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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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[***][6/12/84][***]
MAKING SENSE OF CES:
The Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago drew some 250 exhibitors who
trotted out everything from new computers to dashboard video disk players.
Among the highlights: Commodore's long-awaited Plus/4 computer, a
64K machine with four internal programs--a word processor, database
manager, graphics and spreadsheet. The most astounding feature is
the price--less than $300. The worst feature--the Plus/4 won't run
the same programs as the Commodore 64. However, another new computer
with 16K of RAM and a price tag of $100 was introduced that will run
"64" software. It's called the "Model 16" and replaces the "VIC-20".
Both machines are expected to be available for the lucrative Christmas
season. Also of note: Atari has "preannounced" plans for a new "partly
IBM compatible" computer. The still-unnamed unit will have a built-in disk
drive, 64K of RAM, an internal modem and a speech synthesis chip.
It's supposedly a replacement for the dumped 1450XL machine.
Only software developers have seen it; the computer will be out "in the
fourth quarter." (More on Atari in Item #2.)
----
CONTACT: COMMODORE INTERNATIONAL
WEST CHESTER, PA.
215-431-9100
----
[***][6/12/84][***]
SOFTWARE GLUT?
Roaming through the CES is a sensory overload, to say the least, and that
may be why a glut of published articles are addressing the glut of software.
Granted, many of the programs offered at CES were innovative, but some
were unique. For instance, the Learning Company's "Robot Odyssey",
an educational game for adolescents that teaches how to assemble a
robot. "Mindlink" from Atari, which will be marketed later this
year, incorporates a headband in which the emotions of the player
control the action on the screen. It will sell for $79. Atari's
Milestone and Futuremakers series, also available late this year,
will feature science, math and health games. Dr. Lee Salk
has teamed up with Atari to produce "Peek A Boo", one of the first
cartridge-based games for very young children and designed to teach
children dimensions, shapes and colors.
----
CONTACT: ATARI
SUNNYVALE, CA.
408-745-4142
----
[***][6/12/84][***]
JAPAN WHERE ARE YOU?
The planned emergence of Japanese MSX-based computers at the Chicago show
failed to materialize. Analysts were suprised and now say the wave of
Japanese home computer may arrive early next year. The MSX-based computers
are a big hit in Japan where 200,000 units have sold at $400 each.
----
[***][6/12/84][***]
IBM THROWS ANOTHER ONE:
Setting the computer industry on its ear, IBM announced 10-23 percent
price reductions on the IBM PCjr, IBM Portable, IBM PC and XT. Specifically,
the PC will cost $2,520 (compared to $3,270), the PCjr will cost $1265
(compared to $1355), the Portable is reduced to $2595 from $2795.
The XT, with its monochrome monitor, is priced at $4,920 (down 18%).
Dealers of the PCjr will also have until September to pay IBM for sold
computers, a move which relaxes pressure on dealers to move the so far
unmoveable product. No upgrade to what some term the "dismal and awkward"
keyboard were announced. Meanwhile, a new version of the PC, with four
times more memory, one disk drive and a price of $1,995 was announced.
It is a simplified version of the PCXT. The XT, according to IBM will
be upgraded to a model with twice the memory. The price reductions,
though expected by many analysts, sent shivers through the makers of
IBM-compatibles.
----
CONTACT: IBM
BOCA RATON, FLA.
----
[***][6/12/84][***]
CLONE TERROR:
Although Compaq's president Rod Canion was quick to announce Compaq has
no plans to participate in an IBM-compatible price war, (its basic Compaq
sells for $2,995), the story may be different at Eagle Computer. As
Eagle struggles to repay $11 million in unsecured debts, it is now faced
with the spectre of a price war with IBM. Eagle executives did not
return my calls for comments, but analysts say the company may be in
deep trouble unless it reduces the price of its computer, which at this
point is higher-priced than IBM's. Perhaps the best remark came from
a North Star Computer spokesman who called the IBM price reduction "the
kiss of death by slow torture for IBM-clone companies." North Star of
San Leandro, Ca. makes the "multi-user" Dimension computer which it claims
will be the only alternative to IBM's PC. Without a wince, North Star
even raised the price of the Dimension by five percent to $7350.
----
CONTACT: EAGLE COMPUTER
LOS GATOS, CA.
408-395-5005
----
[***][6/12/84][***]
REVISING ESTIMATES:
The New York Times' article of June 4 created quite a stir in computer
circles. The Times' David Sanger quoted InfoCorp, a market research firm
in Cupertino, Ca., as saying under-$1,000 computer sales have fallen 20
to 30 percent below last years' levels. Last year InfoCorp predicted sales
of 4.6 million home computers in '84, today it says half that amount will
enter U.S. homes. As it turns out, InfoCorp was talking about under-$500
computers, not more expensive machines. But there's still a kernel of
truth in the prediction. Some suggest the American public is
getting more sophisticated about computers, opting for more expensive,
better equipped models. Projected sales rates for home computers were
placed at 130% last year, today the figure is 17% growth each year.
----
CONTACT: INFOCORP
CUPERTINO, CA.
408-973-1010
----
[***][6/12/84][***]
CENSUS ON COMPUTERS:
It's something we've known for a long time, but finally the Census Bureau
made it official: the number of U.S. computer manufacturers has tripled
since 1972. There were 1566 companies making computers in 1982. California,
Massachusetts, New York, Texas and Minnesota, in order of manufacturing
strength, accounted for half the employment of 339,600 in the computer industr!
----
[***][6/12/84][***]
HARD TIMES FOR MICROPRO:
100 people were laid-off at MicroPro (6/7), maker of "Wordstar", "MailMerge"
and "ProjectStar". A MicroPro spokeswoman says the lay-off represents 20% of
the staff of 500. Poor earnings are credited for the staff reduction.
MicroPro's net income for the third quarter will be "substantially less"
than $2 million, according to the spokeswoman. Who's to blame? Competition
from other software firms and a slowdown in sales.
----
CONTACT: WINK GRELIS, Marketing Director
MICROPRO
SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA
415-499-1200
[***][6/12/84][***]
GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE:
Ask Computer Systems is auctioning off licenses for its software following
a decision to get out of the software business. Licenses to "Accounting
Plus" which was ranked as the fourth best-seller among accounting programs
last month, will go to the highest bidder. Ask Computer Systems laid-off
35 people, closed down its Folsom subsidiary, and plans to lose almost
a million dollars from the affair. The software subsidiary was purchased
by the computer-maker last year, formerly it was Software Dimensions.
The purchase ended up costing the company $60,000 a month, and says Sandra
Kurtzig, CEO, "We should have bought the product, not the company."
Want to make a bid? The auction will be held at Arthur Young & Co. in San
Jose, Ca. on June 27 at 5 p.m.
----
CONTACT: ASK COMPUTER SYSTEMS
LOS ALTOS, CALIFORNIA
----
[***][6/12/84][***]
POST OFFICE QUITS:
If you've been using E-Com for your electronic mail, you may want to
switch. Despite objections from Postmaster General William Bolger (who
says the service will not be abandoned), the Service's Board of Governors
voted (6/7) to call it quits. Even President Reagan wants the Postal
Service out of electronic mail. The Board is essentially bowing to lobbying
pressure from competing services: MCI, Compuserve, Western Union, ITT and
GTE. What will happen next is uncertain. E-Com has never made much
money and the order requires the service to end within 30 days.
----
[***][6/12/84][***]
IN BRIEF--
APPLE COMPUTER has introduced "MacCollege", a program designed to assist
developers in writing programs for the MacIntosh computer. The three-day
sessions will be held at Apple's Cupertino offices between June and November.
-"FIRE IN THE VALLEY", a new book by Paul Freiberger and Mike Swain is
getting rave reviews from computer luminaries. According to columnist John
Dvorak, George Morrow, Steve Wozniak and Harry Garland (of Cromemco) call
it "great!"
-JACK TRAMIEL, the original founder of COMMODORE will start his
own computer company, according to industry sources. He's reportedly
looking for $110 million in venture capitol for a new company,
rumored to be called "Tramiel Technology Limited". The company
will employ his sons Sam and Leonard, among others, and speculation has
it Tramiel will produce a MacIntosh-like computer for Far East
markets.
-UNITED AIRLINES is testing computer games on its San Francisco to San
Diego flights. Made by Altus Corp. of San Jose, the devices replace
fold-down meal trays and feature checkers, backgammon and poker, among
other games. If the games are successful, United will install them on
all 329 planes in the fleet.
-FRANKLIN COMPUTER has named Morton David its new CEO, replacing Avram
Miller, who resigned in April. Miller left the Pennsauken, N.J. firm
saying Franklin was not destined to become the "large, broadly based"
computer company he had hoped it would.
-DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION is feeling generous. It is spending $35
million to help the University of Houston set up a campus computer network for
instruction, research and administrative duties. Now, the U of H just
has to raise a matching $35 million....
-OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS of London is undertaking the massive job of placing its
13-volume dictionary on an IBM mainframe. Once the files are loaded, Oxford
plans to make it available to the public through online database, chips,
magnetic tape or laser video disk.
-
[***][6/12/84][***]
TUPPERWARE PARTIES:
Tandy Corporation has a novel approach to marketing: in-home demonstrations.
The firm will send representatives to your home with selected hardware
and software to "allow the entire family to participate in evaluation
and selection". The test of this "Tupperware-party" type scheme will be
conducted in 13 cities in July and will supposedly be expanded nationwide
within three years. The demonstrations will be free.
----