NeXT Nugget News Digest (vol. 5, issue 1, October 1, 1992) TABLE OF CONTENTS I. FTP Archive Sites for NeXT Public Domain Apps and Tools II. Publications on Topics of NeXT Developer and User Interest III. In Focus: NeXT High Resolution Color LCD Projection Panel IV. Chrysler, Mobil & McCaw Cellular Choose NeXT V. Pencom Software announces co-Xist 3.0 (X11R5) VI. NeXT and mc2 to Sign Mobil VII. HSD Announces Color-X-10i, a scan/print application for Canon Color Laser Copiers on NeXT ____________________________________________________________________ This is vol. 5, issue 1 of the 1992 NeXT NUGGET NEWS DIGEST - a collection of items of interest for the NeXT User Group members. There are more than 380 NeXT User Groups in 38 countries on all continents around the world. To submit articles or announcements to appear in the Nugget Digest, please send your contributions to the following address: user_groups@next.com. Conrad Geiger Manager, International NeXT User Groups P.S. To be added or taken off this distribution, please send email to "nugget@next.com." ____________________________________________________________________ I. FTP Archive Sites for NeXT Public Domain Apps and Tools Here are the six major ftp sites for NeXT for public domain apps and demo apps: sonata.cc.purdue.edu pub/next cs.orst.edu (Oregon State) pub/next etlport.etl.go.jp (Japan) pellns.alleg.edu pub (academic apps) otter.stanford.edu (mathematica) src.doc.ic.ac.uk (UK) (mirror of nova/sonata) Here is a list of a few others: NeXT ftp-sites: =============== 141.14.140.32 (Berlin, Germany) aeneas.mit.edu akbar.cac.washington.edu archive.umich.edu athena-dist.mit.edu (XNeXT, athena) boombox.micro.umn.edu pub/gopher/NeXT budapest.math.macalstr.edu calvin.stanford.edu NeXT and pub/Khoros cameron.egr.duke.edu pub/NeXT ccrma-ftp.stanford.edu (music) cica.cica.indiana.edu coyote.cs.wmich.edu pub/NeXT cs.orst.edu pub/next cs.ubc.ca tmp/NeXT (Bible) csus.edu pub/NeXT/sounds dagon.acc.stolaf.edu ee.uta.edu eesun1.arl.utexas.edu public/NeXT emx.utexas.edu pub/next etlport.etl.go.jp f.ms.uky.edu pub/next fiasko.rz-berlin.mpg.de forwiss.uni-passau.de pub/next ftp.byu.edu (Apple IIe/NeXT) ftp.informatik.uni-muenchen.de pub/next ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu ftp.uni-kl.de pub/next ftphost.cac.washington.edu greyrock.mso.colostate.edu heplib.slac.stanford.edu iesd.auc.dk pub/next isca.uiowa.edu iuvax.cs.indiana.edu pub/graphs/NeXT j.cc.purdue.edu java.cc.mcgill.ca pub/NeXT kalikka.jyu.fi pub/next math.utexas.edu pub/next media-lab.media.mit.edu pub/next midway.uchicago.edu pub/NeXT ncar.ucar.edu ncarg/unix3.01/NeXT nic.funet.fi pub/next nic.stolaf.edu pub/ps nisca.acs.ohio-state.edu pub/next nova.cc.purdue.edu pub/next nugget.rmnug.org pub/NeXT otter.stanford.edu (mathematica) plethora.media.mit.edu pub/next (GNU) prep.ai.mit.edu pub/gnu (GNU) princeton.edu (music) ronin.css.itd.umich.edu pub/next sachiko.acc.stolaf.edu saqqara.cis.ohio-state.edu next slc2.ins.cwru.edu pub/next snekkar.ens.fr pub/next solaria.cc.gatech.edu pub/next sonata.cc.purdue.edu pub/next spinner.gac.edu pub/next src.doc.ic.ac.uk next sumex.stanford.edu pub sutro.sfsu.edu pub ucbvax.berkeley.edu pub/tiff (tiff) uhunix2.uhcc.hawaii.edu pub/next umaxc.weeg.uiowa.edu pub/next umd5.umd.edu NeXT uvaarpa.acc.virginia.edu venera.isi.edu To find what software is at other sites that have NeXT public domain apps or to find your favorite NeXT software on archive sites, use "Archie." You say, "What is Archie and how do use it?" A) Archie is a special server that keeps file listings from different FTP sites. You can Telnet to a server or use a client program to search for specific files. There are sites which do not appear in an Archie server and you can use the lists for these. For more information, send mail to 'archie@site_listed_below' for a help file -or - telnet with login of "archie." archie.ans.net (North America) archie.sura.net (North America) archie.mcgill.ca (Canada) archie.funet.fi (Finland/Mainland Europe) archie.au (Australia/New Zealand) archie.doc.ic.ac.uk (Great Britain/Ireland) archie.unl.edu (North America) cs.huji.ac.il (Israel) conrad ____________________________________________________________________ II. Publications on topics of NeXT Developer and User Interest NeXTWORLD 501 2nd Street San Francisco, CA 94107 To subscribe: 800-745-7002 Office phone: 800-755-6398 Subscription email: subscrip@nextworld.com Subscription FAX: 415-442-1891 Email: nextworld@nextworld.com NeXTwatch Journal (Product Reviews) Skylee Press P.O. Box 471645 San Francisco, CA 94147-1645 Phone 415-474-7803 FAX: 415-474-7896 Email: editors@skylee.com Subscription info: nextwatch-info@skylee.com Electronic AppWrapper (NeXT Developer publication on CD-ROM) Peggy Thompson Paget Press 2125 Western Avenue, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98121-2136 USA Phone: (206)448-0845 Fax: (206)448-2350 Email: pthomp@paget.com Object-Based Computing Newsletter Geordie Korper Information Technology Solutions, Inc. 400 W. Erie Suite 402 Chicago, IL 60610 Phone: (312) 951-7462 or (800)394-4487 Fax (312)664-8409 E-mail: gwkiv@its.com ____________________________________________________________________ III. In Focus Announces High Resolution Color LCD Projection Panel For those that need a projection solution for their NeXT classrooms or presentations, here is one solution... conrad For further information contact: Jennifer Jones Scott Niesen Hastings, Humble, Marketing Manager Giardini & Freeman lnc. ln Focus Systems Inc. (503) 221-1063 (503) 692-4968 In Focus Enters Workstation Market With Portable, High Resolution Color LCD Projection Panel Targets Workgroups and Workstation Applications TUALATIN, Ore. - September 18, 1992 -- In Focus Systems Inc. today announced the 7600WS, the first liquid crystal display (LCD) color projection panel compatible with major workstation platforms and applications. Weighing only 7 pounds, the 7600WS combines portability with 1024 x 768 resolution and a full 24,000 color palette. When placed on an overhead projector and connected with a single cable directly to the video port of workstations with resolutions up to 1152 x 900, the panel projects workstation software in full color onto a screen or wall. It is compatible with the most widely used workstations, including models from Sun Microsystems, Digital Equipment Corporation, HP/Apollo, IBM, NeXT and Silicon Graphics Indigo, without requiring third-party add-on cards. The new panel is also compatible with high-resolution displays for Apple Macintosh computers as well as XGA, Super VGA and VGA personal computer graphics. The 7600WS projection panel provides high resolution and full color capability, which are essential for projecting the complex images of computer-aided design and 3-D modeling applications. "The 7600WS offers workstation users a high-quality portable solution for projecting high-resolution graphics and text from UNIX software," commented Andy Leonard, vice president of marketing and sales for In Focus Systems lnc. "This is the first alternative to expensive and cumbersome three-gun projectors and large monitors. Other LCD panels are limited to 640 x 480 resolution and require third-party cards, which reduces the graphic resolution to unacceptable levels for training, presentations and demonstrations of workstation software." In Focus Systems Enters Workstation Market The panel features built-in loop through so the user can see the image on the monitor and projection screen simultaneously, on-screen set-up menus, push-button rear-projection mode for sophisticated rear-projection installations and a remote control for image adjustments. "Using the 7600WS for our software demonstrations offers tremendous cost and time savings compared with renting traditional three-gun projectors which require a trained technician to set up and cost nearly $1,000 a day to rent" said Michael Barton, sales engineer for Unify Corporation, a manufacturer of application development software for Sun and other workstations, who participated in beta testing of the panel. "lt's very easy to set up and we are impressed with its resolution and image quality." By using the latest generation of its patented TSTN (Triple Super Twisted Nematic) LCD Technology, In Focus is able to develop an LCD panel with the exceptionally high resolution and broad color spectrum required for workstation applications. The flexibility of TSTN technology also allows In Focus to manufacture and ship the 7600WS in quantity at a competitive price point. The 7600WS has a suggested retail price of $XXXX (U.S.D.) and is scheduled to ship in September 1992. It will be available from workstation value-added resellers and authorized audio-visual dealers worldwide. For more information on In Focus Systems products. contact In Focus Systems at 7770 SW Mohawk St. Tualatin, OR 97062. Call toll-free (800) 327-7231 or fax (503) 692-4476. ### In Focus Systems and TSTN are registered trademarks of In Focus Systems Inc. All other trademarks are used for identification purposes only and are the rights of their respective holders. ____________________________________________________________________ IV. Chrysler, Mobil & McCaw Cellular Choose NeXT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Allison Thomas Allison Thomas Associates (818) 981-1520 Chrysler, Mobil & McCaw Cellular Choose NeXT Major Purchases Signal Success for NeXT's Sales Strategy REDWOOD CITY, Calif., September 21, 1992 - NeXT Computer, Inc. today announced large sales to Chrysler Financial, Mobil Sales and Supply Division and McCaw Cellular. These customer sales indicate success in NeXT's sales strategy concentrating on sales to strategic corporate markets as well as early interest in NeXTSTEP 486, the version of the NeXTSTEP object-oriented operating system designed for 80486-based computers. "These large and very important sales illustrate that NeXT's momentum is in high gear," said Steven P. Jobs, CEO and chairman of NeXT. "Beyond the immediate good news, these announcements also are a good indication of where we see NeXT's sales headed in the coming months." Notable among the customers announced today is Chrysler Financial, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chrysler Corporation, which will purchase 2,500 copies of NeXTSTEP 486. This deal represents the largest-ever single commitment to object-oriented software. Southfield, Mich. based Chrysler Financial will use NeXTSTEP 486 in a client/server environment to support its branch organization, which includes more than 100 branches throughout North America. The company's first application developed with the object-oriented NeXTSTEP will be for retail auto financing. In another major sale to the financial services and trading community, NeXT and mc2 Technologies, Inc. signed multiyear agreements with Mobil Sales and Supply Corporation, Mobil Oil Corporation's Supply and Trading Division and one of the largest worldwide oil traders. mc2 Technologies is a subsidiary of Phibro Energy, Inc., one of the world's largest crude oil trading companies. The Mobil division intends to purchase 400 NeXTstation computers, worth in excess of $3 million, over the next 18 months. Mobil plans to use the object-oriented NeXTSTEP workstations as traders' workstations, with an integrated energy trading system developed by mc2. McCaw Cellular, of Kirkland, Wash., has signed a contract for NeXT hardware and services to be used by McCaw to develop and deploy custom NeXTSTEP applications throughout the company. McCaw plans to put several thousand NeXT workstations in place over the next three to five years. McCaw, which is the largest provider of cellular telephone service in the U.S., chose the NeXT platform because it offered a significant advantage in application development time and flexibility. McCaw plans to begin pilot testing of an initial NeXTSTEP custom application by October. The company estimates that this application would have taken many more months to develop using traditional methods, and that changes would have required weeks rather than the hours or days achieved with NeXTSTEP. Mission-Critical Custom Application Focus Proves Successful In early 1991, NeXT began full-scale shipments of its NeXTstation computers, which were the first NeXT products to make NeXTSTEP's capabilities accessible in a practical way to NeXT's customers. By the middle of that year, the company had amassed enough market data on the new product line to implement a sales strategy based on mission-critical custom applications and NeXTSTEP. During the first half of 1992, NeXT increased its direct sales force and strengthened its relationships with VARs and systems integrators to more strongly emphasize sales of mission-critical custom application solutions to corporate accounts. These accounts fall into a few strategic vertical markets, including financial services, health care, legal services, telecommunications and government. For example, Chrysler and Mobil add to NeXT's growing list of financial services and trading customers, and McCaw Cellular joins WilTel Communications and US West in the telecommunications category. "We are pleased that our sales focus on companies needing custom software environments is working so well," said Peter van Cuylenburg, NeXT's president and COO. "The sales announced today are perfect examples of customers for whom NeXTSTEP provides the ideal competitive tool." About NeXT NeXT Computer, Inc. designs and markets the industry-acclaimed NeXTSTEP object-oriented operating system, and designs, manufactures and markets UNIX-based workstations that run NeXTSTEP. NeXTSTEP and NeXT workstations are used by medium and large organizations to develop and deploy mission-critical applications, using both custom and shrink-wrapped software. NeXT is headquartered at 900 Chesapeake Drive, Redwood City, California, 94063. -30- NeXT, the NeXT logo, NeXTSTEP and NeXTstation are trademarks of NeXT Computer, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned belong to their respective owners. ____________________________________________________________________ V. Pencom Software announces co-Xist 3.0 (X11R5) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information: Pam O'Neal Pencom Software (512) 343-1111 pam@pencom.com Unix Expo, Booth #1634 NEW VERSION OF PENCOM'S CO-XIST AMONG THE FIRST SOFTWARE TO SUPPORT NEXTSTEP 3.0 Software Displays X Applications Up To Ten Times Faster On NeXT Workstations NEW YORK/UNIX EXPO -- September 22, 1992 -- Pencom Software announces co-Xist 3.0, a major new version of co-Xist, an X Window System (X11R5) display and development environment for the NeXT platform. co-Xist 3.0 adds increased functionality across platforms, plus provides five to ten times the display speed of previous versions of this product. co-Xist 3.0 addresses an industry need for an integrated X Window display and development environment without sacrificing performance. co-Xist 3.0 is compatible with NeXTSTEP 3.0, the recently released version of NeXT's object-oriented environment and graphical user-interface. "Pencom began working with NeXTSTEP 3.0 several months ago, and has seen dramatic improvements in performance with the latest version of NeXT's software," says Chris Chauvin, Product Manager at Pencom Software. "By taking advantages of these enhancements, X Windows applications running with co-Xist 3.0 can now run from five to ten times faster before, depending on the mode of operation and machine type." co-Xist 3.0's new "Take-Over Mode" option allows X Windows applications to take over the entire screen, rather than running with NeXTSTEP application simultaneously. In "Rootless Windows Mode" (where users can position the X Window as desired on the workstation screen just as they can position NeXTSTEP windows), applications will run up to two times faster than previously on greyscale, and three times faster on color monitors. Other new features in co-Xist 3.0 include an application launch panel, support for Motif 1.2 and X11R5, the newest version of the X Window System which features the PHIGS extensions to X Windows (PEX) and the new X11R5 font server. By taking advantage of the enhanced localization features offered in NeXTSTEP 3.0, users are now able to adapt the co-Xist user interface to foreign language environments. Other language support can be added by individual users or distributors. ____________________________________________________________________ VI. NeXT and mc2 to Sign Mobil FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Emily Brower Mike Castellano Allison Thomas Associates mc2 Technologies, Inc. (415) 780-3786 (203) 221-5855 NeXT and mc2 to Sign Mobil to Multiyear Agreements Mobil Oil's Supply and Trading Division to Purchase 400 NeXTstation Computers and to License Software from mc2 REDWOOD CITY, Calif., September 21, 1992 -- NeXT Computer, Inc. and mc2 Technologies, Inc. today announced that Mobil Sales and Supply Corporation, Mobil Oil Corporation's Supply and Trading Division and one of the largest worldwide oil traders, intends over the next 18 months to purchase 400 NeXTstation computers to be used with an integrated energy trading system developed by mc2. "This is a major milestone for NeXT," said Steven P. Jobs, CEO and chairman of NeXT. "Mobil is a significant addition to the ever-increasing list of major corporations that are embracing NeXT and NeXTSTEP." The Mobil division, headquartered in Fairfax, Va., intends to use the object-oriented NeXTSTEP workstations as traders' workstations, running custom software designed by mc2 Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Phibro Energy, Inc. Subject to the agreement between Mobil and mc2, Mobil would begin using NeXT computers in the fourth quarter of 1992, and ultimately would implement the system in 1994. "The mc2 software will assist major companies such as Mobil in maintaining their competitive edge throughout the 1990s," said Vincent P. Annunziata, president of mc2 Technologies, Inc., headquartered at 500 Nyala Farms, Westport, Connecticut, 06880. "We consider this decision a strategic investment for Mobil," said Tom DeLoach, vice president of Mobil Oil Corporation for the Supply and Trading Division. "The mc2 software, together with the NeXT technology, will enable our traders to respond more rapidly to the changes inherent in our marketplace." Mobil intends to employ a host of NeXTSTEP custom applications designed by mc2 that will have a number of attributes, including the integration of trading information systems into a single, unified environment; flexible programs to allow for new and expanding derivative products and financial instruments; a paperless trading environment that links the division's front and back offices through a common database; and state-of-the-art tools for customized analytics, deal capture, and portfolio and risk management. ____________________________________________________________________ VII. HSD Announces Color-X-10i, a scan/print application for Canon Color Laser Copiers on NeXT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Uli Hertweck HSD Systemcenter +49 30 881081 Announcing availability of Color-X-10i, a scan/print application for Canon Color Laser Copiers on NeXT computers. BERLIN, Germany, September 18, 1992 - HSD Entwicklungsgesellschaft today announced availability of Color-X-10i, the first integrated scan and print solution for Canon's high quality, plain paper Color Laser Copiers on the NeXT professional workstation. FUNCTIONALITY Color-X-10i couples the NeXT's true Adobe DisplayPostScript with Canon's IPU-10, providing PostScript output on the CLC with full 24 bit color at resolutions up to 400 dpi and sizes up to A3. Generating multiple copies at the CLC's rated engine speed is as easy as entering the number of copies in the NeXT Print Panel. The scan application takes full advantage of the CLC's built in 400 dpi 24 bit one-pass scanner, as well as allowing fast printing of TIFF images, via the application or as a service from image editing applications. Both, scans and prints can be color corrected using a combination of gradation curve adjustments and a full 3x3 color transformation matrix. "Virtual" printers can be created to keep several different sets of settings on line simultaneously, allowing easy selection right from an application's print panel. AVAILABILITY, PRICES Color-X-10i is available now for the Canon CLC-300 and CLC-500. It requires a NeXT computer, Canon CLC and IPU-10 and a SCSI-2 to SCSI-1 cable. A version for the CLC-10 (known as Cj-10 in the United States) is also available and requires an IPU-X with 2 MB memory as well as the SCSI-2 to SCSI-1 cable. A version for the A1 Bubblejet is in late development. All the software currently runs on NextStep 2.1 and 3.0. All registered owners are entitled to a free upgrade to the 3.0 version, which is in the works and will be available shortly. About HSD HSD Entwicklungsgesellschft mbH is a leading partner for high end publishing solutions in Germany with offices Berlin and other major German cities, as well as a subsidiary in the United States. The HSD's headquarters are located at Kurfvrstendamm 66, 1000 Berlin 15 in Germany. All trademarks mentioned are acknowledged as belonging to their respective owners. ____________________________________________________________________ end