Halo Hardware to Top Mac Line
by David Morgenstern
from the February 1997 issue of Australian MacUser magazine
Apple this year hopes to put an extra shine on its Macintosh product lines with Halo, a strategy that will aim models at specific market segments. Sources said the company will offer several high-performance configurations with limited availability.
The Halo systems will reportedly offer the highest-speed single or multiple processors available and will provide unique features via bundled PCI cards. The models may also feature high-style enclosures.
Instead of competing with the top of a particular product line, Halo models are expected to complement lesser-powered systems that are aimed at a broader market. In addition to offering a significantly higher level of performance than the standard models, the configurations will reportedly carry premium prices and higher profit margins.
According to sources, the plan will let Apple operate in a manner similar to Macintosh clone vendors, which can come to market quickly with low-volume products. As a result, Halo configurations will likely be in short supply because of the limited availability of the highest-speed processors.
The strategy is reportedly part of Apple CEO Gilbert Amelia’s plan to simplify the Mac line to fewer motherboards. Rather than use many different motherboards to target market segments, the company will use a small number of boards that will be offered with different processors and hardware and software packages.
Processors under consideration for Halo systems include Exponential Technology’s new X704, which ranges from 466 to 533MHz, and 300MHz PowerPC chips that, at writing, were yet to be announced.
Sources said Apple plans Halo models running dual 300MHz PowerPC processors; IBM showed a prototype 300MHz PowerPC 604e processor late last year.
Another distinction in Halo implementations will be Apple’s industrial design. According to sources, Halo systems may use a high-concept minitower design, code-named Stumpy. The enclosure will reportedly sport a translucent-green front bezel.
Halo will also let the company provide users with high-performance subsystems that are tailored for strategic applications, such as digital-content creation and print publishing.
“Apple believes that success will come from selling solutions, not just boxes,” said one source familiar with the plan.
The models will come with different sets of hardware and software for each category, instead of providing users with technology not required for a given application. For example, pre-press configurations could offer multiple processors and high-speed storage but not digital video capabilities.
In addition, the Halo strategy will be applied to speed-bump versions of existing models, sources said. Instead of simply offering a faster processor, Apple might add higher-speed CD-ROM mechanisms or qualify recently released system components.