Newsbytes - International Computing Industry News 1983 May to 1994 June

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(NEWS)(GENERAL)(MSP)(00001) Newsbytes 1994 Holiday Publication Schedule 01/24/94 MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- Following several enquiries from our readers, here is a list of holidays in 1994 during which Newsbytes will not be published. February 21, Monday - President's Day May 30, Monday - Memorial Day July 4, Monday - Independence Day (US) September 5, Monday - Labor Day November 24-25, Thursday and Friday - Thanksgiving December 23, 1994-Jan 1, 1995 - Year-End Break (Wendy Woods/19940124) (NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00002) Australia - Microsoft Claims Office Selling By Jumbo Load 01/24/94 SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- Australian users of Microsoft Office bundle have been so keen to get their hands on the latest version 4.0 (according to Microsoft) that the Australian subsidiary has had a special run manufactured and air-freighted directly from Portland Oregon. Microsoft said the demand has outstripped any other Microsoft subsidiary in the world, requiring a Boeing 747 Jumbo to air-freight the cargo to Australia. According to Office product manager Robert Porter, the demand was phenomenal, even by international standards. "The sheer level of demand has forced the head office into full production mode. The Portland facilities were used to cope with our unprecedented demand. We now have complete stocks of full product, upgrades, updates and license packs for new and existing customers," he said. (Katrina Ganin/19940124/PHOTO) (EDITORIAL)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00003) Editorial - Management Is Preventing Telecommuting 01/24/94 PENN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- By Ian Stokell, Newsbytes managing editor. Technology is no longer the main factor preventing the widespread acceptance of telecommuting in the United States -- it is quite clearly outdated management attitudes and practices. The technology has been around for some time -- computers, telephones, fax machines, modems, data compression. Sure you get management claiming that videoconferencing and fiber optics will jump start the telecommuting trend. But that's just a lot of smoke. Management likes the idea of videoconferencing because much of US management has been indoctrinated into thinking that a successful company, and a successful management policy, revolves around reaching out and touching a worker. For telecommuting to succeed, there has to be a complete reappraisal of management attitudes towards, what I would call, "arms-reach" management. If you can't call someone into your office then that is perceived as inefficient management. The "old school" views videoconferencing as just an extension of the main office. If someone is at their desk then they must be working! If a person is working at home, they're probably out on the golf course. But we have all the technology we need to implement a perfectly effective telecommuting policy. You see, technology is not the key. Communications is the key to a successful telecommuting program. Not communication technology, but communications between individuals. Workers within an organization must remain constantly available to each other via telephone, fax, or electronic mail. With constant communications, workgroup computing on specific projects would be no less effective with the personnel dispersed over hundreds of miles, than if they were down the hall from each other. Now we have Los Angeles crippled by an earthquake that really wasn't that big compared to the much-hyped "Big One." The transportation infrastructure is decimated, with ten-hour commutes from outlying towns not unusual. Where does that leave the companies trying to survive, and the workers trying to live a life in the face of horrendous traffic problems. If management had stopped dragging its feet for the past few years, trying to stone-wall a new paradigm in management practices, you would have hundreds of thousands of people shaken, but working as usual from the safety and comfort of their homes. You would have companies In Los Angeles continuing to operate as though nothing had happened. Telecommuting is not an experiment in sociology. It shouldn't be handed out to workers like candy for a job well done. It should be part-and-parcel of an effective management policy. Its benefits are far-reaching -- from increased productivity to less traffic to cost- savings from less office space, from less pollution to happy employees (now there's a concept!). With so much foot-dragging over the years preventing its implementation into the mainstream corporate structure, how tragic that its final acceptance may now come as the result of a natural disaster, and therefore forced upon management, instead of as the result of enlightened management forethought. (Ian Stokell/19940124) (NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00004) Best!Ware ships new version of M.Y.O.B. 01/24/94 ROCKAWAY, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- Loyal M.Y.O.B. (helping you Mind Your Own Business) Accounting users crowded the booth at the most recent Macworld to see the new version 4.0. Previously known as Teleware, Best!Ware, has developed a payroll feature for its successful, cross-platform small business accounting package. Version 4.0 is available as the standard accounting package or the accounting package with Payroll. The M.Y.O.B. Small Business Accounting with Payroll version 4.0 comes with a "Smart" tax engine for automatic payroll tax calculation, fully integrated payroll, unlimited income, deduction, and employer expense categories, hourly,salary and non-cash earnings factors, and customized paycheck with W-2 forms. Commenting to Newsbytes, Laurie Muhlbach, director of marketing, said: "We have been shipping for two weeks and we are already back- ordered." M.Y.O.B. version 4.0, standard and with payroll, supports recurring sales and purchase transactions, batch processing, Timeslips Accounting Link, and greater mail merge features (Apple Mac version). Both products come with 80 reports and a new Getting Started manual. A thirty minute video tape is included to assist first time users and for the Macintosh version, a CD-ROM (compact disc - read only memory) with Quick-Time Video help movie is part of the packaged software. The suggested retail price for M.Y.O.B. Accounting version 4.0 is $99.95 and the version 4.0 with Payroll is $199.95. For more information, call Best!Ware at 201-586-2200. (Patrick McKenna/19940124) (NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00005) Floppy Disk Business Cards Debut 01/24/94 TUCSON, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- DigiVideo has announced the DigiBusiness Card, a floppy disk that presents a business card, a short video with sound (10 to 15 sec.), and accompanying text for a product list, pricing information, or greater details about services and products. Speaking with Newsbytes, Langdon Hill, president of DigiVideo, said: "We consider ourselves the first digital print shop for businesses and for personal use. Our greatest strength is our pricing that is affordable to almost any budget. The possibilities are unlimited in style and content." For a $99 set-up fee and $.99 per floppy disk ($.79 for 500+), DigiVideo's questionnaire and the customer's photographs, music, text, business card, and company logo provide enough data for their computer technicians to create the DigiBusiness Card. The size of the disk (1.44 MB) determines the amount of information presented and the video may be replaced with a series of photographs or drawings to provide more space for text. DigiVideo has a large library of images and sounds for the creation of the video. DigiBusiness Card is currently available for any Apple Mac capable of QuickTime movies and a DOS/Windows version for 386 or higher computers will be available by March, 1994. A sound card is necessary for IBM/clone computers to produce any voice or music from the presentation. DigiVideo also produces the DigiBrochure, DigiNewsletter, and DigiResume on computer disk and on video tape. As an introduction to their services, they are making a special promotion called the Video Valentine, a videotape to record a personalized message with romantic images, sounds and music. For further information, call 602-299-1203 or 800-636-3444 or write to 5620 North Kolb Rd., Suite 162; Tucson, AZ, 85715. (Patrick McKenna/19940124) (NEWS)(BUSINESS)(MSP)(00006) AmCoEx Index Of Used Computer Prices 01/24/94 SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- By John Hastings. In the computer industry, 1994 may become known as the year of the light, powerful, and possibly inexpensive, notebook computer. Compaq Computer is expected to announce a new Contura notebook soon. The new computer weighs less than 4 pounds and uses a 25 MHz 486SL CPU chip. The surprising news is the price. With 4 MB of memory and a 120MB hard drive, it is expected to sell for less than $1500. Other surprises may be in store from Compaq as the #3 computer maker vows to become #1. Apple Computer is expected to completely revamp its line of PowerBook notebook computers in 1994. Its lowest priced model will sell for $1200 with power and capacity comparable to the Compaq Contura. Its more powerful models will utilize 68040 CPU chips instead of the slower 68030 CPUs. The new notebooks are expected to have two bays available. This would allow for use of two batteries or one battery and a variety of expansion options. During the fall, some of the 68040 notebooks may be upgraded to the new PowerPC CPU chip. These could easily be the most powerful notebook computers on the market. If the PowerPC chip lives up to expectations of running both Windows and Macintosh software, Apple may have another runaway best seller on its hands. The giants of the computer industry, Microsoft and Intel, have both experienced lackluster sales with their latest products. Microsoft's Windows NT operating system and Intel's Pentium CPU chips may become more popular when applications begin to utilize their advanced functionality. In the meantime, each company is promoting some older technology. Microsoft fears an increasing popularity in IBM's OS/2 for Windows. This inexpensive operating system provides many of the 32-bit functions of Windows NT without the larger hardware requirements. Consequently, Microsoft is making a major push for Windows for Workgroups. It has convinced several vendors to preinstall this version of Windows on new machines. These vendors include Dell, CompuAdd, Gateway, Digital Equipment, and Toshiba. Some fear Microsoft is promoting this version to stem OS/2 sales due to incompatibilities between the two products. Meanwhile, Intel is expected to introduce several new versions of the 486 CPU chip. These faster version may run as fast as 100 MHz. At this speed, the chips may approach the performance of the low-end Pentium processors. This may stimulate sales until cheaper, faster Pentiums are available. Apple Computer can celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Macintosh this month with the comforting fact that it is shipping more computers than any other manufacturer. Currently, it's shipments are 24% greater than IBM's and 62% greater than Compaq's. The following prices are for January 14, 1994. Average Average Buyer's Seller's Machine Bid Ask Close Change IBM PS/2 Model 30/286 20MB $300 $525 $350 -25 IBM PS/2 Model 50Z 30MB 300 650 300 -25 IBM PS/2 Model 70 120MB 450 900 575 -25 IBM PS/2 Model 80 70MB 450 850 550 ** IBM ThinkPad 300 1250 1650 1100 -50 IBM ThinkPad 700 1500 2100 1775 -50 AST 286/12, 40MB 275 675 300 ** AST 386/20, 80MB 550 850 575 -25 Dell 325SX, 50MB 400 800 475 -25 Dell 386/20, 120MB 600 1000 675 ** Gateway 286/16, 40MB 250 550 300 ** Gateway 386SX/20, 80MB 500 950 575 ** Gateway 386/25, 80MB 500 800 600 -50 Clone 286 40 MB 250 550 300 ** Clone Notebook 286, 40 MB 350 750 500 -50 Clone Notebook 386SX, 40 MB 500 950 675 -25 Clone 386/SX 40MB, VGA 450 950 500 -25 Clone 386/25 80MB, VGA 450 950 600 ** Clone 386/33 80MB, VGA 550 1050 725 ** Clone 486/25 120MB, VGA 800 1450 900 -50 Compaq SLT/286 20MB 250 500 300 -25 Compaq LTE 286 40MB 400 775 475 ** Compaq Portable III 40MB 250 650 275 ** Compaq Deskpro 286 40MB 250 650 275 ** Compaq Deskpro 386/20e 100MB 500 700 625 +50 Macintosh SE 20MB 300 650 400 ** Macintosh SE/30 40MB 375 800 500 ** Macintosh II 40MB 400 750 550 ** Macintosh IIcx 80MB 500 900 550 -25 Macintosh IIci 80MB 700 1100 875 -25 PowerBook 100 4/20 525 900 600 ** PowerBook 140 4/40 900 1400 1000 ** PowerBook 170 4/40 1100 1700 1400 -50 LaserWriter IINT 700 1000 750 -25 Toshiba 1200XE 300 650 425 -25 Toshiba 1600 300 600 325 -25 Toshiba 2200 SX 60MB 600 1100 775 ** Toshiba T-3100SX 100MB 500 900 625 ** Toshiba 5200 100MB 850 1250 950 -50 HP LaserJet II 400 850 600 -25 HP LaserJet IIP 325 950 475 ** HP LaserJet III 600 1000 825 -25 John Hastings is the president of the American Computer Exchange Corporation. The American Computer Exchange matches buyers and sellers of used microcomputer equipment. For more information contact the American Computer Exchange Corporation at (800) 786- 0717. (AMCOEX/19940124) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00007) HDS Announces Triple Capacity Disk Array 01/24/94 CENTRAL, HONG KONG, 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- Hitachi Data Systems has announced specifications for its new, triple capacity 7699 Disk Array. The 7699 is part of the 7600 Disk Storage Subsystem family, which HDS began shipping last June. According to HDS, the unit is supported by the 7690 Storage Controller and can be used in conjunction with the companion high performance 7693 Disk Array. "The 7699 complements the 7693 Disk Array by providing a low-cost storage alternative to customers seeking more cost-effective solutions for less frequently accessed data," explained Hong Kong Manager Geoff Kennedy. "Given the performance characteristics of the 7699, we expect customers to apply the subsystem to a broader base of applications than was possible previously," he said. The new 7699, which features magneto-resistive heads, has a base capacity of 34.05 Gigabytes (GB). This capacity can be expanded to 272.4GB within one frame without disrupting storage/retrieval operations. Two frames can be attached to a 7690 to provide a total maximum capacity of 544.8GB in a single subsystem. The 7699 Disk Array is equivalent to the IBM 3390-9 DASD in track size and capacity but features greatly improved average seek time of 16.5 milliseconds (ms) and latency of 15.2ms. General availability of the 7699 Disk Array is scheduled for the third quarter of 1994. A 7690/7699 Disk Array Storage Subsystem is expected to range in price from US$460,806 to US$3,754,195, with actual pricing depending on the capacity and performance levels required. (Keith Cameron/19940124/Press Contact: Geoff Kennedy (HDS): +852- 521-6275) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00008) ONE BBSCON Goes To Atlanta 01/24/94 WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- ONE BBSCON, the conference and exposition for electronic bulletin board (BBS) systems operators (sysops), will be hosting interested sysops in Atlanta, Georgia this August. Although many people have ignored the BBS market until very recently, this has changed and the show sponsors expect more than 400 exhibitors to display products and offer discounts to attendees at this summer's show. Plans call for the conference itself will cover everything from basic BBS setup to making money from PCs and how to connect to the Internet. The three days of technical sessions will show new and experienced sysops how to make money with their system, discuss the legal aspects of online operation, look at using a BBS for product support, and explore how good a job the government does in distributing public information through the many public-access federal BBS. ONE BBSCON is scheduled for August 17-21, 1994 at the Atlanta Market Center INFORUM and early registration is only $175 until May 1, 1994. For further information contact One Inc. at 303-693-5253 or fax 303-693-5518. Online information is available through the BBS access number 303-693-5432. (John McCormick/19940124) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00009) Intergraph Pitches Windows NT At Technical Workstation Mkt 01/24/94 CAUSEWAY BAY, HONG KONG, 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- Intergraph Graphics Systems Hong Kong, a local subsidiary of Intergraph Corporation, the major supplier of computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering solutions, has signed up as a Microsoft Solution Provider. As partners, Intergraph and Microsoft will combine sales and marketing support in order to maximise both companies' leverage on the technical workstation market. Already a high profile integrated system provider in its own right, Intergraph has demonstrated its commitment to the Microsoft Solution Provider programme by porting hundreds of its established technical applications to Microsoft Windows NT -- making it the world's largest application development site for the new operating system. Intergraph has traditionally provided open and integrated computer graphics solutions, including hardware, software and support, offering common file formats across different hardware platforms. It is now one of the first companies in Hong Kong to focus on technical solutions running on PCs with the popular Windows graphical interface. "Being a Microsoft Solution Provider is highly complementary to our business because we provide integrated, open, GUI based solutions. Teaming up is indeed an exciting endeavour for both Intergraph and Microsoft," said Norman Chan, Applications Support Manager for Intergraph in Hong Kong. "It is an integral part of Intergraph's overall strategy in fulfilling our commitments to customers and developing new markets through pioneering a new product," he said. The Solution Provider programme is seen by Microsoft as an essential marketing and distribution platform for Windows NT - if users, and the technology industry as a whole, are to tap the operating system's full potential. Fan Look, Solutions Marketing Manager at Microsoft Hong Kong Ltd, said: "Windows NT will affect the whole industry worldwide and not just various markets here and there. Getting the best out of the system is a team effort for suppliers, users and applications alike." "Our Solution Provider partners are well placed to meet customer demand for open, integrated systems. That is why we are encouraging influential companies like Intergraph to bring their expertise and products to the Windows NT platform," he said. "Microsoft provides them with technical support, training, and information through the Microsoft Developers Network and TechNet services. The Solution Provider programme is a major distribution channel for Microsoft solution products, so there will naturally be significant joint sales and marketing activities," he added. (Keith Cameron/19940124/Press & Public Cobtact: Norman Chan (Intergraph): +852-593-1600) (NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00010) Matsushita Links With Kodak Japan On Multimedia Player 01/24/94 TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- Matsushita Electric and Kodak Japan have announced plans to cooperate on the sales of Matsushita's multimedia player and Kodak's Photo CD (compact disc). Newsbytes understands that, in cooperation with Kodak Japan, Matsushita wants to take the initiative in the multimedia player market in Japan. Newsbytes also understands that Matsushita Electric and Kodak Japan are preparing to push the sales of Matsushita's new multimedia player called the Real. Plans call for Matsushita to bundle Kodak's Photo CD with the Real, which will be released in this March in Japan. The Photo CD will be offered to the first 100,000 customers of the Real for free of charge. Matsushita said that the firm is thinking of expanding this free offer to additional 100,000 customers if the campaign is successful. So, a total of 200,000 customers will be able to get the Photo CD free of charge. With Matsushita's Real, the user will be able to play not only games and the Photo CD, but music CDs, CD-Graphics and Video CDs as well. The Real was jointly developed with 3DO in the US. Matsushita began selling this multimedia player in the US last fall. Kodak's Photo CD technology was released in Japan in 1992. It has gradually been becoming popular among the printing firms and book publishers. However, it is still unknown among regular consumers. Kodak Japan is clearly, therefore, hoping to be recognized in the regular consumer market through tie up with Matsushita. (Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940124/Press Contact: Matsushita Electric, +81-3-3578-1237, Fax, +81-3-3437-2776) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00011) ****Sony To Be Divided Into Eight Divisional Companies 01/24/94 TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- Sony Corporation, one of the most well-known electronics companies outside of Japan, is to undergo a major reorganization, effectively splitting the company into eight divisions, each of which will be a company in its own right. This "compartmentalization" of Sony will not be as radical as its sounds, Newsbytes notes. Currently, Sony has no less than 27 major departments. In the split, these 27 departments will be divided into three group and five divisional companies. The three group companies will include Sony's consumer audio visual department, the hardware parts department and the tapes and the batteries department. Each of these departments are currently earning over 250,000 million yen ($2,300 million) annually. The audio visual department is doing extremely well, earning about 1.50 trillion yen ($13,500 million) per annum. The five Divisional Companies include the audio visual equipment department, the system department handling products such as workstations, and the semiconductor operation. Each of these departments are earning around 100,000 million yen ($910 million) a year. Sony's President Norio Ohga has mentioned in the past that Sony has become too large, and it has been taking a long time for the firm to make various business decisions due to the complicated decision making process. With the division of the firm, Sony claims it will be able to make decisions much faster. The changes will not happen overnight, however, Sony's major re-organization will, Newsbytes notes, take the company almost 10 years to complete. (Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940124/Press Contact: Sony, +81-3- 5448-2200, Fax, +81-3-5448-3061) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00012) Bell Earnings Continue Strong 01/24/94 PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- Bell Atlantic and Ameritech both posted strong operating results, buoyed by profits from wireless operations. Bell Atlantic said that its fourth quarter profit was $333.1 million, up 5 percent from a year ago, as its cellular subscriber base grew 49 percent. The company denied it has any plans to cut its dividend to conserve cash as it prepares to buy TCI, the nation's largest cable operator. On that front, the company's lawyers are fighting hard, asking the Justice Department to let it take TCI's programming assets, waiving that element of the Bell break-up decree which would keep it from moving signals between local areas. The company is also trying to back-up on a promise to sell-off TCI's assets within the Bell Atlantic service territory, in particular a major operation in Pittsburgh which also bypasses Bell Atlantic's local network for long distance services. Ameritech profits rose nearly 19 percent, to $398.2 million, as the economy recovery in its Upper Midwest service territory continued. The company even announced a two-for-one stock split in December. Results were also aided by job cuts. Ameritech said its cellular subscriber base grew 47 percent for the year, and it had 3 percent growth in regular phone lines, but employment fell 6.6 percent. (Dana Blankenhorn/19940124) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00013) General Datacomm Releases New Fast Modem 01/24/94 MIDDLEBURY, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- In another press statement released first through the Internet, General DataComm has announced the FastPro, a new line of V.Fast modems at just $675. The V.Fast standard, a modulation standard for 28,800 bits per second (bps) products to be known as V.34, has yet to be formally approved, but the company said it would upgrade its chip-sets to V.34 free once the standard is approved. The upgrades will be done through the company's own bulletin board system, with owners simply calling to download new software. The price point is important, because V.32bis modems at 14,400 bps sold at about $1,000 when they were introduced a few years ago. While those prices have since fallen to the $300 range, many modem makers complained at the time they were having a tough time making a profit under fierce price pressure. By introducing its first V.Fast products at $675, General DataComm is indicating things may be even fiercer in the new arena. (Dana Blankenhorn/19940124/Press Contact: General DataComm, fax, 203/758-9129; Customer Contact: General DataComm, 1579 Straits Turnpike, Middlebury, CT 06762-1299; 1-800-523-1737) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEN)(00014) US West Tests Satellite Service For Rural Customers 01/24/94 DENVER, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- US West Communications has announced that it has started a six month test to see if it can use a satellite orbiting 23,000 miles above the earth to provide better phone service to some of its rural customers. The company said that the test involves about 40 families in two suburban areas outside Jackson, Wyoming. It is reportedly the first US trial to use a Hughes Galaxy VII communications satellite and earth stations to relay local calls. Stan Bader, Wyoming vice president of US West Communications, told The Denver Post newspaper if the test is successful it could ultimately lead to cheaper, better phone service in other rural areas. "One day, we may be able to use satellite communications to bring video and other multimedia services to rural America," Bader told the paper. Rural residents would probably settle for being able to send and receive data from their personal computers via modem and receive faxes. Those services, which most of us take for granted, are not available to many rural communities particularly if they rely on party lines for their phone service. US West says that the satellite system for earthbound phone service is a potential solution to the cost of bringing service to remote users, which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars if lines have to be run over rough terrain such as that found around Jackson. Microwave and cellular communications are also difficult in mountainous areas because that technology relies on line-of-sight communication. US West spokesperson Steve Hammack told Newsbytes the Jackson customers participating in the test will be tied into the system via earth stations, six-foot satellite dishes called very small aperture terminals (VSAT). Like their urban cousins, satellite-serviced rural users will not have to pay for local calls, will have access to the long distance carrier of their choice, and can have services such as speed dialing and call forwarding as well as fax and modem communication. Hammack said they will not have access to call waiting and three-way calling. Two of the participants in the test have their own individual satellite dish, while the remainder of the customers are divided between two cluster dishes. Presently the customers don't pay for the satellite dish. Hammack said he doesn't know if they will have to buy the dish to receive the service if the six month test is successful. US West reported a loss of $2,800 million for 1993, the second in as many years. However, the results didn't seem to bother investors. US West shares rose 50 cents on the day of the announcement, closing at $43.625. The loss represented a $6.69 per share loss to investors. The company said the 1993 loss was largely related to one-time charges relating to the introduction and expansion of several services and for accounting charges. US West bought 25 percent of Time Warner Entertainment in late 1993. The partners say they will launch a network of cable, telephone and data service carried over a single cable for the Orlando, Florida market. (Jim Mallory/19940124/Press contact: Steve Hammack, US West Communications, 307-771-6305) (NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00015) ****Cyrix Wins Another Case With Intel 01/24/94 RICHARDSON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- Cyrix Corporation, the fledgeling computer microprocessor design company that dared to challenge Intel Corporation, has won another court battle against its rival. The US District court in Sherman, Texas has ruled that two claims of an Intel patent are covered by a cross licensing agreement, and Intel cannot charge Cyrix customers a licensing fee for using Cyrix chips. The court had previously ruled that the cross licensing agreement between Intel and SGS-Thomson was valid and enforceable. Cyrix spokesperson Jodi Shelton told Newsbytes that Intel has told customers they would have to pay a fee as high as 15 percent if they used Cyrix chips. Shelton said this was an attempt on the part of Intel to circumvent the earlier ruling. She called the attempt by Intel to collect a fee from Cyrix customers "an extortion tactic on the part of Intel." In July 1992 the US District Court ruled that Cyrix products manufactured by SGS-Thomson were licensed products, making those chips immune from Intel's patent infringement claims. Intel responded by claiming that a combination of two claims of the Crawford patent covering the combination of the CPU with external memory were not covered under the cross licensing agreement. Such a combination is necessary for a commercially viable, software compatible PC. The two companies are back in court again this week to battle over related issues, including Cyrix's claim that Intel has violated the antitrust laws and misused its patents. That trial is expected to test whether or not Cyrix's microprocessors made by non-licensed sources infringe claims 2 and 6 of the Crawford patent. Shelton said that, currently Cyrix obtains its chips from SGS-Thomson and one unnamed licensed source. "Cyrix's right to participate in the market has been earned through design innovation and has been confirmed by a string of legal victories. Intel's Crawford licensing scheme was an abuse of the patent law and the legal system," said Jerry Rogers, Cyrix president and chief executive officer. (Jim Mallory/19940124/Press contact: Jodi Shelton, Cyrix Corporation, 214-994-8238; Reader contact: Cyrix Corporation, 214-994-8388 or 800-402-9749) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00016) NewsPix Images For Newsbytes Publishers 01/24/94 MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- These are the photos that have been digitized and correspond to stories Newsbytes has reported recently. These photos are not available to the general public, but are designed for use by licensed Newsbytes publishers who log into our private bulletin board system in Minneapolis. For information on how to become a licensed Newsbytes publisher in any medium call Newsbytes at 612-430-1100. Newspix weekly summaries will appear Mondays on the Newsbytes wire. All photos are in JPEG format. Photo file names correspond to year- month-day-story number-brief name of picture contents. --------------------------- Week of January 24-28, 1994 --------------------------- 94011423gore - Head and shoulders portrait vice president Al Gore, (b&w). 94010708sumer - Color from slide. Wide shot of Sumerian ziggurat courtesy Sumeria, producers of the CD-ROM Ancient Cities images of historical sites. 94011019nagel - David Nagel, senior vice president and general manager of Apple's AppleSoft Div. Color from slide. 94011310gryph - Gryphon software in action, Mona Lisa morphs into wacky grin. Color from slide. 93111611spindl - Michael Spindler, Apple's president and chief executive officer (CEO). Color from slide. 94011207mosc - Very wide angle, almost fish eye, shot of Moscone center, site of recent Macworld Expo. Color from slide. 94010428Eworld - View of E-world, Apple's coming online service, screen. 94011423LaTime - Color group shot of Pacific Telesis and Times Mirror execs signing agreement for the creation of "the home- shopping lane of the communications superhighway." Includes Richard T. Schlosberg III, publisher & CEO of the LA Times; Hal Logan, general manager of the Pacific Telesis Electronic Publishing Services; Robert F. Erburu, chairman, president and CEO of Times Mirror; Lee Camp, president of Pacific Telesis Electronic Publishing Services and VP of Pacific Bell. 93111613bastien - B&W portrait of Gaston Bastiaens, general manager for the P.I.E. division of Apple Computer. 94010608SirSp - B&W shot of Sir Speedy franchisee at workstation with Team CD. 94011321philip - B&W of fullmotion video cartridge and box. Cartridge is being inserted in back of CDI unit with Maganavox monitor in background. 9401008citiz - B&W product shot of new lighweight Citizen printer. 94011015photoCD - Basic product shot of PhotoCD. 94011817qms - Color (from slide) view of QMS desktop office system: monitor, keyboard, and printer. 94011317Ident - Color (from slide) view of Identity Systems Technology Select notebook computer. 94011912Dbeam - Color view (from slide) of Farsite screen which allows a virtual "electronic whiteboard" to be shared on computers. 94010723whisp - Color view (from photo) of Brother Whisperwriter, two-piece inkjet word processor. 94010724Ptouch - Color view (from transparency) of the Brother P- Touch PC, dedicated label printer for Mac & IBM. 94011212kapor - B&W portrait of Mitch Kapor, chairman of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). 94011126malone - B&W portrait of John Malone, President of Telecommunications. (Newsbytes/19940124) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00017) SynOptics Partners Xylogics, Intros Optivity 4.0 For HP 01/24/94 SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- Just a few days after posting revenue of $704,493,000 for its fiscal year ended December 31, 1993, SynOptics Communications, says it has signed a partnership with Xylogics that calls for the integration of the Xylogics Annex Three communications server into the SynOptics Lattis System 5000 intelligent hub. The company has also introduced Optivity 4.0 for HP's Unix-based OpenView platform. According to Synoptics, the resulting product from the deal with Xylogics is a "low-cost 24-port module that utilizes public switching services to give mobile users, telecommuters and individuals in branch offices access to the network center from virtually anywhere." The new module is called the Model 5390, and combines remote dial access, IP routing and terminal server connectivity. The company says that integrating those features into a "central point of the network" with the System 5000 cuts down on the cost of operation, increases network performance, and enables "easy management" using the SynOptics Optivity network management system. Bruce Sachs, president of Xylogics, said: "The increased need for remote and local network access is driving the centralization of network access resources into the logical point of concentration, the wiring hub," "This trend has become a major opportunity for Xylogics, embedding our technology into hubs. We offer the ability to meet all three requirements: dial-up routing, host access, and remote access, on a single platform that provides a very high level of security and common network management," he added. According to the company, the Model 5390 can use the public switched telephone networks (PSTN), integrated services digital network (ISDN) or the switched 56 kilobits per second service network, to extend corporate LANs (local area networks) across the wide area network (WAN) for a number of applications. The product was jointly developed by the two companies and is based on Xylogics' Annex Three communications server, and attaches to any of the 12 Ethernet segments on the System 5000 backplane. It offers 24 asynchronous ports. The companies claim that the Model 5390 is the first OEM (original equipment manufacturer) module to be integrated into the System 5000 and gives users increased control with the Optivity network management system. It is priced at $5,395 and will be available in the second quarter of, 1994. The price includes Unix access server software, TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) terminal server software, and TCP/IP routing software. Meanwhile, Optivity 4.0 for HP OpenView is designed to "leverage the soft configuration capabilities of the Lattis System 5000 intelligent hub to enable customers to logically create and manage virtual LANs. Optivity 4.0 is intended to cut down on the time it takes to perform daily network administrative tasks. The virtual LANs are users geographically separated, but needing a logical connection to each other. SynOptics has been working together since 1990, when SynOptics provided network management applications for HP OpenView for Windows with its LattisNet Manager for DOS. In 1992, SynOptics introduced LattisViews software, which let users manage SynOptics Ethernet and Token Ring intelligent hubs from the HP OpenView Network Node Manager. Optivity 4.0 for the HP OpenView platform is set for availability in February, and will be sold separately for $5,995, and bundled with HP OpenView Unix for $21,745. Synoptics' revenue of $704,493,000 for its fiscal year represents an increase of 81 percent as compared to 1992 revenue of $388,846,000. Fourth quarter revenue was $188,345,000, a gain of 44 percent over $130,467,000 for the like quarter a year ago. Net income for the year was $75,897,000, or $1.09 per share, an increase in earnings per share of 65 percent versus the $42,437,000 or 66 cents per share, reported for 1992. The company also reported 1993 fourth quarter net income of $23,753,000, or 34 cents per share, up 41 percent from $16,889,000, or 25 cents per share, for the prior year quarter. SynOptics recently expanded its relationship with IBM by signing an OEM agreement that will enable enterprise customers to integrate their existing SNA (Systes Network Architecture) equipment and applications with Token Ring intelligent hubs. In November, SynOptics received ISO 9002 (International Standards Organization) certification for its stackable hub line. (Ian Stokell/19940124/Press Contact: Amanda Jaramillo, 408-764-1180, SynOptics Communications; or Susan Ice, 415-325-6236, Thomas Associates) (NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00018) Control Data Systems Announces Remote Mgmt Service 01/24/94 ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- Control Data Systems (CDS) has announced a new service that provides remote management, monitoring, and outsourcing for computer networks and systems. Following a trend in the industry to provide more support for customers, CDS says its Enterprise Management Center (EMC) provides remote management support worldwide around the clock. The center is staffed by senior engineers who can monitor, control and troubleshoot a computer network. A help desk provides answers to questions on operating systems, network, connectivity issues, and general problems. EMC also provides network and node configuration, technology upgrades, and fault management. "A simple phone call to a toll-free number will put a user in touch with a highly-trained EMC engineer who will either solve the problem or dispatch on-site support," says EMC manager Ron Swan. EMC also provides network monitoring and management, an alternative method of monitoring, controlling and troubleshooting network problems. It provides fault detection, development of an operational baseline for trend analysis, security support and detection, an optional traffic analysis feature, and monthly operational reports. (Jim Mallory/19940124/Press contact: Pat Kelly, Control Data Systems, 612-482-4857) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00019) ****Ziff Announces Interchange, A Windows-Based Service 01/24/94 CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- Ziff-Davis has announced Interchange, a Windows-based online service set to debut in the fall, and renamed its online division Ziff-Davis Interactive. The announcements were made at a trade show in Indian Wells, California. Newsbytes will be a featured part of Interchange, Ziff-Davis Interactive president Michael Kolowich said during an interview, and the company will continue to maintain its text-based operations on both CompuServe and Prodigy. "We're on CompuServe for the long run," he said. "We're on Prodigy for the long run. We're not going to pull them. We like them. What Interchange is about is taking advantage of new platforms and new communication methods that CompuServe and Prodigy haven't yet approached." He added it will be relatively simple for Ziff to create its own stand-alone service, since it already has the computers and packet network arrangements necessary to go into the business. "The big work right here is in the client software that resides on peoples' PCs," he continued, "and building an engine that can present rich graphical information that is flexible enough to accommodate multimedia elements over time. The really big advance here is that at the heart of Interchange are compound multimedia documents, as opposed to text," he said. "That enables us to provide a much richer experience for the user. The other thing is that because we're based on modern host technology and we're able to design for a world of more powerful computers, we're able to employ techniques like object-oriented architecture and we can assume multi-tasking personal computers at the other end. That lets us aim much much higher than traditional services have in terms of functionality," he added. The minimum configuration for accessing Interchange will be a PC with Windows 3.1, or eventually a Macintosh with System 7) software, based on a 386 or 486 chip with 4 megabytes of memory and a VGA screen. A 9600 baud modem is also recommended. "That is a more stringent requirement than most systems installed today, but it comprises the vast majority of systems sold in the last 18 months. We already have services that are accessible to people with less capable machines -- they can get our information through CompuServe and Prodigy. It's incumbent on us, with the markets we serve, to aim much higher and not compromise the service," he said. Kolowich also described how Interchange interactions will feel to the user. "Windows does multi-task, but the real trick is to build client software that opens multiple virtual channels to the host, so that things are able to go on in background, like downloads, updating mail, and updating other information on your PC, at the same time requests are being served instantly in the foreground. As soon as you click on a mouse to open a document, the software has to be able to respond, stop the download, serve that request, then go on with what it's doing," he said. Pricing is still being determined, Kolowich added, although the company has settled on a monthly fee, with a generous bundle of free hours, and a price point slightly higher than America OnLine, which pioneered that type of pricing. Early tests start in roughly a month, which should grow to a 50,000 person beta test by mid-year, with full commercial operation this fall. Kolowich added that Ziff is looking at TeleScript, from General Magic, although "We'd like to see it more real before we make a commitment to it. But certainly we're capable of accommodating that technology in both our messaging and in our agent approaches, if it makes sense." Finally, Kolowich addressed the question of the Internet. "It's a nice four-lane highway, but everyone's driving brown Volkswagens on it," he said. "We will support Internet mail right away. One of the interesting challenges is for us to figure out how to use highly- graphical approaches" to Internet data. (Dana Blankenhorn/19940124/Press Contact: Lisa Landa, Ziff-Davis Interactive, 617-252-5211) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00020) Canada To Get New Technology In Government Magazine 01/24/94 TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- A second national publication will address the Canadian government computer market starting next month. Plesman Publications in Toronto plans to launch Technology in Government, a tabloid aimed at technology buyers in federal, provincial, and municipal governments. The new title arose out of a one-time special supplement to Plesman's flagship publication, the bi-weekly newspaper Computing Canada, that appeared last fall in conjunction with a government- oriented trade show in Ottawa. "It was very well received," said George Soltys, associate publisher at Plesman, so the company decided to turn it into a regular publication. Technology in Government will publish five issues in 1994, Soltys said, and "depending on how well it does we hope to go monthly next year." The magazine will begin with a controlled circulation of 25,000, he said. The magazine will have a tabloid format, but will be printed on book-quality paper rather than newsprint. Editorially, it will contain some news but will focus on more in-depth features, Soltys said. Jerry Zeidenberg, who currently edits Plesman's SI Business monthly magazine for systems integrators and value-added resellers, will also edit Technology in Government. Last October, Ottawa-based Hum Magazine announced it will expand from serving the local market in the capital city to reach government computer buyers across Canada. Hum's publishers said they would aim for qualified circulation of about 11,500. The two-year- old magazine is published monthly. (Grant Buckler/19940124/Press Contact: George Soltys, Plesman Publications, 416-497-9562, fax 416-497-9427) (NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00021) New Versions of Unvirus, V-Analyst 01/24/94 TEL AVIV, ISRAEL, 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- PF1 Systems has begun distributing the 32nd version of its anti-virus software -- Unvirus and V-Analyst 3. The software, developed by BRM Technologies of Jerusalem, comes with a completely rewritten version of the Immune program, including new options to protect computers against known and unknown viruses. According to PF1, a sister package to the initial two versions, Multi-server, will be released this next month. Multi-server is a network anti-virus software. The company, which is part of the Pilat Group, claims more than 40,000 users of its anti-viral software. Yossi Kawan, PF1's managing director, said that the company had a successful year in 1993, thanks to its expansion into the networking marketplace. During 1994, the company plans to increase its already strong position in the networking market, expanding its product range to support more network and operating system environments. (Steve Gold/19940124/Press & Public Contact: PF1 Software - Tel: +972-3-561-0617) (NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00022) UK - PPCP Unveil Internal Fax/Ring Units For Compaq PCs 01/24/94 LONDON, ENGLAND, 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- PPCP, the portable connectivity distributor, has announced it is now selling a high-performance internal token ring adapter that can be used alone or in combination with an internal V.32bis fax modem. The company claims that this overcomes the limitations of single-function internal devices. According to PPCP, the 16-bit adapter includes 32K of random access memory (RAM) for network data support and buffers the STP and UTP cabling. The card fits into the internal modem slot of Compaq notebooks and laptops. In use, the network speed is detected by supplied driver software which configures the adapter accordingly. The company claims that the TokenTALK adapter can be installed alone or in the company of any Ositech LapTALK Plus fax modem. When both devices are plugged together using the connectors supplied with the modem, they can be used simultaneously, Newsbytes understands. "Portable users demand the same connectivity and functions as desktop users. This means making laptop and notebook peripherals work harder. I believe innovative solutions which double up on the functions, such as the Ositech products are the way forward for both proprietary and PCMCIA peripherals," explained John Nolan, PPCP managing director. According to Nolan, the LapTALK Plus 14.4K modem supplies V.32bis data, V.17 Group 3 fax and 14.4Kbps. In addition to this, the modem and Token Ring adapter also features intelligent power management facilities to extend PC battery life are designed in both Token Ring adapter and fax modem. When either modem is powered off, they only use 2 milliwatts of power, Newsbytes understands. The TokenTALK adapter costs UKP 599, while the LapTALK Plus 14.4K modem is sold for UKP 549. (Sylvia Dennis/19940124/Press & Public Contact: PPCP - Tel: +44-81- 893-2277) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00023) Canadian Product Launch Update 01/24/94 TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- This regular feature, appearing every Monday or Tuesday, provides further details for the Canadian market on announcements by international companies that Newsbytes has already covered. This week: Digital's new PCs, Microsoft's multimedia titles for the Macintosh, and Silicon Graphics' Indy R4400 workstations. Digital Equipment of Canada, located in Toronto, unveiled its DECpc LPv+ energy-saving desktop personal computers and its DECpc 425 SE notebooks (Newsbytes, Jan. 18). Prices for the LPv+ machines in Canada range from C$1,375 up to C$3,025. The DECpc 425 SE notebooks start at C$2,959. All are available right away, DEC said. Microsoft Canada, of Mississauga, Ontario, announced versions of three multimedia titles for the Apple Computer Macintosh (Newsbytes, Jan. 14). The 1994 edition of the Encarta multimedia encyclopedia, the Cinemania interactive movie guide and the Microsoft Bookshelf 1994 compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) reference library are to be available in Canada in March, officials said. The new Canadian suggested retail price for the 1994 Encarta is C$189, and qualified educational institutions and libraries will be able to buy it for C$129.95. Cinemania lists for C$99.95. The price of Bookshelf for the Mac is to be announced in March, Microsoft Canada said. Silicon Graphics Canada, of Mississauga, Ontario, recently unveiled the Indy R4400, a new top-of-the-line model in its line of reduced instruction set computing (RISC) workstations (Newsbytes, Jan. 4). With prices starting at C$22,560, the Indy R4400 workstations will be available in Canada in March, company officials said. (Grant Buckler/19940124/Press Contact: Martin O'Brien, DEC Canada, 416-597-3162; Linda Carnell, Microsoft Canada, 905-568-0434 ext. 4238, fax 905-568-1527; Pamela White, Silicon Graphics Canada, 905-625-4747, fax 905-625-4476) (NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00024) ****Intel Loses Two Court Cases 01/24/94 WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- The US Supreme Court has refused to hear an Intel suit against USLI System Technology (not VLSI) over math coprocessors. A lower court (a US Court of Appeals) had earlier decided that Intel was not likely to win an ongoing patent infringement suit against USLI and therefore was not entitled to an injunction preventing the company from marketing its products. ULSI's defense on the patent infringement question is based on the claim that the microchips USLI sold had been supplied to the company by Hewlett-Packard, a legitimate licensee of Intel and therefore were not subject to intellectual property violation claims. Today's decision did not directly relate to the merits of the patent infringement case - the top court only declined to decide whether Intel could gain an injunction against ULSI. This refusal to reverse a lower court ruling (actually a refusal to even consider doing so) follows closely on another blow last week against Intel. The earlier ruling involved another court's decision that Cyrix (an 80X86 clone maker) was correct in claiming that Intel could not charge computer makers a licensing fee for its technology when they actually use Cyrix chips. The US District Court in Sherman, Texas, found that claims 2 and 6 of Intel's Crawford 338 patent are covered by the valid Intel/SGS-Thomson cross-license agreement. Because of this agreement the court has decided that Intel has no right to charge fees for the use of Cyrix chips. Jerry Rogers, president and CEO (chief executive officer) of Cyrix has called Intel's Crawford licensing scheme "an abuse of the patent law and the legal system." Back in July, 1992, the U.S. District Court in Texas ruled that because Cyrix products were licensed through SGS-Thomson, they were immune from patent infringement claims by Intel. Claims 2 and 6 of the Crawford licensing patent claim refer to the combination of the CPU (central processing unit) with external memory to make a software compatible PC. Intel, which once had a monopoly on the microprocessors used to power the vast majority of the world's microcomputers (the MS-DOS and Windows-compatible PCs), has seen strong challenges to its dominance over the past 6 or 7 years. One of the first problems faced by Intel was the challenge to its expensive math coprocessors which were improved upon by several small companies which also sold their 80x87-equivalent chips at lower prices than Intel's math coprocessors. Intel's newer 80486 line of microprocessors come with a built-in math coprocessor (except for the SX line). Next came clones of the 80386 and 80486 microprocessors - new chips which did not infringe on Intel's design but still offered 100-percent compatibility at higher speeds and lower prices. Intel tried to protect its market share by blocking competitors from using any of the Intel microprocessor designation numbers in the names of their products, but the company found that it was unable to copyright numbers. This is what led Intel to name its next generation microprocessor the Pentium instead of the 80586 (which most journalists had already dubbed the chip before its actual introduction). Intel has also initiated a major advertising campaign focusing on the "Intel Inside" catch phrase. Despite these challenges, Intel still maintains a dominant position in the microprocessor design and manufacturing field. (John McCormick/19940124/Jodi Shelton, Cyrix Corporation, 214- 994-8238) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00025) Canadian Government Commits To Information Highway 01/24/94 OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- The recent Speech From the Throne, in which the new Canadian government laid out in broad terms its plans for the next few years, made brief mention of something dear to the hearts of many in the information technology industry: the so-called information highway. As is usual in a Throne Speech, there were no details. The speech only said that the new Liberal government plans to lay out a Canadian strategy for the information highway. In doing so, incoming Prime Minister Jean Chretien echoed the position taken by his counterpart south of the border, US President Bill Clinton, when he took office last year. A veteran politician, Chretien does not have quite the young technocrat image of Clinton and his running mate, Vice-President Al Gore, who has spearheaded the information highway concept in the US But his campaign, and his government so far, emphasized infrastructure. Part of that is traditional infrastructure such as roads, but the Liberals seem to want to extend the idea into the electronic realm as well. Though details are too sketchy for detailed comment, the initial reaction from the high-technology industry seems positive. The Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC), a Toronto-based industry association, praised the government's promise, saying in a statement that: "the economic impact of the information superhighway in the twenty-first century will be as beneficial to Canadians as the national railroad system was to the 19th century." ITAC took advantage of the occasion to promote a conference on the information highway that it is co-sponsoring in Toronto February 1 and 2, along with the Ottawa-based Canadian Advanced Technology Association (CATA). CATA has been a strong supporter of the information highway concept, said Shirley-Ann George, director of federal relations for the group of Canadian high-tech companies. "Infrastructure is not just pavement," she noted. (Grant Buckler/19940124/Press Contact: Dave Paolini, ITAC, 905-602- 8510 ext. 235; Shirley-Ann George, CATA, 613-236-6550) (NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00026) ****Good News Expected In IBM Financials 01/24/94 NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- It won't be quite like the good old days, but the financial news due from IBM Tuesday is expected to be better than it has been in the last few quarters. Financial analyst William Milton, who follows the firm for Brown Brothers Harriman in New York, said he is forecasting a fourth-quarter profit of 75 cents per share for the battered computer maker, and expects a small profit for the year. That would be a welcome change from several quarters of losses, something unprecedented in IBM's history up to the past couple of years. However, Milton warned against getting too excited about the figures. He noted that the fourth quarter has always been IBM's strongest -- the firm sometimes earns more than 40 percent of its annual revenue in the last three months of the year. That means it would be a mistake to multiply the fourth-quarter results by four and take them as a guide to what can be expected from IBM in the coming year. Milton said he does expect IBM to be in the black in 1994. He is forecasting a $2.15-per-share profit, but he added that this is less than IBM made even in 1992, and pales in comparison to annual profits of better than $10 per share in 1984, 1985, and 1990. In the usually weak first quarter, Milton added, it will be a challenge for IBM to make any profit at all. Milton said he expects the IBM Personal Computer Co. will be a strong contributor to IBM's revenues, which over-all he forecasts will be up about two percent year over year. Most of the profits will come from the cost-cutting IBM has gone through over the past couple of years. That cost-cutting may not be entirely at an end, Milton said, but he does not expect a further restructuring charge at present, since the company has already set aside large sums to cover the costs of cutting staff and closing facilities as it struggles to get back in the black. (Grant Buckler/19940124/Press Contact: William Milton, Brown Brothers Harriman, 212-483-1818) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00027) ****AMD Offers SCSI And Ethernet On One Chip 01/24/94 SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- In the drive to squeeze computing functions into smaller spaces, putting all the circuitry for a single interface on one microprocessor apparently isn't good enough any more. Now chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has gone one step farther and put two common interfaces together on one chip. AMD has announced PCnet-SCSI, a chip that combines an Ethernet local-area network interface with Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) circuitry. The chip is designed to connect directly to the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) local bus. AMD, which also makes central processor chips in competition with Intel will sell the chips to PC manufacturers, claiming the vendors can save money by using PCnet-SCSI to replace separate SCSI and Ethernet interface cards. Putting both SCSI and Ethernet connections on a PC using traditional adapter boards would cost at least $500, said Jim Lochmiller, a spokesman for AMD. In quantities of 1,000, the AMD chips will cost $39.95. The chip will go straight on the PC's motherboard. Aside from the possibility of having cost savings passed on by PC vendors, another potential gain for PC buyers is the PCI slot saved by putting SCSI and Ethernet functions on a single chip. The PCI bus is limited to two or three slots, except with the use of currently rare bridging technology such as that recently introduced by Digital Equipment Corp. While SCSI and Ethernet cards would typically each use two of the 10 "loads" permissible on a single PCI bus, the AMD chip uses just one. PCI is a 32-bit local bus, primarily promoted by Intel, meant to eliminate the traditional bottleneck between a computer's central processor and peripheral devices. The SCSI interface, which has been common on Apple Computer Inc. Macintosh computers for some time, is now seeing wider use on IBM and compatible PCs. It allows as many as seven devices to be attached to a single interface, and is often used with compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) drives. Lochmiller said that AMD expects its chip and the PCI bus will help to make SCSI as much a standard feature on Intel-based PCs as it has been on the Macintosh. The Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus most used in PCs keeps users from getting the full benefit of the fast SCSI connector, he said. AMD also offers SCSI-only and Ethernet-only chips that fit the same socket as the PCnet-SCSI chip, Lochmiller added, so PC makers will be able to design a single machine that can be configured with any combination of Ethernet and SCSI connections just by changing one chip. The chip is listed in the company's parts catalog as part number Am79C974, samples are available now, and volume shipments are due to start in the second quarter of this year, officials said. (Grant Buckler/19940124/Press Contact: Jim Lochmiller, AMD, 408-982-7880) (NEWS)(IBM)(ATL)(00028) Educational Software For $10 01/24/94 TINTON FALLS, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- Camelot Entertainment has released a new line of products called Professor Nozall's Kids University, for IBM PC ATs and higher, at a suggested retail price of just $9.99. The products are designed around the curriculum guidelines now being mandated by state and national governments the company said. In addition to the 14 software products, there's a line of 12 video titles being introduced at $7.99 each. Danny Wettrich, chairman of the parent Camelot Corp., acknowledged that his company's aim is to gain market share in a market estimated to be worth $775 million last year, but dominated by titles selling at from $30-60. The series title character, Professor Nozall, pronounced knows-all, was designed by an unnamed Los Angeles-based animation studio, and designed to appeal to a young audience. While the software should not be classed as a game, Camerlot said learning is faster and retention is higher when students enjoy the learning process. Each title consists of 10 or more lessons, divided like most academic subjects into Study Material, Practice Tests and Final Tests. The highlight is a final test called the Letter Lighting game, which lets kids solve word puzzles for "prizes." Both MS-DOS and Windows versions of the software are available. The DOS version requires 1 megabyte of internal memory, with 2 megabytes recommended, VGA graphics, and 2.5 megabytes of hard disk space per program. The Windows programs require Windows 3.0 or higher, with the same hardware requirements. (Dana Blankenhorn/19940124/Press Contact: Len Stein, for Camelot, 212-777-4350; Customer Contact: Camelot Entertainment, 31 Park Road, Tinton Falls, New Jersey, 07724, 908-935-1075; FAX: 908-935-1086) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00029) Epson Intros $299 Dot-Matrix; Cannon A $1,839 Laser 01/24/94 TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- In an interesting study of contrasts, Epson has introduced a $299 color upgradable dot-matrix printer, while Canon has gone for the other end of the market with the $1,839 600 dots-per-inch LBP-860 Business Laser Printer. Epson's small footprint ActionPrinter 3260 is a color upgradable, 24-pin impact printer, complete with front-loading 50-sheet paper tray, and two-button control panel. According to the company, the ActionPrinter 3260 offers sharp, letter-quality output. It also includes 10 built-in fonts, with four of them scalable. The device prints at 216 characters-per- second (cps) at 12 characters-per-inch (cpi), and has a quiet operation. The optional color upgrade kit for the new dot matrix printer features a color ribbon, motor and ribbon bracket, that can be installed by users. Up to seven colors are available with the kit. The color package costs an additional $49. The printer uses the company's ESC/P2 printer language and is covered a standard two-year limited warranty. The company also offers a toll-free customer support and technical assistance line. The ActionPrinter 3260 carries a suggested retail price of $299. Meanwhile, Canon Computer Systems (CCSI) has introduced the new, high-end LBP-860 Business Laser Printer, which offers 600 dots per inch (dpi) output, eight page-per-minute (ppm) speed and PCL5e compatibility. The LBP-860 uses 32-bit RISC (reduced instruction-set computer) processing and memory reduction technologies, which, according to the company, makes it one of the first 600 dpi laser printers capable of printing "most Adobe PostScript Level 2 documents with only two megabytes (MB) of standard memory. The LBP-860 is already shipping priced at $1,839. Announcing the printer, Carolyn Perrier, director of peripherals marketing at CCSI, said: "CCSI has redefined the standard for high productivity laser printer performance in the small office market. Our approach to providing a big business printing solution is exactly what our customers have told us they need -- affordable industry-standard performance today with the option to expand features and capabilities tomorrow as their business grows." The LBP-860 also offers an 850-sheet total input capacity with Canon's LBP-EX laser engine, and comes standard with 35 Intellifont and 10 TrueType scalable fonts. The company also says that total memory of the LBP-860 can be expanded to 34 megabytes (MB) using single in-line memory modules (SIMMs). Paper handling capabilities include a 250 letter-sized sheet paper cassette and a 100-sheet multipurpose tray that holds a variety of different sizes of paper and up to 10 envelopes. The company also says that the LBP-860 uses its own "super fine toner for more refined text and graphics." The EP-E toner cartridge life is approximately 6,000 pages and costs $155. The laser printer uses Intel's i960 32-bit RISC-based microprocessor and 82961KD printer coprocessor, and automatic interface switching allows both PC-based and Macintosh computer users to share a single printer without a network. Standard options include a serial and parallel port and a PCMCIA type II (Personal Computer memory Card International Association) expansion slot. The LBP-860 measures 17- inches by 16-inches by 12-inches. (Ian Stokell/19940124/Press Contact: Jan Marciano, 310-782-5161, Epson America Inc; Karen Lippe, 714-438-3075, Canon Computer Systems) (NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00030) Compaq Expands Euro Manufacturing Facilities 01/24/94 HOUSTON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- Compaq Computer Corporation has announced that it will invest $10.5 million to expand its manufacturing operations in Erskine, Scotland. Compaq spokesperson John Sweney told Newsbytes that the expansion is expected to be completed during the third quarter, and will include the opening of two manufacturing lines to build printed circuit boards. The 540,000 square foot Erskine plant builds Compaq desktop computer and server products for distribution in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The facility opened in November 1987 and currently employs about 800 people. When the expansion is complete it is expected to add about 250 more jobs. (Jim Mallory/19940124/Press contact: John Sweney, Compaq Computer Corporation, 713-374-1564) (NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00031) ****Consumer PC Sales To Approach Six Million By 1997 01/24/94 NORWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- Consumer PC sales will soar from last year's figure of 2.7 million US shipments to a whopping 5.9 million in 1997, rising from a one-fifth to a one- third share of total US industry shipments in the process, according to a new study by BIS Strategic Decisions. The home PC market will continue to account for the majority of PCs sold to home users, but not by quite as high a margin, the BIS statistics show. In 1993, total US shipments amounted to 13.6 million, the researchers found. Of this number, 1.6 million PCs were for home office use, or about 59 percent of the 2.7 million consumer PCs shipped last year. For 1997, BIS is forecasting 17.4 million in total PC shipments, with 3.2 million of the machines expected to be used in home offices, or about 53 percent of the projected 5.9 million in consumer PC shipments for that year. Other home uses mentioned by the researchers include education and entertainment. The consumer market reached record levels in 1993, yet the "overnight success" of consumer PCs has actually taken five years to develop, according to Raymond Boggs, who directs Home Office research for BIS. "It took quite an effort to rebuild retailer interest in PCs after the home computer turmoil of the mid-1980s, but that's only part of the story. Not only are today's products significantly better than models of two or three years ago, but the customer is much more sophisticated as well," Boggs explained. The factors of retailer support and more knowledgeable consumers also assure that consumer interest in PCs will expand in the future, and so does improved ease of use, the study discovered. In addition to being sold by computer superstores, PCs are now available from consumer electronics stores and even from mass merchants, the researchers observed. Computer manufacturers are learning the art of consumer merchandising, and their growing willingness to adjust computer dealer terms and conditions to suit the needs of consumer channels has helped them to move into new retail accounts. Moreover, increasing numbers of consumers are using PCs at work on a daily basis, and are therefore aware of the benefits of PC ownership. Most of these users would not be considered PC experts, cautioned BIS. But "as business use of PCs continues to grow, the number of home users familiar with PCs will grow as well." Ease-of-use features cited in the report included Windows and Macintosh graphical user interfaces (GUIs), as well as such model- specific capabilities as the built-in telephone answering machine in Compaq's Presario PCs and a "Resume" feature in IBM's PS/1 models that lets the user restart the PC and return to the same place in an application where work has ended. (Jacqueline Emigh/19940124/Reader contact: BIS Strategic Decisions, tel 617-982-9500; Press contacts: Raymond Boggs, BIS, tel 617-982-9500; Jon Hulak, BIS, tel 617-982-9500) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00032) Borland Updates C++ 4.0 To Support Microsoft Chicago Prgms 01/24/94 SCOTTS VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 24 (NB) -- The PC market is waiting expectantly for the introduction of Microsoft's much- hyped, and by all accounts, far more user-friendly, version of Windows 4.0, or Chicago, operating system and graphical user interface. Hoping to get a jump on the competition, Borland International has updated its Borland C++ 4.0 programming language to allow software developers to write programs that run under Chicago. According to Borland, the company has become the first to offer 16- and 32-bit development capabilities in a single box, for all versions of Microsoft Windows, including Chicago. Chicago is currently being beta tested. Newsbytes notes that, judging by the enormous success of Windows 3.0 and 3.1, Chicago is set to become a powerhouse in the graphical user interface/operating system market for the PC platform. Unlike Windows 3.0/3.1, which run under the archaic MS-DOS operating system, Chicago, like the high- end 32-bit Windows NT, will feature a new operating system. One of the biggest initial benefits to less technical users of Chicago, notes Newsbytes, will be the use of graphical icons, or Macintosh-like folders, in place of the laborious directory listings in Windows' existing Program Manager file management utility. Announcing the upgrade, Paul H. Gross, vice president of languages at Borland, said: "With the introduction of C++ for Chicago, we are simply continuing to help our customers through critical transitions. With the introduction of Chicago, we'll see rapid growth in demand for 32-bit development, and Borland C++ users will be the ones who are ready for it." Borland says that Chicago's new operating system presents portability and compatibility problems for developers. The company claims that its C++ tools "smooth the transition to Chicago by enabling software developers to write reusable, expandable code that works in 16- and 32-bit environments simultaneously." Borland says it is also announcing an Early Experience Program (EEP) designed for Borland C++ developers participating in Chicago beta tests. Under terms of the program, participants will receive the current C++ upgrade and subsequent versions of C++ throughout the Chicago beta test cycle. The EEP C++ will allow for the creation of applications that run under Chicago, include Chicago-specific "features and functionality," and is designed to give Borland early access to new development environments. Borland C++ 4.0 usually carries a suggested retail price of $499. However, the C++ 4.0 update that runs under Chicago is available to registered Borland C++ 4.0 users on compact disk for just $10, to cover shipping and handling. (Ian Stokell/19940124/Press Contact: Susan Zorb, 408-431-1341, or Gillian Webster, 408-431-5862, Borland International)