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Newsbytes - Internationa…ews 1983 May to 1994 June
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Newsbytes - International Computing Industry News 1994 Edition - May 1983 - June 1994 - Wayzata Technologies (5045) (1994).iso
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1984
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V34
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1991-07-11
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[***][1/17/84][***]
Reports are in from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Commodore introduced three new home computers and announced it's
become the first computer company to sell $1 billion worth of
products in one year (83). The new machines are the 264, 364V anx SX64.
The first two are upgrades of its current machines, the SX64 has
a 6-inch color screen, a disk drive and will cost no more
than $1000. The significant difference of all the machines is
that they will have built-in software, programmed right into
the computer circuits, says Commodore. The machines will be available
in April. Ironically, just as things are looking rosy for the
company, Jack Tramiel, president of Commodore, unexpectedly
resigned "for personal reasons." Analysts credit him with bringing
the company its tremendous success.
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CONTACT: COMMODORE INTERNATIONAL LTD.
WEST CHESTER, PA.
215-431-9100
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[***][1/17/84][***]
LESS BUCKS TO THE BYTE:
Five million home computers and half a million personal computers were
sold in the U.S. last year and that set the stage for a wilder new year
at the Las Vegas show. Virtually ever major manufacturer is looking for
ways to chop their prices in order to sell more. Among the hottest
rumors are that Apple will offer its MacIntosh (to be announced Jan. 24)
for $1000 to college students. Plus the company is supposed to be
working on a cheaper-priced IIe as well as a more powerful IIe. Apple
had a pretty good December, by the way. The company sold about 100,000
II and IIe computers--the best sales figure ever.
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CONTACT: APPLE COMPUTER
CUPERTINO, CA.
408-973-2042
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[***][1/17/84][***]
ATARI LAYS LOW:
Atari, meanwhile, is not having a good time at it. Company EO
James Morgan has scrapped plans for the 1400XL computer and is
delaying production of the 1450XLD (which was on display at the C.E.O.
last June). Morgan warns of more profit losses until June of this
year, predicting a return to profitability by the end of '84. He's
also in the midst of the battle by Rupert Murdoch, who's trying to
take over Warner, Atari's parent company. Analysts say Atari may
be left out of the deal. The company is going ahead with a deal
of its own..Atari has signed with Androbot (founder Nolan Bushnell's
company) to license "unspecified products" for Androbot.
----
CONTACT: ATARI
SUNNYVALE, CA.
408-745-4142
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[***][1/17/84][***]
ADAMS ARE COMING..EVENTUALLY:
Since we're doing the computer round-robin, let's also talk about
Coleco. The official announcement last week said that Coleco shipped
95-thousand Adam Computers (the promise was 500-thousand last summer).
Although in the short term, the shortfall is a loss for the company,
Coleco predicts 1983 will bring profits--and 1984 will bring the
rest of the computers. As for reliability problems with the Adam,
Coleco President Arnold Greenberg angrily denies they're any worse
than for other companies..the failure rate is about 10-percent.
----
CONTACT: COLECO
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT
203-278-0280
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[***][1/17/84][***]
QUME QUITS:
It's a problem, people at Qume warn, which threatens the entire
computer and peripherals industry: labor costs are 5 to 10 times
higher here than they are overseas. So with that, Qume announced
a layoff of 600 workers (nearly half the staff) as it moves all
the manufacturing operations to Taiwan and Puerto Rico. Qume
makes printers, disk drives and peripherals. Qume President
Roger Gower blames the drastic actions on falling prices for
computer peripherals.
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CONTACT: QUME CORPORATION
SAN JOSE, CA.
408-942-4176
----
[***][1/17/84][***]
A GIMMICK OR A GREAT HOPE:
Mattel is banking on a new 3-D video game, unveiled at CEO, called
"Hover Force". The cartridge will go on sale next fall for $30.
The player must wear spectacles developed by Georgia Institute
of Technology which are filled with a film of special liquid that
provides a 3-D effect. Mattel is hoping the new product is the
needed shot-in-the-arm it needs. Sales of video game cartridges
are expected to level off this year at the same figure as last
year: 75-million sold.
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CONTACT: MATTEL
HAWTHORNE, CA.
213-978-5150
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[***][1/17/84][***]
PIZZA TROUBLE:
Pizza Time Theater has announced another "substantial loss" for its
fourth quarter ending December 29. The company has racked up losses
since the third quarter ($3.7-million) and claims the reason is that
it's expanded too fast. Pizza Time had a 50% growth rate last year,
turning out new arcade parlors almost as fast as the pizzas. Banks
which have loaned the company money are also balking at the
prospects of loaning more claiming the company is not complying with
financial agreements.
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CONTACT: PIZZA TIME THEATER
SUNNYVALE, CA.
408-734-8731
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[***][1/17/84][***]
VIDEO GAMES VS. HOMEWORK:
The majority of 25-thousand 6th and 12th graders surveyed by
the California Assessment Program report that playing video games does
not help them how to use or understand computers. The kids were
surveyed about their habits concerning television, homework, reading
and playing video games. The children who spent more time programming
computers had the highest overall skills scores. The survey found
more boys than girls had programming skills, and in either sex, those
children with the best-educated parents scored the highest. This
multi-faceted study goes to the state Board of Education this week
to be used in developing school curriculum.
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CONTACT: CALIFORNIA BOARD OF EDUCATION
SACRAMENTO, CA.
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[***][1/17/84][***]
FRENCH PHONE DIRECTORY:
People in Paris and some surrounding communities have the option of
getting a computer terminal instead of a phone directory. By summer,
the computer will be able to display the quantity of phone numbers
equal to 100 telephone books. Minitel, as the service is called,
is quite a hit, with 46% of France's telephone subscribers preferring the compul
since last February.
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CONTACT: TELETEL
PARIS, FRANCE
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[***][1/17/84][***]
COMPUTING WITH CLASS:
Jaguar of London has announced it is building a new executive limousine
that will be outfitted with a computer word processor, printer,
television, telephone and video recorder. Called the "Daimler
mobile office" buyers can also special order a bar inside...and all
for the bargain price of $68,600. Don't run down to the local
dealership for one just yet--you have to special order the entire
car, and prices are subject to change.
----
CONTACT: JAGUAR
LONDON, ENGLAND
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[***][1/17/84][***]
OBIT FROM PARIS:
The "Father of the Laser" has died at the age of 81. Alfred Kastler,
whose research in the 40s and 50s led to the world's first laser,
has died after a long illness. Kastler also developed the world's
first atomic clock. Throughout his life, Kastler was an outspoken opponent
of nuclear weapons and was active in the Pugwash conference, an
organization of scientists concerned about nuclear war. Kastler
won the Nobel Prize in 1966 for his work in physics.