Apple Seeds Developers with Speech Recognition Manager Software Development
Kit

MACWORLD, SAN FRANCISCO, California--January 9, 1996--Apple Computer, Inc.
today announced that it has begun seeding developers with Apple's new
Speech Recognition Manager software developer's kit. The Speech
Recognition Manager consists of a new application programming interface
(API) and extension that allow developers to easily incorporate Apple's
speech recognition technology into Apple Macintosh software applications.
This is the same speech recognition technology found in Apple's PlainTalk
1.4 suite of speech recognition and speech synthesis capabilities.

"We like to stay one step ahead of the crowd, and Apple technologies like
this one help us do that," said Todd Farrington, producer of the IndyCar
Racing II by Papyrus Design Group, Inc. "Apple made it easy; there was
almost no reason not to incorporate this ability. The technology--part of
the Macintosh operating system--can add significant enjoyment to the user,
yet it was insignificant to our production schedule because Apple's Speech
Recognition Manager made it so easy to incorporate."

With speech-savvy applications, customers will be able to interact with
their computers by talking. This means users of education, entertainment,
and business software will have a new and more natural interface on top of
the already intuitive graphical user interface provided by the Mac OS. A
current example of this expanded interface is Apple's Speakable Items
utility. This is a simple application that uses the Speech Recognition
Manager, and it is included with Apple's Power Macintosh 7500 and 8500
computers.

The Speakable Items utility allows the user to give commands to his or her
Macintosh computer via the PlainTalk microphone, and the Macintosh then
executes those commands.

"We believe that the best way for our customers to benefit from speech
recognition technology on the Macintosh is to provide developers with an
easy and inexpensive way to include what is considered one of the
industry's best speech recognition engines available in their
applications," said Dr. Kai-Fu Lee, vice president of Apple's Interactive
Media Group.

The Speech Recognition Manager will run on any Macintosh or PowerBook
computer that uses a PowerPC processor, has 16-bit sound input, and has a
PlainTalk microphone or an AudioVision monitor.

To obtain the software developer's kit, developers may contact Apple
Developer Support via telephone by calling (408) 996-1010, or e-mail:
DEVSUPPORT@AppleLink.Apple.com. The software developer's kit can also be
accessed at the developer information FTP site: ftp.info.apple.com on the
following directory path: Apple Support Area / Apple Software Updates / US
/ Macintosh / System.

Apple Computer, Inc., a recognized pioneer and innovator in the information
industry, creates powerful solutions based on easy-to-use personal
computers, servers, peripherals, software, online services, and personal
digital assistants. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Apple (NASDAQ:
AAPL) develops, manufactures, licenses and markets products, technologies
and services for the business, education, consumer, scientific &
engineering, and government markets in over 140 countries.

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 1-800-263-3394 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/
 
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