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[***][9/16/86][***]
NEW II MONDAY
NEWSBYTES will have a report on the new offerings from Apple Monday
night (Sept. 15) in Option 15 (bulletins). Expected is the newest
upgrade to the Apple II family--the IIGS (GS = graphics and sound).
Look for a basic 256K machine expandable to 1 megabyte, with three
times the operating speed of the Apple II. The graphics and sound
are said to be especially exciting, the sound chip being manufactured
by Ensoniq of Malvern, Pennsylvania, a specialty music chip firm.
Also, on the right side of the case are the words "Limited Edition"
in small type with "Woz" handwritten directly above it, according
to an informed NEWSBYTES source.
[***][9/16/86][***]
COMPUTERS 'N JOBS
By 1996, the number of jobs for computer programmers and systems
analysts will increase 70%--this from a new survey just issued by
the US Labor Department. Additionally, look for jobs in computer
equipment repair to jump 56% and computer operators by 45%.
The encouraging job picture appears in the Bureau of Labor Statistics'
new Occupational Outlook Handbook, which places only two other
occupations in the top four--paralegals and medical technicians.
But before you slap down money to join the ranks of computer
professionals, consider this: there are three times as many
people with computer experience in today's job market. Inotherwords,
while computer jobs will increase, there is already an answer to
the demand.
[***][9/16/86][***]
A SHOW OF ITS OWN
Silicon Valley is the acknowledged basin of the most computer-related
activity in the world, but it doesn't have its own trade show. All
that came to an end this week when Silicon Valley '86 kicked off at
the Santa Clara Convention Center. The show featured exhibits of
local technology products, seminars, workshops, and a dinner in which
the first annual "Wozzies," named after Apple's co-founder, were
awarded to lucky teen wizards whose technology projects were outstanding.
Unlike most trade shows, however, the profits from this one went to
a nonprofit organization--the Mission City Community Fund--which
provides housing and food to the area's needy as well as drug
rehabilitation and counseling programs.
CONTACT: SHOW OFFICE , 408/244-1877
[***][9/16/86][***]
MCKENNA TO SELL
PR mogul Regis McKenna is said to be finalizing plans to sell 40%
of his ownership in Regis McKenna Inc. to Peat, Marwick, Mitchell
& Co. Such a sale, should it occur, is believed to be worth $8-$10
million. The story first surfaced in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Thursday (9/11) after which Regis McKenna Inc.'s spokeswoman
repeatedly stated she "could not confirm or deny the report."
P, M, M & Co. are not strangers to the McKenna high tech empire.
They recently have conducted seminars for McKenna based on the
marketing and public relations concepts in his book "The Regis
Touch."
[***][9/16/86][***]
THE FATTEST PURSE
There's been a lot of talk about Apple Computer holding the
biggest reserve of cash in the Valley. Not so. According to
a report in THE SAN JOSE BUSINESS JOURNAL, Hewlett Packard
holds the lead with $1.3 BILLION sitting in the bank. While
some firms would brag about such holdings, Hewlett Packard isn't,
interestingly enough. Says HP Treasurer George Newman, "It's
the worst asset we have. During times of slow growth we
accumulate cash." (Violins please.)
[***][9/16/86][***]
IN BRIEF --
HEWLETT PACKARD hosts its value added business vendors at an
event Sept. 18-19 at the Red Lion Inn in San Jose. Some 500 are
expected to take part in the exhibits, seminars, and product
workshops.
ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES President Jerry Sanders says his firm
will announce the first layoffs ever in October. He says his
firm's troubles are due mostly to international competition
which "has destroyed many profitable opportunities for AMD."
SEIKO EPSON CORP. will make Oregon is US manufacturing base,
according to the firm's #2 man, Ichiro Hattori. He was in
Hillsboro, Oregon to dedicate the opening of a new $10 million,
100,000-square foot plant.
Visitors to SF's City Hall should take in "Hi Stranger, Welcome
to City Hall," an interactive video sculpture positioned at he
West Entrance. The two computer-controlled structures are
networked and communicate via synthesized speech with passersby.
The installation runs through September 21.
TLC SUITES is the first San Francisco hotel designed to provide
for PC operation in every unit. Co-owner Walter Lawrence says
the hotel provides two separate Centrex phone lines, a monitor-
quality TV set with input jack to act as a PC display screen,
and a sturdy card table to hold all the computer gear. The
hotel is on Nob Hill at 655 Powell Street. Phone: 415/477-4600.
HERCULES TECHNOLOGY reports it sold 30,000 units of its new
Graphics Card Plus within the first 60 days of its introduction.
The new card topped Softsel's Hot List for boards, modems, and
interface devices in the last two weeks of July.
[***][9/16/86][***]
CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS
Here are two early, early suggestions based on press releases we
received here at NEWSBYTES CENTRAL. AND DON'T THESE PRODUCTS
LOOK SIMILAR! Both are model construction kits. Brodebund's
offering "The Toy Shop" for Apple II, IBM or Macintosh. Among
the models one can build are a medieval catapult, antique carousel,
replica of Lindberg's Spirit of St. Louis airplane, etc. The
printer will then "draw" the parts for you, you glue them to
cardboard, and put the models together. Cost is $60-$64.
From Activision comes "The Christmas Kit" which enables kids
(or the rest of us) to make Christmas tree ornaments, gift
boxes, toy trains, even a Dickens Christmas village. It comes
equipped with glue stick and ruler, red and green pens, and
10 sheets of card stock for mounting the decorations. Cost
$25-$30, for the Macintosh, IBM, PCjr, Tandy 1000, Apple II
and Commodore 64/128.
[***][9/16/86][***]
COMPAQ'S BIG GAMBLE WITH DESKPRO 386 *ANALYSIS*
Compaq Computer Corp. of Houston moved to wrest control of PC
technology away from IBM last week by introducing the Deskpro
386, a new machine based on the Intel 80386 processor. The roll-
out included a New York press conference and the purchase of an
entire pull-out section of advertising in "The Wall Street
Journal." Machines are already on dealer shelves, priced at
$6,499 to $8,799. The Deskpro 386 has 1 million bytes of main
memory, about 50 percent more than in the 640-kilobyte versions
of AT-class personal computers. Main memory is expandable to 14
million bytes. The computer runs at 16 megahertz, twice the speed
of the fastest AT machines, and has a 1.2-megabyte floppy disk
drive.
The question analysts ask, but can't answer, is whether IBM can
or will blow Compaq out of the water next year with its own 386-
based machines including proprietary chips with operating system
software in them. (Rumors persist in the trade press that such
computers are already being prepared at the IBM plant in Austin,
TX which makes the Convertible.) Recent court decisions make
copying such chips almost impossible, but any move by IBM in that
direction could obsolete an installed base of millions of old
PCs, like the one used to write this column.
In this game Microsoft, which wrote MS-DOS, is trying to play
both horses. A new DOS 5.0, including multi-tasking, is still
expected for IBM by Fall Comdex, but the company also promised it
would create a multi-user Xenix operating system for the Deskpro
386 in the first half of 1987.
CONTACT: Jeff Stives, COMPAQ, 20555 FM 149, Houston, TX 77070
(713)370-0670
[***][9/16/86][***]
TANDY STILL HAVING FCC TROUBLE
Tandy, which has tried hard to shed its "Trash Shack" image to
the point of ordering IBM-like ties and sincere smiles for
salespeople *or else*, continues to get the trash label from the
Federal Communications Commission. As of Friday, the company's
1000SX and 1000EX computers, which were supposedly rolled out
last month, still had not been given FCC clearance for sale,
because they exceed acceptable levels of radio emissions. Without
"Class B" FCC approval, Tandy can't sell the new computers into
homes. While demonstration units are in Atlanta Radio Shack
Computer Centers, they can't be sold without the federal
approvals.
CONTACT: Ron Stegall, TANDY, 1800 One Tandy Center, Ft. Worth, TX
76102, (817) 390-3216
[***][9/16/86][***]
TARKENTON GAME PLAN IS TO MAKE PROGRAMMERS OBSOLETE
Fran Tarkenton, former quarterback, wants to make computer
programmers obsolete, and he's running toward his goal with the
tenacity of the Georgia Bulldog he once was. Last week he bought
his third computer software firm, KnowledgeWare Inc., of Ann
Arbor, MI, and reitterated his goal of automating the production
of computer software.
Tarkenton, now based in Atlanta, already has GAMMA, which
automates the back end of system development, and programs which
automate the front end of system design. KnowledgeWare adds
artificial intelligence technology that automates the analysis
and design steps at the front end of the cycle. New software
based on the merged technologies was promised in 60 days.
CONTACT: TARKENTON GROUP, 3340 Peachtree Rd.,Suite 444, Atlanta,
GA,30326 (404) 231-8575
[***][9/16/86][***]
TROUBLE COMMUNICATING? TRY THE $50 LINE EXPERT
Line Expert is an expert system on microcomputer communications.
It helps users pinpoint the trouble in using Smartcom II and
Crosstalk XVI, the two most popular communications software
programs, as well as the developer's own Line Plus product.
Director of Marketing Nan Atwell said, "It's an expert system
that lets you become an instant data communications expert."
Troubleshooting information on modems and cables is also
included. The price is $49.95.
CONTACT: Nan Atwell, CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS, 2778 Hargrove
Rd., Suite 349, Smyrna, GA, 30080 (404) 434-4813
[***][9/16/86][***]
HOW DEPENDENT ARE WE ON PHONES AND COMPUTERS?
If you had trouble using a credit card last Thursday, you might
be amused at the reason. It seems a Southern Bell trunk line
cable was accidentally cut in Atlanta by a contractor, leaving
100,000 without phone service. Among those stuck for a time was
National Data Corp., whose computers are a major factor in
processing credit card transactions. No phone, no 'puter, no
credit for you.
(The lack of phone service also helps explain the shortness of
this column. Not having a phone makes it hard to talk to
sources.)
[***][9/16/86][***]
PECAN BYTES
IBM has removed the last remaining authority from its Boca Raton,
FL PC operations...press questions concerning the PC XT 286 were
being answered last week in Montvale, NJ and most press relations
people in Boca have been transferred.
THE ASSET ALLIANCE, Houston, will try to save the Oilpatch with a
computerized database. The database will link leaseholders,
service companies, and oilfield professionals along the same
guidelines as a farmer's co-op, said founder William T. Davie,
with the skills and supplies bartered for pieces of cash flow
from the wells. Davie told AP The Asset Alliance wants 5% of the
working interest in each well for putting people and wells
together.
EXCALIBUR SOURCES, Atlanta, announced a network version of its
Exsell sales and telemarketing support system, running on
Novell's Netware, 3Com's Ethernet, AT&T's Starlan, the IBM PC Net
and the IBM Token-Ring network. The program, first rolled out two
years ago for the IBM PC, includes a client or prospect database
with space for contact histories and comments, a "tickler" system
to aid follow-up, and a built-in word processor.
ASHER TECHNOLOGIES, Atlanta, a unit of Intelligent Systems Corp.,
hired away one-third of DCA's IRMA design team. Peter Wilcox will
handle customer support, data processing, and R&D for Asher,
which competes with DCA in LANs, micro-mainframe and micro-mini
links, and SNA gateways.
AMERICAN SOFTWARE, Atlanta, an IBM mainframe software house, said
its quarterly earnings rose 32%, to $1.7 million, for the period
ending July 31, with revenues of $10 million.
MANAGEMENT SCIENCE AMERICA, Atlanta, has licensed its Information
Expert fourth-generation language for IBM mainframes to Technicon
Data Systems Corp., Atlanta, for use in hospitals. It was called
a "multi-million dollar agreement", but no figures were
disclosed.
FORBES-ISM OF THE WEEK
WHEN THE COMPUTERS GO DOWN
the people go crazy
[***][9/16/86][***]
REMAINING HABA/ARRAYS STAFF REPORTEDLY LAID OFF ** EXCLUSIVE **
According to a NEWSBYTES-L.A. source at software maker
Haba/Arrays, the firm has laid off nearly all of its 45
employees. Apparently, the producers of Tax Advantage and Home
Accountant software just couldn't make the payroll last week.
Some staffers decided to come into work anyway, according to our
source, and were told they would get paid when the firm could
afford it. Arrays, last known to be based in Van Nuys, has had
their phone disconnected and president James Buddle couldn't be
reached for comment. Partner Haba Systems, also of Van Nuys,
still has its telephones, but nobody was answering them when we
called.
This latest development follows a major layoff at Arrays late
last year, when the work force was halved from 90 to 45
employees. After the firm's first fiscal quarter, Buddle
claimed the company had "significantly lowered the break-even
point" and even had posted a modest $10,031 profit for the three
months.
[***][9/16/86][***]
CORDATA TO PADLOCK PLANT, DISMISS 45
Deciding to rely completely on its Korean partner, Cordata
Technologies of Thousand Oaks announced it will close its one
remaining manufacturing plant next month. In addition, the
maker of personal computers and laser printers will pink-slip an
estimated 45 workers at the factory. All Cordata manufacturing
will now be handled by the giant Daewoo Group conglomerate of
South Korea, according to a Cordata spokeswoman. The employee
cuts amount to about 18 percent of the firm's 250 workers.
CONTACT: CORDATA, 275 E. Hillcrest Dr., Thousand Oaks, CA
(805) 495-5800
[***][9/16/86][***]
VECTOR GRAPHIC CEASES OPERATIONS
Finally throwing in the towel, one-time heavyweight Vector
Graphic of Westlake Village reports that it was unable to
reorganize or pay its debts and will quietly fade away. The
computer maker said it had netted $925,000 from the sale of its
service and repair businesses to Service Intelligence Corp.
earlier this year, which will go towards paying off creditors.
CONTACT: VECTOR GRAPHIC INC., 500 N. Ventura Park Rd., Thousand
Oaks, CA 91320 (818) 235-3547
[***][9/16/86][***]
EXPERTELLIGENCE SHOWS FIRST PROFIT IN THREE YEARS
Reporting its first profitable quarter in the three years since
it went public, Expertelligence of Santa Barbara posted a net
income of $30,801 for its most recent three-month period. That
compares with a $102,870 loss during the same period last year.
For the firm's third quarter, which ended June 30, sales were up
15.7 percent to $286,526. The company makes artificial
intelligence languages and operating system shells for the Apple
Macintosh.
[***][9/16/86][***]
DATA-DESIGN SEES RED FOR FIRST TIME IN 15 YEARS
Circuit-board designer Data-Design Laboratories of Cucamonga has
reported its first annual loss in 15 years. The $372,000 in red
ink is in contrast to a $5.7-million profit for the 1985 fiscal
year. "Our problem was we got caught with several of our
businesses having problems at the same time," said Alan Steel,
Data-Design's chief financial officer. "That hasn't happened
for a long time and we'll try to make sure it doesn't happen
this year." How many profitable quarters does it take to equal
Data-Design's 15-year mark? Sixty in a row.
[***][9/16/86][***]
FORD ASKS "HAVE YOU DRIVEN A PC LATELY?"
We've heard of some pretty realistic simulation programs for
personal computers, but can you really test drive a new car
without touching the steering wheel? Ford's Lincoln-Mercury-
Merkur Division says it will send interested drivers a "Disk
Drive Test Drive" diskette to give them a feel of the Merkur
XR4Ti model without leaving their keyboards. In addition, the
free software will display "engine performance numbers,
aerodynamic engineering features and suspension componentry
information" on demand. And, as a coup de grace, the program
can be configured to equip the XR4Ti with a wide range of
available options...then print out a sample window sticker.
About the only thing missing from the demo software is that "new
car smell."
We've heard that the diskettes have been "head-crash" tested by
Consumer Reports, but that the staff couldn't decide which
department of the magazine (computers or automotive) should
report the results. Of course, it's only a rumor.
CONTACT: MERKUR ELECTRONIC MARKETING SERVICES, P.O. Box 486,
Franklin, MI 48025 (800) 437-3696
[***][9/16/86][***]
BEACHBITS
>>> Mitsui & Co. of Tokyo is forming a new company in Los
Angeles to develop, market and distribute computer and
telecommunications products. The new firm will be called
Mitsui Comtek Corp. and will be headed by Mitsui USA
president Mamoru Tabuchi. He will be the chairman and CEO
of the new firm, as well.
>>> As expected, AT&T has backed out of an agreement with
Quotron Systems to jointly develop financial services
products. AT&T had threatened to tear up the contract with
Quotron if it was sold to Citicorp. It was and they did.
>>> Computer Peripherals of Newbury Park says its Drivemaster
disk controller boards will run all IBM-type diskette
drives, from the 3.5-inch model to the 1.2MB version.
According to the company, theirs is the only product
capable of this feat. The list price is $249.
[***][9/16/86][***]
TATTLING ON HOOKY PLAYERS NOW A COMPUTER'S JOB
"If a machine calls, hang up." When your child says that to you
one morning before school, better swing by the video game arcade
during the day...just to be sure. It seems that snitching on
truant school kids has gone high tech. Autocomm Inc., based in
Santa Monica, has been selling its Messenger system to secondary
schools throughout the area. David Graves, president of
Autocomm, says his system uses proprietary software, synthesized
speech technology from Texas Instruments and existing IBM-
compatible personal computers to warn parents when their
children miss classes. More advanced than a simple cassette-
tape-type automated dialer, Messenger uses the computer to send
out personalized messages in a variety of languages, receive
recorded responses and generate a report of what happened on
each call. For instance, Messenger can deliver a specific
message ("This was the THIRD time...) in a specific language (in
ONE week that BOBBY...) to each number on the calling list
(missed HIS COSMOLOGY AND RELATIVITY class."). The complete
setup costs schools about $8,000, less if they already own an
IBM or compatible computer.
So far, high schools in Beverly Hills, Montebello, San
Bernardino, Palm Springs, Santa Monica and Fullerton are using
the Autocomm system, and it has received favorable reviews from
school administrators. "For us it was wonderful," said Richard
Hill of the Montebello School District, where 16 percent of high
school students were absent on any given school day before the
system was installed. Hill said the Messenger not only cut that
number considerably, but saved his district heavy manpower
costs, as well.
[***][9/16/86][***]
LOTUS SHIPS SYMPHONY UPDATE AND 3.5-INCH 1-2-3
Lotus Development has started shipping version 1.2 of Symphony,
its integrated software package. Though the $695 list price
hasn't changed, Lotus has added a bunch of new features
including the ability to run on a hard disk without a key disk
in the floppy drive. (But it's still copy protected.) Symphony's
spreadsheet has also been updated to match 1-2-3 release 2.0,
and there's new printer support for laser printers. If you have
Symphony version 1.0 or 1.1, you can upgrade to version 2.0 for
$75.
Lotus has also started shipping 1-2-3 version 2.0 on a 3.5-inch
disk for the IBM laptop. Current 1-2-3 users can get a 3.5-inch
disk for $50. Or if you're starting from scratch, 1-2-3 costs
the same as the "regular" 1-2-3 -- $495. A Lotus spokesperson
says they'll also be shipping a 3.5-inch of Symphony 2.0 in the
"near future."
Finally, cash-rich Lotus is going to be repurchasing about 10%
of its stock -- some 1.5 million shares. A few months ago, the
company completed a repurchase of 1.65 million shares. The
actions prompt a question: Does Lotus really WANT to be a public
company?
CONTACT: Lotus Development, 55 Cambridge Parkway, Cambridge, MA
02142, 617-577-8500
[***][9/16/86][***]
DEC AFFECTED BY NEW TAX BILL
The new tax plan passed Congress will obviously be affecting
almost everyone, but among Northeast-based high-tech companies,
Digital Equipment Corporation will see some major changes. DEC,
the world's second-largest computer company after you-know-who,
paid no federal income tax for 1985. In fact, the
multi-billion-dollar company had a tax rate of minus 4%, and
they carried forward that credit to this year. Because DEC spent
over $700 million on R&D, a large part of their no-tax status
was due to a substantial R&D credit. That'll change under the
tax bill, though exactly how depends on the final form of the
bill. In an interview this week with the BOSTON GLOBE, DEC
president Ken Olsen called the no-tax year "a freak," and said
tax reform will hurt both DEC and the company's customers.
In other DEC news, the company has given the Boston Museum of
Science $2 million to create a major exhibition on artificial
intelligence and robotics. The Kurzweil Foundation has also
kicked in $650,000. Kurzweil recently shipped a voice operated
terminal and plans to introduce a voice-operated word processor
in the near future. The AI/Robotics exhibition will open in
Boston next January, and then will tour the country.
CONTACT: Digital Equipment Corporation, The Mill, Maynard, MA
01754, 617-897-5111
[***][9/16/86][***]
MCGRAW-HILL SAYS COMPUTER INDUSTRY LOOKING UP
The McGraw-Hill Information Services Company, which (among other
things) brings you BYTE, has released a report that claims the
computer industry is slowly but surely coming out of its slump.
The report, based on computer analysis (of course!) of industry
financial reports, shows that over the past few months, overall
sales were up 12% and overall profits were up 14% over the same
period last year. Regarding specifics, software sales gains were
20%, and peripherals up 30%. The one "gotcha" in the report is
that a part of the gain was due to effective "cost reduction" --
mainly layoffs.
CONTACT: McGraw-Hill Information Services Company, 1221 Avenue
of the Americas, NY, NY 10020, 212-512-2000
[***][9/16/86][***]
ALPHA SOFTWARE SNAGS GE
In one of those lucrative super-economy-size deals that software
companies lust after, Burlington, MA-based Alpha Software has
signed a site-license deal with General Electric. Although the
financial terms of the deal weren't announced, GE has over
25,000 personal computers and will be able to make an unlimited
number of copies of Alpha/Three, the dBase-compatible database
that normally retails for $395 a whack. GE has been aggressive
in going after site licenses, previously signing up with several
major software developers. And in what's becoming an
increasingly-common practice in corporate America, GE only
purchases software that doesn't have copy protection.
CONTACT: Alpha Software Corporation, 30 B Street, Burlington, MA
01803, 617-229-2924
[***][9/16/86][***]
CULLINET WIDENS ITS HORIZONS
Stung by a major loss after six years of growth, Westwood,
MA-based Cullinet Software announced this past week that they're
going to develop software for Digital Equipment Corporation's
VAX line. It'll be the company's first sojurn outside of the
mainframe market, where they're the number two supplier of big
system packages after IBM. But Cullinet has been facing
increasingly stiff competition from Big Blue, which has been
offering their mainframe users a six month free trial on a
database package that's in direct competition to Cullinet's
product. A Cullinet spokesperson says at least half of their
customers have DEC systems, and the company's first VAX software
should be ready within the year.
CONTACT: Cullinet Software, Inc., 400 Blue Hill Drive,
Westwood, MA 02090, 617-329-7700
[***][9/16/86][***]
CHEAP COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS
A Boston-area author has written a book designed to show people
how to use online services at the lowest possible cost. The
book's called "CONNECTIONS: Telecommunicating on a Budget." It's
published by Scott Foresman & Company and sells for $15.95.
Author Robert Chapman Wood tells all, from setting up to logging
on to using. He also says that "good planning can cut the cost
of a session with the major on-line services to a dollar or so."
(Hmmmmmm.)
CONTACT: Modern Economics Company, 19 Otis Road, Box 531,
Scituate, MA 02066, 617-545-5938
[***][9/16/86][***]
TALKING SHAREWARE SPREADSHEET
If you have a voice synthesizer card for your PC or Apple, you
can take advantage of a new spreadsheet that talks at you. The
aptly-named "Rapsheet" read cell contents and other parameters
aloud. Though the spreadsheet's features are limited, the price
is right since it's shareware -- just $5.00.
CONTACT: Baud, 1158 Steward Ave., Bethpage, NY 11714,
516-433-0171
[***][9/16/86][***]
NORTHEAST COMPUTER FAIRE COMING
The Needham, MA-based Interface Group, best known for the COMDEX
shows and the West Coast Computer Faire, will give its employees
a chance to commute locally next month when the 9th Northeast
Computer Faire gets underway in Boston. Mark your calendars. The
Faire will take place October 30th through November 1 at
Boston's waterfront World Trade Center. An Interface
spokesperson says the Faire will be "more business oriented"
than the often-informal West Coast version. Like the West Coast
version, it's a selling show that's open to the public. Tickets
are $12.00 in advance, $15.00 at the door, and 40 conference
sessions are included with the admission price.
CONTACT: The Interface Group, 300 First Ave, Needham, MA
02194
[***][9/16/86][***]
HOSPITAL BILLING COMPUTER GOES HAYWIRE
It's been ages since we've heard a good computer-billing horror
story, but here's one. A Fitchburgh, MA woman recently received
a bill from a hospital where her 12-year-old son was taken for
stitches after he badly cut his leg. The hospital charged $108
for the stitches and also charged her for a a pair of crutches
that her son never received. Some crutches! The hospital bill
said they cost $915,104.79. A obviously big-hearted hospital
administrator said they wouldn't send the bill for collection,
and added that people should check their bills carefully. Right.
[***][9/16/86][***]
NORTHEAST BITS
-- Though IBM's introduction of the XT 286 last week got all the
press, happenings behind the scenes show that Big Blue is
getting more and more aggressive. IBM has a special program for
its dealers that lets them buy the XT 286 or AT now, and pay for
the units after the first of the year. While this type of deal
isn't unusual in the industry, it's VERY unusual for IBM, which
generally wants payment right away.
-- DG president and founder Edson De Castro gave a pep talk last
week to thousands of employees that were gathered together in a
vacant building near the company's Westboro, MA headquarters.
It's the first company-wide speech that de Castro's made in
quite a few years. Although members of the press were excluded,
sources close to the company said de Castro covered numerous
topics including DG's short and long-term plans. DG's hasn't
exactly had a great year.
-- Boston area radio listeners will now be able to keep up with
the latest computer news as THE COMPUTER CONNECTION radio
program (syndicated by the AP Radio Network) comes to WMRE AM
1510. The show will be broadcast Sunday afternoons at 4 PM with
Sol Rosenberg at the microphone.
-- Do you trust computers? Well, the accuracy of the speedometer
in your new Ford vehicle will likely be checked by one.
Manchester, NH-based Itran Corporation, which makes specialized
computer-based vision systems, is selling its system for an
Automatic Speedometer Testing System that Ford will use in its
Saline, Michigan plant. "Slightly" faster than human testers,
the system will test 1200 speedometers an hour.
-- Brace yourself for more corporate sponsorship of major
events. Earlier this year, every DEC press release that arrived
here at NEWSBYTES NORTHEAST carried a huge sticker hyping the
company's supplying computers for "Liberty Weekend." Now Natick,
MA-based Prime Computer has announced that it'll be supplying
computer equipment for next summer's Pan American games, which
will be held in Indianapolis August 7-23.
[***][9/16/86][***]
APPLE JAPAN LOWERS PRICES
Apple Japan made a drastic price cut of its products on Sept. 12.
The prices of Macintosh Plus (both its original and Japanese
versions) have been lowered by 23%, a 800MB disk by 37%, a 20MB
HDD by 18%, and ImageWriter by 17%. The prices of various
programs were also cut by an average of 20%. According to a
published report, these price reductions were made in the wake of
the rapid appreciation of Japanese yen, and the price cuts of the
Apple products in the U.S.
Armed with a Japanese language feature, a US$3,213 Mac Plus is
now ready to compete with popular 16-bit Japanese micros such as
NEC PC-9801 and Fujitsu 16BETA in the business field. Japanese
Mac Plus has apparently been selling well since its last price cut in
December 1985.
CONTACT: Apple Japan, 11F Akasaka Twin-Tower Bldg., 2-17 Akasaka,
Minato-ku, Tokyo 107 (03-582-9181 Ms. Kawamoto)
[***][9/16/86][***]
JAPAN SUPPORTS "STAR WARS"
In response to the strong push from the U.S. government, the
Japanese government decided to participate in the SDI project
on September 9. According to the industry sources, three U.S.
manufacturers including Martin Marietta, Raytheon, Rockwell
International have already been sounding out SOME major Japanese
electronics firms for their assistance in the project. Currently,
Mitsubishi Juko, Ishikawajima Harima Juko, NEC, Toshiba, and
Mitsubishi Electronics have been eager to join in the SDI.
However, some analysts predict that highly skillful engineers
might go to developing SDI technology. As a result, electronics
and automobile industries might decline. The problem is that SDI
technology itself seems less practical for industries. Humm...
[***][9/16/86][***]
VENUS-P GETS POPULAR
According to a published report, the number of registered
customers for Japan's international packet switching network
"VENUS-P" has almost doubled since last year. There were approx.
3,000 in early 1985 and the number rose to 6,954 as of this
past July. The access numbers were also doubled from 100,000 to
200,000 per month, says a report. These figures tell that
overseas computer networks such as the Source, CompuServe, and
Delphi, have been getting popular in Japan.
CONTACT: KDD, 1-8-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100
(03-347-6934 PR. Dept.)
[***][9/16/86][***]
STANDARDIZATION OF 32-BIT OS TRON
The TRON Conference for standardizing the machine interface
specifications of a 32-bit operating system "TRON" will soon be
held in Tokyo on Sept. 26. Seven major Japanese manufacturers,
including Fujitsu, Hitachi, Matsushita, Mitsubishi, NEC, Oki, and
Toshiba, will participate in the conference for this operating
system of the next generation. The first conference will be held
at "Sasagawa-Kinenkan Hall"(Mita, Tokyo). Interestingly enough,
NEC's headquarter is also located at Mita, and coincidentally
NEC often uses this Hall for international conferences. Humm...
No matter who's chosen this site, it seems NEC is not just a
bystander but a strong advocate of TRON. The industry sources
view that TRON may run on NEC's original 32-bit MPU "V60" in the
future. We'll see.
CONTACT: Dr. Ken Sakamura, Dept. of Information Science, Faculty
of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku,
Tokyo 113
NEC, 1-4-28 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108 (03-451-2974)
[***][9/16/86][***]
OLIVETTI JAPAN GETS AGGRESSIVE
Olivetti Japan announced (9/8) that the company would appoint
Koichi Kurita (a former vice president of Panasonic) to be the
new president. Mr. Kurita will be a first Japanese among the
presidents of Olivetti Japan in its 25-year history. His
nomination can be a part of the company policy to beef up
marketing strategy in Japan. Currently, Olivetti Japan has sales
agreements with major Japanese manufacturers such as Toshiba,
Sharp, and Hitachi. Among others, the company has strong ties
with Toshiba - according to a report, 30 percent of Olivetti
Japan's annual sales depends on Toshiba's products.
Meanwhile, "Tecdis" (Italy), a joint venture of Olivetti (Italy)
and SEIKO (Tokyo), has decided to manufacture LCD panels for
automobiles and OA equipment. Tecdis has already started the
construction of its factory in north Italy, a report says. The
actual production will begin in 1988.
CONTACT: Olivetti Japan, 1-26-17 Himonya, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152
(03-714-1211)
[***][9/16/86][***]
NEC'S FINGER PRINT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM
According to a published report, NEC has received a massive order for
its fingerprint identification system "FIS" from the Justice
Department in California and the San Francisco Police Department.
FIS has played an important role in solving the "Night Stalker"
case in California last year. Using this FIS system, both
departments plan to set up a computer network called "CAL.ID" to
trace the crimes in California. Amazingly, it takes only 3 to 5
minutes to identify a fingerprint by comparing some 250,000
fingerprint data.
CONTACT: NEC, 1-4-28 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108 (03-451-2974)
[***][9/16/86][***]
THE OCLC SERVICE IN JAPAN
William Osuga made an interesting comment in the reader's column
in "The Japan Times" (9/8), concerning OCLC (Online Computer
Library Catalog) which will be available via KINOCOSMONET of
Kinokuniya Book Shop in Tokyo.
"The OCLC has been one of the primary computer systems for inter-
library lending and borrowing of materials among libraries in the
U.S. and Canada... The Kinokuniya-OCLC connection offers exciting
prospects for the facilitating of international interlibrary
relations between Japanese and American libraries..."
As was reported in this column (9/2), Kinokuniya will offer OCLC
service next April in Japan.
CONTACT: International Dept., Kinokuniya, 5-38-1 Sakuragaoka,
Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156 (03-439-0123)
[***][9/16/86][***]
<<< SUSHI BYTES >>>
ANOTHER LANGUAGE TRANSLATION SYSTEM -- NEC has developed a new
concept in the language translation system. NEC's new system
dubbed "PIVOT" uses an AI-based intermediary language which is
similar to Esperanto. With PIVOT, translation from Japanese to
English and vice versa can get relatively accurate, says a
report.
GCLISP FOR 80286 -- The Tokyo-based software house "CEC" has
developed and released a LISP program called "GCLISP286
DEVELOPER" for the 80286 machines. The original program GCLISP
was developed by Gold Hill Computers in the U.S. GCLISP286
DEVELOPER runs on Fujitsu's 16-bit micro "FM16BETA". It is said
to be as powerful as other LISP programs which run on the
workstations.
100Mbps OPTICAL GRAPHIC-DATA TRANSMISSION SYSTEM -- Hitachi has
developed a compact and highly efficient optical graphic-data
transmission system. This system transmits graphics, sounds, and
data signals of three TV channels simultaneously through a SINGLE
optical fiber cable at 100Mbps. Hitachi has designed this system
for CATV networks and TV conference, etc. It will be on sale by
the end of September.
[***][9/16/86][***]
DOING THE AMIGA SHUFFLE
In the aftermath of last week's PCW Show in London (see
NEWSBYTES UK 9th September edition), the 8th Commodore
Computer Show was held in Manchester this weekend. Whilst
this was the first time the show had been held outside of
London, Commodore's presence at the show was noticeably
low-key, the company relying instead upon a showing of a
video of the 1985 launch of the Amiga to inform the masses
of the power of the Amiga.
Following the first showing of the video, Chris Kaday, MD of
Commodore UK, gave a speech outlining the present and future
plans for the Amiga. Skirting carefully around the delicate
issue of pricing, vis-a-vis the Atari ST, Kaday came out with such
gems as: "In the beginning the Amiga was compared with the
ST, although it soon became apparent that the Amiga was a
superior machine," and, commenting on the lower price of the
ST: "Unfortunately the Amiga is little bit out of the games
market in the UK, owing to its high price." Considering
these comments come in the wake of the premature showing of
the 2Mb and 4Mb STs last week at prices *below* the UK 512K
Amiga, Kaday skirted the issue of UK software and relative
high UK pricing quite gracefully.
** For the benefit of NEWSBYTES UK's North American readers,
perhaps I should explain here that the 512K Amiga currently
retails for 1,600 pounds ($2,400) in the UK, as opposed to a
512K 520 Atari ST with colour monitor at around half that
price - hence the emphasis on prices.
Floppy discs continue their downward price-spiral too.
Prices were even lower than at PCW - 5 pounds ($7.50) for a
*branded* box of single sided, double density discs, which
is the lowest we've ever seen anywhere for branded discs.
When asked why their discs were so cheap, one major retailer
who was selling discs at the show said, "It isn't that our
prices are so low, it's just indicative of the unnecessary
profits the major disc manufacturers have been creaming off
the market for years." NEWSBYTES UK refrains from adding to
this comment for fear of legal suits from several major disc
manufacturers.
Talking of discs leads us to mention that GEOS, the new
disc-based package for the Commodore 64 and 128 also put in
an appearance at the show - the first time it has been sold
openly in the UK - at 50 pounds ($75). As well as offering
a GEM-style enviroment for the 64's front end, GEOS also
speeds disc accesses by up to seven times - heck, when
you've seen a 60K adventure load into a Commodore 64 in
*eight* seconds, you've seen everything!
Contact: Commodore Products - Harvard Marketing Services,
Harvard House, Summerhouse Lane, Harmondsworth,
West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 OAW.
Tel: 01-759-0005. Fax: 01-897-3242.
Exhibition Details- Christine Lees,
Exhibitions Organiser, Database Publications,
68 Chester Road, Stockport, SK7 5NY.
Tel: 061-456-8835.
[***][9/16/86][***]
IBM PRICE HIKE ON THE WAY?
This weeks "Computing" newspaper carries the lead story of a
Big Blue price hike being on the pipeline for Brit
IBM-lovers. The paper quotes IBM Euro-chairman Kaspar
Cassani as "suggesting that the steady fall in hardware
prices may end."
Writer John McCrone backs up this forecast noting that
Cassani's comments that IBM "may be giving up its high
growth strategy of the past five years and instead has
decided to squeeze more money out of a slower growing
customer base." and goes on to say that Robin Lynch of the
IBM Computer Users Association would be miffed if hardware
prices stopped falling, as IBM UK have used the
price-falling trend to justify recent software price
increases.
Final comment on the crystal-ball gazing goes to McCrone who
points out that, due to the sterling falling against other
European currencies in recent months, the price of IBM kit
is ten per cent cheaper in the UK than the rest of Europe.
"Even if European prices stay level overall then the UK
would see rises of seven or eight per cent," said a leading
industry source in the paper.
CONTACT: Computing, VNU House, 32-34 Broadwick Street,
London W!A 2HG. Tel: 01-439-4242
[***][9/16/86][***]
ATARI ROLL ONWARD: BUSINESS ST MACHINE DUE
Hardly has the dust settled in the ST marketplace after the
2 and 4Mb STs were unveiled last week at PCW, than Atari UK
general manager, Max Bambridge, has announced a company plan
to attack the business market with a repackaged ST.
Whilst Atari US moves out of the traditional computer dealer
into the mass-merchandising stores with the 520ST, Atari UK
is planning to sell a 520-based business package through
business suppliers previously noted for their sales of
photocopiers and office stationery. This weeks "Microscope"
leads with the story and goes on to say that the
long-awaited PC emulator is only months away, and that it
will retail for as little $450 (comparisons could be made
with the Amiga sidecar at this point, but we wouldn't be
that cruel). The paper also quotes ST sales as over 200,000
worldwide, with a projected figure of 500,00+ by the end of
this year.
Whilst these sales figures can't be disputed, the wisdom of
Atari UK's decision to tackle the business market must be
questioned, since one cannot but help notice big-business
software firms such as Ashton-Tate, Lotus etc., giving the ST
a wide berth in the software stakes, preferring instead to
stick with the Big Blue standard. "Microscope" quotes Jack
Tramiel as answering this question/problem by saying: "I
don't need Lotus. As far as I'm concerned it's a
one-product, one-machine company. We now have clones like
VIP Professional. As far as Ashton-Tate goes, we've got
DBman which is faster, better and very similar to DBase
III."
CONTACT: Microscope, 14 Rathbone Place, London W1p 1DE.
Tel: 01-580-0544 Sourcemail BDF843
[***][9/16/86][***]
CRUISING UNDER CURSOR CONTROL
This week saw an unmarked package from the US arrive at
NEWSBYTES UK headquarters. Upon opening we found a review
copy of "Cruise Control" from Revolution Software of New
Jersey. According to the publicity that came with the
package, the $29.95 package "uses AI pattern recognition
techniques to eliminate cursor run-on on the IBM PC and
compatibles."
Having used packages such as 1-2-3, Wordstar and the like,
the package may well prove useful to stop the cursor
scudding across the screen when you want it least. As well
as cursor control, the package claims facilities such as
repeat any key, hands free, time/date stamp within any
program, and screen-dimming control via keyboard or program
control.
All this for $29.95? How do they do it? NEWSBYTES UK won't
get to find out until next week when we take delivery of our
PC compatible - 640K RAM and all. We'll keep you posted.
Contact: Revolution Software, 715 Route 10 East,
Randolph, New Jersey 07869-9990.
Tel: 201-366-4445.
==
[***][9/16/86][***]
SOUTH AFRICAN BAN NOTHING NEW FOR COMPUTERS
The Senate-passed South Africa trade bill, which the House agreed
to pass last week, contains nothing new for the computer
industry. The bill contains language barring exports of
computers, computer software and computer services to the South
African military, police and other agencies involved in enforcing
apartheid. This is the same language contained in the president's
executive order, put into effect last year and renewed earlier
this month.
[***][9/16/86][***]
SARNEY MUM ON COMPUTERS
Brazilian President Jose Sarney took a conciliatory stance on
trade in an address to a sparsely-attended joint session of
Congress last week. But Sarney said nothing about computers, one
of the major issues in dispute between the U.S. and Brazil. State
Department sources told NEWSBYTES that officials from both
countries have been meeting on the subject during Sarney's visit.
Speaking in Portugese, Sarney said he will agree to buy more
agricultural and industrial products from the U.S., provided he
can refinance Brazil's international debt. The U.S. last year
imported $4.2 billion more than it exported to Brazil. President
Reagan faces a deadline this week on whether to take retaliatory
action against Brazil for a ban on small computer imports that
could be worth as much as $2 billion annually to U.S. computer
makers.
[***][9/16/86][***]
NEW FERMILAB COMPUTER UNVEILED
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Fermi National
Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Ill., last week unveiled a new
parallel processing computer that they claim will increase their
scientific productivity enormously. According to Thomas Nash,
head of the Fermilab Advanced Computer Program, the processing
array will eventually involve 140 computer processors working
together. Currently, the computer has 53 processors. In smashing
atoms together to produce smaller elemental particles such as
quarks, Fermilab scientists generate enormous amounts of
information. Nash said Fermilab researchers have at least three
experiments mounted that would require more than a year of
computing time on a high-powered Cyber 175 supercomputer, with a
$3.5 million pricetag. The new Fermilab computer will run the
same data in two minutes, and cost about $500,000.
[***][9/16/86][***]
NEW COMPUTING COLUMN FROM UPI
United Press International last week began moving a week column
titled "Personal Computing." Written by National Editor Jack
Warner, the column is aimed at the market of people who use
micros at home or in their business. The column will move on the
wire each Tuesday in the LifeStyle package for release in UPI's
client newspapers the following Tuesday.
[***][9/16/86][***]
VIRGINIA HIGH-TECH CENTER HAS UNEASY GROUNDBREAKING
Virginia Governor Gerald Baliles and former Governor Charles Robb
showed up last week to turn spades of earth at the groundbreaking
for the Center for Innovative Technology near Dulles Airport in
the Virginia countryside near Dulles International Airport. But
not all is well at the $23.7 million institution designed to
match university research will industrial demand. At a meeting
before the ceremony, George Johnson, president of George Mason
University in Fairfax, Va., savagely attacked the center and its
new president, Ronald Carrier.
Carrier wants the center to designate up to 15 Virginia
universities as Commonwealth Centers, meaning that they will have
nationally prominent specialized programs in science and
technology. The result would be an infusion of millions of
dollars in research grants to the designated institutions. The
procedure for picking the institutions would be long and complex.
Johnson exploded: "I'm really no longer clear on what the center
is. What's in it for me to get tangled up in your procedure, which
seems likely to go on forever, when I can go out and get
industrial money myself." Johnson later told the WASHINGTON POST,
"I don't want to see the development of my university, which is
moving very quickly, entangled in a process that will fritter
away opportunities."
[***][9/16/86][***]
ATLANTIC RESEARCH TO GOBBLE UP BLACK-OWNED COMPUTER FIRM
Atlantic Research Corp. of Alexandria, Va., plans to acquire
Systems and Applied Sciences Corp. of Vienna, Va., one of the
country's largest black-owned firms. SASC provides computer
support services mostly to federal agencies and was founded in
1973. The company's specialty has been battlefield and
communications networks for the Pentagon. Financial analysts
speculated that the price of the firm was less than $10 million.
SASC has been under financial pressure since litigation stemming
from the departure of a founder of the firm last year. Atlantic
Research last year had sales of $230 million, mostly revenue from
the manufacture of solid-propellant rockets. The acquisition is
an attempt to beef up the company's service business.
CONTACT: Atlantic Researce Corp., Alexandria Va., 703-642-4000.
Systems and Applied Sciences Corp., Vienna, Va., 703-
790-3700.
[***][9/16/86][***]
COMPUTER PRIVACY BILL SIDETRACKED
The computer privacy bill that has passed the House got
sidetracked in the Senate Judiciary Committee last week because
of a dispute over scheduling an anti-trust bill. The committee
had expected to take up the computer measure, which is largely
uncontroversial, last Thursday. But Senator Dennis DeConcini (D-
Ariz.) wanted to take up the anti-trust measure instead. With
time running out for the 99th Congress (the leadership wants to
adjourn by October 3, giving incumbents plenty of time to
campaign for reelection), the privacy measure may have trouble
getting onto the Senate schedule. The Senate sponsors are Sens.
Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Charles McC. Mathias (R-Md.). The bill
applies the 1968 anti-wiretapping act to computers and cellular
phones.
The cellular phone issue is the only controversial part of the
measure. Bill supporters concede that enforcing the law against
tapping into cellular phone traffic is nearly impossible, because
the phones are really radios. And the law may also cause problems
for amateur radio operators. Nevertheless, say supporters, it's
important to get the law on the books so that protecting privacy
for computer users and cellular phone conversations is at least a
matter of public policy.
[***][9/16/86][***]
MBI TO ACQUIRE JERSEY RETAILER
MBI Business Centers of Rockville, Md., last week said it will
acquire Prodigy Systems Inc. of Edison, N.J. for $1.35 million.
Prodigy operates four computer stores in New Jersey. The
acquisition will give MBI "access to the important greater-New
York area," said MBI Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Avner
Parnes. MBI operates 34 retail computer stores on the East
Coast. MBI will pay $1.08 per share for Prodigy's 1.25 million
shares of common stock.
[***][9/16/86][***]
BUSINESS INDEX BOOMS
Summer's over for the Washington business community, and it shows
in the Washington Computer Business Index, which soared to 275
last week, after weeks in the low 200s. Computer retail ads in
WASHINGTON BUSINESS totaled over 14 pages. Non-computer retail
advertising also come booming back with the passing of the Labor
Day weekend that marks the end of summer in Washington. Non-
computer ads totaled 20 pages, the first time in two weeks that
non-computer ads outpaced computer ads in the weekly business
tabloid.
[***][9/16/86][***]
POWERBYTES
$$ The local Association for Women in Computing has elected
Helen Wood as treasurer and Wilma Osborne as public relations
director. Both are with the National Bureau of Standards in
Gaithersburg, Md.
$$ Vanguard Technologies International. Inc. of Fairfax, Va., has
won a $2.7 million contract from the Commerce Department to
continue its work on the agency's automated filing systems. The
company provides computer-related services.
$$ C3 Inc. of Reston, Va., has nailed down $12.5 million in
contracts from the military. The first contract, worth $5.3
million, calls for installation of 1,214 microcomputers and 1,981
printers at more than $150 naval sites worldwide. A $5.5 million
contract will enable the Air Force to have computerized
transmission of messages among five logistics command posts. A
final contract, worth $1.7 million, calls for the installation of
tempest-qualified dot matrix printers at the Air Force Computer
Acquisition Center.
[***][9/16/86][***]
GOING TO COLLEGE BY COMPUTER
Durham College, a community college in Oshawa, Ontario, near
Toronto, is offering courses by television and home computers.
Starting with two courses in computer basics, the college is
planning to offer education by means of a combination of programs
on TV Ontario, the educational television network operated by the
province, and computer conferencing. IBM Canada has lent the
college about C$80,000 worth of equipment to help with the
project.
CONTACT: DURHAM COLLEGE, (416) 576-0210
[***][9/16/86][***]
TELECOM USERS GATHER
The major annual conference of Canadian telecommunications users
was held last week at the Toronto Convention Centre.
Announcements at the Canadian Business Telecommunications
Alliance show and conference included:
-- The introduction by Teleglobe Canada, the international
satellite carrier, of Globetex, a messaging service that will let
personal computers access the international Telex network through
Canadian packet-switching networks.
-- Mitel Corp.'s introduction of a fully digital version of its
SX-200 private branch exchange (PBX), providing integrated voice
and data communications;
-- Northern Telecom Ltd.'s introduction of a building wiring
service that will provide Integrated Services Digital Network
(ISDN) capabilities, and of additions to its telephone product
line;
-- The formation of CellNet Canada, a national consortium of the
cellular radio subsidiaries of the Canadian telephone companies;
CONTACT: TELEGLOBE CANADA, 680 rue Sherbrooke ouest, Montreal
H3A 2S4, (514) 289-7269
MITEL CORP., P.O. Box 13089, Kanata ON K2K 1X3,
(613) 592-2122
NORTHERN TELECOM CANADA LTD., 304 The East Mall,
Toronto ON M9B 6E4, (416) 232-2000
CELLNET CANADA, 10 Carlson Court, Rexdale (Toronto)
ON M9W 6L2, (416) 674-2220
[***][9/16/86][***]
FREE TRADE IMPACT
Current negotiations over freer trade between the United States
and Canada could lead to lower cost for telecommunications
equipment and livelier competition in both countries, but lower
costs for telecommunications services are unlikely, said speakers
at the Canadian Business Telecommunications Alliance conference
last week in Toronto.
Negotiations are likely to concentrate on areas covered by the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the speakers
agreed, and the GATT says little or nothing about services.
Therefore the cost of telecommunications services -- whether
long-distance telephone services or packet switching networks --
would not likely be much affected by a free trade agreement.
Users might benefit if reduced equipment costs to carriers were
passed on to subscribers.
[***][9/16/86][***]
DENIES COMPUTER FRAUD
In what is only the second Canadian case involving charges of
software fraud, Terrence Ram of Toronto has denied to a District
Court jury that he defrauded computerr manufacturers by copying
their software, forging their logos and selling the results at
bargain prices. Ram pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of fraud,
theft, possession of stolen goods and forging the IBM logo.
Investigators seized a number of manuals and diskettes at Ram's
Toronto store, TR Software.
[***][9/16/86][***]
CANADIAN APPLE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Apple Canada Inc. joins its parent company this week in
announcing the Apple IIGS, new high-end member of the venerable
Apple II family. The new machines will be available to Canadian
schools next month, but won't be shipped to the general public
until January. The Canadian price of the IIGS is C$1,695.
Additional Apple announcements, including the enhanced Apple IIc
and the Hard Disk 20SC, were also echoed in Canada.
Apple Canada is also working with Canadian software developers to
encourage products for the new IIGS. Apple Canada's software
development manager, Richard Wah Kan, said five Canadian
developers had IIGS units before the announcement and were
working on software that would take advantage of the machine's
capabilities. One of these was Chancery Software of Vancouver,
developer of the MacSchool school administration package for the
Macintosh. Wah Kan said the others could not be named.
CONTACT: Dan Wojdylo, APPLE CANADA INC., 7495 Birchmount Rd.,
Markham, ON L3R 5G2, (416) 477-5800
[***][9/16/86][***]
OTHER CANADIAN ECHOES
Compaq Computer Corp. held a reception in Toronto last week to
unveil its new computer based on the Intel 386 processor. A
Compaq dealer who spoke with NEWSBYTES CANADA was impressed with
the machine; it remains to be seen how many users will be excited
about the price tag, which will be in the C$10,000-C$15,000
range, depending on configuration.
Digital Equipment of Canada was a bit behind its U.S. parent with
the announcement of the VAXmate, which had its Canadian debut at
a Toronto press conference on Sept. 11. The VAXmate will be
available in October for about C$6,500 including software
license.
CONTACT: COMPAQ COMPUTER CORP., 895 Don Mills Rd., Toronto ON
(416) 449-8741
DIGITAL EQUIPMENT OF CANADA LTD., 505 University Ave.,
Toronto ON, (416) 597-3157
[***][9/16/86][***]
CABLESHARE HOME SHOPPING TRIAL SET FOR NEXT YEAR
Cableshare Inc., developer of home-shopping technology, plans a
trial of its cable-television-based system in the U.S. early next
year, the company announced in its annual report last week.
Cableshare, which is 36 percent owned by the retailer J.C.
Penney, reported a net loss for the quarter ended June 30 of
C$39,000, and a drop in sales from C$3.1 million to C$2.7
million. However, the company continues to do well on the
Toronto Stock Exchange.
CONTACT: CABLESHARE INC., 20 Enterprise Dr., P.O. Box 5580
London, Ont. N6A 4L6, (519) 686-2900
[***][9/16/86][***]
EXPORT CONTROLS ON HIGH TECHNOLOGY RELAXED
Canada is loosening its export restrictions on communications
equipment and certain other high-technology items, External
Affairs Minister Joe Clark announced last week. The new policy
establishes different sets of rules for military equipment and
for high-tech products considered strategic. Controls on arms
sales to governments with records of human rights abuses are
being tightened, while strategic but non-military goods will be
controlled less stringently.
Several times in the past, U.S.-made computer equipment has
passed through Canada and on to European countries en route to
the Soviet bloc.
[***][9/16/86][***]
BITS, EH?
-- CAD/CAM software vendor Accugraph Corp. of Toronto signed a
marketing agreement with MG Industries Inc. of Menemonee Falls,
Wisconsin, which will buy about C$5.6 million worth of
Accugraph's products in the next two years.
-- Major Canadian hardware distributor Lanpar Technologies Inc.
of Markham, Ont., made a profit of C$622,000 in the six months
ended July 31, well up from C$205,000 a year earlier. Revenue
was up from C$18.8 million to C$21.4 million.
-- Geac Computer Corp. of Markham, Ont., lost C$2.9 million in
the three months ended July 31, compared with a profit of
$400,000 a year earlier. Revenue was C$15.9 million, down from
C$17 million. This makes Geac's fourth quarterly loss running.
[***][9/16/86][***]
B U L L E T I N ................Monday, September 15, 1986
APPLE'S NEWEST II
Apple Computer unveiled the Apple IIGS at a splashy presentation
at DeAnza College's Flint Center in Cupertino today. The newest
member of the Apple II family, a 16-bit machine based on Western
Design Center's 65816 microprocessor, offers improved graphics,
sounds, speed and power over its predecessors. It is aimed at the
home and educational market and based on its features and pricing,
competes directly with the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST. Apple also
announced an upgraded IIC, a 20 megabyte hard disk drive, three
new monitors in Apple's "platinum" color scheme, and two new
floppy drives.
The New IIGS
------------
The new IIGS looks like an Apple IIC--it has the sleek lines of
the smaller machine and its new "platinum" color--but the similarity
ends when you see it operate. New software, written for the machine,
make it look like a color Macintosh, with pull-down menus, windows,
icons, and multiple fonts. The IIGS contains in ROM the "Quick Draw"
routines that are similar to the Mac. With 4,096 colors, the machine
offers high resolution imagery (employing 640 X 200 pixels in
one of seven graphics modes) that competes with Commodore's
Amiga, as well as a versatile audio chip from synthesizer-maker
Ensoniq. The IIGS can play up to 15 voices simultaneously and
Apple claims the sound is of high enough quality to support
software which teaches foreign languages.
The IIGS's standard configuration includes 256 kilobytes of RAM,
expandable to 8 megabytes, 128k of ROM expandable to 1 megabyte,
8 expansion slots, mouse, a disk interface for connecting 3.5"
or 5.25" disk drive, a detachable keyboard with 18-key numeric keypad.
The IIGS supports ProDos 16, ProDos 8, Pascal, CP/M (with Z-80
card) and Dos 3.3. The machine has a 2.8 MHz clock speed.
The monitor and the disk drive are not included in the basic
$999 price.
Apple's IIGS has "advanced features while still maintaining
compatibility with more than 90 percent of the software programs
in the huge Apple II library," said Delbert Yocam, CEO of
Apple at a news conference. The Apple II software it does not
run, he said, are packages that do nt conform to Apple programming
guidelines, and those that require the communications chip found
on the Apple Super Serial Card. Inotherwords, the new
communications chip, designed to provide AppleTalk LAN protocols,
requires its own software.
Apple Computer placed more than 250 prototype machines with
developers and claims more than 40 new products that take
advantage of the IIGS's speed, sound, color and memory will
be available by Christmas.
The IIGS, available in retail stores by the end of this month,
will be priced at $999. Limited "Woz" signature editions are
available to early purchasers.
New Apple IIC
-------------
The enhanced IIC accepts a memory expansion card which adds
up to eight times more memory than the system's current 128k.
Owners of the current system can upgrade to the enhanced with
a Memory Expansion Kit, installed by a dealer, at a cost of
$269 for the first 256k and $69 for each additional 256k.
SCSI Hard Disk
--------------
Apple introduced a new hard drive for the II Plus, IIE, IIGS or
Macintosh Plus. The Apple Hard Disk 20SC has 20 megs of
storage and will retail for $1,299. An interface card for
the II costs $129.
Monitors
--------
The AppleColor RGB monitor offers 640 X 200 pixels on a 12-inch
screen and Apple says even 80 column text in color is sharp.
It plugs into the RGB port on the IIGS. Price: $499.
The 12-inch Monochrome Monitor, which is also adaptable to
the Apple IIC, offers a black and white display and when used
in conjunction with new IIGS software, makes the IIGS look like
a Macintosh. It is priced at just $129.
Finally, there is an AppleColor Composite Monitor, with resolution
of 560 X 192 pixels, is meant for the Apple IIC and connects
directly to the monitor jack of any Apple II system. Cost: $379.
Disk Drives
-----------
Two new drives were unveiled. The first is an Apple 3 1/2", 800k
drive for the IIGS which has over five times the storage capacity of
a standard 5 1/2" drive. It connects directly to the disk drive
port on the IIGS. Suggested price is $399.
The second drive, which operates 5.25" floppies, also plugs directly
into the back of the IIGS or can be daisy-chained tothe 3.5"
unit. The Apple 5.25 Drive retails for $299.
Apple II Upgrades
-----------------
John Sculley, Apple president, told reporters that upgrades which
would conform the IIE and IIC to the new IIGS will be available
sometime next year. He explained that because the chips in the
IIGS are custom, they are in short supply, but once they do become
available in quantity, the upgrade on older machines will be
offered by Apple.
--------------
At today's news conference, Sculley, Yocam and Steve Wozniak fielded
dozens of questions from the press. NEWSBYTES will have more from
the press conference in this coming weekend's edition of
NEWSBYTES-SILICON VALLEY. What do the analysts think of the IIGS?
Said Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies, "It's clearly ahead of
its time. It's got a lot of potential, the technology exists now
only in CAD graphics workstations. I agree with John Sculley
who said its success will be measured two years from now, not
in the numbers sold, but by its ability to go from this to the
next generation of computing."
--Wendy Woods