Radius (computer)
Encyclopedia
Radius was an American computer hardware firm founded in May 1986 by Burrell Smith
, Andy Hertzfeld
, Mike Boich, Matt Carter, Alain Rossmann and other members of the original Mac team specializing in Macintosh equipment.
Their products ranged from processor upgrade cards (Radius Accelerator) bringing Motorola
68020 processors to earlier Macintosh systems; graphics accelerators (Radius QuickColor); television tuners (RadiusTV); video capture cards (VideoVision); color calibrators (PrecisionColor); multi-processor systems (Radius Rocket) for 3D rendering and multiple OS sessions; high-end video adapters and monitors.
The first Radius product was the Radius Full Page Display, the first large screen available for any personal computer. First available for the Macintosh Plus, it pioneered the concept of putting multiple screens in a single coordinate space, allowing users to drag windows between multiple screens. This was a concept that Apple later incorporated into the Macintosh II, and Microsoft
added—more than a decade later—in Windows 98.
The second Radius product was the Radius Accelerator, an add-on card that quadrupled the speed of the Macintosh by adding a Motorola
68020 processor.
Another product was the Pivot Display: a full-page display that rotated between landscape and portrait orientation
with real-time remapping of the menus, mouse and screen drawing. The award-winning product design was by Terry Oyama, former ID
lead at Apple Computer
.
By late 1992, the company faced hard times. It faced multiple shareholder lawsuits, accusing senior managers of extensive insider trading
weeks before announcing the company's first unprofitable quarter; several failed R&D projects; a black eye from its bug-ridden Radius Rocket product; and a lack of market focus.
In 1993, following the company's first round of layoffs, the strategy was to live off the professional graphics market but build the video business. The company's first acquisition was VideoFusion, as Radius sought a toehold in the world of video production software. The company's engineering management was given the opportunity to partner with or acquire After Effects (originally by CoSA
, but acquired by Aldus
and later Adobe Systems
) but declined. Thus they missed the chance to own a product that would come to define the first decade of digital video.
In 1994, Radius acquired rival SuperMac
and shifted headquarters into the latter's building. The SuperMac acquisition netted Radius the Cinepak
video compression CODEC
, which was still supported by most encoders and almost all media players by the early 2000s. The acquisitions continued with Pipeline Digital and its professional time code and video tape deck control software.
In March 1995, Radius became the first licensed Macintosh clone
vendor, and offered two new products: the Radius System 100 and the Radius 81/110. In its final strategic direction, Radius licensed the brand name "SuperMac" to Umax
in 1996 for its Mac OS clones, changed its name to Digital Origin and returned to making video editing hardware and software, including EditDV
. Shortly thereafter, it was acquired by Media 100
and disappeared.
The advent of Macintosh computers with PCI expansion slots in 1995 saw the end of vendors that made expansion cards exclusively for Macintosh computers. With minor tweaks and new firmware, PC expansion card vendors were able to produce expansion cards for Mac OS computers. With their far greater production volumes from the PC side of the business, vendors such as ATI, Matrox, and others were easily able to undercut the prices of Macintosh-only vendors such as Radius.
In Jan. 6, 1999 Radius Inc. has changed its name to Digital Origin Inc.
The "Radius" trademark was acquired by Korea Display Systems (KDS) and is used in their line of CRT and LCD monitors
Burrell Smith
Burrell Carver Smith is an American engineer who, while working at Apple Computer, designed the motherboard for the original Macintosh. He was Apple employee #282, and was hired in February, 1979, initially as an Apple II service technician...
, Andy Hertzfeld
Andy Hertzfeld
Andy Hertzfeld is a computer scientist who was a member of the original Apple Macintosh development team during the 1980s. After buying an Apple II in January 1978, he went to work for Apple Computer from August 1979 until March 1984, where he was a designer for the Macintosh system software...
, Mike Boich, Matt Carter, Alain Rossmann and other members of the original Mac team specializing in Macintosh equipment.
Their products ranged from processor upgrade cards (Radius Accelerator) bringing Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
68020 processors to earlier Macintosh systems; graphics accelerators (Radius QuickColor); television tuners (RadiusTV); video capture cards (VideoVision); color calibrators (PrecisionColor); multi-processor systems (Radius Rocket) for 3D rendering and multiple OS sessions; high-end video adapters and monitors.
History
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
added—more than a decade later—in Windows 98.
The second Radius product was the Radius Accelerator, an add-on card that quadrupled the speed of the Macintosh by adding a Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
68020 processor.
Another product was the Pivot Display: a full-page display that rotated between landscape and portrait orientation
Page orientation
Page orientation is the way in which a rectangular page is oriented for normal viewing. The two most common types of orientation are portrait and landscape...
with real-time remapping of the menus, mouse and screen drawing. The award-winning product design was by Terry Oyama, former ID
Industrial design
Industrial design is the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production...
lead at Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
.
By late 1992, the company faced hard times. It faced multiple shareholder lawsuits, accusing senior managers of extensive insider trading
Insider trading
Insider trading is the trading of a corporation's stock or other securities by individuals with potential access to non-public information about the company...
weeks before announcing the company's first unprofitable quarter; several failed R&D projects; a black eye from its bug-ridden Radius Rocket product; and a lack of market focus.
In 1993, following the company's first round of layoffs, the strategy was to live off the professional graphics market but build the video business. The company's first acquisition was VideoFusion, as Radius sought a toehold in the world of video production software. The company's engineering management was given the opportunity to partner with or acquire After Effects (originally by CoSA
Cosa
Cosa was a Latin colonia founded under Roman influence in southwestern Tuscany in 273 BC, perhaps on land confiscated from the Etruscans...
, but acquired by Aldus
Aldus
Aldus Corporation, named after the 15th-century Venetian printer Aldus Manutius, was the inventor of the groundbreaking PageMaker software, a program that is generally credited with creating the desktop publishing field. The company was founded by Jeremy Jaech, Mark Sundstrom, Mike Templeman,...
and later Adobe Systems
Adobe Systems
Adobe Systems Incorporated is an American computer software company founded in 1982 and headquartered in San Jose, California, United States...
) but declined. Thus they missed the chance to own a product that would come to define the first decade of digital video.
In 1994, Radius acquired rival SuperMac
Supermac
Supermac may refer to:* Harold Macmillan, , Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963* Malcolm "Supermac" Macdonald, , a retired English football player and pundit...
and shifted headquarters into the latter's building. The SuperMac acquisition netted Radius the Cinepak
Cinepak
Cinepak is a video codec developed by Peter Barrett at SuperMac Technologies, and released in 1991 with the Video Spigot, and then in 1992 as part of Apple Computer's QuickTime video suite. It was designed to encode 320x240 resolution video at 1x CD-ROM transfer rates. The codec was ported to the...
video compression CODEC
Codec
A codec is a device or computer program capable of encoding or decoding a digital data stream or signal. The word codec is a portmanteau of "compressor-decompressor" or, more commonly, "coder-decoder"...
, which was still supported by most encoders and almost all media players by the early 2000s. The acquisitions continued with Pipeline Digital and its professional time code and video tape deck control software.
In March 1995, Radius became the first licensed Macintosh clone
Macintosh clone
A Macintosh clone is a personal computer made by a manufacturer other than Apple, using Macintosh ROMs and system software.-Background:...
vendor, and offered two new products: the Radius System 100 and the Radius 81/110. In its final strategic direction, Radius licensed the brand name "SuperMac" to Umax
Umax
UMAX Technologies is a manufacturer of computer products, including scanners, mice, and flash drives, based in Taiwan. The company also uses the Yamada and Vaova brand names.-History:...
in 1996 for its Mac OS clones, changed its name to Digital Origin and returned to making video editing hardware and software, including EditDV
EditDV
EditDV is video editing software released by Radius, Inc. in late 1997 as an evolution of their earlier Radius Edit product. EditDV was one of the first products providing professional-quality editing of the then new DV format at a relatively affordable cost and was named "The Best Video Tool of...
. Shortly thereafter, it was acquired by Media 100
Media 100
Media 100 is a manufacturer of video editing software and non-linear editing systems designed for professional cutting and editing. The editing systems are currently all based on OEM AJA Kona boards, with the exception of the Software-only Producer and Producer Suite, and run exclusively on Macs...
and disappeared.
The advent of Macintosh computers with PCI expansion slots in 1995 saw the end of vendors that made expansion cards exclusively for Macintosh computers. With minor tweaks and new firmware, PC expansion card vendors were able to produce expansion cards for Mac OS computers. With their far greater production volumes from the PC side of the business, vendors such as ATI, Matrox, and others were easily able to undercut the prices of Macintosh-only vendors such as Radius.
In Jan. 6, 1999 Radius Inc. has changed its name to Digital Origin Inc.
The "Radius" trademark was acquired by Korea Display Systems (KDS) and is used in their line of CRT and LCD monitors
Significant alumni
- Ed ColliganEd ColliganEd Colligan was president and CEO of Palm, Inc. Colligan is currently working at the private equity firm Elevation Partners, a major financial backer of Palm....
(Director, Marketing) US Robotics and Palm Computing - Andy HertzfeldAndy HertzfeldAndy Hertzfeld is a computer scientist who was a member of the original Apple Macintosh development team during the 1980s. After buying an Apple II in January 1978, he went to work for Apple Computer from August 1979 until March 1984, where he was a designer for the Macintosh system software...
(Software Wizard) Google News Timeline - Burrell SmithBurrell SmithBurrell Carver Smith is an American engineer who, while working at Apple Computer, designed the motherboard for the original Macintosh. He was Apple employee #282, and was hired in February, 1979, initially as an Apple II service technician...
(Hardware Designer)