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Apple Pippin
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The Apple Bandai Pippin, known in Japan as , is a multimedia platform designed by Apple Inc. (then Apple Computer, Inc.) and produced by Bandai in the mid 1990s. It is based around a 66-MHz PowerPC 603 processor, a 14.4 kbit/s modem and runs a stripped version of the System 7.5.2 operating system. The goal was to create an inexpensive computer aimed mostly at playing CD-based multimedia titles, especially games, but also functioning as a network computer.
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The Apple Bandai Pippin, known in Japan as , is a multimedia platform designed by Apple Inc. (then Apple Computer, Inc.) and produced by Bandai in the mid 1990s. It is based around a 66-MHz PowerPC 603 processor, a 14.4 kbit/s modem and runs a stripped version of the System 7.5.2 operating system. The goal was to create an inexpensive computer aimed mostly at playing CD-based multimedia titles, especially games, but also functioning as a network computer. It featured a 4× CD-ROM drive and a video output that could connect to a standard television monitor. The platform was named for the Newtown Pippin, an apple cultivar, related to the McIntosh apple (which is the origin of the name Macintosh).
History
Apple never intended to release Pippin on its own. Instead it intended to license the technology to third parties; Bandai was looking at entering the console video game market, and chose the Pippin as its platform. Much later Katz Media also entered production, planning to use the platform as a low cost PC with web ability.
By the time the Apple Bandai Pippin was released (1995 in Japan; 1996 in the United States), the market was dominated by the Sega Saturn, Sony PlayStation, and soon Nintendo 64. In addition there was little ready-to-use software for Pippin, the only major publisher being Bandai itself. It cost on launch, and while touted as a cheap computer, the system, in reality, was commonly identified as a video game console. As such, its price was considered too expensive in comparison to its contemporaries.
Bandai manufactured fewer than 100,000 Pippins (reported sales were 42,000) before discontinuing the system; production was so limited that there were more keyboard and modem accessories produced than actual systems.
Katz Media Productions produced an unknown number in Ireland for Europe, labeled it the KMP 2000; it is the rarest of the Pippin models. The images here are of the KMP developer unit, which include the 50 pin SCSI connector for external devices used for developing new software.
In May 2006, the Pippin placed 22nd in PC World Magazine's list of the "".
Technical specifications
Hardware
- 66 MHz PowerPC 603 RISC microprocessor
- Superscalar, three instructions per clock cycle
- 8KB data and 8KB instruction caches
- IEEE standard single and double precision Floating Point Unit (FPU)
- 5MB combined system and video memory, advanced architecture
- Easy memory expansion cards in 2, 4, 8, and 16MB increments.
- 128K SRAM (Flash memory) accessible storage space.
- 4x CD-ROM drive
- Two high-speed serial ports, one of which is GeoPort ready, the other is LocalTalk
- PCI-compatible expansion slot
- Two ruggedized ADB inputs
- Supports up to four simultaneous players over Apple Desktop Bus (ADB)
- Supports standard ADB keyboards and mice with connector adapters
Video
- 8-bit and 16-bit video support
- Dual frame buffers for superior frame-to-frame animation
- Support for NTSC and PAL composite, S-Video and VGA (640x480) monitors
- Horizontal and vertical video convolution
Audio
- Stereo 16-bit 44 kHz sampled output
- Stereo 16-bit 44 kHz sampled input
- Headphone output jack with individual volume control
- Audio CD player compatibility
System software
- 3MB ROM version 7.7.D (version number on ROM boards is development 1.1, 1.2; production 1.3).
- Runtime environment derived from System 7, System 7.5.2 (if used, Enabler 1.1).
- PowerPC native version of QuickDraw.
- Reduced system memory footprint (most computer extensions features removed).
- Disk-resident System Software stamped on CD-ROM with title.
- System boots off of CD-ROM by default (but can boot off any SCSI device).
- Pippin System Software upgrades released through CD-ROM stamping operations.
- 68k emulator.
- Macintosh Toolbox intact.
Software
In every way the Pippin is a Macintosh. Most of the Pippin software will run on Classic Macintosh OS (few will work with Mac OS 9). A third party created a Pippin bootable CD with Netscape that had the Macintosh GUI (Enabler 1.1), but was stripped of many of the extensions and control panels found on regular Macs. At least one Japanese title (Ultraman) existed that could run on Pippin, Mac, and Windows.
Pippin CDs were created on a Macintosh or a Pippin with a SCSI connected external CD drive (for functionality testing). Once the final version of the software was ready, a checksum of the CD was sent to Apple and signed with Apple's private key. The signed checksum was applied to the gold master CD that was to be pressed and released to the public. The Pippin, during its boot process, would generate a checksum of the CD and compare it to the one signed with Apple's private key. Only if the checksums compared successfully would the boot process continue.
Software titles: Japan
A very large list of titles was produced for the Japanese version on release in early 1996. While some promised titles may not have been released, the number that was released is near 80 titles.
Software titles: USA
When Bandai released the U.S. version, it had only 18 titles sold separately, and six CDs came with the Pippin itself. Upgrades to the Pippin Browser were released as a new CD over time, and so was an update to TV Works (a text and drawing program).
Software titles: other
As mentioned before, a third party made a custom Pippin bootable CD with the Macintosh GUI on it. There were also a few demo CDs made by Bandai and Kats Media. Others may exist that have not circulated.
Accessories
- AppleJack controller
- AppleJack Wireless (IR) controller
- Pippin keyboard with drawing tablet
- Pippin Modems (14.4, 28.8, 33.6kbit/s)
- Pippin memory (2, 4, 8, 16MB)
- Pippin Floppy Dock
- Pippin MO 256MB optical disk
- Pippin ADB adapter (For connecting Macintosh devices to Pippin)
- AppleJack to Macintosh (ADB) adapter (For connecting Pippin devices to Macintosh)
Printers
Apple's StyleWriter 2400 or 2500 could be used.
External links
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