Virtual Reality Meets the Internet: Apple's QuickTime VR Now

NEW YORK, New York--July 14, 1995--(Macintosh New York Music Festival)
Virtual reality experiences are now possible for World Wide Web users,
thanks to Apple Computer's QuickTime VR software, available today for the
first time on selected World Wide Web sites. QuickTime VR-short for
virtual reality-is software that lets a user view a photographic or
rendered representation of a scene. Using the mouse and keyboard,
consumers can zoom in or out of a scene, navigate from one scene to
another, and even pick up and inspect objects. As the user changes his or
her view of the scene, correct perspective is maintained, creating the
effect of being at the location and looking around. QuickTime VR is the
first mainstream technology to enable immersive experiences based on real
world scenes.

To access QuickTime VR on the World Wide Web, Apple Macintosh users simply
download the free QuickTime VR player, choose the content they want to
view, download it to their computer and then explore the scene. For
example, a user could download a QuickTime VR file of the White House,
then take a virtual tour inside the building.

"QuickTime VR-one of the most important developments in interactive
multimedia-brings an entirely new type of experience to Macintosh users,"
said Satjiv S. Chahil, vice president and general manager of Apple's
Entertainment and New Media group. "Consumers with even entry-level
computers can tour places around the world, feeling as though they're
actually at that location. This is true breakthrough technology."

QuickTime VR files are exceptionally small, which makes them easy and fast
to download without using much computer disk space. In fact, a typical
panoramic scene can be as small as 200K. Besides the computer, no
additional hardware--such as accelerator boards, helmets, goggles and
gloves--is needed to view QuickTime VR scenes.

Multimedia creators appreciate QuickTime VR because it cuts down on
development time. Rather than rendering animations on expensive, high-end
workstations, developers can simply capture a scene with a standard camera
and convert it to a QuickTime VR file. In addition to photographs, hand
drawings and 3D rendered scenes can also be converted to QuickTime VR
files.

Partial Listing of QuickTime VR Content and Sites Starting Monday, July 17,
several World Wide Web sites will feature QuickTime VR scenes that
Macintosh users can download, including:

-- Apple's QuickTime Online:  (http://quicktime.apple.com)
   This World Wide Web site features QuickTime VR scenes of:
   - Chris Isaak performing at Bimbos nightclub in San Francisco, CA
   - Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, California
   - House of Blues, Los Angeles, California
   - New York nightclubs participating in the Macintosh
     New York Music Festival
   - Beastie Boys Spring Tour
   - Tuesday Night Music Club

-- eWorld, Apple's on-line information service, will feature QuickTime VR
scenes in the "What's New" section of the Apple Customer Center.

-- QuickTime VR Web site at: (http://qtvr.quicktime.apple.com) The
QuickTime VR site features extensive information on QuickTime VR, plus
some of the most compelling QuickTime VR scenes--such asthe White
House--available anywhere on the World Wide Web.

-- Macintosh New York Music Festival site:
(http://quicktime.apple.com/nymusic/) This site features QuickTime VR
scenes of several of the 15 participating night clubs in the Macintosh New
York Music Festival.

-- Beastie Boys:  (http://www.nando.net:80/BeastieBoys/) QuickTime VR
scenes of the Beastie Boys' sold-out Spring tour are included on this
site.

-- Reprise Records: (http://www.repriserec.com) Concert scenes of Chris
Isaak are featured on this site.

-- House of Blues: (http://underground.net/HOB/) This site features
QuickTime VR scenes from inside the House of Blues.

QuickTime VR System Requirements

The QuickTime VR player is available free on eWorld, the QuickTime Online
World Wide Web site at http://quicktime.apple.com and the QuickTime VR
World Wide Web site at http://qtvr.quicktime.apple.com. The minimum
Macintosh system required to use the QuickTime VR player is a
QuickTime-capable Macintosh with a 68030 25 MHz processor, QuickTime 2.0
(available for a nominal fee on the World Wide Web), System 7.1 or later,
8-bit video, 8 MB RAM. Currently the QuickTime VR player is only available
on line for Apple Macintosh users, though Apple expects to have a
Windows-based QuickTime VR player available in late 1995.

Developer Ordering Information

Developers interested in purchasing QuickTime VR Authoring Tools may call
APDA, Apple's source for developer tools, at 1-800-282- 2732 (U.S.),
1-800-637-0029 (Canada), or 716-871-6555 (international). The QuickTime VR
software developer kit is available for $495.

Customer Information Contact: If you are considering the purchase of an
Apple product and would like to have product information faxed to you,
please call 1-800-462-4396 in the U.S. or (415) 598- 4329 in Canada. If
you do not have a fax machine or would like to locate an Apple authorized
reseller near you, please call 1-800- 538-9696. Customers outside the U.S.
should contact their local Apple representatives for information.

Apple's home page on the World Wide Web: http://www.apple.com/

Apple Computer Inc
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014
408-996-1010
 
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