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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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V71
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1991-10-04
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[***][10/9/84][***]
SOUR APPLES:
Apple attorneys have nabbed two more suspects in yet another Apple computer
counterfeit ring. The two are Taiwanese businessmen who set up shops in
Silicon Valley. Their computers, seized in San Francisco, are called TK-
8000's and Apple reports the ROM in the units was identical to that
under copyright protection by Apple. This is the 35th court case from Apple
against copyright violators. An Apple attorney says the importation of fake
Apples is finally slowing in the U.S., due to Apple's viligance, and has
virtually stopped in Taiwan. Only two years ago, four out of every five
"Apple-type" computers sold in Taiwan were pirated copies. Today, Apple
is pleased to see the Taiwan government assisting in enforcement of U.S. laws.
[***][10/9/84][***]
FRANKLIN CX DUE:
Franklin Computer, which declared bankruptcy earlier this year, is beginning
full-scale production of its newest--the Franklin CX. The 27 pound
transportable looks similar to the Osborne Executive. It's got a 7-inch
green monitor, dual disk drives, and runs on the Franklin Operating System,
which is said to be Apple compatible. In addition, the machine has 64K of
RAM and a Z-80 co-processor which enables the computer to run CP/M programs.
Several software packages will come bundled in the system's $1,100 price.
Franklin's president Michael Strange told me the company hopes price and
value sell the new CX which should be available at computer specialty stores
within a few months. As for the company itself, Franklin has an
authorized reorganization plan in effect and several companies remain
interested, though none was named, in taking over the company.
[***][10/9/84][***]
THE END OF THE RAINBOW:
Digital Equipment has decided to focus the marketing of all its personal
computers toward business networks and away from retail chain stores. The
decision comes as Digital admits sales of its line of personal computers were
poor. Analysts say Digital only sold about 125,000 personal computers valued
at about $410 million. The main problem in selling the machines as individual e
tags. The "Rainbow" costs about $1,000 more than a comparable IBM. Digital
now plans to come up with a new corporate marketing strategy. Meanwhile,
two new products were introduced: a $2,695 "Decmate 111" word processor and
a $1,395 letter-quality daisywheel printer.
[***][10/9/84][***]
COMMODORE'S FLEDGLINGS:
In your neighborhood toy or department store you can now find Commodore's
new Plus/4 and Commodore 16 computers. Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics
Show in Chicago in June, the Plus/4 costs $300. You get build-in software
capable of a variety of business functions--word processing, accounting,
graphics, etc. Unfortunately the functions aren't "integrated" like the
most popular packages from Lotus and Ashton-Tate. The Commodore 16 is
an entry-level, $100 machine. The computers are intended to be low and
higher priced alternatives to the popular Commodore 64.
[***][10/9/84][***]
WHEN IBM SPEAKS..
It says 5,000 words. In this case, the words come from an experimental
speech recognition computer developed by IBM's Armonk, New York facility. The
company reports the machine recognizes 95% of the words correctly and can
even distinguish between words that sound alike, such as "to", "do" or
"through". IBM calls the machine "a major advance" in the field. The
microphone-linked system will display spoken words on screen for editing.
IBM isn't saying when the system might become commercially available.
[***][10/9/84][***]
T.I.'S A.I.:
Artificial intelligence developers may wish to check out Texas Instrument's
new Explorer System, a $52,000 to $66,500 computer which utilizes the
computer language LISP. The Explorer, which holds two million characters in
memory, deals with symbols and icons instead of digits. T.I. says the
Explorer series are entry-level machines for corporations and universities
doing artificial intelligence research. Shipments are slated for April,1985.
[***][10/9/84][***]
GETTING CONTROL OF THE MARKET:
Control Data is making some sweeping changes in the way it does business.
First, it's announced a direct-sales approach to marketing of its financial
and data services products. That means 10 of its 18 retail outlets will
close. In another move, Control Data is making a strong push to capture a
bigger share of the computer-generated graphics market. In an agreement
with Ramtek Corp., of Santa Clara, Ca., C.D. is improving its three-
dimensional computer screen images in order to develop better graphics for
professional designers. Essentially, C.D. wants the same quality of images
for these professionals as are achieved in movie special effects.
[***][10/9/84][***]
IN THE UH-OH DEPARTMENT:
Don Hoefler, publisher of Microelectronics News in Pacific Grove, Ca. got into
some hot water by publishing a court document from National Semiconductor.
He has two pages of excerpts from a trade secrets legal fight between National
and Linear Technology of Milpitas. What Hoefler thought was public record,
in fact was not. The document was placed as a public file by mistake. After
two court hearings last week, a judge finally decided preventing Hoefler from
publishing the document was a moot point but the judge still demanded he
turn over a list of his subscribers to the court. Don refused. National
wants the list so that it can ask each subscriber to surrender the
controversial issue of Microelectronics News. How will this snafu turn out?
Well, as Don so colorfully puts it, (this whole thing) is like "locking
the barn door after the horse is out!"
[***][10/9/84][***]
COMPUTER AD WARZ:
We already know about Apple's big advertising blitz in Newsweek's post-
election issue this November (Right? We all read last week's NEWSBYTES.)
Well, the latest is that Apple will also be blitzing the SuperBowl with
a new commercial to rival the "1984" MacIntosh TV ad. The filming has been
top-secret, but we do know that the ad will be as lavish and surreal as
the "1984" ad. Industry sources suggest Apple will be spending $140 million
on ads during 1985.
[***][10/9/84][***]
IBM SOFTWARE CONTINUED:
In addition to the 31 integrated business packages that IBM unveiled last
week for the PC, there are seven new games out from Big Blue as well.
They include Trivia 101, TV and Cinema 101 (more trivia), PC Pool
Challenges (billiard game), Touchdown Football, Jumpman and Shamus (two
arcade games), and Zyll (adventure game). All are available immediately
and sell for $30-$35.
In another move, IBM is cooperating with National Computer Training
Institute of Fremont, Ca. to open 90 training centers in 49 states. IBM
is supplying IBM PC's, software, and peripherals for the NCTI centers
which will open next month. The network is set up to instruct school
teachers in the basics of computer literacy.
[***][10/9/84][***]
SCIENCE FICTION?
The pundits are in full-force these days. Sutro & Company's Bruce Nollenberger
(San Jose) predicts Apple will no longer be an independent company by 1990.
Speaking with the Business Journal's Mike Brennan, Nollenberger also adds
that Apple, IBM and only "one other computer manufacturer" will be in business
after the next few years. He had predicted that the shakeout would come
a few years from now, but "It happened sooner than we thought."
[***][10/9/84][***]
IN BRIEF --
EAGLE COMPUTER is not a happy company following "a brutal summer" in which
a $15.4 million loss will be heaped upon the company's earlier losses.
Eagle is already paying back $9 million in debts in an informal credit
plan. Ron Mickwee, CEO of Eagle, blames much of the debts on a deal to
sell Eagles to China which have been "tied up by bureacracy."
TANDY CORPORATION continues to feel the pinch. Garland Asher, Dir. of
Financial Planning, won't say what the 4th quarter loss will be. Analysts
suggest Tandy's revenues have fallen 15-20% over last year. Meanwhile,
Tandy's 1200 computer should be appearing in Radio Shack stores in two
weeks (it's that IBM XT-compatible) and the company plans to introduce
more low-priced products.
ASHTON-TATE has signed a deal with Tandy to deliver more than $5 million in
software products for use on Tandy computers. Among the products for the
new Tandy is "Framework", the integrated business software package.
MICROPRO INTERNATIONAL has cut the price of WordStar and WordStar Professional
programs, as well as six other programs. Wordstar is now $350 from $495;
WordStar Pro is $495 from $695. MicroPro says more of the programs have
sold hence the consumer price reduction.
DATAQUEST of San Jose, Ca. predicts that personal computer sales will grow
25% a year through the foreseeable future. We can also expect prices to
fall. "We haven't seen the bottom yet," says Ralph Finley.
AT&T has a new circuit board which enables graphics created on
the AT&T PC to be directly transferred to videotape. There's also a board
that takes television images and allows them to appear on the machine's
CRT. AT&T says the new boards will be available in the second quarter of 1985
and will be among the "least expensive for the quality offered."
KAYPRO'S 'where's the beef' controversy, otherwise known as the case of the
missing parts from the circus tent, won't be resolved until next week, at
earliest. A Kaypro spokeswoman says a fiscal audit is due in mid-October.
Kaypro reported the theft or mysterious loss of $6 million in computer parts
from a storage tent near the Solano Beach facility. The missing parts may
have been a bookkeeping mistake.
[***][10/9/84][***]
PSYCHWARE:
A company called New Life Institute of Santa Cruz, California, just unveiled
a three-in-one software package entitled "Subliminal Suggestion and Self-
Hypnosis." Among other traits, it enables a PC (no Apple or CP/M version
yet) to deliver a subliminal message, flickering for 30 milliseconds, while
any other program is running. The user programs the message, which might be
anything from "I hate cigarettes" to "I am not hungry". Perhaps the scariest
part of the program is the fact that it could be used as subtle persuasion
for any reason. How about a brand name, such as "Buy Only IBM!" flashing
at you 36-hundred times an hour, without you even knowing it.