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Text File | 1992-11-02 | 58KB | 1,126 lines

News for 10/30/92

DEC To Close Two Plants, Lay Off 770
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Digital Equipment has
made another move in its struggle to cope with financial troubles, and 770
workers in Massachusetts and Vermont will lose their jobs as a result. The
company has announced it will close factories in Springfield, Massachusetts
and in Burlington, Vermont.

Sales and services facilities will remain in both cities, Digital said.

The closings will mean pink slips for most employees in the two plants --
there are about 320 in Springfield and 350 in Burlington -- over the next six
months, Digital said. A few people may be offered transfers to other Digital
facilities, company spokeswoman Nikki Richardson said, but "I don't want to
raise hopes" as only "a small number" are likely to be transferred.

Digital said it will offer the laid-off employees a financial support package
based on years of service to the corporation, continuation of medical, dental
and life insurance for a specified period, and professional outplacement
assistance.

Employees who lose their jobs in this round of cuts won't do quite as well as
those who went earlier, though: Digital recently announced a new severance
package that is less generous than the company had offered before.

DEC officials said changes in the computer industry and the decreased demand
caused by a soft worldwide economy has left Digital and other computer
companies with excess manufacturing capacity. Digital is trying to cut out
redundancies and get out of areas where it cannot clearly differentiate its
products.

Digital earlier announced the closing of printed circuit board plants in San
German, Puerto Rico, and Greenville, South Carolina, company spokeswoman, and
another factory in Puerto Rico which makes power supplies.

These closings are somewhat different, though, because the work done at the
Burlington and Springfield plants is not being phased out. Richardson said
work now done at the two plants will be moved to other DEC facilities.

Systems integration work for personal computers, now done in Springfield,
will move to Kanata, Ontario, Canada, she said. Manufacturing of tape
products will move from Springfield to one of three other Digital plants
producing those same products. Repair, consulting, and service engineering
work now done in Burlington will shift to three other US locations.

Earlier in October, Digital reported a loss of $260.55 million in its first
quarter, which ended September 26.

Industry observers have predicted Digital will lay off another 15,000 to
25,000 employees in the next two to three years, and in a press conference
October 1, incoming President and Chief Executive Robert Palmer said these
estimates were reasonably close.

(Grant Buckler/19921030/Press Contact: Nikki Richardson, DEC, 508-493-6369)


Miniscribe Accountants Fined $95M; Biggest in US History
DENVER, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- The accounting firm that
audited the now-defunct Miniscribe Corporation has been told to pay what is
believed to be one of the largest legal settlements ever levied against an
accounting firm.

Coopers and Lybrand have been told to pay $95 million of a $128 million
settlement approved by former officers and directors of the Longmont,
Colorado-based disk drive maker. The agreement still has to be approved by a
federal court judge.

Miniscribe filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code on
January 1, 1990 and later converted to Chapter 7 liquidation. Its assets were
sold to California-based Maxtor for $41.5 million.

The accounting firm told Associated Press the bill will be covered "by
various sources" including insurance, with Coopers & Lybrand's financial
condition remaining sound. Under terms of the agreement, lawyers on both
sides must make a good-faith effort to not discuss the facts surrounding the
case. One Miniscribe shareholder reportedly objected to the confidentiality
clause, saying it would impair its continuing legal claims against
Miniscribe's directors and officers. However the bankruptcy judge disagreed.
Miniscribe's court-appointed trustee called the deal "a good solid settlement
for the bankruptcy estate."

In its heyday Miniscribe employed 8,000 people worldwide, but collapsed in
the late 80s amid charges of fraud which included shipping bricks as computer
inventory. More than 20 lawsuits were filed against the officers, directors,
and the accounting firm.

Coopers & Lybrand was accused of not following generally accepted accounting
practices in issuing an opinion of Miniscribe's financial statements. The
accounting firm said it was misled by Miniscribe's officers, and claimed that
Miniscribe employees broke into the auditor's locked work box to alter
inventory figures. It said it accepted the settlement to avoid the
uncertainties of possible a multiple jury trials.

(Jim Mallory/19921030)


New For Macintosh: IRMA Upgrades
ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- DCA has announced major
upgrades to two of its products at the InterOp show in San Francisco. The two
products are IRMA Workstation for Macintosh (IWM) and IRMALAN Client for
Macintosh (ICM).

Both IWM and ICM have been upgraded to version 3.0 with the addition of five
new features. DCA spokespeople told Newsbytes that they consider the addition
of A/UX support to be the most important of the five enhancements. (A/UX is
Apple's version of Unix.) With this new features, ICM and IWM can now run on
A/UX-equipped Macintoshes.

Another major feature is the first implementation of DCA's support for
Netware for SAA. This was promised by DCA back in August and is expected to
be available for all DCA connectivity products that need it by the end of the
year.

The final set of three features are intended to help users migrate from one
DCA product to another. QuickHit, QuickPoint, and QuickPad are all user
interface elements that DCA has defined as their own standards. The company's
philosophy is to have a common set of user interface standards implemented
across the whole product line, thereby forcing users to spend less time
learning how to use the products.

QuickHit enables the mouse to be used to point and click on any key that is
displayed in the mainframe text and have that key executed. QuickPoint allows
for the changing of the font and window sizes from a button on the screen
rather than a pull-down menu. QuickPad is a utility that allows the users to
place frequently used keys and macros on a customized pad for later use.

IWM 3.0 retails for $425. Current users of previous versions can upgrade for
$95. ICM 3.0 retails for $3995 and current users can upgrade for $395. Both
new versions are shipping at this time.

(Naor Wallach/19921029/Press Contact: Kerry Stanfield, DCA, 404- 442-
4519/Public Contact: DCA, 404-442-4364, 800-348-3221)


Canon's New Printers, PCs Geared Toward Home/Office
COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- On the heels of Hewlett-
Packard's (HP) announcement of its new 600 dots-per-inch Laserjet 4 Series
printers, Canon has announced its new line of printers and computer products.

Canon is boasting the most about its new Bubble Jet, the BJ-200 printer,
which offers increased print speeds, a lower noise level, a small footprint,
the ability to handle different types of paper and envelopes, and print
quality the company claims rivals the HP Deskjet 500.

In fact, the company says a survey done by an independent market research
organization revealed 80 percent of those asked thought the BJ-200's output
was better than the Deskjet 500. Canon is also touting the price, $549 and a
two-year warranty, which the company says will make the printer attractive to
home and small business markets.

New laser printers, the LBP-4sx and the LBP-8sx, were also introduced and the
company says they talk PCL5, the page description language used by HP. The
printers offer dot matrix emulation and can automatically switch to different
emulation modes. The 4sx prints four pages per minute, the 8sx prints 8 pages
per minute and both printers offer the familiar 300 dot- per-inch resolution.

Innova is the company's new line of desktop and notebook personal computers
come with a one-year warranty, and on-site service for the desktop models.
Canon says the computers offer step-by-step documentation and the desktop
models come with 14- inch color monitors.

Canon says the new laser printers and new desktop computers are shipping now,
the new Bubble Jet printers will ship the first week of November, and the
notebook computers will be available at the end of November.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921029/Press Contact: Karen Lippe, Canon, tel 714-438-
3075, fax [phone])


GM's Woes Mask Strong Growth in Technology
DETROIT, MICHIGAN, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- General Motors' directors have
let Chairman Robert Stempel quit and are said to be gunning for former
chairman Roger Smith's board seat. The reason is a falling market share and
continued high costs involved in the production of automobiles. With this
week's earnings release, however, one must wonder where the company would be
without its electronics divisions.

The company announced it lost $752 million for the quarter ending in
September, although it's earning about $500 million a quarter in Europe,
according to analysts. But the real news is the continuing strong results in
high-tech. GM Hughes Electronics, which makes satellite systems and, now,
cellular equipment, is making a strong move away from defense electronics
with earnings of $155.2 million for the quarter.

Electronic Data Systems, the GM computer systems subsidiary founded by
Presidential candidate Ross Perot, earned $167.3 million for the quarter, and
continues to take big chunks of business outside GM, with new accounts
ranging from Montgomery Ward to California's health department to the
European Parliament. The company's finance division, meanwhile, earned $301
million.

Generally, GM has left its subsidiaries alone; Hughes and EDS actually have
their own special classes of stock.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921030)


Largest Direct View TV Aimed At Home Theater Market
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- To take advantage of the
growing market for "home theater," Mitsubishi has introduced the largest
direct view television with a 40- inch screen or 768 inches of viewing
surface.

The company says the big TV, the CS-40FX1, is 66 percent larger in viewing
area than 31-inch sets, and 119 percent larger than 27-inch screens, and a
whopping 300 percent larger than a 20- inch television.

For sound, the set has twin built-in speakers, an MTS stereo system, and a
graphic equalizer that can be controlled by the illuminated programmable
remote control that comes with the unit. An additional base unit offered at
extra charge has the same "black diamond" finish, but adds four built-in
speakers and a video cassette recorder (VCR) compartment.

While projection television systems can offer 50-, 60-, 70-, and 120-inch
screens, some picture clarity is lost and the viewing angle makes a big
difference.

The company expects the set to become part of a home theater and so has made
it compatible with audio/video (A/V) receivers, multiple video cassette
recorders including Super VHS, external loudspeakers, and subwoofer systems.

As expected, the set offers picture-in-picture for simultaneous viewing of
two video sources and a "Super Quick View," for one- button switching between
10 favorite channels.

The home theater market is growing as people do more "cocooning" or simply
staying home. The Electronic Industries Association (EIA) released statistics
that show a steady increase in the sales of larger-size direct view screens
over the past several years and says approximately 600,000 35-inch
televisions have been sold in the United States since 1986. Furthermore, the
EIA says sales of 30-inch televisions and larger have more than doubled over
the last three years.

The CS-40FX1 is expected to be available in early November for a retail price
of nearly five thousand dollars, $4,999 to be exact.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921030/Press Contact: Colleen McKenna, Mitsubishi, tel
800-828-6372)


CD-I Show: CD-I Coming Into Its Own?
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Compared to the drone of
last year, the CD-I 2 conference was humming and interest was high. The
conference, held again this year at the Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los
Angeles, focuses on the compact disc interactive (CD-I) player developed by
Philips.

Last year, rows of kiosks with CD-I players and titles waiting for use were
there, but people would go to a kiosk, look a minute, then walk away. This
year lines were formed around the Philips booth where it seemed like the guy
in front of you in line was never going to get off the CD-I player so you
could try.

Newsbytes got in line to see what the difference was and discovered it was
sound. The kiosks offered headphones which almost every player wore. The
headphones played stereo music or sounds closely linked to the action in the
game and men and women in business attire were standing in front of the
kiosks intensely involved in video games. Instead of a remote, a large base
with two large buttons on each side of a trackball, the size of a softball,
controlled the action. While the controls looked more like a baby's toy with
bright colors and large controls, controlling the action on the screen was
easy and didn't require even a glance at one's hands.

This reporter tried the games with and without sound and found the theories
about how sound enhances the game experience to be correct. Without the
sound, the CD-I screen seemed to have the same fuzzy, slightly frustrating
visual appearance as last year, but when one donned headphones, it became an
engaging, enveloping experience.

A variety of games were available, from action games to Tetris, but a large
variety of games were available last year as well. Vendors at the show told
Newsbytes the show was extremely busy and even on the afternoon of the last
day, lines were still forming to get a badge to get into the exhibits.

Also, of note is the fact that there were a lot fewer companies showing off
CD-I titles and a lot more companies peddling their abilities to produce CD-I
titles. Companies such as Interlight, which does animation, were at the show
as well as full service CD-I title production companies such as
Transformedia, Adaptive Design, Viridis, and ON/Q.

Also conspicuous were the portable CD-I players from Sony and Philips.
Demonstration units abounded, but lines weren't forming for the portable
players. The Philips unit is larger than the Sony CD-I player, but the
Philips unit had a larger color viewing screen than the Sony color player.
The portable units are significantly more expensive than the tabletop CD-I
players, costing nearly two and a half times or more than the standard CD-I
players.

Also of note was Goldstar which was demonstrating its CD-I compatible player
which company representatives say will be available in the US in June of
1993. Newsbytes asked at what price Goldstar planned to sell the CD-I player
and was told it would be simply less than whatever Philips was charging.
Philips is currently charging around $700 for its home CD-I player.

Vendors at the show were excited about the response from the public and said
the show was busy.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921030/Press Contact: Bernie Mitchell, Philips, tel 615-
521-3210, fax [phone], Public Contact 800-835-3506; Goldstar, tel 201-
816-2000, fax [phone]; Interlight, 2364 Centerville Rd, Tallahassee, FL,
32308; ON/Q, Paul Vinet, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Lee Barnes,
Viridis, 310-445-2055, fax [phone]; Adaptive, tel [phone], fax
310-996-5591; Nancy Sindelar, Transformedia, tel [phone], Public
Contact 800-451-1843)


Lasermaster Intros 1200 DPI For Laserjet 4
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Lasermaster Technologies
has announced Winjet 1200, an upgrade kit for Hewlett- Packard's new HP
LaserJet 4 that the company says provides faster printing speeds, PostScript
language compatibility, and up to 1200 dots-per-inch (dpi) print resolution.

Lasermaster says Winjet 1200 will be shipped next month and will have a
suggested retail price of $995. Hewlett-Packard markets its own PostScript
upgrade, but it does not include the higher resolution.

Resolution of 1200 dpi is considered sufficiently high that it can frequently
be used to prepare camera-ready copy, saving the extra costs of typesetting.

Newsbytes reported in June that Lasermaster had introduced LPV, a hardware-
software combination that speeds up printing by allowing the printer and PC
to communicate with the PC via its parallel port. A board in installed in the
input/output slot of the HP printer, and eliminates the need for costly
printer memory upgrades and the purchase of a Postscript printer language
cartridge for the printer.

Lasermaster CEO Mel Masters says the combination of the Laserjet 4 and Winjet
1200 is ideally suited for Windows. "We expect the new HP Laserjet 4 to be a
resounding success, creating an immediate market opportunity for our new
enhancement product," says Masters.

In September Lasermaster introduced the second of its plain paper typesetter
products, a 1200 dots-per-inch device which can handle paper sizes of up to
11 by 17 inches. The Unity 1200 xl can be used with Macintosh or IBM-
compatible computers.

Hewlett-Packard announced the HP4 and the companion HP4M, the Macintosh
version, earlier this month. The network-ready HP4 can produce printed pages
with resolutions up to 600 dpi, and uses a toner with a smaller particle size
than current toners. HP says that allows printing that has the appearance of
800-900 dpi. The HP4 family also has Windows TrueType fonts built in,
eliminating the need to download fonts before printing.

(Jim Mallory/19921029/Press contact: Karen Neset, Lasermaster Technologies,
612-941-8687, fax [phone])


Multimedia Computer With Built-In TV & More
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Megamedia has introduced a
computer it is calling a multimedia computer with a built-in television
tuner, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive, a sound card,
speakers, a microphone, and headphones.

The company says the Mega, model M46D2T, is based on the Intel 486DX2 chip
which runs at 66 megahertz (MHz). The company says it includes software to
control the audio, video, and television, and is built to allow video-in-a-
window so users can watch television or video in one screen while doing
computer-related work in another.

The company says users can now play popular software training video tapes and
work right along with the training tape on their computer. Like most viewing
systems offered for personal computers (PCs) users can switch between full-
screen viewing to a window and move or size the window on the screen. The
unit will also automatically search and locate channels available and the
user can add or delete channels from the channel list.

Hook up to an external video source, such as a video camera, video cassette
recorder, laserdisc, or CD-ROM is also a feature of the unit.

The company says it has also included a set of CD-ROM titles for use with the
built-in CD-ROM drive including Compton's Encyclopedia for Windows; Guinness
Disc of World Records; Autodesk Multimedia Explorer; King's Quest V; and
Power Chords, a music creation program. Also included is a Windows 3.1
Advanced Video tutorial CD, the company added.

The Mega also comes with a 1.2 and 1.44 megabytes (MB) floppy drives, a
Quantum 244 MB hard drive, a Sound Galaxy Pro sound card, a super video
graphics array (SVGA) monitor, DOS 5.0, and Windows 3.1. The company says the
Mega retails for $3,995.

Packard Bell is offering a similar system, but for a lot less. The Packard
Bell PBTV3 multimedia computer was announced at a retail price of $2,999, but
is based on the slower Intel 486SX 25 MHz microprocessor. The Packard Bell
machine also has a smaller 210 MB hard disk drive, but offers a built-in
fax/modem and a software bundle that includes CD-ROM titles as well as
software for faxing and electronic access under Windows.

Megamedia is offering an 18 month parts, a lifetime labor warranty, and says
the system is MPC approved. Megamedia Computer Corporation is located at
1701-D Fortune Drive, San Jose, CA 95131.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921030/Press Contact: Raaj Menon, Megamedia Computer, tel
408-428-9920, fax [phone]; Public Contact 800-634-2633)


Zeos International Loses $8.1 Million In 3Q
ST PAUL, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Zeos International announced
today that it lost $8.1 million, or $0.94 per share on net sales of $51.4
million in the third quarter, which ended September 30.

For the same period last year the company earned $2.4 million, or $0.30 per
share on sales of $47.4 million.

While dismal, the third quarter was an improvement over the second, when the
company reported a net loss of $11.1 million, or $1.29 per share on net sales
of $48.8 million.

The company attributed the relative increase to increased sales in the mass
merchant channel, which accounted for 28 percent of sales, but those gains
were partially offset by lower sales through the company's direct marketing
channel. Direct marketing produced 72 percent of the quarter's sales. Intense
competition and industry price cuts also contributed to the results,
according to the company.

"Our financial results, like those of most of our competitors, continue to be
severely impacted by conditions in our operating environment," said Zeos
Chairman and CEO Gregory Herrick.

Herrick said the company's cash position improved during the third quarter,
from $6.9 million to $8 million. Zeos has no short-term or long-term debt,
and has an income tax benefit receivable of $7.9 million relating to the
carry back of recent losses. The company expects to receive that benefit
during the first quarter of 93.

According to Herrick, cost containment programs have reduced fixed costs by
$600,000 and selling and marketing expenses by $2.3 million over the second
quarter. The company also took a $1 million charge to earnings in the third
quarter due to consolidation of its operations into one facility. "We intend
to take further, even more far-reaching actions in the future aimed at
ensuring that Zeos continued forward on a sound financial and operational
footing," said Herrick. Zeos said the majority of its sales were desktop
computers.

(Jim Mallory/19921030/Press contact: John Bakewell, Zeos International, 612-
635-1419)


Delrina Acquires Daily Planner Company Amaze
KIRKLAND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Delrina Corporation has
announced the acquisition of Amaze, Inc., maker of The Far Side Computer
Calendar.

Delrina said the purchase price will be satisfied by the issue to the Amaze
stockholders of up to 2.6 million shares in Delrina Corporation. As part of
the deal, Delrina will also be refinancing Amaze's debt of about $3 million,
and two Amaze directors, Rowland Hanson and George Clute, will join Delrina's
board.

Delrina spokesperson Pamela Laurence told Newsbytes the sale will not cause
the loss of any jobs, and Amaze will continue to operate as a wholly owned
subsidiary of Delrina.

Software publisher Amaze was founded in 1990 and publishes Random House
Dictionary, Trivial Pursuit, Berlitz Language Training, Cathy Bloom County
and BC in addition to The Far Side. Amaze reportedly is currently discussing
promotional bundling deals with a number of software and hardware
manufacturers in the US and Europe.

Delrina markets PC forms and fax software, and employs 150 people at its
headquarters in Toronto, Canada as well as sales offices in the US and
Europe. The company reported record revenues of $7.6 million and net income
of $658,000 for the quarter ending September 30.

(Jim Mallory/19921030/Press contact: Pamela Laurence, Wilson McHenry Co for
Delrina, 415-592-7600; Reader contact: 416-441-3676)


CORRECTION: New For PC: NatSemi's Fax-Modem-Voice-Sound Card
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Newsbytes wishes to
correct an error in the title of the story "New For PC: Intel's Fax-Modem-
Voice-Sound Card" which ran in some Newsbytes editions on October 29. The
title should have been the one above, on this story. The product was
introduced not by Intel, but by National Semiconductor, as the story
reported. Newsbytes apologizes for the error.

(Wendy Woods/19921030)


Kelly Offers Computer Training For Temps
TROY, MICHIGAN, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Kelly Temporary Services says it
has developed an enhanced data entry testing and training system to assure
that the temporary employee you hire is qualified.

Called Kelly Customized Data Entry System II, the program can be customized
to simulate the data entry screens used on the job site. Kelly says the
system allows them to dispatch only the best qualified employees to an
assignment.

Anita Mergener, senior director of Kelly's product design department, says
the system can simulate single or multiple entry screens. The system includes
tests for speed and accuracy prior to training, utilizes four different
keyboard styles, tracks productivity that's identified on the customer's data
entry screens after training, and includes specific data entry job
descriptions.

Kelly Temporary Services is a division of Kelly Services, and provides
temporary employees nationwide in the fields of office work, marketing, light
industrial and technical.

(Jim Mallory/19921029/Press contact: Jane Riesterer, Kelly Services, 313-244-
4305)


Quotron Responds To Dow Jones With New PC Software
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Citicorp's Quotron unit
responded to major announcements of new products from Dow Jones with a new
version of its Advantage financial information system for stockbrokers and
financial analysts.

Throughout the 80s Quotron dominated the market for terminals and computer
systems used by brokers and traders. But, following the company's purchase by
Citicorp, the product line grew stale. The company has moved to revitalize
its product lines through an alliance with IBM, but faces increasing pressure
from Reuters, Knight-Ridder, and Dow Jones, all of whom have gained market
share at its expense in recent years.

Version 2.0 of Quotron Advantage AE works on PCs under Microsoft Windows, on
IBM PS/2 hardware, on standard Ethernet or Token Ring LANs, and on IBM
RS/6000 servers. This reduces hardware costs and total costs for the system.
Enhancements in the new version of the software include a new charting
application called UltraChart, a Global Input window tied to various other
windows, improved navigation through reams of data, an enhanced Quote window,
support of low-cost serial terminals, and support of remote offices.

UltraChart lets brokers graph historical price movements of a security or
index in a daily, weekly or monthly format, setting their own starting dates,
ending dates or number of data points to be graphed. Graphs can be updated
minute-by-minute as trades occur. It features nine technical studies,
including Moving Average Convergence - Divergence, momentum charts, Welles
Wilder Relative Strength Index, Granville On-Balance Volume, and Volume
Accumulation charts, and fast and slow stochastics, all of which are used by
some traders to justify their actions.

The Global input window lets traders enter symbols to request data for the
News, Quote, and Chart windows, so they can follow specific securities
closely and in real-time. The new system also supports the IBM 3151 serial
terminal, a low-cost alternative for the display of quotes in the standard
Quotron A-Page format. One more enhancement is called The RemoteAdvantage --
it supports a firm's offices without RS/6000 servers using routers and
modems.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921030/Press Contact: Roxanne Taylor, Quotron Systems,
212-898-7212)


ROUNDUP: Stories Carried By Other Media This Week
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Roundup is a brief look at some
computer stories carried in other publications received here this past week.

December's Macworld looks at the "Hot New Powerbooks."

The October 20 Computer Currents reviews a new version of Quicken and
features a beginner's guide to local area networks.

November's Data Based Advisor has a preview of Paradox for Windows.

October 26's Government Computer News carries a major buyer's guide listing
64 high-speed fax/modems.

Computer Reseller News dated October 26 reports that IBM says AIX (IBM's
Unix) will support Windows on the RS/6000 and PowerPC computers.

November's PC World picks the 20 best PC upgrades and offers 75 tips to make
Windows crash-proof.

Federal Computer Week dated the 26th of October says that the Treasury
Department recently narrowly escaped a major virus attack when alert
employees flushed the Maltese Amoeba from a single infected system.

Computerworld for the week of the 26th reports that Lotus's Robert Weiler
(Senior VP of North American Operations) says that 1-2-3 will never be as
dominant in Windows as the spreadsheet has been in the DOS market.

(John McCormick/19921030/)


The Enabled Computer
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- By John McCormick. The Enabled
Computer is a regular Newsbytes feature covering news and important product
information relating to high technology aids for the disabled.

This is the fourth and final part of a long column on enabling technology and
the media (press).

From a technical standpoint, it can be difficult to write about these
enabling technologies unless you have wide experience in the field because,
while any computer writer can quickly learn to run benchmark tests and
evaluate computers on that basis, adaptive technology is a very personal
thing.

There is no way to benchmark most of these products so any useful description
must include information about which users a particular device would benefit
-- this requires a broad understanding of the field.

I already pointed out that an unusual number of writers are disabled --
certainly I have met more disabled workers in this field than in any other
line of work I have ever been in. But that doesn't necessarily mean that all
are qualified to write about this topic.

Having a speech impediment or poor vision doesn't necessarily qualify a
person to evaluate and discuss devices intended for those with motor skill
impairments (and vice versa) -- of course it doesn't disqualify him or her
either. While the disabled writer probably has an edge due to an increased
feel for the subject, the real qualification is the range of experience one
has with such devices as they are actually used by those who need them. I
don't feel that the field need be limited to those with disabilities, just
those with relevant experience.

But it is my firm hope that editors will be careful when selecting writers to
write about this field of adaptive technology. No one can know the entire
field, but if the article is of a general nature then the widest experience
is vital if the writer and publication are to avoid silly mistakes.

As a quick example, despite my own years of experience in the field, when I
was acting as a national finalist judge for The Johns Hopkins National Search
for Computing Technology to Assist Persons With Disabilities (held last
February at The Smithsonian), I found several kinds of devices which I had
never thought about before.

I wasn't assigned to judge those outside my particular areas of expertise,
but I did get to look at all the exhibits and it reminded me just how diverse
the field really is.

There has been some increase in interest among editors of major publications
and I have recently written several pieces for Government Computer News (a
restricted circulation trade publication available to federal employees), but
still what is most needed right now is a market for enabling technology
articles.

The need is out there, and it certainly isn't confined to specialty
publications. By August of 1993 the ADA will apply to hiring practices of
businesses with as few as 15 employees and it is already in effect as far as
requiring any company to provide equal access and equal services to all.

You may have seen the TV ad where a TDD (Telecommunications Device for the
Deaf) operator helps two hearing- and/or speech- impaired women order a
pizza.

I don't agree with their choices (anchovies AND pineapple?? YUCK!) but I do
applaud the fact that companies are now required to sell them a pizza even if
they can't place a voice order.

ALL businesses serving the public, even a mom-and-pop store, are now required
to make a reasonable effort to serve everyone equally.

It may seem a burden to many of them, but besides the moral question of
whether a lack of speech or legs should make a person less than a full member
of the community, there is a much stronger argument than even the law.
Opening service to the disabled means MORE customers!

And it needn't be an expensive step.

There is a flood of new adaptive devices hitting the market because software
and hardware companies have seen how the ADA will affect business everywhere
and it is up to the computer press to let everyone know what is available and
what is wrong with present products.

Business will start screaming for such information after the first few multi-
million-dollar discrimination suits are filed.

Computers aren't just a way to play games or crunch words and numbers; they
change lives. Sometimes we forget that.

It's not just good business, it is the right thing to do.

(John McCormick/19921030)


US Defense Department Awards $2.5 Billion Contract
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Last week the Department of
Defense quietly awarded one of the largest computer systems integration
contracts ever when it signed a nine-year, $2.5 billion deal with McLean,
Virginia's PRC.

Under the contract, PRC and its subcontractors will configure, test, install,
and support as many as 130,000 file servers, terminals, PCs, and workstations
during the nine-year life of the Supermini or AFCAC 300 contract.

The computers will be networked using more than a million local area network
cables and 50,000 network cards.

PRC edged out Control Data, its only competitor, in what Federal Computer
Week reports was a $5- to $20-million bid and proposal process.

After testing is completed, PRC should be ready to ship systems both to
military and civilian agencies by early 1993 if, and this is a big IF, there
is no protest.

After the deal is finalized, PRC won't be the only big winner. Hewlett-
Packard (whose initials are often said by industry insiders to be an
abbreviation of Highest-Priced), will supply more than 5,000 of its Model 800
workstations as servers for network systems which will support up to 256
users each.

Human Designed Systems will reportedly supply up to 43,000 RISC workstations
through PRC, while troubled Everex can look forward to selling more than
80,000 32-bit PCs.

The PRC bid was based on an open systems Unix (SCO) platform.

(John McCormick/19921030/)


SPA Reports Reduction In Piracy Rate
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Software piracy, the illegal
copying and use of commercial software without paying the copyright owner, is
a major problem for the computer software industry, but the Software
Publishers Association says that its efforts put a significant damper on
losses during 1991.

The SPA has released results of its piracy study which show a 41 percent
decrease for 1991 software piracy losses over 1990. That amounts to an $800
million decrease in piracy.

But, despite the reduction in piracy, the estimated $1.2 billion loss in 1991
was, according to SPA executive director, Ken Wasch, so large that it may
have cost as many as 60,000 full-time US jobs in every position from
programmer to retail clerk.

Although the SPA does believe that educational and legal actions taken by the
association and its member publishers have had an effect on piracy, it also
cites two other major reasons for the drop in illegal copies -- lower average
software prices and a major increase in software bundling.

So far in 1992 SPA employees have given more than 100 anti-piracy
presentations to computer professionals and the association has begun more
than 200 legal actions to stop ongoing piracy.

The SPA also maintains an anti-piracy alert hot line for people wishing to
report illegal activities and publishes anti-piracy audit kits to help
companies stay on the right side of the law by only installing the same
number of programs for which the company has paid.

Accidental piracy by companies is relatively common because, unlike home
users who naturally purchase the software with documentation, it is easy for
a company to mistakenly install too many copies of software, partially
because they do not automatically supply full documentation to each user.

The Software Publishers Association, based in Washington DC, recently passed
the 1,000 member level and has for years been the software industry's major
trade association, representing the industry's interests before the US
government and promoting both domestic and foreign anti-piracy actions on
behalf of its members.

(John McCormick/19921030/Press Contact: Terri Childs, SPA, 202- 452-1600)


CORRECTION: X.400 Addressing Hope
WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- On October 26 Newsbytes
wrote of MaxCom USA and Vector Directory Services, which have teamed to offer
help to businesses which want to create directories of clients, customers,
and contacts under the X.400 standard. As part of that story, we printed an
address that can be used to get help from Vector.

However, Newsbytes has learned that the address given was incomplete. MaxCom
President James Astle, whose firm is providing X.400 connectivity through
Infonet Services Corporation's worldwide system, corrected the address. That
address, which would work only within MaxCom's own mail system, should be
@x400;c=us;a=infonet;p=vector;s=direquery -- no period at the end of the
address.

The X.400 system is designed to be very flexible, Astle explained. Addresses
are not required to have of all the fields used in X.400 addressing. All
X.400 addresses use the C or country field, as well as the ADMD or
administrative mail domain field. But many mail systems, like MaxCom's own,
are not administering the system, and must link their X.400 addresses to a
larger systems. These primary mail domains, or PRMDs, go by the initial P in
an X.400 address.

To subdivide further, past the P field, one could have an ORG or organization
field, designated by o and referring to the department within a mail system.
A large company like Aetna Life and Casualty, for instance, which has its own
P or Primary Mail system address, would have departments with this system and
each department would have its own ORG or organization address. An example
might be something like aoc. Next come the s or surname fields, the g or
given name fields, and the d or mail address field.

For example, the author's X.400 address on GEnie would be this --
C=US;A=GE;D=nb.atl -- fields which are not relevant or unnecessary to finding
someone in an X.400 address are simply left blank. If this reporter worked in
the aoc department at Aetna, which somehow had its mail system linked
directly to GEnie and magically used the same addressing scheme -- this
example shows how involved all this can become. The address would be as
follows:

C=US;A=GE;P=Aetna;O=AOC;S=Blankenhorn;G=Dana;DDA=nb.atl

Given the complexity, you can see why help might be needed to get everyone
you know into a look-up table from which you can address e-mail to "Bob" even
if Bob is in another country, on a completely different system. From any
system with an X.400 link, reach that link and write a note to
c=us;a=infonet;p=vector;s=direquery for more help.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921026/Press Contact:James C. Astle, MaxCom USA, 617-890-
8822)


Exabyte Names New Execs
BOULDER, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Tape storage device maker
Exabyte has named several new executives this week.

David Riegel has been named to the newly created position of senior vice
president of 8mm operations. Riegel will be responsible for all 8mm
engineering, manufacturing, materials, program management and facilities. He
will report to Frank LaHue, senior VP of worldwide operations. The company's
4mm operations are managed by Ian Turner, who also reports to LaHue. Turner
is general manager of R-Byte, Inc which was acquired by Exabyte recently.

Prior to his appointment to the new position, Riegel was president and chief
executive officer of Boulder Battery, and held various management and
executive positions with IBM during the 26 years he was with that company. He
was with Prairie Tek from 1990-91. "We're particularly pleased with his
wealth of high-volume, low-cost engineering and manufacturing expertise,"
said LaHue.

Riegel holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue
University.

Exabyte spokesperson Susan Merriman told Newsbytes the company employs more
than 1,000 and is expanding its management team to meet the challenges ahead.

The company also announced the promotion of Steve Orcutt to director of US
Western Area sales. He will be responsible for sales activity in California,
the Rocky Mountain States, the Southwest, the Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii.
Orcutt joined Exabyte in April 1991 as a sales representative and was
promoted to Northern California district sales manager in January.

Prior to joining Exabyte Orcutt held sales and sales management positions
with Counterpoint and Convergent Technologies, and will work out of the
company's western area sales office in Campbell, California.

Exabyte's new director of European sales is Joop Van der Knaap, who came to
Exabyte in April 1990 as manager of Northern European sales, and became
manager of all European sales in January 1991. Van der Knaap has more than 20
years experience in computer sales, sales management and engineering with
companies such as Burroughs and Storage Technology. He will be based in
Houten, The Netherlands.

(Jim Mallory/19921030/Press contact: Susan Merriman, Exabyte Corp, 303-447-
7434


Software Publishing Corp Revenues Up, Earnings Flat
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Revenues for Software
Publishing Corp. (SPC) revenues have shot way up, yet earnings were flat for
fiscal 1992 and down for the fourth quarter, according to a newly released
financial statement.

In the statement, officials attribute the paradoxical financial results to
"unusual charges" associated with company restructuring, lease obligations,
and a decline in value of investment securities.

In an interview, Newsbytes that learned that these charges stem from leased
facility space left vacant by a recent company reorganization, plus a drop in
the value of Spinnaker stock acquired last year as part of SPC's sale of the
PFS: software line to Spinnaker.

According to the statement, SPC's revenues were $143.1 million for the fiscal
1992 and $36.9 million for the fourth quarter of the year, figures
representing gains of 9.3% from fiscal 1991 to 1992 and 5.1% from the third
to the fourth quarter of this year.

The company reports a net income of $526,000 (one cent per share) for fiscal
1992, in contrast to a net loss of $18.1 million ($1.46 per share) in 1991,
and a net loss of $8.3 million (70 cents per share), in contrast to a net
income of $0.7 million (five cents per share) for the third quarter of 1992.

Also in the statement, SPC emphasizes that the company underwent
reorganization during the 1992 fiscal year and expanded its position in the
PC presentation graphics and database markets, suggesting that these factors
helped to boost revenues.

Three new software releases -- Harvard Graphics for Windows and upgrades to
Harvard Graphics for DOS and the Superbase RDBMS (relational database
management system) for Windows -- are highlighted as achievements for the
year.

Also mentioned are the appointments of founder Fred Gibbons as the newest
president and chief operating officer, and new vice presidents for sales,
research and development, marketing, and international relations.

Officials also stress that, without the unusual charges, the company would
have shown net income of $11.8 million (93 cents per share) for fiscal year
1992. The unusual charges include a $13.2 million associated with company
restructuring and lease obligations, and another $3.6 million for decline in
value of investment securities, the company elaborates.

In an interview with Newsbytes, a company spokesperson explained that the
charge of $13.2 million is a liability caused by space now vacant in a
facility under long-term lease. The vacancy was created by a reduction in
force that was part of the reorganization last year, she added.

SPC has rented part of the facility to Strategic Mapping, and is now seeking
additional tenants to occupy the remaining vacant space, she disclosed.

The decline in value of investment securities was caused by a recent drop in
the worth of Spinnaker stock, the spokesperson maintained. SPC acquired a
combination of cash and Spinnaker securities in the PFS: deal, she noted.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19921030; Press contact: Kathy Bower, SPC, tel 408-450-
7321)


Tulip Forges Alliances With Facit Of Sweden
CRAWLEY, SUSSEX, ENGLAND, 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Tulip Computers has announced a
strategic alliance with Facit AB, the Swedish manufacturer of printers and
display terminals. The deal calls for each company to market the other's
products in their respective markets.

"It's not enough just to sell systems anymore because our dealers need to
provide a total solution that meets a range of computing needs," explained
Steve McCall, Tulip's managing director.

"This agreement with Facit is an ideal opportunity for Tulip to provide them
with a complete computing platform, as well as increase our penetration into
the computing market through our current reseller channel," he added.

Commenting on the deal, John Newcombe, Facit's UK managing director, said
that the cooperation with Tulip will allow Facit to concentrate on its
printer business, secure in the knowledge that Tulip will be concentrating on
its PC technology.

"The cooperation enables us to strengthen the current reseller channel for
our printers, which will reinforce our position as one of the leading
European producers of computer peripherals," he said.

The deal is interesting from the perspective that Facit has produced a number
of badged PCs for sale in selected European countries. Facit's problem is
that, because of the price competitive nature of the PC business in Europe,
its PCs can only just meet the competition.

Tulip's PCs, meanwhile, are viewed as very price-competitive, with the Dutch
company axing any machines that do not sell well. Tulip has already pulled
out of the 80286- and 80386-based PC manufacturing business this year.

(Steve Gold/19921030/Press & Public Contact: Tulip - Tel: [phone]; Fax:
0293-553307)


New For Unix: Unipalm's First Unix/E-Mail Package
CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND, 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Unipalm has unveiled Mail-it, which
it claims is the first dedicated Microsoft Windows to Unix electronic mail
(e-mail) package.

According to the PC to Unix connectivity specialist, the package conforms
fully to open systems industry standards. In use, it allows Microsoft Windows
users to send and reply to messages anywhere on a PC and Unix network.

Before Mail-it appeared, the company claims, a network manager wanting to
integrate a PC network e-mail system into a Unix network had to rely on
"expensive and inefficient" gatewaying technology. This technology, the
company further claims, would link the local area network (LAN) e-mail
system's proprietary messaging protocols to the Unix open standard.

So what is Mail-it? The package is a actually a Windows applications that
uses SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol) and POP-2 mail transfer protocols
to move data between the Windows and Unix operating system/user interface
environments. These two protocols are widely supported within the Unix arena.

In use, Mail-it allows users to read, send, forward reply, print and save e-
mail items. The package also includes an alert facility that tells a user
when a mail item has arrived and needs to be read.

Announcing the package, Clive Prout, head of Unipalm's marketing operations,
said that Mail-it is a functional and robust application that was developed
to fulfill a definite need in the marketplace.

"Before Mail-it, PC users has to use e-mail packages based on proprietary
protocols and hence could only e-mail other LAN users or use fairly
rudimentary links through protocol gateways," he said.

"The trend towards enterprise networking and integration demands packages
such as this one that don't work in isolation," he added.

Mail-it requires Microsoft Windows 3.0; Sunselect's PC-NFS-4.0a, FTP's PC/TCP
2.1 or Novell LAN Workplace for DOS 4. Also required are at least 1.5
megabyte (MB) of hard disk space and a mail server that offers SMTP and/or
POP-2 protocols.

The package costs UKP 450 for a five-user licence.

(Steve Gold/19921029/Press & Public Contact: Unipalm - Tel: [phone])


Australia: Network Research Center Abandoned
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- The Research Data Network (RDN)
Cooperative Research Center (CRC) has been abandoned after the project was
entangled in a web of industry and interest group politicking. The RDN CRC
was originally intended to be responsible for the upgrade of the Australian
Academic Research Network (AARNet), with AUS$13M earmarked to fund the CRC to
be re-allocated to other CRCs, both existing and planned.

The RDN CRC was allocated the funds just last August in the Australian
federal government's budget. The decision was made after it appeared to the
Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee (AVCC) that AARNet, which it formed,
would be overtaken by Telecom's Fastpac technology. By citing the lack of
firm agreements on how the CRCs would work, Professor Ralph Slatyer, formerly
the government's chief scientist, was able to end the single-CRC approach and
gain approval for the re-allocation of the funds to multiple existing and
proposed CRCs which would be undertaking research data network projects.

"Each of these centers would continue to be headed by its existing director.
The only change in their operations would be that they would develop a new
research data network component of their centers (or supplement an existing
activity) and, in the process, add additional appropriate core participants
and modify their administrative and management structures," Slatyer said.

The abandoning of the RDN CRC will not see the abandonment of the AARNet
upgrade, as the Department for Science and Technology has re-affirmed that
the funds will be made available for the upgrade.

(Sean McNamara/19921030)


AT&T Installs 5ESS Switch In Kazakhstan
ALMA-ATA, KAZAKHSTAN, 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- AT&T has put yet another of its
5ESS phone switches in use in another part of the former Soviet Union.

Both Kazakh communications ministry official Aldar Tugushbaev, and AT&T vice
president, Aukie Gerbens, praised the breakthrough in the communications
infrastructure of the Cental Asian country. The installation comes 6 months
after the country selected AT&T as a Kazakhstan phone equipment supplier.

The 5ESS phone station will be used for direct dial phone communications both
domestically and overseas, allowing Kazakhs to bypass Moscow operators while
placing international calls.

The agreement between the Kazakhstan government and AT&T calls for the
installation of one million digital phone lines across the republic over the
next 10 years.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19921029)


Computer Network To Study Sun
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Though some 93 million miles away, the
sun is still the nearest star to the earth, and reveals its stunning power as
an enormous ball of light, serving as the main energy source to all living
creatures on earth. Yet very little is known about what happens inside the
sun. Seismic waves produced produced by the sun cannot be monitored, except
in the form of oscillating gases on the surface that can be measured by
scientists on earth.

In order to probe deeper and unravel the mystery behind these waves a Global
Oscillation Network Group (GONG) has been formed by the National Solar
Observatory in Arizona, USA. For a continuous observation of the sun, the
group has chosen Udaipur, in Rajasthan as one of the six sites around the
world -- the others located in the Canary Islands, Chile, California, Hawaii,
and Western Australia. The sites have been selected on desired longitudes.

All the six observatories would be equipped with similar solar telescopes and
linked in a chain by next year for computer storage of images and to perform
other computer-intensive operations to derive, for example, spectrum of
oscillations.

In India, the Department of Space is monitoring the project. Sophisticated
equipment including a solar telescope costing Rs 50 million will soon be
installed on a small island in the middle of a lake within the picturesque
lake-city of Udaipur. Udaipur, meaning City of the Rising Sun, is known for
centuries-old observatories.

Altogether 150 researchers from 20 countries will be participating in the
GONG project. They will largely depend upon what are called Fourier
Tachometers capable of making velocity checks at individual points on the sun
round the clock. By simultaneously processing light from all parts of the
solar disc, the tachometer produces line-of-sight velocities at over 65,000
points on the sun's surface. Every minute, a computer stores a "velocity
image" on magnetic tape together with a conventional "intensity image" just
like a radar tracking an aeroplane.

Each station would produce at least 200 megabytes of data every day. Since at
any point of time at least three GONG stations will be observing the sun,
their data would have to be merged into a single stream by automatically
selecting the best frames available at each moment. Once these exercises are
through, the raw and reduced data, plus information obtained at several
intermediate stages, would be collated into a computer-readable form by using
a combination of optical discs and magnetic tapes for analysis.

The project is scheduled to last for three years, but if the results indicate
a need, data gathering may be continued for a longer period.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19921029)


Merisel Seeks New Zealand Base
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- International PC distributor
Merisel is seeking an established distributor to use as a base for New
Zealand distribution. While not large, the New Zealand market is very active.

Merisel moved into Australia through an established local distributor,
MicroAustralia. It first took equity and worked with the company, then bought
it. Analysts believe the company will do a similar thing with one of the
local New Zealand distributors, and use the Australian base to help get
things going.

New Zealand is reputed to have more PC brands per head of population than any
other country, and pricing is extremely competitive. In Australia Merisel
distributes IBM, AST, Epson, Microsoft, Lotus and most major vendors except
Borland. It expects to have a turnover this year of US$55M.

(Paul Zucker/19921030)


Massive Effort Underway To Make Chinese Credit Cards
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 1992 OCT 30 (NB) -- Through its Hong Kong distributor,
Australian company National Business Machines (NBS) has sold more than $2M
worth of credit card embossing machines to four major banks in China. It
expects more sales in the coming months.

110 Advantage Series II desktop embossing machines comprised the first sale
-- enough to produce 60 million cards a year. The cards are needed as
automatic teller machines (ATMs) rapidly spread through China. The banks
involved are the Bank of China, Construction Bank of China, Agriculture Bank
of China and the Commercial and Industrial Bank of China.

Until now cards have only been issued from head offices in Beijing, Shanghai
and Hong Kong, but China is freeing its business and tourism policies, and in
keeping with this will need card producing and ATM facilities throughout the
country.

(Paul Zucker/19921030/Contact National Business Systems [phone] fax
[phone])