home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Newsbytes - Internationa…ews 1983 May to 1994 June
/
Newsbytes - International Computing Industry News 1994 Edition - May 1983 - June 1994 - Wayzata Technologies (5045) (1994).iso
/
mac
/
Text
/
Mac Text
/
1984
/
V73
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1991-10-04
|
8KB
|
143 lines
[***][10/23/84][***]
TANDEM'S DYNAMITE:
Tandem Computers, famous for its so-called failsafe mainframes, entered the
battlefield of micros this week. Introducing a microcomputer called the
Dynamite, Tandem refused to call it a personal computer, saying it's more
than that. The Dynamite can be a stand-alone system that runs IBM programs
or it can be used as a workstation for Tandem's NonStops. Tandem says it
got the idea of entering the micro market after watching many of its
customers buying IBM PCs. The Dynamite has two floppy disk drives, 256K of
memory and a monochrome monitor. Don't look for the computer at retail shops;
Tandem doesn't intend to make that mistake. The Dynamite will only be sold
to corporate accounts. The computers will be made in a new Austin, Texas
plant that Tandem just opened.
[***][10/23/84][***]
OTRONA AND COMTERM OUT:
Another IBM compatible computer maker went under this week. Otrona of Boulder,
Colorado, is closing up for good. Otrona introduced its personal computer in
May of '84. Called the "System 2001", it was/is a 19-pound portable which
also runs CP/M programs. Apparently it was never much of a contender. The
other weekly casualty came from Canada. Comterm has decided to dismantle
Bytec, the subsidiary which makes the Hyperion computer. The IBM-compatible
Hyperion, available for three years in Canada, has sold 50,000 models. Comterm
promises to keep a skeleton staff of service technicians and customer support
personell in order to service current Hyperion users. Comterm expects to
write-off $37 million by abandoning Bytec.
[***][10/23/84][***]
DYSAN FLIPS FOR XIDEX:
Financially troubled Dysan Corporation of Santa Clara, California, just
emerging from a devastating third quarter in which it lost $15 million, has
decided to merge with Xidex, another floppy disk maker. Xidex, based in
Mountain View, California, has offered to acquire Dysan, its fourth
acquisition in the last year and a half. Analysts suggest the merger will
benefit both companies. Xidex will pay $220 million for Dysan.
[***][10/23/84][***]
APPLE PROFITS SOAR:
"Apple has emerged battle-tested and toughened," said John Scully, president
of Apple as he announced that Apple will report a six-fold increase in
income during the fiscal fourth quarter. He says sales of Apple computers
rose 74% over what they were a year ago, providing Apple with $1.5 billion
in sales during this year. The president remains sketchy on the 1985 product
plans. While it is generally acknowledged that Apple will have its laser
printer available by the January stockholder's meeting, there's concern that
the Apple LAN won't be ready by then. New speculation concerns a 16-bit
Apple IIe, which is under development. (There's more on this in the Mailbag
section of NEWSBYTES.)
[***][10/23/84][***]
SOFT SHAKE:
Since IBM entered the software market, aftershocks continue in the industry.
Last week Ashton-Tate, maker of Framework, laid off 50 people from its
Los Angeles-based headquarters. An Ashton-Tate spokesman says the company
is simply "streamlining" operations. Add to the list Synapse Software of
Richmond, California. It's been shedding staff recently and just got a
cash infusion from Brouderbund, according the the S.J. Mercury's Evelyn
Richards.
[***][10/23/84][***]
A FUNNY HA HA..
Journalists received a press release from the new Osborne Computer Corp. this
week, inviting them to a Thursday (10/25) unveiling of the new Vixen portable.
It asks the reporters to PAY for the press materials..News Release: $1.19,
B/W 8X10 Product Photo: $1.69, all the way up to Color Chromes: "Negotiable."
Says the release, "Resources are limited. In its streamlined, reorganized
form, every company function must pay its own way." This did not LOOK like
a joke, but it was, according to its mastermind, PR contractor Thomas Mann.
"It was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek," he told me later. "But if people do
want to pay the money, we'll gladly accept it." He says the joke pertains to
the end of the "free lunch syndrome" in the new, more austere Silicon Valley.
[***][10/23/84][***]
ITALIAN-AMERICAN CONNECTION:
AT&T and Olivetti have joined hands in the fight against IBM. The two
companies have agreed to work together on a wide variety of workstations
and personal computers. AT&T will purchase more than $250 million in
Olivetti equipment. In the works are computers that use bothe MS-DOS and
Unix operating systems. No other details of the arrangement were made public.
[***][10/23/84][***]
IBM AGAIN:
This time IBM has three new Selectric typewriters. The new, computerized
Selectrics, which double as printers for compatible computers, were unveiled
this week in New York. Ranging in price from $795 to $1,295, the new
typewriters are offered with an optional spelling checker. A drawback to the
models includes the fact that the only way to display lines that have been
typed is by use of an optional $165 LCD. They differ from the old Selectrics
in that they use a print wheel cartridge instead of the "golf ball" type head.
[***][10/23/84][***]
IN BRIEF--
CALMA COMPANY of Santa Clara, Ca., maker of CAD/CAM equipment is laying off
300 employees. Calma isn't doing much talking but insiders suggest the
problem is stiff competition from IBM.
COMMODORE is said to be sniffing around Silicon Valley for a place to set up
shop. Apparently the corporation isn't worried about the proximity of ATARI,
just wants to be cozier with AMIGA CORPORATION, which it is acquiring for
production of Amiga computers under the Commodore banner.
OSBORNE/MCGRAW HILL is undergoing a shakeup due to changes from the top.
Resigning last week was GM Barry Richman. He's to be replaced by Peter
Nalle, a publishing executive from McGraw-Hill books. Speculation has it that
Richman resigned in a dispute over the direction his computer book
publishing operation would take. We can expect changes, I'm told, that
will affect most of the Osborne/McGraw hill operation.
SOFTWARE PUBLISHING CORPORATION will go public in mid-November. It's
continued to make money by offering cheaper products than its competitors,
characterised by the "PFS" series of software. Software Publishing expects
to gross 9 to 11 million by the public stock offering.
SUNNYVALE CALIFORNIA has been named as having the largest collection of
computer and electronics firms in the U.S. Sunnyvale, in the heart of Silicon
Valley, contains 331 high-tech firms. Following Sunnyvale are Santa Clara
(316) and San Jose (296).
IBM did not get what it wanted in the U.K. this week. The British government
said no to IBM's proposal to build a link with British Telecom in order to
establish a nationwide electronic data network. Britain's Ministry of Trade
rejected the request, fearing the two giants would discourage competition
in a developing market.
And speaking of data networks, DIRECT-NET is just starting up. It's a
nationwide database designed by PC World Magazine and PCC Inc. which will
provide subscribers with product information, electronic mail, and a
bulletin-board system. PCC of Westlake Village, Ca. is also negotiating
with software makers to provide demo copies of software for downloading
by subscribers.
[***][10/23/84][***]
BREAKING THE PRICE BARRIER:
Noumenon Corporation of Alameda, California, believes its software price is
right following a novel experiment. During August, the cost of "Intuit",
an integrated business program, went from $50 to $395 in a test to see how
much people would pay. Apparently interest in Intuit seriously dipped when
it hit $130, so the price is now set at $89.95. As Martel Firing, VP, was
quoted as saying, "The $500 to $700 pricing level of our competitors is
artificial and even at $80 we can afford to advertise, offer dealer discounts
and still make money!"