this release is in direct response to the suggestions developers have made."

The BeOS is the heart of the BeBox(tm) computer system, introduced late last year. The BeBox integrates multiple PowerPC microprocessors into a personal computer system geared for digital design, including handling real-time media such as digital video and audio, computation-intensive graphics, and electronic publishing capabilities for CD, DVD, and the Internet. The BeBox offers an exciting alternative to the current evolutionary approach to personal computing platforms, designed to meet the demands of sophisticated computer users and developers who are frustrated by the limitations of current PC architectures.

The DR8 release builds upon the foundation of the BeOS, adding entirely new classes of capabilities as well as extending functionality of previous releases. DR8 highlights include:

Be 3D Kit. DR8 contains the first version of the 3D Kit, an object-oriented library that provides developers with lightweight, interactive 3-D graphics for use within any application. In conjunction with the 3D Kit release, Be announced that it has licensed OpenGL(r), the high-end graphics industry standard, and will be integrating OpenGL into the BeOS.

Integrated Internet Mail, Web Browser and Telnet. DR8 provides integrated, modular electronic mail capabilities based on the Internet's SMTP and POP mail standards, integrated into the BeOS's built-in database. The release also includes a new web browser, which includes support for forms, tables, QuickTime and MPEG movie playback and other HTML features. In addition, DR8 provides remote log-in using the telnet standard. All of these capabilities can be extended and/or replaced by developers.

Game Kit. DR8 introduces the Game Kit, which provides direct graphics hardware access, while maintaining application protection and system robustness. Direct access to the graphics hardware is often a prerequisite for developers building graphics-intensive applications.

New UI Elements. DR8 extends the BeOS user interface to include object classes for new user interface elements. In addition, Be will publish the first version of its user interface guidelines for the BeOS, based on input from hundreds of developers.

Extended Hardware Support. In addition to full support for multiprocessor systems using the PowerPC 603e, DR8 extends formal Device Kit and driver support for high-capacity drives, GeekPort devices, joysticks, and a wider range of graphics card operations.

In conjunction with the DR8 announcement, Be has also announced that it is working with Metrowerks to integrate Java into the BeOS. In addition, Be has announced new BeBox personal computer systems using dual 133 MHz processors.

"The DR8 release goes a long way towards adding the capabilities developers have been asking us for, in areas like 3-D, integrated Internet support and extended hardware support," said Erich Ringewald, V.P. of engineering. "That this release comes just four months after our last version validates the BeOS foundation for rapid software development."

Be has been shipping BeBox systems to developers since December of last year, and is making Be systems available generally next month. In addition, the company has plans to license the BeOS to personal computer producers, value-added manufacturers, and other players in the consumer electronics and computing industries.

BeOS Version DR8 will begin shipping the week of September 2 to developers who are already working with the BeOS. There is no upgrade fee for the new version. The new software will be preloaded on all new BeBox systems that ship to developers and end users after September 2.

 


About Be, Inc.

Be, Inc. was founded by Jean-Louis Gassée in 1990 to overcome the limitations of existing computer architectures. With a team of industry-leading engineers and business executives in the United States and Europe, the company has positioned itself to become a key player in fast-growing application markets. Be, Inc. is headquartered in Menlo Park, California.

Corporate Offices:

Be, Inc.
800 El Camino Real, Suite 300
Menlo Park, California 94025
Tel: (415) 462-4100
Fax: (415) 462-4129
Internet: http://www.be.com
e-mail: info@be.com
FTP site: ftp://ftp.be.com

 

European Offices:

Be, Inc.
Suite 336, Immeuble Olivetti
Rue de l'ancien marché
92800 Puteaux
France
Tel: (33) 1 49 06 73 77
Fax: (33) 1 49 06 73 79
Internet: http://www.beeurope.com
e-mail: infobe@beeurope.com

 


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