Newsbytes - Internationa…ews 1983 May to 1994 June/Newsbytes - International Computing Industry News 1994 Edition - May 1983 - June 1994 - Wayzata Technologies (5045) (1994).iso/pc/text/mac_text/1992/nb920914

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(NEWS)(TRENDS)(DEL)(00001)

Online Stock Trading Begins In Bombay 09/14/92
BOMBAY, INDIA, 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- The computerized system of
"Over-The-Counter Exchange of India" (OTCEI) is operating in the
Bombay Stock Exchange. The high-tech system permits stock market
investors to go in for computerized trading of shares.

It is based around two DEC 4300/4200 systems, and cost Rs 15 million.
Dealers' and members' computers are linked to the OTCEI system,
which has more than 130 members and can take care of 25 million
investors. By the middle of the next year, seven more cities,
including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Delhi, Hyderabad and
Madras, will be linked to the OTCEI system. On the cards is a
plan to connect several more cities like Baroda, Coimbatore,
Kanpur, Jullundar and Patna.

Trading will no longer be in the traditional stock market "ring."
All dealers and members of the OTCEI are connected by a telecom
network to the OTC's central computer. Investors trade with a
document called counter-receipt (CR) in place of share certificates,
but the investor can still obtain a share certificate by submitting
his or her CR. The CR is issued by the OTCEI after the deal is
concluded. For buying and selling shares through a dealer's network,
all that an investor has to do is register himself/herself at the
OTCEI and approach a dealer of the Counter Exchange. Corporate
bodies, partnership firms, and individual institutions are the
likely dealers. Public financial institutions, scheduled banks,
mutual funds, banking subsidiaries, merchant banks, non-banking
financial institutions, and venture capital companies are qualified
to become members.

OTCEI is being backed by the country's major financial organizations
such as Unit Trust of India, Industrial Credit and Investment
Corporation of India, Industrial Development Bank of India, SBI
Capital Markets Ltd., Industrial Finance Corporation of India,
Life Insurance Corporation of India and General Insurance
Corporation of India and its subsidiaries.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19920912)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00002)

UK: Co-Op's Low-Cost Computer Conference 09/14/92
LOUGHBOROUGH, LEICESTERSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- The
Co-operative Union has announced its annual residential computer
conference, which is held at its education department
headquarters.

This year sees the low-cost conference spanning three days,
from the 16th to the 18th of October. According to Judith
Allibone, the Co-op's member education promotions officer, the
event will take its usual informal character and feature a number
of demonstrations of computer hardware and software.

The idea of the conferences, which were started in the mid-1980s,
is that attendees use the event to exchange ideas about their
use of computers. Each day is loosely arranged around a number
of demonstrations. This years, the planned demos include the
"computer doctor" Simon Porritt, who will be showing how to
tune and/or upgrade your PC, as well as a short course on
programming in Microsoft Visual Basic.

Other demonstrations include computer communications with Grant
Burch and a run-down of OS/2 version 2.0.

The three-day event is being held once again at Stanford Hall,
the Co-op's conference center, which includes a swimming pool
and a theater on its long list of facilities. The hall is
about four miles from Loughborough.

The conference starts at 5pm on the Friday and runs through
Sunday afternoon. Conference fees have been set at UKP 65,
which includes all accommodation and meal costs.

(Steve Gold/19920910/Press & Public Contact: Len Burch - Tel:
0509-852333; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00003)

UK: Alpha Microsystems Expands Notebook Options 09/14/92
MAIDENHEAD, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Alpha
Microsystems has unveiled three enhancement products for its
Bookstar notebook PC: an expansion box, monitor bag, and 80387
math coprocessor.

The Bookstar is a small footprint notebook launched in April of
this year and is based around a choice of microprocessors:
16MHz 80286, or 25MHz 80386SX. The machine comes with a choice of
52, 105, or 120MB hard disks, as well as 1 megabyte (MB) of
memory, expandable to 8MB internally.

The expansion box for the Bookstar provides users with two full-
length (one 16-bit and one 8-bit) and two half-length 16-bit
expansion slots in addition to the single 16-bit slot built into
the Bookstar.

Announcing the additions, Helen Johannsen, Alpha's marketing
manager, said that the expansion box sells for UKP 416, while the
monitor bag and math coprocessor sell for, respectively, UKP 40
and UKP 84.

"The sales success of the Bookstar has surpassed our
expectations. Even so, we have maintained our policy of gaining
feedback from our customers, and our new product announcements
today are a reflection of user requests," she said.

The Bookstar, in common with the rest of Alpha's computers, is
budget priced. The 286-based version costs UKP 649, while the
80386SX-based version sells for UKP 829.

(Steve Gold/19920910/Press & Public Contact: Alpha Microsystems -
Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00004)

DR-DOS Rated Tops By Government Users 09/14/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- A recent Government
Computer News survey of federal government users shows that, at
least in the government, Digital Research's DR-DOS version 6.0
outranks Microsoft's MS-DOS 5.0 in most categories. MS-DOS 5.0
and DR-DOS version 6.0 both outrank the earlier DR-DOS version
5.0 in all categories.

The survey had five times as many responses from MS-DOS users,
indicating the massive dominance of the Microsoft operating
system, and even outweighed DR-DOS in the highly important
"reliability" category, but was edged out in the overall ratings
by what was seen as DR-DOS's superior documentation, efficient
use of memory, speed, ease of installation, customizability, and
support.

Besides reliability, MS-DOS also rated high in variety of
applications, compatibility, hardware-supported, and the two-tied
quality of applications category.

Government Computer News regularly surveys a large number of
federal computer users (4,000 in this survey - 528 responses) to
determine both what they consider the most important features of
products and which product they prefer in a specific category.

Government users rate reliability as the most important feature
of an operating system, with customizability ranked last. Other
microcomputer operating systems did not receive a statistically
significant number of votes to be included in the survey results.

(John McCormick/19920910/)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00005)

New For PC: Autodesk's 3D Home Designs, Remodels 09/14/92
BOTHWELL, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Autodesk says
home owners can not only user their computer to help create
plans to design or remodel their home, but they can actually do
a three dimensional walk-thru of their completed plans. Newly
announced 3D Plan, a companion product to the company's Home
Series for building plans, makes the three-dimensional walk-
thrus possible.

Five titles are available in the Home Series for building,
remodeling, or landscaping projects: Home, Bathroom, Kitchen,
Landscape, and Deck. However, 3D plan will allow two-
dimensional drawings created in one of the Home Series products
to be viewed in a 3-D view, with accurate room dimensions,
color, and shading, Autodesk said.

A drawing created in one of the Home Series products can be
brought up in 3D Plan, where the user can change his viewpoint
to any location with the visual effect of looking around and
actually walking through the space. Using the arrow keys, users
can move around a room's perimeter, "look" through a doorway or
window, and scan a room from its center.

The plan can be viewed in solid, shaded, or wire frame mode,
and users can experiment with color changes in up to 16 colors.
The three dimensional plan can also be printed for architects
or contractors, Autodesk added.

For the two most expensive rooms in the house, the Kitchen and
the Bathroom programs produce on-screen floor plans and
automatic side views. All the Home Series products come with
pre-drawn symbols, so placing doors, windows, appliances,
sinks, vanities, electrical outlets, vents, tubs, and other
symbols can be accomplished with a mouse. The symbols can also
be rotated, copied, or moved to fit and the 3D Plan product is
able to convert the symbols into three dimensional equivalents,
Autodesk said.

Square footage and distances can also be calculated and a
shopping list of materials can be printed of all the materials
used in the Kitchen, Bathroom, Landscape, and Deck programs.
On-line help, an instructional guide, and a "Quick Start"
reference card are included in each product as well, the
company added.

The Home Series and 3D Plan require an IBM or compatible
computer, DOS 3.0 or higher, a hard disk drive with 1.4
megabytes (MB) free for each of the Home Series products and 2
MB free for 3D Plan, 640 kilobytes (K) of random access memory
(RAM), a mouse, and a graphics card. The company says any
graphics card will work, but a minimum of EGA is required for
color views.

With the average cost of an actual kitchen remodelling at $20,000,
the Home Series products seem to be a bargain at a retail price of
$59.95 each. The Home Series is currently available, the
company said, however, the 3D Plan product is expected to ship
October 1 and will be retail priced at $49.95.

Bothwell, Washington-based Autodesk Retail Products Division is
a subsidiary of Sausalito, California-based Autodesk, well-
known among architects, engineers, and designers for its
industry-standard computer-aided design (CAD) product Autocad.
Autodesk acquired the Bothwell facility in its purchase of
Generic Software in 1989. Generic Software developed and
distributed Generic CADD as a shareware software product.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920911/Press Contact: Sue Whitcomb,
Autodesk, tel [phone] ext 4528, fax [phone]; Public
Contact, 800-228-3601)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00006)

Hitachi Neurocomputer Based On Chaos Theory 09/14/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Hitachi has developed
neurocomputer software based on the Chaos Theory. This means the
computer can deal with obscure data -- or find order in disorder.
Hitachi has already applied the software to stock price analysis
and forecasting.

Hitachi has created the software using its original neural network.
The program operates on Hitachi's non-Von Neumann-type 3050 Unix
workstation.

A neural network is a computer system which simulates the thinking
process of human beings. It incorporates pattern recognition
and analogy. Although many computer firms have been developing
neurocomputers since the 1980s, Hitachi has entered a practical
phase of its development, saying it has developed the neurocomputer
for analysis of stock trends. The software was able to predict
stock prices a few days ahead with 70-percent accuracy, Hitachi
claims. In fact, Hitachi has already released this program for its
workstation users. Customized versions will also be released
for various industries in the near future.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19920911/Press Contact: Hitachi, +81-
3-3258-2057)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00007)

IBM's Top 10 Viruses Are Boot Sector Infectors 09/14/92
YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Jeffrey
O. Kephart, a member of IBM's High Integrity Computing
Laboratory which is focused the development of strategies for
combating computer viruses and other breaches of computer
security, said the top ten computer viruses are mostly boot
sector viruses. IBM's Cert Agency tracks viruses and offers
services as a central reporting agency to companies in the area
of computer virus attacks.

Kephart, who experiments with computer viruses with other IBM
researchers in an isolation lab in New York, said the current
list is, of necessity, about six months old. However, the list
will give users an idea of the types of viruses IBM is finding
"in the wild," Kephart added. Of this top ten list, the top two
account for nearly one third of the viruses reported in the
year 1991, Kephart added.

The top ten is as follows: Stoned; Form; Jerusalem (including
Jerusalem B); Cascade or the 1701 or 1704; Joshi; Yankee Doodle
(plays the tune "Yankee Doodle" when activated); Flip (turns
the screen upside down); 1575 or Green Caterpillar; and the
Tequila.

As part of the fight against computer viruses, IBM recommends
companies set up some internal central reporting agency in the
company or as an outside agency to which virus incidents are
reported. This agency is then responsible for tracking the
incidents of virus occurrences and can be prepared with
information and tools to combat the problem.

Since IBM has found the way most viruses are spread is by
friends or associates exchanging disks, Kephart told Newsbytes
it's extremely effective in eliminating viral attacks to check
all the computers in the physical vicinity of the infected
machine.

One note of interest in the prevention of boot sector viruses
was announced by American Megatrends, Inc. (AMI). The company
said it has built the ability to write-protect the boot
sector of all disks into its new Hi-Flex Basic Input/Output
System (BIOS).

Like a write protect tab on a floppy disk, AMI says the Hi-Flex
BIOS can be enabled so any write attempt to the boot sector
will be detected and the attempt disallowed. The BIOS is also
designed to notify the user that a write attempt has been made.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920911/Press Contact: John Osmundsen, IBM,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public Contact; IBM Cert
Agency, US 800-742-2492, Netherlands 06 0343, Internet
[e-mail]; Ray Bridenbaugh, AMI, tel [phone],
fax [phone]; Public Contact, 800-828-9264)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SYD)(00008)

Australia: Laptop Keeps Track Of Skiing Injuries 09/14/92
SNOWY MOUNTAINS, AUSTRALIA, 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Innovative software
developed by the New South Wales (NSW) Ski Patrol and run on a
laptop computer is allowing the Patrol to keep track of injuries and
rescues during the current ski season. The statistics were
previously kept manually, but with the laptop details can be entered
and collated much more easily.

The database program allows details of accidents to be entered from
the Perisher/Smiggins, Blue Cow/Guthega, Thredbo, and Mount Selwyn
snow fields. These details are then reported to the Volunteer Rescue
Association, the body responsible for most of NSW's rescue
operations. The database should allow a quicker analysis of the
season, and will facilitate comparisons previously infeasible.

The software also tracks Patrol members' performance - they are
awarded points on the basis of the hours, time of the day, and shifts
worked, as well as where they work. To remain registered in the
service, members must reach a certain number of points in a season.

Peter Wachtel, honorary treasurer of the Ski Patrol, sees many
advantages of the software over the manual system. "We are not only
compiling accident reports. The information gives us a full
breakdown on the weather, snow conditions and equipment used,"
Wachtel said. The system will be required to track the approximately
3000 injuries on the slopes this year - ranging from torn ligaments
to heart attacks.

(Sean McNamara/19920911)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SYD)(00009)

Australia: Inaugural Software Developers Conference 09/14/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- ASD '92, the first
Australian Software Developer's conference, is to be held in
Sydney on 25, 26 and 27th November. The aim is to provide an
opportunity for developers to gain essential knowledge on
programming techniques, development issues, and the latest
product and industry trends.

It will include around 40 high-level technical training sessions
presented by industry leaders, exhibits from a range of
development tool vendors, and forum discussions on
developments issues led by local and international speakers.

The conference is being hosted by Melbourne-based distributor
Microway, and Microway's David Looke said it grew out of a
research study conducted among the local developer community
earlier this year. "The study revealed that Australian developers
feel neglected when it comes to quality development training and
receiving the latest development information. We decided it was
time that the development community had a national independent
event, focusing on Australian development issues and playing a
vital role in education." He said the underlying aim was to
improve the competitiveness of Australian software exports.

Symantec is a "gold" sponsor of the event, and Symantec's
Australian general manager, Gary Sexton, said, "Since the
establishment of our Australian offices two years ago Symantec
has made some significant advances in the development arena.
This includes products like Zortech compilers, Multiscope
debuggers, and Actor object-oriented programming tools as well
as the Think range of development tools for the Mac."

He added "We have a strong development product story to tell
and our commitment to the technical training and increased
productivity of the Australian developer is evidenced by our
sponsorship of ASD '92."

(Paul Zucker/19920911/Contact: Symantec Australia tel. +61-2-
879 6577 fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00010)

Rockwell's New Call Processing System 09/14/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Rockwell
International announced a new call processing system called
Spectrum, which can handle many new functions.

In addition to automatic call distribution, Spectrum offers voice
processing, automatic outbound call management and PBX functions,
functioning as a private business phone switch. Rockwell said the
device is made at its plant in Downers Grove, Illinois. The
device is a successor to its original Galaxy call processor,
which is designed to handle the large volumes of incoming calls
as in catalog sales centers. The new system is designed for
companies with as few as 25 and up to 400 telephone service
agents, meaning it can be used by much smaller companies than
the older system.

Spectrum, which competes with equipment from AT&T, Northern
Telecom and Siemens' Rolm unit, costs about $3,000 to $4,000 per
operator.

Rockwell indicated it could be a big hit in the export market where
many countries are only now getting the kinds of toll-free 800 lines
and "operators standing by" that US consumers have come to take for
granted. Rockwell said Spectrum is currently in regulatory
approval testing in the United Kingdom, with deliveries expected
early next year. The product will be delivered in Japan by 1994,
Rockwell indicated.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920911/Press Contact: Chris Castro, Rockwell
International, 310-797-5819)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00011)

Canada: Pen Computing, Virtual Reality In Show Plans 09/14/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Areas devoted to pen
computing and wireless networking and a virtual reality showcases
will be among the features of the 1992 Canadian Computer Show and
Conference, scheduled for Toronto's International Centre November
23-26.

Organizers also plan operating home office and mobile office
displays, and a consultants' forum in which visitors will be able
to discuss their business computing concerns with consultants
one-on-one. Both of these features are being put together with the
help of Arthur Andersen Consulting, and the home office and mobile
office displays will be sponsored by the national weekly
news magazine Maclean's.

Robert Grainger, manager of the show, said this year will also see
the continuation of the software center, which provides facilities
for small software developers to demonstrate their products without
the expense of bringing in hardware and booth materials.

A "pen-based technology village" will include demonstrations of
"the latest developments in pen-based computing," Grainger said.

At a preview press conference, reporters were treated to a
demonstration of virtual reality technology that promises to be a
crowd-pleaser at the show. A pair of units put together by
Toronto-based Virtuality Canada allow two players to battle in a
simple simulated environment.

Standing on a small, railed platforms, players have their movements
recorded by an electronic belt and see their surroundings and their
opponents on a helmet-like display. Visitors to the Canadian
Computer Show will be able to play the game, which was also on
display at the recent Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto.

Conference coordinator Karen Dalton outlined highlights of this
year's conference. They include keynote speakers Jim Manzi,
president and chief executive of Lotus Development, Hamid Mirza,
vice-president and chief database architect at Borland
International, and Theresa Myers, president and chief executive of
Quarterdeck Office Systems. Manzi will talk about groupware, Mirza
about object-oriented programming, and Myers about advanced
software technology.

Gordon Eubanks, president and chief executive of Symantec, will
speak about computer security on the first morning. Other
conference highlights include an address by Frank Clegg, president
of Microsoft Canada, on software piracy, and one by Paul Kennedy,
president of International Data Corp. (Canada) on "the
dis-integration of the information technology industry."

Show visitors can preregister for C$11 or pay $20 at the door. The
full three-day conference costs $395, with certain portions
available separately for lower fees.

(Grant Buckler/19920911/Press Contact: Gail Bergman, Canadian
Computer Show, 416-422-1414; Public Contact: Industrial Trade and
Consumer Shows, 416-252-7791, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LAX)(00012)

New For Unix: Nextstep Release 3.0 09/14/92
REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Next
Computer has announced the latest release of its
object-oriented operating system -- Nextstep Release 3.0. Several
other companies have made companion announcements about
products for Release 3.0, including Novell with its Client
Server Software that's built into the new release.

Next says its system shines in the area of custom applications
where shrink-wrapped, off the shelf software won't do the job.
Next also claims its system can also integrate custom
functionality with shrink-wrapped applications and with
standard networking and connectivity tools.

Release 3.0 adds custom application development tools,
according to Next, as well as more interoperability, information
sharing across documents and applications, and enhanced
graphics. The company says, per customer requests, it has added
more color in the user interface. Release 3.0 will also run any
application created for the previous version, Release 2.0.
However, one of the biggest changes in Release 3.0 is the
incorporation into the operating system of Novell's Netware
client software.

Next says the inclusion of Novell Netware in Nextstep Release
3.0 is the first time Novell client software has been bundled
on a Unix platform. Next says its Nextstep workstations can
automatically and transparently share files, printers, and
other network services that are available on any Netware
server, including Netware 2.2 and Netware 3.11, because of the
inclusion of the IPX protocols.

Next is boasting the Netware integration is so complete it
allows access to all networks including NFS, Appleshare, and
Netware with the same single interface. Netware application
programming interfaces (APIs) are also included in Release 3.0
for use by application developers, Next added.

Also included is a Database Kit, a 3D Graphics Kit, a Phonekit,
and an Indexing Kit. The 3Dkit is based on Pixar's Renderman
standard (both Interactive and Photorealistic RenderMan). Next
says the 3Dkit allows developers to add three-dimensional
graphics to new or existing Nextstep applications.

A built-in Database Kit offers faster creation of
client/server database driven applications, Next said. It also
offers a single interface to structured query language (SQL)
databases from vendors such as Sybase and Oracle.

The Phonekit offers support for Integrated Services Digital
Network (ISDN) and plain old telephone service (POTS). This
allows for telephony applications, such as smart answering
machines and video conferencing.

The Hayes Microcomputer Products Company has also provided its
ISDN Extender to Nextstep Release 3.0, a telecommunication
network interface module that provides ISDN Basic Rate Access
as well as analog telephone connectivity. The Hayes ISDN
Extender, when used in conjunction with the Phonekit, can be
used for point-to-point communications and remote local area
network (LAN) access. Next says it expects third-party software
to be developed to support high-speed, digitized voice, data,
and multimedia applications for the Nextstep.

The built-in ISDN capabilities also offer connections for wide-
area networks (WANs), Next said.

The Indexing Kit offers tools for storing, indexing and
retrieving text or record-based information in any application,
Next said.

Next said previous versions of Nextstep provided messaging
between objects within a single Nextstep application. Now
messaging between objects in different applications and across
different computers on a network is available via a feature
Next calls Distributed Objects. Distributed Objects makes
possible Object Links, a multimedia hyperlinking system that
enables documents of different applications to share dynamic
information.

Release 3.0 has also integrated Postscript Level 2, which
includes the Pantone Matching System for specifying colors in
printed output. Postscript Level 2 adds support for calibrated
color output as well as imaging filters for faster printing and
pattern support, Next maintains.

The new Nextstep also supports seven languages: English, Spanish,
French, German, Italian, Swedish, and Japanese. An integrated,
multimedia on-line hypertext help system with help objects
developers can use is included. Next says the help system is
also used by all documentation that Next bundles with Nextstep.

Next says Nextstep Release 3.0 will be available with all Next
computers shipped after today, and will also be provided on a
CD-ROM for back-up. The new release requires of a 100 MB hard
disk and 8 MB of RAM, but Next recommends 12 MB on monochrome
and 16 MB on color systems. Also the company does not recommend
running Release 3.0 on Motorola 68030-based Nextcube systems
due to performance considerations.

Registered owners of Nextstep Release 2 can upgrade to Release
3.0 for $295 and upgrades will be shipped on a CD-ROM disk and
as a right-to-use license, Next added.

(Linda Rohrbough/Press Contact: Emily Brower, Allison
Thomas Associates for Next, 415-780-3786; Roberta Alfred,
Novell, 408-321-1198)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LAX)(00013)

New For Unix: Microphone, 3D Reality For Next 09/14/92
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Software
Ventures says its popular Microphone telecommunications software
is now available for the Next workstation. Microphone Pro Version
1.0 for the Next also includes an application built with
Microphone Pro called Loran, as an example of what can be done
with the product.

Loran offers users a consistent graphical front-end to
Compuserve mail, Internet mail, and Software Ventures' own BBS.
The company says Loran shields users from the typical interface
when dealing with remote services. The company said Microphone
Pro scripting tools and the Next Interface Builder were used to
create Loran.

Microphone Pro offers a "Watch Me" feature and a built-in
script editor. Watch Me records the communications action for
later replay at the touch of a button. A built-in script editor
offers users more than 300 prewritten commands and functions to
create or edit scripts.

Microphone is now available for the Next, Macintosh, and Windows
platforms and offers compatibility in the script language across
all three.

The company added that multi-session capability in Microphone
Pro for Next allows interaction with more than one information
service at a time. For example, Software Ventures said, users
can automate Microphone Pro to download the day's stock quotes
from the Dow Jones News Service and place the information in a
spreadsheet, while retrieving messages from Compuserve and
sending the weekly sales report to the head office. The scripts
can be launched using the drag and drop capabilities of
Nextstep by dragging and dropping an iconized file onto
Microphone Pro's Icon Bar.

The product also supports standard protocols, such as
Text/ASCII, Xmodem, Ymodem, Zmodem, and Kermit and terminal
emulations such as TTY, VT100, VT102, and VT220. As a Unix-based
product, it also supports TCP/IP so users can connect directly
to a TCP/IP network such as the Internet.

The company says the Microphone Pro is available now, and
registered users of Microphone II 0.9 and 0.91 pre-release
versions will receive version 1.0 at no charge.

Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Stone Design has also introduced
3D Reality, a 3D modeling and picture-creating program for the
Nextstop. The product is designed to take advantage of the
3Dkit offered in Nextstep Release 3.0.

Andrew Stone, chief executive officer of Stone Design, said:
"Our goal was to create an environment that allowed first-time
users to make fantastic graphics by just dragging and dropping
icons, but to also provide experts with the entire power of
Interactive and Photorealistic Renderman."

The company says the product allows developers to add 3D
graphics to existing Nextstep applications and build 3D
applications. Some of the functions of 3D Reality are: the
ability to turn objects; extrusion of 2D objects to 3D objects,
a drag and drop interface for shaders, textures, shapes;
grouping and ungrouping of objects; text rendering capabilities
such as letter bloating, and making a Postscript font into a 3D font.

The product's introductory price is under one hundred dollars,
however the company says it will only offer that price until
January 1, 1993 when it will then go to a suggested retail
price if under five hundred dollars.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920911/Press Contact: Paul Schmidman, Software
Ventures, 510- 644-3232; Stone Design, Cliff Baltzley, 505-345-4800)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00014)

UK: Olivetti 386SXL-Based Notebook 09/14/92
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Olivetti UK has added the
S25 notebook PC to its range of Series 1 portable machines. The
25MHz 80386SXL microprocessor-based machine is the new flagship
in Olivetti's notebook series and costs UKP 1,580.

For the money, users get a 2-megabyte (MB) machine, expandable to
6MB internally, with an 80MB hard disk. Unusually for a
notebook, the hard drive has a 2.5-inch form factor, rather than
the 3.5-inch which is standard.

Other features includes a super twist nematic (STN) VGA mono
backlit liquid crystal display (LCD) with optional 2 and 4MB
random access memory (RAM) cards. The machine tips the scales at
3.2 kilos, around the seven pound mark -- relatively heavy for a
notebook of this type.

Dominic Macey, Olivetti's UK's marketing manager, claims that
the portable market has been changing at a rapid pace in recent
times, with the result that the user is faced with a wide range
of choices in the notebook stakes.

"The dedicated notebook user will always need a highly functional
PC with a powerful and fast processor, high graphical resolution,
expandable memory and large storage, plus the capacity to run
Windows efficiently, with some sort of pointing device. The S25
notebook offers all these features, as well as meeting the most
important requirement of all -- a long battery life which won't
fail after only a couple of hours," he said.

Olivetti seems to be following Toshiba down the path of packing a
large number of features with the machine. The S25 features
automatic shutdown of the turbo speed, backlight and hard disk
when the notebook is not in operation. In addition, the processor
automatically switches the machine into sleep and suspend modes
when not in use.

A color version of the S25 is on the cards before the end of the
year. Both the mono and color versions introduce two new features
to the notebook range from Olivetti: a dedicated slot for a
memory upgrade and shadow memory to improve memory allocation.

(Steve Gold/19920911/Press & Public Contact: Olivetti U.K. - Tel:
081-785-6666; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00015)

Space Shuttle Holds Many Firsts 09/14/92
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- It was
an odd pair of 50ths last week in central Florida. The Labor Day
weekend saw the 50th World Science Fiction convention and the
weekend after that saw the launch of the 50th space shuttle
mission -- the Endeavour (coded STS-47 due to a quirk in the
ordering of mission numbers).

The Science Fiction writers honored and praised at the World
Science Fiction convention were among the first to dream of
space flight and space shuttles. At Kennedy Space Center,
the people of NASA -- most of them science fiction readers,
were actually doing it.

The Shuttle mission marks a number of firsts. A Japanese
high vacuum specialist, Dr. Mamoru Mohri, is the first
citizen of that nation to fly on a shuttle. There were many
Japanese press witnessing the event, and indeed the
Spacelab payload is sponsored by NASDA, the Japanese space
agency.

It also sees Dr. Mae Jemison, a medical doctor and chemical
engineer, and the first black woman to fly on in space. NASA
makes a fuss about that. What they don't like to fuss
about is the first married couple to fly in space,
astronauts Jan Davis and Mark Lee. The press have been full
of questions about possible sex in space, but NASA has
placed the recently married couple on opposite shifts, and
the crew quarters are crowded with seven people, to say the
least.

Vice President Dan Quayle was on the base to observe the launch
in his position on the Space Council. If NASA's plan to
have people live and work full time in space is to go
forward, the question of sex in space (or as Dan Quayle
would no doubt say, marital relations) will need to be
addressed, officially or unofficially, in the near future.

Quayle and his wife got on the mission control channel to
greet the mission commander and Dr. Jemison a few minutes
before landing. Marilyn Quayle's microphone wasn't on the
right channel, but that was about the only take-off glitch on
what was a rare flawless morning of space perfection.

Computer users may be interested in the payload on one of
the "Get-Away Specials" (GAS) -- a variety of floppy disks
and other magnetic media that will be exposed to the cosmic
rays which course through open space. While most of us
won't be carrying our laptops in space, it's important to
know whether our current magnetic media will survive in
space. They will perform media analysis of these disks,
ranging from mini-floppies to Bernoulli-brand back-up disks,
and see if the cosmic rays altered the data.

What's remarkable about this experiment, like many other
get-away special experiments, is that it's being performed
by students, in this case members of a church in
Maryland. The projects are sponsored by TRW under the name
project Postar, and the participants in Postar's GAS's 7
experiments include Boy Scouts, church members and high
school students.

The weather was perfect and the countdown went smoothly. It
was a hot Florida Saturday and thousands of spectators lined
the coast to watch the launch, among them many of the
science fiction fans who had stayed over to visit Walt
Disney World before heading to the cape.

For the first time since the Challenger tragedy, the shuttle
launched exactly on schedule and slipped smoothly into
orbit, with only a water leak in an experiment to trouble
them on their first day.

Watching a rocket launch is one of those special events that
can't be done any justice with photographs or television.
The white hot exhaust flame is so bright it's painful to
look at, and no current visual medium is capable of
capturing that sort of range of brightness. The same is
true of a total eclipse of the sun. Eclipses have been
photographed without end, but none of the photos resemble
what the eye sees.

From the press grandstand, the noise of the shuttle's solid and
liquid boosters shakes the ground, the air and your body,
and a white hot needle of flame shines almost like the sun.
It's up and too tiny for your naked eye to see much detail
before very long, though of course TV watchers see it for
some time on the telescope mounted cameras. It leaves
behind an artificial cloud of tremendous size that reaches
to the sky and bends to follow the path the shuttle took.

Even 25 missions later, the crowd still applauds the solid
booster separation. The chances of the failure that
destroyed the winter-launched Challenger repeating on this
hot September day are slim, but nobody forgets that image
easily.

The Science Fiction fans and writers will meet next year in
San Francisco, and with any luck a shuttle landing will be
scheduled in California to coincide. The dreams of modern
science fiction go far beyond rockets and orbiters, but they
thought the stories of 40 years ago were pretty crazy, too.

(Brad Templeton, Clarinet)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(WAS)(00016)

MacTV Looks To The Future 09/14/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- In an exclusive
interview today, Wayne Mohr, general manager of PCTV, which
produces both the weekly PCTV program and the daily MacTV show,
shared the future plans for his Macintosh-specific production.

MacTV is a daily studio-oriented hour-long program, hosted by
Victoria Smith, which features Macintosh computer hardware and
software.

At present the popular Macintosh show carries a lot of vendor
representative presentations of new products, and Mr. Mohr says
that this important segment will continue to be the backbone of
MacTV, but as the show develops a larger base of contributors he
expects that MacTV will begin to feature more comparisons and in-
depth tutorials from users who are independent experts in the
field.

MacTV will also soon begin to carry special features explaining
complex topics such as choosing printers, how different type
fonts are selected and used, and so forth.

Although MacTV is mostly seen by satellite system owners every
weekday from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Galaxy 6 Transponder 22, two of
the show's episodes are carried each week on Mind Extension
University, a popular cable TV network which offers high school,
college, and graduate school credits and even degrees via its
wide variety of programs.

MacTV is currently carried by ME/U local cable carriers on Monday
and Saturday nights at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time, but Mr. Mohr told
Newsbytes that sometime before the end of the year this will
change, with ME/U carrying all five weekly MacTV broadcasts.

(John McCormick/19920910/Press Contact: Wayne Mohr, PCTV, 603-
863-9322)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00017)

Japan: KDD Claims 1,000 ISDN Users 09/14/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- KDD claims to have more than
1,000 registered users of its ISDN (integrated service digital
network). Started in June 1989, the service has 500 fewer members
that was originally expected, but has great potential in the
international TV conference arena.

According to KDD's estimate, about 50 percent of total data
transmissions have been used for TV conferencing. The ISDN equipment
for TV conferences is slightly more expensive than that of
analog equipment for regular telephone lines.

Currently, KDD has been trying to advocate standard TV conference
equipment for ISDNs. Many hardware makers are gradually
adopting this standard, which means that in the near future,
users may not have to worry about incompatible hardware.

KDD is also preparing to adopt what's called "Multi-point
Control Unit" (MCU) technology next year. Under this system,
TV conference users will be able to hold conferences connecting
a variety of hardware at several different places. KDD believes
this scheme will attract more ISDN users to TV conferencing.

Many Japanese subsidiaries of foreign firms have chosen
teleconferencing over actual trips by employees, in light of the
slump in the industry.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19920914/Press Contact: KDD, +81-3-
3347-6934)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00018)

International Phone Update 09/14/92
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- While China is
protesting the sale of F-15 fighters to Taiwan, ties between the
mainland and the Taiwanese are in fact becoming closer.

Major Taiwan businesses are setting up shop in China, with production
aimed at the local market, and phone links may be coming. No
timetable has been set on talks about officially establishing
telephone ties, but Taiwan's International Telecommunications
Administration hopes to talk soon. Right now, all calls are
routed through third countries, primarily Hong Kong, Singapore,
even the US, costing Taiwanese $12 million per year in extra
charges.

Peruvians, meanwhile, are celebrating the capture of the head of
the Shining Path guerilla movement, which has been raising a
terror campaign against the government of President Alberto
Fujimori. Fujimori had even staged a coup to get the war against
cocaine traffickers and Shining Path into a higher gear, but he
has not yet succeeded in jump-starting the economy. Now comes
word that ENTel Peru, the state phone company, has agreed to buy
$8.2 million in cell sites and switches to double the capacity of
its cellular system to 20,000 subscribers in the capital of Lima.
It's a big deal for Motorola Nortel, a joint venture Motorola
formed with Northern Telecom recently to sell such equipment. It
may be a bigger deal for Peru, since cellular phone links can be
more reliable than wired systems in areas where wires are
susceptible to theft or attack.

In one more piece of good news, Brazil's Telebras monopoly posted
a $78 million profit in July, bringing the year's total to over
$430 million. Moves to privatize Telebras have been put on hold
following the impeachment of President Fernando Collor on
corruption charges, but they're expected to move forward after
the matter is settled.

Not all the news is good, however, Spain's launching of its own
telecommunications satellite led the political opposition to
claim the government was seeking a monopoly on satellite
television with its Hispasat 1-A launch by Arianespace. The
governing Socialist Workers Party wants to license satellite
television.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920914/Press Contact: Motorola Nortel, Mark
Buford, 214/301-8512 )


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00019)

Infolio Pen Computer Ships 09/14/92
PORTLAND, OREGON, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Portland-based PI
System's Infolio pen computer is now shipping. The three-pound
computer, as shown being used by doctors at Stanford University's
Medical Clinic on a recent PCTV show, features a monochrome VGA
screen/tablet and runs all day on eight AA or rechargable
batteries.

Based on the 32-bit Motorola MC68331 microprocessor and sporting
three accessible PCMCIA slots for system memory and storage of
user software, the Infolio is configured as an electronic clip
board that records entries on custom-designed forms.

Provided with the $2,000 computer is ProformaSKD development
software which is used to create forms for the Infolio.

ProformaSDK runs on a host computer under Microsoft Windows and
the resulting applications are downloaded to the battery-backed
PCMCIA system card.

Point2point is PI Systems' communications software which connects
Infolio to a host system to download and upload files or
programming.

Unlike pen computers which offer MS-DOS software compatibility,
the Infolio is what is known as a field computer - used for
collecting data out "in the field."

Applications included with the PI Systems software include an
address book, calculator, clock, calendar, notepad (ASCII), and a
scribble (cursive) pad.

While it is mostly intended to collect data, for some uses it is
important that the Infolio be able to store current data - one
example of this is when the notebook is used in hospitals.
Doctors at Stanford have been testing the Infolio system using
custom-designed medical forms which mimic the paper forms they
have been used to using. Before each shift all patient records
are downloaded to the Infolio, which is then carried on rounds
where more data is collected. At the end of a shift the changes
are uploaded to the host system to update patient records.

(John McCormick/19920914/Press Contact: Melody Haller, Niehaus
Ryan Haller PR, 415-615-7907)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00020)

 ****Olsen To Leave DEC Board 09/14/92
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Kenneth Olsen,
retiring president, founder, and chief executive officer of Digital
Equipment, has announced he will leave the company's board of
directors as well as the executive suite this fall.

Olsen, 66, announced his resignation as president and CEO in July.
At the time, he said he would remain on the DEC board until the end
of his present term in November, 1993. He has now announced he will
leave the board on October 1, the same day Robert Palmer succeeds
him as president and chief executive.

DEC spokesman Joseph Codispoti said DEC has no comment to make on
the reason for the decision, other than to say it is consistent
with Olsen's statement in July that he has had a long and
satisfying career with DEC and it is time for new management.

Olsen founded Digital in 1957 when he was still a student at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In doing so he pioneered
what was then a new class of computer hardware: the minicomputer.
He has remained the boss at Digital ever since, and has been a
controversial figure respected for his technical knowledge but
sometimes criticized for strategic errors such as a failure to see
the importance of personal computers and open systems as early as
some others.

(Grant Buckler/19920914/Press Contact: Joseph Codispoti, Digital
Equipment, 508-493-6767)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00021)

Southern Bell Discusses Post-Andrew Building Plans 09/14/92
MIAMI, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Hurricane Andrew has
convinced Southern Bell that running phone lines underground is
good business.

The phone company runs most of its services throughout its 9-state
region on telephone polls about 15 feet off the ground, but ran most
of its system in South Dade County underground in case of hurricane.
Those systems worked in the wake of Andrew, the company's Florida
head admitted over the weekend. Statements to that effect had
previously been given to Newsbytes by company spokesmen in Atlanta.

"The reason our telephone system was so resilient during the storm is
because of its design," said Joe Lacher, Southern Bell president-
Florida. "Underground fiber optic lines, with redundancies built
in, provided service to more than 98 percent of our customers
during the peak of the hurricane." Many people whose homes were
destroyed, in fact, still have service. Lacher added that
reconstruction of the entire network affected by the storm could
take as long as 24 months. About 75 remote terminals facilities
and over 537 telephone poles were lost during the storm. But
central offices in Homestead and Naranja survived with minor
damage.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920914/Press Contact: Sue Sponnoble, Southern
Bell, 305-530-5409)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00022)

 ****Wordperfect Promises 32-bit NT Version 09/14/92
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Wordperfect Corporation (WPC)
says it is developing a 32-bit version of Wordperfect for Windows NT.
The company says the NT version of its popular word processing
program has been in development since Microsoft first released
information about Windows NT to software vendors.

The company isn't saying much about the product's features yet except
that it will take advantage of the performance, security and
multitasking capabilities Microsoft says Windows NT will offer. However,
Wordperfect spokesperson Liz Tanner told Newsbytes that Wordperfect
for NT will include electronic messaging and presentation graphics
capabilities. Tanner said those features would be similar to
features found in Wordperfect Presentation and Wordperfect Office.

According to Tanner, WPC plans to have their NT version of
Wordperfect ready by the time Microsoft releases Windows NT.
Microsoft had said Windows NT would be ready by the end of 1992, but
at least one MS executive has said he has doubts about the product
shipping by then.

(Jim Mallory/19920914/Press contact: Liz Tanner, Wordperfect
Corporation, 801-228-5004; Reader contact: 801-225-5000, fax 801-228-
5077)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00023)

Dell CFO Resigns 09/14/92
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Dell Computer Corporation
announced today that Dell Chief Financial Officer James Daniel has
resigned, citing "personal reasons."

Dell spokesperson Michele Moore told Newsbytes that the separation
was amicable. "One of his objectives, which he has now fulfilled,
was to build a strong financial organization. He's certainly done
that," according to Moore.

Moore said Dell has grown from a $500 million company to one most
analysts estimate will report near $2 billion in revenue this year.

Daniel, 44, joined Dell about two years ago. Moore said he will
continue in a consulting role to ensure a smooth transition. Kevin
McCabe, Dell's VP and controller, will assume Daniel's day-to-day
responsibilities on an interim basis while the company seeks a new
CFO.

According to chairman and CEO Michael Dell, "Jim has made many
contributions to Dell's current financial strength and to the
development of a very effective financial management team. He leaves
with the company in excellent financial condition."

According to Moore, Daniel will now look for an opportunity to build
a financial organization from the ground up.

(Jim Mallory/19920914/Press contact:Michele Moore, Dell Computer,
512-794-4100; Reader contact: 800-289-3355)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00024)

 ****Compaq's New Color Notebook, 2 486 Desktops 09/14/92
HOUSTON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Dell Computer today
announced a color notebook personal computer for under $2,800 and two
new 486-based desktop systems starting at $1,349.

The company said the Contura 3/25c color notebook has a nine-inch
passive-matrix color VGA display, and is powered by an Intel 25-
megahertz (Mhz) 386SL chip. The company claims that the 3/25c offers
up to 40 percent greater performance running Windows than a Dell
325NC, and will outperform an AST Premium Exec 386SX/25c by 68
percent.

The Contura 3/25c is powered by a nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery
that Compaq says will run the system for three hours, and will
recharge in one hour. Standard features include an external Compaq
Trackball, one 3.5-inch floppy drive, four megabytes of RAM, and
windows 3.1 and MS-DOS 5.0 already installed. The system can be
configured with an 84MB hard drive for $2,799, or a 120MB hard disk
for $3,099.

The new desktop systems in Compaq's ProLinea line are the ProLinea
4/50 and the 4/25s. The 4/50 uses Intel's 50MHz 486DX2 chip, while
the 4/25s is powered by Intel's 25 MHz 486SX. Both systems standard
configuration includes 4MB of RAM. Hard drives of 120MB and 240MB are
available. You can also get either system with Windows 3.1, MS-DOS
5.0, PFS:WindowWorks, a Compaq mouse, and a 5.25-inch floppy drive.
RAM in either system can be expanded to as much as 32MB, and a 240MB
hard drive is also available.

(Jim Mallory/19920914/Press contact:John Sweney, Compaq Computer,
713-374-1564;Reader contact: Compaq Computer,713-370-0670)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00025)

British Telecom Deal With Teletext Company 09/14/92
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Although few TV watchers
here in the UK are aware of it, the days of the Oracle teletext
service on ITV (independent television) are numbered. From the
end of the year, a new company -- Teletext Limited -- will take
over the service.

Unlike Oracle, which is very much a regional service, Teletext
will located at its central office in London, from where data
will be fed out to 25 regional broadcast centres around the UK.
The idea is that, by centralizing its resources, Teletext can
offer an improved service, while still retain the flexibility
of having regional teletext pages.

Teletext has signed a UKP 1 million contract with British
Telecom's global network services (GNS), terms of which call for
Teletext to use BT's packet data network (PDN) services for
relaying information out to the regional broadcast centers
(RBCs). Teletext will use three 48,000 bits-per-second X.25 data
links to carry its pages out to the BT network, where they
will be relayed to the RBCs.

Martin Cooper, Teletext's technical director, says that,
despite the centralization of resources at the company's Fulham,
London headquarters, each of the 25 transmitter sites will have
their own teletext service.

"Our service, unlike Oracle, will be truly regional, with a
separate database of pages held at each of the 25 transmitter
sites, in effect 25 separate teletext services," he said.

Peter Morley, GNS' marketing manager, said that BT won the
contract for the Teletext service against the competition, as its
network is already in place. "We could therefore guarantee our
ability to provide service in time for Teletext's launch date,"
he said.

(Steve Gold/19920914/Press & Public: Teletext - Tel: 071-386-
5000)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00026)

 ****Apple, Motorola, IBM Said Close On New Chip 09/14/92
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Apple, IBM, and
Motorola will unveil the result of their first joint project,
a working chip sample for a new line of Macintoshes and IBM
workstations, months ahead of schedule, according to a report by the
Associated Press.

The RISC "PowerPC" chip, to be made by Motorola, is termed the model
601, according to the report. The report says the companies, working
in Austin, "found they could speed up the development of the chip by
combining work already under way at IBM with Motorola chip
technology," according to executives who did not want to be named.

The report adds that IBM, Apple and Motorola will announce the
PowerOpen Association to promote the use of their chips by other
computer makers.

(Wendy Woods/19920914)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00027)

National Semi Earns Up, Bookings Good Despite Season 09/14/92
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- National
Semiconductor says it's in the black and bookings holding
strong despite expected slumps. The company reported net
earnings for its first quarter of 1993 at $21.9 million (17
cents per share) compared with losses of $168.0 million ($1.64
per share) of the same quarter last year.

The company pointed out the quarter a year previous included a
restructuring charge of $149.3 million.

The report is optimistic due to the unexpected lack of slowness
which is usually the case in this quarter, National
Semiconductor said. Intel also reported in July that its second
quarter 1992 bookings and revenue are the best the company has
ever had.

The Semiconductor Industry Association is reporting similar
steady activity in a normally slow time. The book-to-bill
ration industry wide in August has remained steady at 1.08,
UPI reported, meaning for every $100 worth of products shipped
$108 worth of orders are received. In August in the US market
bookings were up 1.3 percent (based on a three-month average)
from $1.59 billion in July and 32.7 percent higher than the
$1.21 billion recorded a year ago. Billings were up 18.4
percent from the previous figure of $1.26 billion of a year
earlier.

In particular market segments, National Semiconductor said
computer peripheral bookings, including Mass Storage devices,
remain strong; automotive orders were stable, but weakened
toward the end of the quarter; and communications markets, such
as local area networks, remained firm on a weekly run-rate
basis.

Overall, the company's North American original equipment
manufacturer (OEM) orders increased and offset the seasonally
weaker orders from distributors. Japanese orders increased the
most, North American orders were only slightly below the
normalized fourth quarter, European orders were up slightly,
and Southeast Asian orders declined seasonally from the fourth
quarter, but improved over the first quarter of the previous
year. The company said its North American and worldwide book-
to-bill ratios were both above 1.0.

The unexpectedly strong book-to-bill is explained
by analysts as an increase in consumer interest in laptop
computers coupled with low-cost machines sold by mail-order
firms. Intel says the decrease in system prices has helped, but
credits its increases to demand for more powerful systems
spurred by Microsoft Windows and OS/2 from IBM.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920914/Press Contact: Mary Ann McKay,
National Semiconductor, tel [phone], fax [phone];
Gordon Casey, Intel, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00028)

 ****1992 PC Shipments Up 9% 09/14/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- US shipments of PCs
were almost 9 percent higher in the first quarter of this year than
during the same period in 1991, according to a report released by
the US Microcomputer Statistics Committee (USMSC), an industry
group administered by CBEMA (Computer and Business Equipment
Manufacturers Association).

The group also stated that initial numbers suggest continuing
acceleration of growth in the second quarter, and announced
upcoming plans to develop formal shipment forecasts, collect
revenue figures, and exchange data with Eurobit and JEIDA,
organizations that are managing similar statistics programs in
Europe and Japan.

US shipments for 1991 showed increases of 3.2% in the first
quarter, 0.9% in the second quarter, 4.6% in the third quarter, and
1.3% in the fourth quarter over quarterly statistics for 1990.
During the first quarter of 1992, the rise over the previous year
climbed to 8.9%. "This is good news for the industry," noted Helga
F. Sayadian, program administrator at CBEMA.

Sayadian told Newsbytes that the USMCS started gathering shipment
data just over a year ago. Intentions to expand the USMSC program
were agreed at a meeting in California last month, but remained
unannounced until now, she said.

Sayadian added that the statistics have been categorized by 8-, 16-
and 32-bit processor architecture. She declined at this time to
supply Newsbytes with break-outs by category, but stated that this
information might be available at a later date.

The statistical results are currently being produced out of
financial statements from USMSC members, together with estimates of
nonparticipants' shipments. The estimates on nonparticipants'
shipments are based on input from an independent market research
firm and component suppliers.

USMSC participants comprise most of the leading US PC
manufacturers, including Apple, Compaq, Dell, Epson, Hewlett-
Packard, IBM, NEC, Toshiba, and Zenith Data.

According to Sayadian, the USMSC will start to garner revenue
figures in the first quarter of 1993, together with shipment data
by type of product and distribution channel. Also in the first
part of next year, the participants will generate their first
shipment forecast for the US market, with semiannual updates to
follow.

The "consensus forecast" will begin with estimates by participating
companies as to projected market size, she said. The participants'
estimates will then be combined and averaged. "The combined
estimates will be reviewed twice a year, and then modified perhaps,
in view of the changing economy," she commented.

The exchange of data with Eurobit and JEIDA could begin even
sooner, Sayadian predicted. Negotiations between USMSC and the
European and Japanese trade groups have been going on for the past
year, she said. "We're now at a point where we believe we'll be
able to start exchanging data by the end of this year," she
explained. Eurobit and JEIDA will be using the same criteria in
compiling their reports as USMSC, she told Newsbytes.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19920914; Press contact: Maryann Karich, CBEMA,
for the USMSC, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00029)

 ****Everex Cuts Prices Up To 59 Percent 09/14/92
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- Name brand
clone manufacturer Everex says it's trying to stay competitive
by cutting prices and cutting costs. The company announced
price reductions of 59 percent and is laying off 10 percent of
its work force, or nearly 250 employees.

The price cuts were as much as $1,000 on some models. For
example, the 386SX-based Tempo Carrier notebook with 8
megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM), an 80 MB hard
disk drive, and a fax modem configuration is now $2,199, Everex
said. That price brings the Tempo Carrier notebook into
price/performance competition with Dell, AST, and ALR.

Everex said the Tempo LX model with a 60 MB hard drive and 5 MB
of RAM model was reduced $600 from $2,299 to $1,699, the
Carrier SL/25 notebook list price was cut by 15 percent from
$2,699 to $2,299, and the Step 486/50 DX2 model went down
$2,030 from $5,479 to $3,449. Everex added it also cut prices
on peripherals such as modems, Ethernet adapter cards, and tape
back-up drives.

The company also said it planned to reduced the number of
models in each of its product lines.

A month ago Everex announced layoffs of 200 workers in its
Fremont, California facility and 50 in other company locations.
The layoffs left Everex with a work force of approximately
2,200 worldwide.

Everex was in the news this summer when it announced a deal to
purchase mail order original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
Northgate Computer Systems of Eden Prairie, Minnesota. However,
Everex spokesperson Bob Goligoski said the deal fell through
because Everex felt Northgate had too much debt.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920914/Press Contact: Bob Goligoski, Everex,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00030)

 ****Apple Intros New Mac Line Through Dept Stores 09/14/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 14 (NB) -- As expected
Apple Computer has introduced a new family of Macintosh
computers targeting the consumer and home marketplaces. The
company has also expanded its distribution strategy by having
the new Macintosh Performa series sold through department
stores, consumer electronics outlets, and office suppliers.

The Performa family offers three models: the Macintosh Performa
200, the Macintosh Performa 400, and the Macintosh Performa 600
and Macintosh Performa 600 CD. The Performa 600 CD is Apple's
first Macintosh with an internal CD-ROM drive. The CD-ROM drive
reads a number of CD-ROM formatted discs and plays audio discs,
and also supports Kodak's Photo CD technology.

Only the Performa 600 is a new system though. The Performa 200
is a rebadged Macintosh Classic II with its built-in black and
white monitor. The 400 is the same as the LC II. Jenny Smith,
spokesperson for the company, told Newsbytes that "basically
the 200 is the Classic II....it looks very similar." The 400 is
"basically" the LC II, she added.

According to Apple, every Macintosh Performa includes enhanced
system software, preloaded applications, and one year of service
and support. The new products will be distributed by nearly 2,000
consumer retail outlets nationwide.

Smith confirmed to Newsbytes that all three Performas will be
based on Motorola's 68030 processor, will come with 4MB of RAM,
and an 80MB hard drive. The Performa 600, she said, would have a
5MB option as well. Additionally, all three systems come with a
one-year toll-free support and in-home service from Apple.

Apple claims that the differences between the new Performas
and the regular Macintoshes are the software that comes with
the Performas, the distribution outlets where they are
available, and the toll-free 800 number support for Performa
buyers.

Smith could not confirm or deny the fate of the Classic.
Keith Fox, vice president of consumer markets for Apple USA,
said: "Research suggests more than half of all Americans have
used a computer either at work or at school, but many have not
yet found a computer solution compelling and flexible enough to
meet their needs at home. With the needs of those customers in
mind, we developed the Macintosh Performa. Performa simplifies
both the purchase decision and the buying process. We believe
the Performa offers the right combination of technology and
support to appeal to the estimated 7 million American families
which, research tells us, have the buying power but have not yet
adopted a PC for their homes."

Some of the outlets for the new Performas include Sears,
Montgomery Ward, Circuit City, Office Depot, and Office Max.

Each Macintosh Performa is claimed to include at least one
integrated application that provides for word processing,
spreadsheet, database, graphics and communications functions.
According to Apple, the goal of Performa is "a successful first
time experience with the Macintosh and to help users to get 'up
and running' quickly." The company says that a special version of
the System 7 operating system was developed for the Performa.

Added "ease-of-use" features designed for the Performa include
a new program called Launcher which is, according to the
company, makes it easier for users to find and launch their
pre-installed applications. Also, when a user saves a document
in an application, it can always be found in a documents folder
located on the Desktop. In addition, Apple's At Ease software is
bundled with every Performa.

Apple maintains that between eight and ten CD-ROM-based titles
will be bundled with each Performa 600 CD, depending on where
the computer is purchased. One will be the Compton's Multimedia
Encyclopedia.

Interestingly, Apple says the Performa family will be
priced in a range from $1,250 for the entry-level Performa 200
to $2,500 for the Performa 600 with CD-ROM (monitor not
included).

The Performa 200 and 400 are available now and the 600 models will
reach retail outlets in late October, according to an Apple
spokeswoman.

(Ian Stokell/19920914/Press Contact: Betty Taylor, Apple
Computer Inc., 408-974-3983; or Michelle Soleau, Regis
McKenna Inc., 415-354-4465)