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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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V76
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1991-10-04
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[***][11/13/84][***]
BREAKTHROUGH FROM DIGITAL:
It was code-named "Crystal" when IBM was developing a similar project dubbed
"Glass". Now it's been released under the title "GEM", which stands for
Graphics Environment Manager. The software essentially gives IBM computers,
the AT&T personal computer, Tandy 2000, TI Professional, and IBM-compatibles
equipped with a mouse, qualities that until now, have only been found
in Apple's Macintosh. We're talking about pull-down menus and with icon-
guided commands. DRI has gotten the jump on IBM, which won't have its own
TopView (code-named Glass) software environment ready until next year. What
does all this mean for Apple? It can't be very good. Maybe that's why Apple
is making an unprecedented push to sell as many Macintosh computers as it can
by year's end. Speculation has it that GEM is wrapped around Jack Tramiel
of Atari's finger, for use in the new Mac-alike.
[***][11/13/84][***]
APPLE ATTACK:
The new Macintosh commercial, to be aired in January at the Superbowl, features
"blue suited businesspeople marching like lemmings into the sea, whistling,
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work we go." This from Spencer Katt of PC Week.
Meanwhile, Apple is everywhere in print. The new Newsweek issue is a tour-by-
force of the Macintosh. The ads cost Apple $2.5 million. California Tech
Stock Letter, once again, seems to have Apple's future plans pegged. The
65816 microprocessor, which will be the brains of a new 16-bit Apple II
computer, is "now available in sample quantities," according to C.T.S.L. The
newsletter also says that a Mac with a 12-inch screen, that runs Unix and
that has half a million characters of memory is in the hands of selected
developers.
[***][11/13/84][***]
COMDEX PREVIEW:
I'll be at Comdex next week gathering more interesting items, so won't be able
to update you until next Saturday. What is known is that Apple will have some
major product announcements. One of them will be a Lotus spreadsheet product
for the Macintosh (not Lotus 1-2-3 or Symphony) but Lotus 1-2-3 will be
unveiled in cartridge form for the IBM PCjr. Comdex is expected to attract
record crowds. All hotel rooms, flights, car rentals, etc. are booked solid
as over 100-thousand are expected to attend the annual trade show in Las Vegas
which runs November 14-18.
[***][11/13/84][***]
MORE ON ATARI:
Jack Tramiel attends his first news conference since taking over Atari on
Tuesday (11/13) at which time he's expected to announce an Atari 800XL price
cut from $179 to $100. Hoping to stimulate Christmas sales and "insure a
market presence", Tramiel's price reductions do not mean a phase-out of the
800XL, according to spokesman John Copland. Will Jack discuss the new
Mac-like computer? Most likely reporters won't let him avoid it.
[***][11/13/84][***]
AT&T MUSCLES IN:
In a document filed with the F.C.C. last week, AT&T is planning to introduce
a machine that's as powerful, but faster than the IBM PC/AT early next year.
The "7300" will have 512K, one floppy disk drive, a 10-megabyte hard disk,
and a built-in 1200 baud modem. It will have a black-and-white display
similar to Apple's Mac and will (finally) run the Unix operating system,
although an optional board, which will enable it to run MS-DOS will be
offered. At its heart will be the Motorola 68010 chip. The expected price tag
will be between $4,000 and $7,000, depending on options, according to insiders.
Yet another product will be a less expensive computer/telephone with an
optional keyboard.
[***][11/13/84][***]
MORE COMPETITION FOR IBM:
Tandy made a big splash this week by introducing the Tandy 1000, a PC-
lookalike which costs $1,200 less than a PC. The machine, supposedly
available immediately, has one or two floppy drives, 128K, and has a
base price of $1,199. Analysts expect it to become the company's best
seller next year as it runs most IBM software and has a very attractive
price. An expanded version, with 256K and a color monitor, will sell for
$2,350--that's about $1,200 less than a PC with the same equipment.
[***][11/13/84][***]
HOWEVER....!
IBM faces no competition in the demand for its PC/AT. Dealers report they
just can't get enough of them in stock. The waiting time is up to four
weeks at most shops; especially hard to find are hard disk versions and
speculation is rampant that IBM is having production trouble with those
versions. In September, right after it was unveiled, the AT captured 9%
of all retail computer sales and its margin continues to climb.
[***][11/13/84][***]
VICTOR RECOVERS:
A reorganization plan for Victor Technologies has been filed with a bankruptcy
court and should be approved in late January. Victor, purchased by
Datatronic A.C. of Sweden, has to pay back millions of dollars to creditors
under the plan. However, the company is expected to emerge from bankruptcy,
much like Osborne has, once the plan is approved.
[***][11/13/84][***]
ADAM AND THE SNAKE:
It appears more and more that Coleco is ready to dump the Adam computer come
1985. The company just cancelled a major contract with Chinon Industries
of Tokyo, which supplies the printers for Adam computers. Coleco won't
confirm that the contract is dead, nor that the Adam will soon meet the
same fate, but it is known that Coleco took a massive tax write-off for the
machine recently, has revised its sales downward, and suffered the resignation
of the man who designed the Adam system--Eric Bromley.
[***][11/13/84][***]
MORE DRIVING BLUES:
It seems that every week there's another casualty in the disk business
shakeout. Verbatim, which makes flexible disks, released 175 workers.
Verbatim has the largest share of the diskette business (17%) but its high
diskette prices indicate trouble ahead. Meanwhile, Qume Corporation, which
makes floppy drives, cut 100 from its white-collar workforce. A spokesman
puts it bluntly, "We're doing what we have to do to stay cost effective."
[***][11/13/84][***]
SHOWDOWN AT INFOWORLD:
InfoWorld has lots its editor. Stewart Alsop, who headed the magazine for
over a year, has resigned due to "disagreement over the editorial direction"
of the newsweekly. Alsop's departure follows that of Dave Needle, formerly
news editor of InfoWorld. Needle has gone to Personal Computing. In
recent months, the entire emphasis of InfoWorld has changed from user to
corporate professional. Publisher Thomas Kothman has been quoted as saying
the magazine is currently "focused too closely on the problems in the
(microcomputing) industry. Funny thing about that...after all, the magazine
is looking more and more like BusinessWeek every day....
[***][11/13/84][***]
IN BRIEF--
WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS is picking a bone with ATARI over unpaid royalties.
In a $68.8 million lawsuit, the Disney folks say they're owed lots from
games involving Mickey Mouse and other cartoon characters.
CITICORP, PENNEY and RCA are in intensive talks over a joint videotex venture.
Earlier this year, three other giants--SEARS, IBM and CBS--did the same,
producing "Trintex" which is expected to be offered to home viewers in 1986.
In the Oh-No department--Pacific Telesis Group, "PacTel" to us West-Coasters,
is opening up its own chain of retail computer stores. The plan has to be
approved by a federal judge, would have between 6 and 11 stores opening first
in Northern California, followed by other chains across the country. (Will
AT&T's micro be their featured product?)
PRESIDENT REAGAN has signed the chip copyright law, which got so much
bally-hoo from the Semiconductor Industry Association a couple of months ago.
Under the new law, chip masks designed after July 1, 1983, get 10 years of
copyright protection. Violators of the law get up to $250,000 fines.
THE COMPUTER COLORWORKS in Sausalito, California have an unique tele-
communications package that transmits graphics between online users for
editing/viewing. The Digital Paintbrush System, which sells for $300,
enables those hooked-up online to simultaneously work with a graphics
display; the graphics temporarily halt when the phone is picked up for
voice communication. The system is available now for Apple computers;
a PC version will be ready next year.
[***][11/13/84][***]
PEOPLE LINK DEBUT:
Hundreds of thousands of people received a brochure in the
mail last week advertising "People/Net", a $2.95 an hour database designed
as a recreational service. "Partyline", "Club-Link" and "Who-is-Who"
are among the features offered by the new online service, started by
American Home Network, Inc. of Arlington Heights, Illinois. The service
is looking for people who'll sign up to be testers of the system. Wanna
byte? Call 800-524-0100 (in Illinois, it's 312-870-5200).