News

EMedia Professional, May 1997
Copyright © Online Inc.

Vendors, please send news on products or services to Kirk L. Kroeker, Assistant Editor (EMedia Professional, 649 Massachusetts Ave., Suite 4, Cambridge, MA 02139; 617/492-0268; Fax 617/492-3159).

Click on a feature or news section below. Click the disc icons to return to this list.

Ricoh Rolls Out Industry's First CD-Rewritable Drive
Western Digital's SDX: Hard Drive-Based CD-ROM Acceleration Spins Up
Europa Multimedia: TFPL Points to Strong Multimedia Markets, but Milia Mood Hints at Doubts
Adaptec Adds Astarte's Toast Suite to CD-R Repertoire
THE DEVELOPER'S TOOLBOX
NEW PRODUCTS
RECORD & REWRITE
MASTERING, REPLICATION, & PACKAGING
FACTS, FIGURES, AND FINDINGS
PEOPLE AND DEALS
TECH AND TOOLS
TOP TEN
CD-R INDEX
THE CD-ROM DRIVE INDEX
CONFERENCE CALENDAR

Ricoh Rolls Out Industry's First CD-Rewritable Drive
The promise of CD-Rewritable (CD-RW) technology to rewrite CD history--or at least reshape its future--was little more than a promise until March 19, 1997, when Ricoh Corporation shipped its first CD-Rewritable drive. Christened the MP6200S, the tray-loading SCSI-based model is the first of three Ricoh drives scheduled for 1997 release that will write standard CD-R media and write and rewrite forthcoming CD-RW media.

Offering double-speed writing, packet writing, and rewriting capability in accordance with the Orange Book III standard for CD-Rewritable technology, the drive also serves as a 6X reader for all major CD formats, including CD-RW. Comparable read/write/rewrite models are due to follow from Philips, Hewlett-Packard, Sony, and Yamaha as early as April and May.

Targeted at the backup and archiving-oriented "personal file storage" markets that have long eluded CD-R, according to Ricoh Disc Media & Systems product manager Robert DeMoulin, the new drives should compare favorably with current storage-market frontrunners like Jaz and MO. "We can't promise data transfer rates as fast as other backup media, but the cost-per-megabyte advantage of CD-RW can't be denied," says DeMoulin. Where Jaz, Zip, and MO drives mete out storage space at roughly $0.12 per megabyte, CD-RW media's $25 per 650MB disc cost breaks down to $0.03 for each megabyte of storage.

Because the new CD-RW drives combine all the functionality of existing CD-Recordable drives with new rewritability, the MP6200 line will replace Ricoh's most recent CD recorder, the 2X write/4X 1420C. DeMoulin says that Ricoh, like Hewlett-Packard, another early proponent of CD-RW, will no longer sell write-once-only CD recorders.

The initial list price for the MP6200 is $599. Several of Ricoh's long-standing OEM partners will be packaging the drive in various configurations. Ricoh's own bundle will combine the 2x6 external drive and its 1MB data buffer with Adaptec's Easy-CD Pro for Windows, Toast CD-ROM Pro for Mac, and DirectCD packet writing software, as well as Seagate's Backup Exec.

Street pricing for the package is expected to settle around $550, which makes it roughly $100 more expensive than 2X/6X CD recorders from vendors like Philips and Yamaha. While DeMoulin expects CD-RW prices to drop incrementally in the coming months, that $100 price differential is unlikely to change, he believes. In addition to the added rewritability, the higher bundle pricing will also include a $25 CD-RW disc. DeMoulin says he expects that the included disc and perhaps one or two more of the high-premium media to be all that first-generation CD-RW users will ever use, at least until the price comes down, and users become as familiar and comfortable with the new format as they are with CD-R.

The first-to-ship, tray-loading, SCSI-2 MP6200S will be followed in May by Ricoh's second rewritable model, the MP6201S, an internal caddy-loading unit that will incorporate noted strengths of Ricoh's 1420C recorder like a 2MB data buffer and vertical mounting capability. In August, Ricoh will complete the trilogy of Ricoh CD-RW drives╩with a lower-cost ATAPI model. The first rewritable models expected to be issued by Philips, Hewlett-Packard, and Sony in second and third quarter 1997 will be ATAPI units.
(Ricoh Corporation, 3001 Orchard Parkway, San Jose, CA 95134-2088; 408/432-8800; Fax 408/432-8372; http://www.ricoh.com. Adaptec, Inc., 691 South Milpitas Boulevard, Milpitas, CA 95035; 408/957-4546; Fax 408/957-6666; http://www.adaptec.com) --Stephen Nathans

Western Digital's SDX: Hard Drive-Based CD-ROM Acceleration Spins Up
Western Digital Corporation recently announced a new hard drive technology that purportedly enables removable media peripherals--such as CD-ROM drives--to achieve improved performance. According to the company, the SDX technology, which stands for Storage Data Acceleration, connects CD-ROM drives directly to EIDE hard drives via a ten-pin SDX cable, instead of connecting to the host system via the existing 40-pin EIDE connector. This system reportedly allows the SDX storage peripheral to take advantage of the high performance and caching capabilities of the hard drive without stealing CPU cycles or blocks of RAM.

The performance of the SDX technology is determined by the hard disk cache size; the larger the set cache, the faster the apparent access and data transfer speeds of the CD-ROM drive. One benefit of SDX, according to the company, is that users won't need to upgrade to higher speed CD-ROM drives regularly, and can instead enjoy the fast speeds of local hard drives.

With SDX technology, the hard drive intercepts commands from the computer to the CD-ROM drive, decodes the commands, obtains the data requested from the CD-ROM, and returns the data to the computer. These actions are accomplished through firmware and hardware in the SDX hard drive. Since only the hard drive communicates with the host computer, a potential advantage of this technique is that whatever advances are made in hard drive performance, SDX CD-ROM drives automatically inherit. For example, as the hard drive's transfer rate is increased, as is anticipated with the upcoming Ultra DMA/33 technology, an SDX CD-ROM drive connected to the hard drive will automatically benefit from this increased transfer rate as well.

Western Digital says the first-generation SDX products are targeted at CD-ROM applications, and Sanyo Electric Company will manufacture the first CD-ROM drive containing SDX technology. The company also says that SDX technology is 100 percent backward-compatible with all CD-ROM software and works with all current CD-ROM titles. It is also compatible with current PC hardware, software drivers, and BIOS.

"SDX is an example of the growing importance of information storage in the overall computing environment," says John Burger, vice president of marketing for Western Digital's personal storage group. "SDX is a technology that extends the role of the hard drive from its traditional tasks of reading, writing, and storing information safely and securely, to enhancing the performance of removable media storage peripherals and reducing the cost of the overall system."

The company believes that SDX is adaptable to upcoming technology advancements such as DVD and CD-RW. Analyst Wolfgang Schlichting, of research firm International Data Corporation based in Framingham, Massachusetts, however, suggests that SDX is a viable alternative upgrade option to slower CD-ROM drives, but points out that "When a DVD-ROM drive is used with SDX, the speed improvement will be less significant than with CD-ROM because DVD speed performance is closer to hard disk data transfer rates than is CD-ROM."

Western Digital has garnered support from major CD-ROM drive manufacturers, including Matsushita-Kotobuki Electronics Industries Ltd, Toshiba Corporation, Matsushita Electric Industrial, Teac, Tottori Sanyo Electric, Samsung Electronics, Acer Inc., and Motorola Semiconductor Products. What remains to be seen is whether the consumer market will adopt the technology--considering that upgrading a 4X CD-ROM drive with SDX can boost the drive's speed above the fastest available--or whether caching technology like SDX is still too inconvenient for users who regularly access more than a few discs. --Kirk L. Kroeker

Europa Multimedia: TFPL Points to Strong Multimedia Markets, but Milia Mood Hints at Doubts
With TFPL Multimedia's release of The Multimedia and CD-ROM Directory, the company's statistical summary of the database illustrates that commercially available multimedia titles have increased by 45 percent during 1996. The February 1997 edition of the directory contains entries for approximately 19,000 CD-ROM titles and 13,300 CD-ROM-related companies.

TFPL also points out that localization services are in high demand, especially in Europe, a conclusion supported by the Milia 97 conference, which in its fourth year saw many of the exhibiting companies and attendees aimed at rights deals to bring existing multimedia content into European markets. In 1996, for example, the TFPL database recorded 77 companies worldwide offering localization services; in 1997 the number has increased to 309, 75 percent of which are located in Europe.

Of further note is TFPL's contention that the proportion of titles originating in North America has been decreasing in the face of faster growth in Europe. According to TFPL, the numbers suggest less a downturn in the North American publishing business and more that the number of new publishers from European countries increased 90 percent in 1996. The increase in exhibitor numbers at Milia 97 offsets this view on growth, with Milia producer Reed Midem Organisation claiming an increase in exhibiting companies to 1,147 from 1,213 at Milia 96, or only 5.8% growth.

On average, TFPL points out, publishers have about 7.4 titles each available, up from 6 last year and 4.6 the year before. But this statistic, TFPL suggests, masks two important details. First, that the number of new publishers with small numbers of titles are hiding the much larger lists of publishers established in the medium--the TFPL report shows Corel with 665 available titles--and second, that there is an increase in the number of companies listing title publishing as their activity who have yet to publish multimedia.

TFPL also suggests that the proportion of titles with a price below $100 continues to increase, with general interest and education titles growing the fastest of all categories. This seemed not to bear out at Milia 97, with only two CD-ROM budget publishers on the show floor with any significant presence, while most titles--localized or not--seemed most often priced in the $40 to $60 range, where consumer-targeted CD-ROM title prices were stuck two years ago in the United States before the impact of budget lines, five-foot packs, and consumer reluctance to spend a lot on titles helped shift prices down into the $20 to $35 range.

Although the Milia 97 show was smoothly produced--including the top-quality Milia d'Or awards ceremony--traffic seemed sparser than last year's show, according to some Milia regulars, and a mood of pessimism about the multimedia markets was easily revealed in even casual discussions with many of the publishers on the show floor.

In fact, many found it hard to avoid a sense of deja vu in Cannes' Palais de Festival, site of Milia 97, with intermedia '95 coming most to people's minds. At the 1995 intermedia conference, U.S. consumer CD-ROM title publishers' enthusiasm and expectations began to be tempered by the business realities of high title development costs married to low title unit sales. And by the following year, 1996, large numbers of those publishers and developers were cutting back publishing programs, going out of business, or shifting to the Web. The smaller intermedia '96 closed to crushing commentary: not to return.

One key factor cited for the consumer CD-ROM industry's woes from disappointing sales was the problem with the retail distribution channel, problems echoed by many of the European publishers in February 1997 in Cannes. That these European publishers must also contend with smaller markets, lower CD-ROM/PC penetration numbers in homes, and poor Internet user numbers relative to the U.S. market--along with a rash of U.S. publishers showing up at Milia hoping to find some other markets for their own titles experiencing poor U.S. sales--suggests that there is as yet little good news for consumer multimedia CD-ROM title publishers on either side of the Atlantic, despite the raw numbers in reports like TFPL's.
(TFPL Multimedia, 345 Park Avenue South, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10010; 212/213-5990; Fax 212/213-6887. Reed Midem Organisation, BP 572, 11 Rue du Colonel Pierre Avia, 75726 Paris, France; +33-(0)-1-41-90-44-60; Fax +33-(0)-1-141-90-44-70; http://www/reedmidem.milia.com.) --David R. Guenette and Kirk L. Kroeker

Adaptec Adds Astarte's Toast Suite to CD-R Repertoire
Adaptec, Inc. recently announced an agreement to purchase Astarte's Toast CD-ROM Pro software, generally considered to be the premiere recording software for the Macintosh. Adaptec will pay $7.5 million for what the companies have called "the Toast technology," a phrase that reflects that the software was distributed by agreement with Markus Fest--the original developer of the software--and not owned by the German multimedia company Astarte GmbH. Adaptec's international CD-R arsenal now includes Easy-CD, purchased from incatSystems of Italy, CD Creator, bought from Canada's Corel Corporation, and now Toast CD-ROM Pro.

Looking to offer what it considers the best in CD-R technology for both the Windows 95/NT and Macintosh environments, Adaptec has again used the acquisition strategy to give the company immediate presence in the Macintosh bundling CD-R market, having already forsaken the admittedly weak Easy-CD Pro for Mac, and finding that the Corel CD Creator Mac product had failed to make sufficient inroads into a Toast-controlled Mac OEM market. Adaptec will now offer Toast in a new release, version 3.5, which upgrades from Astarte's version 3.0, scheduled for April 1, 1997.

Meanwhile, Adaptec's purchase of Toast coincides with the latest version of Astarte's Red Book-recording tool for audio professionals, Toast CD-DA 2.0. In addition to a new drag-and-drop interface, version 2.0 adds to its predecessor's suite of high-level audio features with such new capabilities as level adjustments, comprehensive cross-fade creation, track-specific gain control, support for WAV and split-stereo files, and the ability to import text or numeric Sound Designer II files as index points. A new trimming function allows users to remove noise or silence at the beginning or end of a track, and users can also now fill gaps with audio tracks, such as strategically placed applause tracks on "live" or concert CDs. Using the same proprietary Cache Enhancement technology as Toast CD-ROM Pro, Toast CD-DA can augment a recorder's built-in buffer by allocating some of the Mac's RAM as additional data buffer, which works with SCSI Manager 4.3 to allow data to be written reliably from less reliable data sources.

The company expects to leverage the Toast technology into additional optical storage solutions, including packet writing, audio mastering, and DVD. Toast's audio capabilities, coupled with the Toast CD-DA software, also included in the acquisition, should indeed give Adaptec a good start in the booming desktop audio recording market. The acquisition also includes the nearly completed Toast Direct, a UDF packet writing solution for the Mac, which gives Adaptec an immediate foothold in the Mac Packet Writing/UDF market.

According to Adaptec, Toast 3.5 will include the capabilities of CD-DA and the packet writing capabilities of what was to be called Toast Direct, which was close to completion at the time of the acquisition. Discs created with Toast's packet writing technology will be interchangeable with Direct CD discs.

Adaptec believes that the Mac market is still strong for CD-R because the platform is preferred by many graphics houses and in the pre-press industry where files are large and CD-R is the only storage medium that offers easy and immediate cross-platform compatibility.

Adaptec continues development on its combined Windows 95 product, to be called Easy CD Creator, which is likely to have enhanced audio support, giving Adaptec flagship Windows and Mac recording products that comprehensively handle both data and audio recording. The current Windows products supported by Adaptec, Easy-CD Pro and CD Creator, will have a long phase-out process, and will not be dropped on release of Easy CD Creator. CD Creator for the Mac will, however, be discontinued upon the release of Toast 3.5.
(Adaptec, 691 South Milpitas Boulevard, Milpitas, CA 95035; 408/945-8600; Fax 408/262-2533. Astarte USA, 10044 Adams Avenue, Suite 331, Huntington Beach, CA 92646; 714/963-7030; Fax 714/963-0529) --Robert Starrett

THE DEVELOPER'S TOOLBOX

CBT Gets Assist from Asymetrix, Avalon, and ICI

ToolBook II Assistant, the latest addition to Asymetrix Corporation's repertoire of professional market-oriented authoring tools, is designed to enable corporate trainers to develop and deliver Internet-based training without knowledge or use of programming. ToolBook Assistant combines the core technology in Asymetrix's fuller-featured and more expensive ToolBook II Instructor with a template-driven, intuitive interface. Following a Wizard-like Book Specialist that guides authors through the development process, developers use a drag-and-drop interface to add video, audio, graphics, and interactivity. Resulting applications can be used in traditional instructor-led training, as CD-ROM-based CBT, or deployed on the Internet. ToolBook II Assistant Internet courses can be tracked, tested, and evaluated on the Internet by the ToolBook II Librarian Internet course management system. Available initially at an introductory price of $995, Assistant's suggested retail price is $1295.
(Asymetrix Corporation, 110-110th Avenue N.E., Bellevue, WA 98004-5840; 206/462-0501; Fax 206/637-1650; http://www.asymetrix.com)

Also new on the online training scene is BrightLight, a real-time, interactive distributed learning environment developed by Avalon Information Technologies, Inc. Using a template-based Course Designer module, BrightLight users can prepare questions for inclusion in multimedia slide presentations or discrete question lists. Questions can be multiple-choice, drag-and-drop matching, label-a-graphic, fill-in-the-blanks, true/false, or essay. When the application is completed and deployed in online sessions, the questions can then be selected and given to the entire learning or training group or individual learners or trainees selected by the instructor or at random by the PC, and results can be automatically scored, returned instantaneously as confidential performance feedback for instructors and learners, and stored automatically in an administration database. Multimedia and text elements can be added to BrightLight applications in formats including ASCII, HTML, BMP, TIFF, GIF, JPEG, WAV, MIDI, AVI, FLC, QTW, WMF, TGA, PCD, CMP, PNG, PSD, and PCX. Minimum requirements for BrightLight toolkit student stations are 66MHz 486 PC running Windows 95 with 4X CD-ROM and 14.4 modem; instructor station requirements are 100MHz Pentium PC running Windows 95 with 4X CD-ROM, sound card, and 28.8 modem. BrightLight supports up to 50 online learners over LANs, WANs, ISDN, and the Internet, and lists for $495 per station.
(Avalon Information Technologies, Inc., One Kenview Boulevard, Brampton, Ontario, Canada L6T 5E6; 905/792-1981; Fax 905/792-7251; http://www.atlantis.com/blbeta)

Also bringing CBT authoring capabilities to a growing number of Intranet and Internet settings is Intersystem Concepts, Inc., which has announced the free availability of its Everest 2.0 software. Designed to enable Windows 3.1 and Windows 95-based educators and trainers to create computer-based instructional materials, Everest also provides direct real-time playback of interactive multimedia applications via the Internet. The free version of Everest available for download at the ICI Web site comes with a one-site license; off-site distribution of Everest-authored projects requires the full Everest Authoring System, which educators can purchase for $995. Regular list price is $1995.
(Intersystem Concepts, Inc., P.O. Box 477, Fulton, MD 20759; 410/531-9000; Fax 301/854-9426; http://www.insystem.com)

Daikin Updates DVD Authoring

mFactory Rolls mTropolis 2.0 Off Line

Another feature new to mTropolis 2.0 is support for Progressive Networks' RealAudio, which enables mTropolis authors to use the RealAudio modifier to access and interact with real-time audio streams served by a RealAudio streamer. Also new in version 2.0 is a cross-platform file format for media, which allows Windows and Macintosh-based titles to share media assets. Authors can also now use mTropolis to create authoring wizards and tools--applications that can examine, manipulate, and generate other applications, with the resulting application running within the mTropolis editor. Version 2.0 also adds mPacks, or libraries of pre-authored elements and behaviors that support a functional category. These libraries can be reused by dragging and dropping them into mTropolis applications.

mTropolis 2.0 ships in mid-May 1997 with an expected street price of $995. Current owners of mTropolis 1.1 can upgrade to mTropolis 2.0 for $199.
(mFactory, 1440 Chapin Avenue, Suite 200, Burlingame, CA 94010; 415/548-0600; Fax 415/548-9249; http://www.mfactory.com)

iCat Sweetens Web Dealings with Electronic Commerce Suite 3.0

http://www.icat.com

Caligari Takes 3D into TrueSpace

http://www.caligari.com

Video Production Propelled as OnLINE, Broadway Turn 2.0

D-Vision Systems, Inc. has announced OnLINE 2.0, a full-step upgrade of the company's Windows NT-based non-linear video editing tool. Shipping with full-component, S-Video, and composite video capability, OnLINE 2.0 supports full CCIR-601, 306KB/frame resolution, and is optimized for Truevision's TARGA 2000 DTX and RTX PCI video capture boards. With OnLINE, users can play back up to 24 tracks of CD-quality audio simultaneously and adjust audio level and pan settings on-the-fly in real-time. D-Vision also provides hundreds of 2D and 3D DVEs to create visual effects. A standalone PCI-based software application, OnLINE 2.0 carries a suggested retail price of $5995.
(D-Vision Systems, Inc., 8755 W. Higgins Road, 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60631; 312/714-1400; Fax 312/714-1405; info@dvision.com; http://www.dvision.com)

Data Translation, Inc. has also released a second generation of its flagship digital video tool with the release of Broadway 2.0, a full-step upgrade to its real-time, full-motion MPEG video capture tool. The new version of Broadway, available for less than $1000, allows users to capture high-bit-rate AVI video for high-quality editing or direct MPEG capture for digitized finished video. Additional user productivity, system performance, Windows NT 4.0 support, and bundling of Microsoft's ActiveMovie playback software are new with version 2.0
(Data Translation, Inc., Multimedia Group, 100 Locke Drive, Marlboro, MA 01752-1192; 508/460-1600; Fax 508/624-6782; http://www.b-way.com)

Astarte Ships MPEG Exporter

http://www.astarte.de

NEW PRODUCTS: Drives, Networks, Utilities, & More

CD-ROM Drives: Faster, Smaller, Portable

Eiger Labs announced the EigerMedia 8X CD-ROM drive, an upgrade solution for portable and desktop users. The EigerMedia 8X CD-ROM drive offers both parallel and PC card connectors and can be shared among multiple PCs. The drive weighs one pound and handles 95 to 220V. "This is a healthy market. A majority of game, database, and other PC application users still have today the 2X or 4X CD-ROM drive that they purchased as an add-on during the past few years," says Danny Malone, director of marketing for Eiger. "These drives simply are not fast enough to handle new applications. We see a large installed base of home and SOHO users demanding a fast, affordable upgrade like the EigerMedia 8X CD-ROM." The drive, which comes with an AC adapter and $100 worth of gaming software, retails for $349.
(Eiger Labs, Inc., 1237 Midas Way, Sunnyvale, CA 94086; 408/659-4437; 408/774-3444)

NewCom Inc. has announced the debut of the company's 16X CD-ROM drive. The drive, which has an average access rate of 100ms and a data transfer rate of 2.4MB/sec, comes complete with a CD audio cable and driver, and provides single and multisession support. NewCom's 16X CD-ROM drive will also be packaged in the new 16X Multimedia Kit and the 16X Audiophile Multimedia Kit. The latter will combine the drive with NewCom's high-fidelity plug-and-play sound card, an array of Internet and educational software, and multimedia speakers from NewCom, the NC-100 model. NewCom's 16X CD-ROM drive and 16X Audiophile Multimedia Kit carry suggested retail prices of $179 and $349, respectively, and are available at electronic retailers and computer outlets.
(NewCom Inc., 31166 Via Colinas, Westlake Village, CA 91362; 818/597-3200; Fax 818/597-3210)

Addonics Technologies, a member of the ACER Group, launched two new portable CD-ROM drives, named the PCMCIA PocketCD and the Parallel PocketCD. The PCMCIA PocketCD kit contains a 10X CD-ROM drive, internal rechargeable batteries, a PCMCIA interface, a mini headphone jack, and controls for audio CD playback. The drive can be powered from a laptop computer's battery through its PCMCIA interface or from an external power adapter. The Parallel PocketCD is the same size and weight and sports the same performance specifications as its sibling, but differs in its power source and standard interface. The Parallel PocketCD comes with an internal compartment for four AA batteries, a parallel port interface, a mini headphone jack, and controls for audio CD playback. The PCMCIA PocketCD has an MSRP of $399 and is expected to sell for $350. The Parallel PocketCD has an MSRP of $349 and is expected to sell for around $299. Both CD-ROM drives come complete with software drivers for DOS, OS/2, Windows 3.1, and Windows 95.
(Addonics Technologies, 48434 Milmont Drive, Fremont, CA 94538; 510/438-6530; Fax 510/353-2020)

Luminex, SciNet, and Microtest Upgrade CD-ROM Network Software

Luminex is now offering HFS CD-ROM support for all Macintosh clients that want to take advantage of the file system while using a UNIX server. CD-ROMs created natively on a Macintosh with the HFS format can now be accessed using the Luminex Fire Series software by virtually any type of network client, according to the company. The use of the Luminex Fire Series MultiNet software, or other AppleTalk protocol implementations, allows UNIX servers to support networked Macintosh clients. CD-ROM discs in networked CD-ROM libraries now show up on the Macintosh desktop with the proper data and resource forks just as any local CD-ROM, providing the thumbnail picture information that was previously unavailable. Supported UNIX server platforms include those from Sun Microsystems, Silicon Graphics, Hewlett Packard, IBM, and Apple. The software begins pricing at around $1500, depending on configuration.
(Luminex Software, Inc., 6840 Indiana Avenue, Suite 130, Riverside, CA 92506; 888/586-4639; Fax 909/781-4105)

SciNet, Inc., developer of CD-ROM networking solutions, introduced SciNet CD-Manager version 3.2, which makes it possible to share up to 254 CDs without a network operating system. "It's CD sharing without the networking headaches," says Joe Mendolia, SciNet's vice president of sales and marketing. "Before this new release, sharing CDs required a network operating system such as NetWare or NT, but for many small offices, such as law firms or medical offices, installing and maintaining such a network just isn't feasible." By using features built into Windows 95 and NT, SciNet is able to offer CD sharing without requiring users to learn new commands. SciNet CD-Manager supports all known CD-ROM interface types, including ATAPI, SCSI, and others. The standard configuration supports 28 CDs, with optional support for up to 254 CDs. SciNet CD-Manager, which sells for $495, can be used with disc changers and CD-ROM drives, and supports most popular desktop platforms.
(SciNet, Inc., 268 Santa Ana Court, Sunnyvale, CA 94086; 408/328-0160; Fax 408/328-0168; http://www.scinetcorp.com)

Microtest, Inc. announced DiscPort Executive for NT 2.0, a CD-ROM networking software that is designed to enhance Windows NT's support for CD-ROM sharing. DiscPort Executive for NT 2.0 allows system administrators to overcome NT's 26-letter drive limitation by grouping individual CD-ROMs or collections of CD-ROMs as consolidated file shares, which users see as subdirectories and folders under a single drive letter on Windows NT servers. System administrators use a graphical user interface to customize application requirements and user segmentations. DiscPort Executive for NT 2.0 includes multi-vendor jukebox support, including jukeboxes from NSM, Pioneer, Sony, Kodak, Nakamichi, Disc, ASM, and Kubik, allowing users to share CD-ROMs from a single server over mixed networks, including native NetWare, NFS, and NT. In addition, frequently used CD-ROMs can be loaded on SCSI hard drives with Microtest's FastCD disc-caching technology. DiscPort Executive for NT 2.0 is priced according to the number of CD-ROM volumes shared from the server, with eight price points designated for levels of 15, 30, 60, 120, and higher.
(Microtest, 4747 N. 22nd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85016; 602/952-6569; Fax 602/952-6530; http://www.microtest.com)

CD-ROM Jukeboxes Proliferate

Elms Systems Corporation recently announced that its CD-ROM jukebox product, called the CD Library, now has networking capabilities. Starting at $8245 for Novell or NT network support and access for up to 100 CDs controlled by bar-coded magazines, the library now offers SmartCD software for access, recording, or both access and recording. When reading CDs with the new software, SmartCD performs three levels of caching to improve performance in multi-user environments: directory, data, and read ahead. Directory caching creates a bound directory that resides on each user's hard disk to minimize repeated access to CDs. Data caching moves requests for directory information to RAM and virtual memory so that subsequent requests for previously located directory information are retrieved as rapidly as possible. Unlike CD tower configurations that assign a different letter designation to each drive or tower, the Elms CD library has one drive letter name regardless of the number of drives in the four-drive capacity jukebox. Separately, the SmartCD for access and SmartCD for recording are each priced at $2750, while the SmartCD for recording and access is priced at $3800. The Elms CD Library is priced at $5495.
(Elms Systems Corporation, 2 Holland, Irvine, CA 92618; 714/461-3200; Fax 714/461-0671; http://www.elms.com)

DISC, Inc. recently announced two new models to expand its family of CD jukeboxes. The new models, the DA100 and the DA200, have a 125 and 225 CD capacity, respectively, with each having the ability to configure from two to six CD-ROM drives. These new models feature CD-ROM and/or CD-R drive capabilities, a modular design to upgrade to new drives or drive types as they become available, a mechanism with a mean swap between failure rating of one million, and a four-second disc exchange time. Prices vary by model and capacity, and start at around $10,000.
(DISC Inc., 372 Turquoise Street, Milpitas, CA 95035; 408/934-7000; Fax 408/934-7007; http://www.discjuke.com)

CD International, Inc. announced the CDS 2800 and CDS 4900 jukeboxes that offer access up to 49 CDs and seven CD-ROM drives using an Axis Storpoint network CD-ROM server made by Axis Communications, Inc. The CDS 2800 has four independent CD-ROM drives, while the CDS 4900 has seven. These systems can run on networks such as Windows NT, UNIX, Novell, and with Web browsers. The systems, which cost $2995 and $4995, use 32-bit RISC processors with 2MB of cache RAM that is expandable to 32MB and offer filtered positive airflow to keep the CDs clean and cool.
(CD International, Inc., 128A York Street, Kennebunk, ME 04043; 207/985-6370; Fax 207/985-6467)

Pinnacle Micro, Inc. introduced a new 100-platter CD-ROM jukebox solution, called the Cascade CD100X4, that is priced at $9995 and includes four internal 4X CD-ROM drives, CD management software, and a one-year on-site service warranty. The Cascade comes bundled with CD Vision and CD Commander software by Ornetix, which received the Best of LAN Times 1996 award. The Ornetix software operates under Windows NT and Novell networks. "The Cascade represents an exciting new product offering for Pinnacle which addresses the rapidly expanding market for CD data storage," said James Hanley, general manager of strategic products. "The product is well positioned as an entry-level product which will leverage Pinnacle's expertise in the marketing, sales, and distribution of optical storage systems."
(Pinnacle Micro, 19 Technology, Irvine, CA 92718; 714/789-3000; Fax 714/789-3150; http://www.pinnacle.com)

Legacy and Procom Release New Server/Towers

Legacy Storage Systems Corp. has introduced a new family of "network-ready" SmartARRAY CD-ROM servers. Not an official "tower," the model CD-16 provides network access to 16 individual CD-ROMs via four SCSI-2 four-disc changer devices. Models CD-28 and CD-48 offer access to 28 or 48 CD-ROMs in floor-standing towers with redundant power supplies and cooling fans. SmartARRAY CD connects directly to Ethernet or Token Ring networks via an AXIS StorPoint controller, and supports major platforms including Novell, Windows 95, Windows NT, and all UNIX dialects through NFS over TCP/IP. Manufacturer's suggested list pricing for the Legacy SmartARRAY CD server family starts at $4800.
(Legacy Storage Systems Corp., 43 Riviera Drive, Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 5J6; 905/475-1077; Fax 905/475-1088)

Procom Technology, Inc. has unveiled a new CD-ROM tower/server with 12X drives. Direct-connect seven-bay and 14-bay CD-ROM arrays contain seven and 14 12X drives and connect to networks running Novell Netware, Windows NT, OS/2 Warp, and UNIX. The new 12X drive allows the CD-ROM array to deliver a sustained data transfer rate of 1.8MB/sec and an average seek time of 115ms. Procom's 12X servers, which offer security, metering, and auto launch, and which range in cost from $4235 to $8525, are immediately available through computer resellers.
(Procom Technology, 2181 Dupont Drive, Irvine, CA 92715; 714/852-1000; Fax 714/852-1221; http://www.procom.com)

Two New Plug-and-Play CD-ROM Servers for Connecting Towers to Networks

Compact Devices announced the newest addition to its CD-ROM server product line with the introduction of the TopSpin 200 family of CD-ROM servers. The TopSpin 200 features single and dual SCSI connections for direct connection of one to 14 CD-ROM drives. They also feature logical unit number (LUN) support, which allows connection of up to 56 CDs or drives through the use of CD changers or LUN expanders. The TopSpin 200 installs and automatically configures itself as a NetWare, NT, NFS, and Web server, allowing users in each of these environments to employ familiar commands to access the CD-ROMs. "The CD-ROM networking market is expected to grow to $450 million in 1997," says Michael Conrad, president and CEO of Compact Devices, "and we intend to become the leading supplier in this fast-growing market segment." The Compact Devices TopSpin 200 CD-ROM server is available in two families. The TopSpin 150, available for $495, is for small workgroups with low to medium CD-ROM access level requirements. The TopSpin 200 is for larger workgroups and supports both single SCSI and dual SCSI connections. The single SCSI TopSpin 200 lists for $695, while the dual SCSI TopSpin 200 lists for $795.
(Compact Devices, Inc., 16795 Lark Avenue, Suite 119, Los Gatos, CA 95030; 800/894-0519; Fax 408/354-3797; http://www.devices.com)

Axis Communications, Inc. announced the AXIS storPoint CD for Token Ring environments. Based on Axis' ThinServer technology, it combines embedded server support, a cross-platform Web management interface, and custom-designed RISC-based hardware. Featuring embedded and concurrently running thin versions of NetWare, Windows NT, OS/2, UNIX, and a Web server, StorPoint CD has wide network support and allows users to access HTML and non-HTML formatted CDs across Intranets. The AXIS StorPoint CD connects up to seven CD-ROM SCSI drives directly, and up to 56 discs through LUN-based addressing. The AXIS StorPoint CD for Token Ring is available in two versions, a standalone unit and a tower module that are priced at $999. The Ethernet versions have been shipping since November 1996 and are priced at $799.
(Axis Communications, Inc., 4 Constitution Way, Woburn, MA 01801; 800/444-AXIS; Fax 617/938-6161)

First Dual-Laser DVD-ROM Drive

Liberty Systems' DVD-ROM Upgrade Kit

New Enterprise-Wide Document Management Tools

Infodata Systems Inc. announced the Virtual File Cabinet (VFC), a customizable, Web-based system for accessing, organizing, and sharing documents. According to the company, with VFC, users can search for, retrieve, edit, and file information from across an enterprise regardless of where the documents originated or are stored. Rather than create duplicate documents scattered across the enterprise, VFC links users to a single copy of a document and allows them to store information using personalized filenames and storage hierarchies. The availability of VFC comes on the heels of industry endorsements of the technology from PC DOCS, Lotus, Adobe Systems, and Verity. "VFC is fast becoming the de facto standard for document sharing and organization, having met with tremendous response from industry analysts and customers," says Richard Tworek, executive vice president at Infodata. VFC is a client/server, Intranet-based system that operates through Web browsers. The software allows each desktop to use an office metaphor to customize the naming of offices, file cabinets, folders, and documents. VFC features include open architecture, push-button graphical interface, full-text search, drag-and-drop import, password security, and use of industry standards such as HTTP, HTML, SQL, ODBC, and Java. VFC starts at $15,000 for unlimited seats. A full, turnkey product, the "Document Appliance" package, includes all hardware and software for under $50,000.
(Infodata Systems Inc., 12150 Monument Drive, Fairfax, VA 22033; 703/934-5205; Fax 703/934-7154)

Dataware Technologies, Inc. announced NetAnswer 2.0, a turnkey solution for information publishers who want to publish large volumes of data on the Internet. NetAnswer lets users organize and deliver massive amounts of information, such as bibliographic and copyright materials, newspaper archives, full-text articles and publications, policy and procedure manuals, and other technical data. NetAnswer works with standard browsers operating on the Web, and standard servers, including CERN, NCSA, Netscape, and Open Market. NetAnswer 2.0 establishes a connection with the end-user that remains for the duration of the session and keeps track of successive search queries and results, then uses them to customize a search strategy. This technique increases the accuracy of results returned to end-users and economizes the server's processing power, according to the company. Pricing for NetAnswer 2.0 begins at $10,000.
(Dataware Technologies, Inc., 222 Third Street, Suite 3300, Cambridge, MA 02142; 617/621-0820; Fax 617/621-0307; http://www.dataware.com)

Oracle Corporation announced the availability of its ConText Option Release 2.0, the next release of its text management option to Oracle Universal Server. With ConText 2.0, Oracle integrates support for text in a relational database. The ConText option to Oracle Universal Server, the company suggests, brings the strength of relational/SQL language searching and data management to the text environment, targeting text-based data already residing in Oracle RDBMSes and rapidly emerging, large-scale text-centric applications, such as Help Desk and Web sites. ConText also addresses the challenge of integrating text within enterprise and data warehousing solutions. While traditional databases allow users to include "comment" fields or other free-form text and documents that cannot be indexed or searched natively for fast retrieval, adding text fields in Oracle Universal Server that can be indexed, stored, managed, and queried via standard SQL with the same power as relational data, removes the need for separate development environments, supports retrieval via standard SQL, and treats text data as a peer to relational data.

(Oracle Corporation, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065; 415/506-7000; Fax 415/506-7200)

Syncronys Softcorp's CD Acceleration Software

http://www.syncronys.com

RECORD AND REWRITE

MicroNet Hits Read/Write Heights with New Recorder

http://www.micronet.com

Cirrus Unites CD-R and C++ with CD*Maker API

http://www.cirunite.com

CD-R "Tested for Success" by AME, Marcan

AME has announced new plotting and recording features for its "Test for Success" CD-Analyzer, a PC-based hardware system whose testing capabilities are supplied through plug-in cards. Designed for Windows-based CD premastering and production environments, the CD-Analyzer's new features provide graphical representation of BLER and other error-checking tester results. Tests are run at 8X drive speeds
. (AME, 10 Rollins Road, Suite 209, Millbrae, CA 94030; 800/326-4508)

Marcan, Inc. has announced its proprietorship of the of the Clover Systems QA-101 CD-R analyzer, a standalone CD-R testing system. The QA-101 measures and displays error rates and dropouts for CD-DA, CD-ROM, mixed-mode, CD-ROM/XA, CD-i, CD-R, and PhotoCD. The system tracks current, average, and peak for such error codes as BLER, E11, E21, E31, E12, E22, and E32, as well as measuring total E22, E32, and dropouts. The QA-101 also features a built-in grading system that reports in five different categories of performance evaluation. Also included are a built-in printer port and serial computer interface. The analyzer is available through Marcan for $4995.
(Marcan, Inc, 1020 108th Avenue NE, Suite 209, Bellevue, WA 98004; 800/635-7477; Fax 206/635-7479; http://www.marcan.com)

Solstice Drops Duplicator Pricing

http://www.cgo.wave.ca/~solstice

HyCD Heightens Next-Generation Cirrus Codecs

http://www.cdr1.com

http://www.cirrus.com

NTI Adds Deluge of Drive Support to CD-Maker Pro

http://www.ntius.com

MASTERING, REPLICATION, & PACKAGING

Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals to Build CD-R Plant in France

Fairchild Unveils CD-R Production Line

Systematic Automation Releases Printing Automator

Balzers Process Systems Debuts World's Smallest Sputterer

TECH & TOOLS

Audio

Opcode Systems, Inc. introduced Vision 3.5 for Macintosh, the latest release of its multimedia music tool which offers support for Adobe Premier plug-ins and QuickTime features. Opcode also released MAX 3.5, its graphical programming software for multimedia and music. (415/856-3333)

Author/Developing Software & Tools

Broadband

Voxware, Inc. released TeleVox 2.0, Internet telephone software with full-duplex voice conferencing for up to five people without a conference server. Also released was version 2.0 of ToolVox Gold Encoder, an Internet streaming voice application. (609/514-4100)

Data & Text Retrieval

Electronic Commerce & Security

Telequip Corporation is shipping Net Wallet, a PC card secure coprocessor for the secure communication and storage of electronic data. (603/598-1300)

Graphics and Animation Tools

Three D Graphics released Texture Creator, a 3D texture program with 200 modifiable preset textures and a Custom Texture Wizard. (818/368-8212)

Networking

Wave Wireless Networking is shipping Speedlan 10, a 10Mbps wireless Ethernet bridge/IP router with multi-point network capability. (800/721-9283)

Online/Web Publishing Tools

SoftQuad International announced an enhanced version of HoTMetaL PRO 3.0, its HTML editor, which now offers a Cascading Style Sheet editing tool, batch conversion capabilities, and site management capabilities through the HoTMetaL PRO 3.0 Information Manager. (416/544-9000)

TMSSequoia announced 16-bit versions of ViewDirectorPro2 and Pro2+ imaging plug-ins for Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. The new versions include image zooming, a flying magnifier, image rotation, and image annotation. (405/377-0880)

WebManage Technologies, Inc. unveiled NetIntellect 2.1, a log analysis and reporting tool that provides statistical, geographical, and marketing data about Web sites that now includes a database of over 500,000 Internet organizations, unlimited custom reports, and a scheduler. (914/697-7555)

Video/MPEG

VRML/Java

Vosaic L.L.C. introduced Vosaic Audio for Java, a Java-based sound streaming system that offers point-and-click audio over the Web without downloading plug-ins. (312/943-6764)

Web Server Tools

Netscape Communications Corporation announced the beta version of Netscape Enterprise Server 3.0 software. The upgrade integrates Netscape's Web server software with Netscape ONE open network environment technologies. (415/937-3777)

NobleNet, Inc. launched NobleNet Web, an automatic browser-based Web deployment system which enables the immediate deployment of Windows-based client/server applications across the Internet, Intranet, and the Web. (508/460-8222)

Pacific Internet is shipping the WebCube Series P Internet server which can establish an Internet Service Provider system without additional hardware or software. (310/410-9700)

PEOPLE & DEALS

Alliances & Licenses

The One-Off CD Shops have formed a strategic alliance with Verite Multimedia, which will provide multimedia content, Web site development, and consulting services for the One-Off CD Shops. (801/530-2253) Pixar Animation Studios has signed a deal with Walt Disney Co. to provide computer-generated work for five films. (510/236-4000)

Prodigy Services Corporation has licensed Voxware, Inc.'s voice-compression and VoiceFont capability. (914/448-8846)

Progressive Networks and CCI have entered into an agreement to use CCI's Learning Objects and Progressive Networks' RealVideo to turn corporate videotapes into multimedia tools. (206/447-0567)

Spatializer Audio Laboratories, Inc. announced it plans to enter into a partnership with Solana Technology Development Corporation to use Solana's Electronic DNA family of information embedding technologies. (818/227-3370)

Distribution Deals

http://www.buydirect.com

C-Cube Microsystems Inc. announced that Acer Corporation of Taiwan has selected its CL680 Advanced Video CD Decoder for Acer's new Video CD players. (408/944-6300)

Crest National appointed Creative Data Products, Inc. as its marketing representative for CD-ROM and DVD sales and marketing in much of the Northwest. (213/466-0642)

Houghton Mifflin Interactive announced that Yamaha Music Media Corporation will distribute three Curious George CD-ROM titles in Japan, along with two other HMI children's titles. (800/829-7962)

MicroTech Conversion Systems has signed an agreement with On Demand Technologies, Inc. (ODT) to sell ODT's DocUtilities and DocUtilities dms2.0 document management systems for the Xerox DocuTech publishing system. (415/596-1900)

Open Market, Inc. announced that Mitsui Knowledge Industry Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. of Japan, has signed a distribution agreement for Open Market's OM-Axcess and OM-Transact software in Japan. (617/621-9500)

PaceWorks Inc. announced that SystemSoft Corp. will distribute ObjectDancer 1.0 in Japan. (415/855-0900)

ParaGraph International announced that IBM will continue to distribute its VRML 2.0 authoring tools with every IBM Aptiva sold in Japan. (408/364-7740)

Tech Data Corporation, a computer product distributor, has signed a deal with Compact Devices to carry its full line of TopSpin CD-ROM servers. Tech Data will also distribute Hurricane, a Windows system performance enhancement product form Helix Software. (800/237-8931

Mergers & Acquisitions

Headspace, Inc., a provider of audio content and technology for the Internet and multimedia, has acquired Igor Software Laboratories. (415/696-9400)

Miller Freeman, Inc. has acquired Technology & Learning magazine and its companion Web site, T&L Online, from the Peter Li Education Group. (415/905-2200)

Open Market, Inc. has acquired business-critical information management software supplier Folio Corporation and Internet commerce software provider Waypoint Software Corporation. (617/621-9500)

Philips Media, a division of Philips Electronics N.V., announced it has signed a letter of intent to transfer its multimedia software publishing and distribution activities toInfogrames Entertainment of Villeurbanne, France. (31-40-2-732-729)

Money

Radnet, Inc. announced that Warburg, Pincus Ventures L.P.╩has committed to invest $40 million in the company. (617/577-9422)

New Companies, Reorganizations, and Relocations

Channel Marketing Corporation has moved to 15032 Beltway Drive, Dallas, TX, 75244-2709. (972/858-9600)

EvansGroup announced it has launched a new division, FutureWorks New Media, dedicated to the integration of digital, interactive communications with traditional media. (206/285-1779)

Information Mapping has relocated to 411 Waverley Oaks Road, Waltham, MA 02154. (617/906-6400)

NSM Jukebox announced that it has joined the Optical Storage Technology Association. (630/860-5100)

Open Market, Inc. has opened an International Service Centre based in Hoofddorp, The Netherlands. (+31-325-541111)

Sony Computer Entertainment (Japan) Ltd., Namco Ltd., and Polygon Pictures Inc. have formed a new computer imaging company, Dream Pictures Studio. (415/655-8000)

Personnel

Psygnosis Ltd. has appointed Mark S. Beaumont to the position of executive vice president/general manager of the U.S. operation. (415/655-8031)

Robi-Systemtechnik AG has named Rick Nuffer as the chief operating officer for Robi in the U.S. (+41-052-687-14-11)

Young Minds, Inc. has appointed Matthew Hornbeck to the position of president. (800/964-4964)

FACTS, FIGURES, & FINDINGS
Worldwide CD-ROM Title Expenditures Exceed $30 Billion in 1996
InfoTech reported in "The Winter of Our Disc Content" that total user expenditures on CD-ROM titles exceeded $30 billion worldwide in 1996 and are expected to grow by 30% in 1997. (802/763-2097)

European Interactive Entertainment Spending Grows by 58%
European consumers spent nearly $3.5 billion on interactive entertainment software in 1996, a 58% growth over 1995 sales. The market, which is expected to experience another growth spurt this year, is 80% of the size of the European cinema box office, according to Screen Digest's "European Interactive Software Markets" report. (+44-171-580-2842)

CD-ROM European Sales Forecasted to Hit $6.5 Billion by 2001
Datamonitor predicted that European CD-ROM sales will experience an average annual growth of 21% over the next five years, jumping from $2.5 billion in sales recorded in 1996 to an estimated $6.5 billion by 2001. (212/684-6604)

Early Document Imaging Customers Are Struggling to Maintain Systems
Feith Systems and Software, Inc. reported that many early customers of document imaging technology are struggling to maintain and upgrade old systems and now need vendors who can help implement new technology without these customers losing their investment in existing data and components. (215/646-8000)

Most Online Users Spend Less Than an Hour Online Each Day
Only a fourth of the 27.6 million American adult online users spend over an hour online each day, with half of the online population using services for less than 30 minutes a day, according to the Leading Edge 1996 media survey, conducted by SRI Consulting's Media Futures Program. (415/859-2400)

Video Games Outsold Computer Games in 1996 by a Slight Margin
Video game software outsold computer entertainment software in 1996 by a slight margin, with video games accounting for 55% of the 90 million entertainment software units sold in the U.S. last year, according to The NPD Group's Interactive Entertainment Software Service. (516/625-0700)

IT Divisions are Losing Control of Corporate Technology
Forrester Research reported in "The Technology Democracy" that IT organizations at Fortune 1,000 companies are losing control of how firms use computers due to increasing numbers of technology-educated employees, easy-to-use tools, and a supporting infrastructure. (617/497-7090)

Cost a Concern for Prospective WebTV Buyers
A Cyber Dialogue survey found that although 51% of those polled said they would purchase WebTV in addition to a PC for use in their home, most thought the current cost of $330 plus $20 per month access fees was too steep for the service. 24% felt that $100 to $199 was a more reasonable price range for the product. (212/725-4500)

Web Advertising Revenues Reached $171.5 Million in 1996
Simba Information Inc. reported that World Wide Web advertising revenue reached $171.5 million in 1996, up 170% over the $63.5 million grossed in 1995. (203/358-9900) n

TOP TEN CD-ROM TITLES

Information provided from an October 1996 SofTrends report, a subscription-based service from SPA and The NPD Group, tracking software sales from over 8,800 stores, including major computer superstores, software specialty stores, mass merchandisers, and consumer electronics stores. For pricing and detailed subscription information, contact The NPD Group, 516/625-2294. n

THE CD-ROM DRIVE INDEX
Addonics
PCD4x4, DOS, OS/2, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows NT, ATAPI four-disc changer, 4X, 235ms, SRP $449, March 1996.

CMS Enhancements
Interact CD4-8xi, DOS/Windows 3.1, Windows 95, SCSI, internal, 8X, 150ms, SRP $NA, August 1996.

Nakamichi
MJ-4.8s, DOS/Windows 3.x, Windows 95, Windows NT, Macintosh, OS/2 Warp, UNIX, Novell, SCSI, internal four-disc changer, 8X, 150ms, SRP $279, July 1996.

Panasonic
Big-5 SQ-TC510N, DOS/Windows 3.1/3.11, Windows 95, E-IDE/ATAPI five-disc changer, 10X, 133ms, SRP $249, November 1996. Big-5 SQ-TC500N, DOS/Windows 3.1/3.11, Windows 95, E-IDE/ATAPI five-disc changer, 4X, 133ms, SRP $199, May 1996.

Pioneer
DRM-624X, DOS/Windows 3.1/3.11, SCSI, external, six-disc changer, 4.4X, 110ms,SRP $475, May 1995.

Regal Electronics
CDC-4X, DOS/Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Macintosh, UNIX, SCSI/Parallel Port five-disc jukebox, 4.4X, 230ms, SRP$295, September 1995.

All the information contained in this list was provided by the drive manufacturers and has not been independently verified.

SRP refers to the suggested retail price. Platforms listed indicate available drivers. NA means the information was not available at the time of printing.

Vendors, please submit additions, updates, or corrections to The CD-ROM Drive Index, EMedia Professional, 649 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 4, Cambridge MA 02139; Fax 617/492-3159; kirkk@onlineinc.com.

THE CD-R INDEX

Vendors, please submit additions, updates, or corrections to Hugh Bennett, EMedia Professional contributing editor, at 519/474-3466; Fax 519/474-3467; CompuServe--73144,1631.

CONFERENCE CALENDAR

May 1997

• 5-7 Creating & Compressing Digital Video (Dallas, TX; Influent Technical Seminars; 888/333-9088);
• 5-7 Windows NT: How and When will They Transform the Enterprise (Tucson, AZ; Gartner Group; 800/778-1997);
• 5-9 Object Oriented Rapid Applications Development Workshop (Chicago, IL; DCI; 508/470-3880);
• 6-8 Electro (Boston, MA; IEEE; 908/562-6845);
• 6-8 Networld + Interop (Las Vegas, NV; Softbank Expos; 415/878-5900);
• 6-9 Multimedia 1997 (Toronto, Canada; Multimedia Trade Shows Inc.; 905/660-2491);
• 8-9 The Complete Intranet Seminar (Washington, DC; Delphi Consulting Group; 617/647-1025);
• 11-16 SGML Europe 97 (Barcelona, Spain; Graphic Communications Association; 703/519-8174);
• 12-13 IT Asset Management and Procurement: A Blueprint for Survival (San Francisco, CA; Gartner Group; 800/778-1997);
• 12-16 DB/EXPO 97 and Internet/Intranet Expo and Conference (San Francisco, CA; Blenheim Group; 800/232-3976);
• 12-16 IBM Technical Interchange 1997 (St. Louis, MO; IBM Corporation; 404/296-5282);
• 13-15 18th Annual National Online Meeting (New York, NY; Information Today, Inc.; 800/300-9868);
• 14-15 SWAMI 97: Architects of Change (San Francisco, CA; Gartner Group; 800/778-1997);
• 18-22 SIGCAT 97 (Reston, VA; SIGCAT; 703/281-9653);
• 20-22 DCI's Database & Client/Server World (Boston, MA; DCI, 508/470-0526);
• 27-30 The IT Training Management Conference (Washington, DC; RMR Conferences, Inc.; 508/429-2303);
• 28-30 Next Generation Telephony--West (San Francisco, CA; Telecommunications Reports International, Inc.; 800/822-6338)

June 1997

• 1-3 SPA Europe Cannes 97 (Cannes, France; Software Publishers Association Europe; +33-53-77-63-77);
• 1-4 Interactive Conference & Expo (Denver, CO; Softbank Institute; 800/348-7246);
• 1-5 Supercomm 97 (New Orleans, LA; Telecommunications Industry Association and the United States Telephone Association; 800/SUPERC);
• 2-4 Creating & Compressing Digital Video (San Francisco, CA; Influent Technical Seminars; 888/333-9088);
• 3-5 Replitech International (San Jose, CA; Knowledge Industry Publications; 914/328-9157);
• 4-10 Imprinta 97 (Dƒsseldorf, Germany; Dusseldorf Trade Shows, Inc.; 312/781-5180);
• 7-12 1997 Special Libraries Association Annual Conference (Seattle, WA; Special Libraries Association; 202/234-4700);
• 9-10 GigaWorld IT Forum (Scottsdale, AZ; Giga Information Group; 800/874-9980);
• 9-11 Benchmarking for the 90s and Beyond: Continuous Improvement of IT Operations (Palm Springs, CA; Gartner Group; 800/778-1997);
• 9-13 International Conference on Consumer Electronics (Chicago, IL; IEEE/Consumer Electronics Society, ICCE; 716/392-3862);
• 12-14 Biarritz 97 (Biarritz, France; Festival de Biarritz; +33-1-41-38-33-80);
• 19-21 E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo (Atlanta, GA; Interactive Digital Software Association; 800/315-1133);
• 16-17 Designing Multimedia for Maximum Interactivity (Boston, MA; Influent Technical Seminars; 508/872-9088);
• 16-18 The Network Challenge: Meeting Exploding Demand with Limited Resources (Scottsdale, AZ; Gartner Group; 800/778-1997);
• 19-20 The Complete Intranet Seminar (Chicago, IL; Delphi Consulting Group; 617/247-1025);
• 23-26 Developing Multimedia Training Strategies (Denver, CO; Technology Training Systems, Inc.; 303/368-0300);
• 30-2 National Educational Computing Conference 97 (Seattle, WA; National Educational Computing Association; 800/280-6218)

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