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Apple Bandai Pippin

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Apple Pippin
Apple Pippin logo
Apple Pippin (Atmark Player)
Front and rear views of the Apple Pippin (Atmark Player)
ManufacturerApple Computer, Inc. (now Apple Inc.) and Bandai
Typemultimedia player
GenerationFifth generation (32-bit era)
Release dateJapan Limited December 1995, full March 28 1996
(Atmark Player)
United States September 1 1996
(@World Player)
Lifespan1995
Units sold42,000[1]
MediaCD-ROM
CPUPowerPC 603 RISC (66 MHz)
Storage5 MB combined system and video memory,128kb Flash RAM
Graphics"taos" (VGA/16-bit)
Controller input"Applejack": control pad with embedded trackball
Connectivity14.4 kbit/s modem
Online servicesPSINet/@World

The Apple Pippin was a multimedia platform marketed by Apple Inc. (then Apple Computer Inc.) in the mid 1990s. It was based around a 66-MHz PowerPC 603 processor, a 14.4 kbit/s modem and ran a stripped version of the System 7.5.2. 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 Apple had to spell Macintosh in order to avoid infringement).

Apple never intended to release Pippin on its own. Instead it intended to license the technology to third parties, a business model similar to that of the ill-fated 3DO; Bandai was looking at entering the CVG 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 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. Costing US$599 on launch,[1] and 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 a few thousand Pippins before discontinuing the system; production was so limited that there were more keyboard and modem accessories produced than actual systems.[2]

Katz Media Productions produced a unknown number in Ireland for Europe, labeled it the KMP 2000, and 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 was selected for an article entitled "25 Worst Tech Products of all Time" by PC World Magazine.

Technical Specifications

Hardware

  • 66MHz 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 44kHz sampled output
  • Stereo 16-bit 44kHz 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 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.

Method of making the CD was to create it on a Macintosh, or a Pippin with SCSI connector to external drive, to test function. Once final version was made, a Checksum of the CD was made and sent to Apple, who created a "key", that was added to the CD so a gold master could be released. During boot process, the Pippin would compare the Checksum to key before booting. If it failed, the CD would be ejected. It is possible to fool the Pippin if the new CD-R title had its checksum data edited before burned to match another known CD checksum (as seen with the "Hypermedia Netscape" CD)

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 US version, it had 18 titles sold separately, and 6 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 CD's 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, 33.6kbps)
  • Pippin memory (2, 4, 8, 16MB)
  • Pippin Floppy Dock
  • Pippin MO 256MB optical disk
  • Pippin ADB adapter
  • AppleJack to Macintosh adapter (For connecting Pippin devices to Macintosh)

Printers

Apple's StyleWriter 2400 or 2500 could be used.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Blake Snow (2007-05-04). "The 10 Worst-Selling Consoles of All Time". GamePro.com. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
  2. ^ Assembler. Apple Bandai Pippin. Retrieved Nov. 30, 2006
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