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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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V46
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1991-10-04
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[***][4/10/84][***]
A SAN FRANCISCO TREAT:
April 24 is the date dealers will get their first look at Apple's IIc
computer. According to advanced information, the IIc, designed to
compete head-on with the IBM PCjr, weighs about 8 pounds and holds 128K
of memory. It will run almost all the programs written for the Apple II
and IIe. Retail cost should run about $1,295. The IIc will also
have a full keyboard, an optional mouse, and a printer (priced at $300).
Apple's newest machine is based on the CMOS (complementary metal oxide
semiconductor) technology which is billed as working better than
the 6502 micro-processor which has been the workhorse of Apple
since the first Apple computer was built in 1976.
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CONTACT: APPLE COMPUTER
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA
408-973-2042
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[***][4/10/84][***]
A WEEK OF RESIGNATIONS:
It was a bad week for the industry. Carlton Amdahl resigned from
Trilogy Ltd. of Cupertino, saying he's "more an inventor than a
manager." The 31-year-old Amdahl was vice chairman of the company
which was founded by his father Gene Amdahl. His resignation comes
as the company is struggling to finish work on an IBM-mainframe-compatible
computer which is promised as faster than an IBM. The young Amdahl
will continue working with Trilogy as a consultant. Alan Kay of Atari
was the week's next casualty. The 43-year old was Atari's chief
scientist and "visionary" who says he's resigned to work on artificial
intelligence projects. He denies rumors he's headed for Apple.
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CONTACT: BRUCE ENTIN
ATARI
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA
408-745-4142
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[***][4/10/84][***]
FRANKLIN COMINGS & GOINGS:
This week two high ranking executives of Franklin Computer left
that company in the midst of a major reorganization. President Avram
Miller and VP Vahram Erdekian went out with some 70 other employees. The
staff at Franklin is now 480 people. No reasons were given for the
resignation. Meanwhile a spokeswoman at the company says several new computer
products are expected to be unveiled next week. All the products will
run a new operating system following the company's out-of-court
settlement of $2.5 million with Apple Computer this year. The new
operating system is called FDOS. The computers, including the old Ace
1200 computers, will still run 99-percent of Apple II software according
to the company.
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CONTACT: SUSAN GOFF, PR
FRANKLIN COMPUTER
CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY
609-482-5900
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[***][4/10/84][***]
A MESSAGE:
Four men pleaded guilty this week to felony and misdemeanor charges in
Philadelphia. Authorities say they were caught importing and selling
"fake" Apple computers in the United States. All four men represent
Taiwanese companies. The guilty pleas were welcome news to Apple which
has helped the U.S. Customs investigators conduct their 2-year probe
of the smuggling and selling of phony Apples through U.S. port cities.
The judge gave one of the defendants six months in jail, another got
three years probation and a $3,000 fine. Apple copyright attorney
Gary Hecker reportedly called the court proceedings, "A clear message,"
that pirates will be prosecuted.
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CONTACT: GARY HECKER
APPLE COMPUTER
CUPERTINO, CA.
408-973-2042
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[***][4/10/84][***]
BETTING ON PIRACY:
Software piracy has been the Achilles heel of the software industry.
But a Seattle software firm is taking a novel approach to the problem.
Quicksoft is actively encouraging people to copy their word processing
program "PC-Write" in hopes that those who do pirate will shell out
$75 for a service contract with the company. For the price you get
your program registered, you get updates and customer support.
There's an added benefit for the person who makes a copy for someone
else. He or she gets a $25 check in the mail for everyone who registers
pirated copies from the original. The scheme has brought in about 600
new registrants since the offer was started in August.
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CONTACT: QUICKSOFT
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
206-282-0452
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[***][4/10/84][***]
WASHINGTON VS. HACKERS:
Calling for a federal investigation by Congress into the problem of
computer security, Reps. Dan Glickman (Kansas) and Bill Carney (N.Y.)
said this week their own study shows incredible abuse and a lack
of good controls in the exchange of computerized information. They
recommend several intermediate steps to curb computer break-ins. They
include getting the office of Management and Budget to further
classify its data and getting the federal government to raise public
consciousness about the vulnerability of computer databanks.
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CONTACT: REPS. DAN GLICKMAN AND BILL CARNEY
WASHINGTON, D.C.
202-224-3121
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[***][4/10/84][***]
KAYPRO RUNNING THIRD?
David Bunnell of "Subroutines" is predicting Kaypro will emerge as the
third biggest seller of personal computers (after IBM and Apple) within
the near future. He backs up his prediction by citing Kaypro's
agreement to market Kay Nishi's new lap-sized IBM-compatible computer
which will be out in two months. "This coup could turn Kaypro into
a major force in the computer marketplace," says Bunnell. The author
even goes out on a limb by offering that Kaypro's Nishi computer will
be in hot competition with the MacIntosh as "machine of the year."
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CONTACT: DAVID BUNNELL
SUBROUTINES
SAN FRANCISCO, CA.
415-861-3861
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[***][4/10/84][***]
A NEW GADGET:
Computers and diets--how about that for two big fads. "Waisting" no
time to cash in on them is Hemokinetics, Inc., which is marketing a
personal pocket-sized calorie counter. The Caltrac weight monitor
keeps track of your physical activity and tells you how many calories
you're losing (but not whether that steak you ate at lunch has been
burned off). Of course you have to know how many calories were in the
steak, program it into the Caltrac computer, and wait for the read-out.
The cost of the unit runs about as much as a good dinner for two--$69.95.
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CONTACT: HEMOKINETICS, INC.
VIENNA, VIRGINIA
703-790-9090
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[***][4/10/84][***]
JEAN DIXON TELEHOROSCOPES:
No, this item doesn't have anything to do with personal computers per se.
But it's worth mentioning that psychic and astrologer Jean Dixon has
insituted a touch-tone personal horoscope system for people in the
Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. You dial a local number, hear Jean's
voice which instructs you to use the touch-tone to enter your birthdate,
then you get a personalized horoscope--one of some 36,000 in the computer file.
The service has been getting about 25,000 calls a day in L.A. It
started in San Francisco last week. A caller is charged 50-cents
for each 1-minute call to Jean.
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CONTACT: (TOUCH TONE PHONES IN SAN FRANCISCO: 415-976-3333)
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