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/1988/nb880202.241

Text File | 1991-08-18 | 60KB | 1,292 lines

[***][2/02/88][***]
WORLD'S FIRST UNDER-$1,000 LASER-LIKE PRINTER FROM HP
PALO ALTO, Ca. (NB) -- Hewlett Packard has announced DeskJet, a
$995 laser-like printer that produces high resolution output
from thermal ink-jet printing technology.  It has an output of
300 dots per inch and comes with built-in Courier font styles.
Additional fonts can be obtained by adding cartridges via two
ports.   The printer is based on HP's "inkjet" technology and
it employs HP's PCL printer language.  HP says it is compatible
with most HP LaserJet printer support software packages.

The DeskJet is aimed at the market for letter quality printers
dot matrix printers.  Says Richard Snyder, marketing manager for
HP's Vancouver, Washington division, "The HP DeskJet printer
offers an important alternative by taking the benefits of 18/24 wire
impact printers a step further and satisfying four basic needs
of customers at once:  sophisticated laser-quality output, quiet
and compact desktop design, ease of use, and a low price."

[***][2/02/88][***]
APPLE SEES 30% GROWTH IN '88, POSSIBLE LAPTOP, NEW II IN '89
CUPERTINO, Ca. (NB) -- Apple Computer Chairman John Sculley
told shareholders that Apple's revenues should grow 30% this
year --- up 9% over 1987's growth figures --- at the firm's annual
shareholders meeting.  Said Sculley, "We are on our way to
becoming the $5 billion company that we hope to be by 1990."
The mood was clearly upbeat as shareholders also approved the
appointment of astronaut Sally Ride to Apple's board of directors.

Sculley told the crowd 1988 will be the year of communications, "just
as 1987 can be characterized as the year of the CPUs."  He said
Apple will introduce a host of communications products to link
Macintoshes with other computers, a prediction which is already
manifested with Apple's introduction of new programming tools
for Macintosh network access (see next story).

In a separate meeting with analysts, Sculley mentioned that he would
like to see a smaller, lower-priced Macintosh II, but gave no
date for such a product.  His public relations officers later cleared
up the ambiguity by saying a lower-end Macintosh II will not
appear until 1989.  To Sculley, "low end" means a complete
Mac II system for $6,000 instead of $7,000 to $10,000.

Apple isn't talking about rumors of a laptop that could be
introduced as early as March.  Several sources at MacWorld Expo
report seeing a prototype laptop Macintosh with looks similar to the
Toshiba T3100 and a high resolution, new technology screen.

[***][2/02/88][***]
APPLE INTROS SOFTWARE TO HELP MACS NETWORK
CUPERTINO, Ca. (NB) -- New tools for programmers are aimed at
blasting away any remaining barriers between the Macintosh and
the IBM world.  Apple Computer has introduced MacWorkStation,
software which allows Macintosh features, such as pull-down
menus, icons, and windows, to be a universal interface for all computers
on a network.  Also introduced was a product called MacAPPC,
another tool to connect Macs with IBMs.  Apple's Sculley has
called 1988, "the year of communications," indicating these are
only the tip of the iceberg of products Apple will introduce
for communications and networking this year.

[***][2/02/88][***]
NEW QUICKDRAW FROM HERTZFELD GETS SLOW DRAW FROM APPLE
CUPERTINO, Ca. (NB) -- Apple Computer is reportedly mulling over a
decision whether to endorse the newest version of QuickDraw from
its inventor Andy Hertzfeld.  Hertzfeld told MACWEEK that Apple will get
back to him within two or three weeks regarding the newest
incarnation of his product.  QuickerDraw runs approximately two to
three times faster than the original.  Hertzfeld says if Apple
doesn't jump, Radius will.  Radius hosted QuickerDraw at its
booth at the recent MacWorld Expo in San Francisco and word is
the company would bundle QuickerDraw with its products or distribute
it separately if Apple chooses not to buy it.  Apple Chairman
John Sculley reportedly told Hertzfeld that the product
was best handled by a third party, fueling speculation that Apple
has bypassed QuickDraw and its newest incarnation for an emerging
screen standard -- Adobe Systems' Display PostScript.

Neither Adobe nor Apple will say much about the matter.  MACWEEK
quotes Craig Cline, associate editor of the Seybold Report on Desktop
Publishing as saying, "The real issue is political.  How many companies
will entrust core technology to another company?"

[***][2/02/88][***]
MICROSOFT PREDICTS OS/2 WILL TAKE 3 YEARS TO BLOOM, CHARTS MICRO SALES
REDMOND, Wa. (NB) -- Who would be in a better position to track micro
sales than the firm which has a monopoly on their operating systems,
having sold one to virtually all PC manufacturers? That's right,
Microsoft. And the company has finally broken its silence on the
subject by saying that PC sales grew 30% last year and will grow
another 26% this year to 8.2 million units worldwide.

As for its OS/2 operating system, Microsoft predicts 55% of all
IBMs or compatibles sold in 1988 will be models capable of running
OS/2 applications.  But it will be 1990 or 1991 before the majority
of users are actually running OS/2 applications.

[***][2/02/88][***]
SUN MICROSYSTEMS TO INTRODUCE DESKTOP SUPERCOMPUTER
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Ca. (NB) -- Sun Microsystems is expected to unveil
a low-cost supercomputer this week, capable of processing information
at a rate of 4 to 7 million instructions per second.  The desktop
machine, expected to be priced between $10,000 and $15,000, is
based on Sun's SPARC, or reduced instruction chip set.

[***][2/02/88][***]
FLOPPY DISKS FOR THE BLIND
COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. (NB) -- For the first time, a manufacturer of
disk packaging materials has addressed the needs of the blind
computer user.  Brown Disc, in association with Dr. Dean Tuttle at
the University of Northern Colorado, has designed labels for disks
and packaging that enable a blind person to read the contents of the
package and the description of the disks in Braille.  The special
packages of Braille diskettes also come with a label kit with which
additional Braille labels can be created.

CONTACT:  Lowell Bell, BROWN DISC, 303-593-1015

[***][2/02/88][***]
IN BRIEF --

THE AMERICAN ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION reports that 40% of all
US electronics jobs can be found in California, New York, and
Massachusetts.  The three states had a combined electronics
work force of nearly 1 million, down 25,000 from a year earlier.

ASHTON-TATE, Torrance, Ca., has introduced a presentation
graphics product called Draw Applause, designed to produce high quality
charts and art work from data taken from MS-DOS applications.
Draw Applause, $495, also outputs the images to a wide variety of
devices including plotters, laser printers, and video recorders.

ELECTRONIC ARTS, San Mateo, Ca., has instituted a new software
half price exchange program which will allow consumers who upgrade their
hardware from an 8-bit computer to a 16-bit computer to upgrade
their software as well.  The same title for any upgraded computer
will be sold at half price to a customer.

SOFT-KAT's Modie Katz, co-founder and chief executive, has resigned
from the company he created to seek "new challenges."  Katz
sold the firm to W. R. Grace in 1986 and under the terms of that
arrangement, had been bound to work at the software distribution firm
only until December of 1987.


[***][2/02/88][***]
CHU OF UH SAYS SUPERCONDUCTORS MAY BECOME AS CHEAP AS CHIPS
HOUSTON (NB) -- Paul Chu, the University of Houston researcher
who was one of the first to show a superconductor cooled by
liquid nitrogen rather than liquid helium, says his latest recipe
of aluminum, bismuth, strontium, calcium copper, and oxygen is
among the first to include only common materials and no rare
earths, like yttrium, which can increase the cost of
production. The issue of cost is a hurdle working against the
widespread use of superconductors in power lines, computers, or
electric motors. Temperature recently went down as a barrier when
Georgia Tech scientists found superconductivity at well over 300
degrees centigrade. Modest success against limits of high-
capacity and strength under a magnetic field was recently
announced by AT&T.

In an interview with NEWSBYTES, Dr. Chu said that his new
material is superconductive at 100 degrees Kelvin, and added that
the material shows a different chemical structure than other
superconductors using rare earths.

In a separate announcement, Japanese researchers at Tsukuba said
they discovered a new superconducting material made of bismuth,
strontium, calcium, copper, and oxygen. (Chu's recipe adds
aluminum, but he says the material plays a minor role in
superconductivity.)

(A guess -- superconductivity lies less in the chemical recipe of
a material and more in its chemical structure. Another guess --
look for some sort of superconductive toy in your kids' 1990
Christmas stockings.

CONTACT: Paul Chu, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, [phone]

[***][2/02/88][***]
SOFTWARE LAN CLAIMS HARDWARE SPEEDS
ATLANTA (NB) -- The Software Link says its new version of
LANLink, LANLink 5X, passes data at 500,000 bits/second, five
times faster than other software-based LAN products. Special
cables are used with the product to connect PCs through parallel
ports, but no add-in boards are used, and only 32K of RAM is used
on each hard disk which is part of the network. The product is
priced at $275 for each server, $125 for each additional PC on
the network, and $195 for multitasking.

CONTACT: Colleen Goidel, THE SOFTWARE LINK, [phone]

[***][2/02/88][***]
CHECKROBOT, IBM LINK COMPUTERS
DEERFIELD BEACH, FL (NB) -- CheckRobot Inc. said it will develop
technology to link its automated check-out machines with IBM's
4680 computers used for point-of-sale (POS) systems. NEWSBYTES
saw a demonstration of the CheckRobot system last year in which
it was tied to NCR computers. CheckRobot officials said then they
wanted links to IBM, which with NCR controls 60% of the POS
market. CheckRobot plans to demonstrate its IBM links in May.
(CheckRobot is a unit of Sensormatic Electronics, which makes
anti-theft systems based on plastic tags and sensors in door
frames.)

In a CheckRobot installation shoppers run their purchasers
through a mag-stripe reader under the watchful eye of an anti-
theft system. They can touch a TV screen to get help. A single
cashier can handle three check-out lines because they're only
taking cash, not bagging groceries.

CONTACT: CHECKROBOT, [phone]

[***][2/02/88][***]
PECAN GOLDEN CHIPS

CRAY RESEARCH, Minneapolis, announced earnings of $34.1 million
on sales of $147 million for the quarter ending in December, and
racked up earnings of $147 million on sales of $687.3 million for
the entire year.

HONEYWELL, Minneapolis, drew a high "O" rating from Salomon
Brothers, meaning its stock should outperform the Standard &
Poor's 500 for the next 6-12 months. Honeywell was selling
recently at a 24% discount to the market, Salomon Brothers
claimed.

3M, Minneapolis, said it's bought a big piece of Formtek of
Pittsburgh, which writes software for technical document
management. The two companies announced a marketing and
development agreement last April. 3M will now get a seat on the
Formtek board.

NCR, Dayton, OH, said it had net income of $419.33 million on
sales of $5,640 million for all of 1987. The firm also said its
asset turnover has improved and its debt is just 10% of capital.

STERLING SOFTWARE, Dallas, said lawsuits were filed in Delaware
against a possible buy-out of the company led by managers Charles
J. Wyly and Sterling L. Williams.

TEXAS runs 4th among high-tech workers, says the American
Electronics Association. That's behind California, New York, and
Massachusetts, but best in the South. The Lone Chip State has
148,000 of the nation's 2.47 million electronics-related
employees. Florida, Illinois, Minnesota and Arizona also made the
Top 10.

[***][2/02/88][***]
PECAN CHIPS

BELLSOUTH, Atlanta, dropped out of competition for federal
switching contracts after it reportedly got illegal insider data
on AT&T's rival bid from a GSA employee. (BS claims that, contrary to
published reports, it's still in the hunt for the multibillion
dollar FTS-2000 contract.) Separately, the company moved to buy
Mobile Communications Corp. of America, a large operator of
mobile telephone systems in Jackson, MS, for $564 million.

DCA, Alpharetta, GA, began shipping its E78 Plus for OS/2, which
provides 3270 terminal emulation under the new OS/2 operating
system. Separately it announced Tymnet will now market its
network management and T-1 gear.

DELTA AIR LINES, Atlanta, blamed its computer for denying 2,000
frequent fliers coupons for free or cheap trips late last year,
while handing out free trips to 700 who hardly ever fly. The
promotion was an attempt to boost traffic during a slow period.
Delta has now sent coupons to the 2,000.

GARY HART, Denver, opened bulletin boards to further his
presidential bid. Rick Roby runs The Hart Line at 703-951-0133,
and Jeff Phillips runs the operation at 713-496-3079. Hart press
releases are also online with the online service NWI. (As others
go up, we'll bring them to you.)

MSA, Atlanta, may be in deep trouble, JENKS SOUTHEASTERN BUSINESS
LETTER warned recently. Massive 1987 losses for the maker of IBM
mainframe software may not be related to accounting changes
alone. Jenks notes that AMERICAN SOFTWARE, another Atlanta
company which writes IBM mainframe software, remains profitable.

PARADYNE, Largo, FL, is being run by venture capitalist Paul
Ferri and is no longer followed by stock analysts, according to
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.  The company was fined $1.2 million in
1986 over over a 5-year old dispute with the Federal government
over a contract, sacked its president, and has failed to come up
with new products.

JUDGE KENNETH POST, Hudsonville, MI, has come up with a plan
whereby police will transmit warrant requests on drunk drivers to
his home via modem. He can then review the data, call the
arresting officer on the phone and instruct him or her to sign an
affadavit supporting an arrest warrant. Cost per judge to extend
the system is $6,500.

QMS, Mobile, AL, will introduce its Colorscript 100, a PostScript
compatible color thermal printer based on a Mitsubishi engine,
after March. Look for prices of $22,000 - $25,000.

TANDY, Ft. Worth, TX, is hosting free seminars on PageMaker in
conjunction with developer Aldus Corp. The road show will hit 37
U.S. cities in February and March.

SYSTEM SOFTWARE ASSOCIATES, Chicago, which makes software for IBM
36 and 38 mini-computers, named Weyerhauser's Information Systems
division as a sales affiliate. Weyerhauser has sold its own
System 36 and 38 programs for years.

TELENET, Reston, VA, is getting so much business for its PC
Pursuit service it's having trouble meeting demand. Telenet is
adding 8 new nodes at 1,200 baud and bringing up 2,400 baud
service in 14 more under the MNP protocol. Expect smoother
modeming by the middle of February.

[***][2/02/88][***]
AND FINALLY..PUT A CHIP IN YOUR CAT IN CASE IT RUNS AWAY
WESTMINSTER, CO (NB) -- Taymar Inc. is about to market "AnimaLife
I.D.," a system which implants a glass-encased programmable
microchip in your prized animal's muscles so he or she can be
identified. That can become important if your cat is taken to the
pound or your horse is rustled. Vern Taylor began work on
AnimaLife after his prize mare, Virginia, was stolen in 1972. In
addition to the chip, the system includes a hand-held scanner and
a database run by Taymar.

The new system replaces an earlier chip-and-scanner system Taymar
marketed. It's far more effective than branding rumps or lips,
as ranchers are apt to do. The chip itself, and the glass
enclosing it, is no bigger than a grain of rice, so it can be
injected into the animal with a syringe. The chip has no power
source and can last for 30 years. Total cost to the owner would
come to $15-20 per animal. (Before you ask, NEWSBYTES notes that
the cats here refuse to wear collars, so wide acceptance of the
Taymar system might be a good idea.) It's being sold through
veterinarians and commercial breeders. "The domestic pet market
is just one market. There's also the trained animal market, the
exotic animal market, the equine and farm markets," spokesman
Donovan Neale-May told NEWSBYTES.

CONTACT: Donovan Neale-May, TAYMAR, [phone]


[***][2/02/88][***]
A TALE OF TWO JAPANESE TURBO Cs
TOKYO (NB) -- Japanese software dealer Southern Pacific has
announced it will release a Japanese language version of Turbo C
1.5 on February 25.  The program comes with the Kanji library,
the Kanji editor, and a 1100-page Japanese manual.  It costs
16,800 yen or $132.  Meanwhile, Borland's other Tokyo dealer,
Microsoftware Associates (MSA), will release another Japanese
Turbo C 1.5 in late March.  So, two Turbo Cs will compete here
in Japan.

Formerly NEWSBYTES reported that the Japanese Turbo Cs of Southern
Pacific, as well as MSA's, were scrapped due to a dispute which
involved Borland's abrupt dumping of Southern Pacific as its
Japanese subsidiary, instead turning to another company in Japan.
Then Borland tried to release the Japanese Turbo C from the
subsidiary, Borland Japan.

At that time, the policy to set up Borland Japan was apparently
submitted by Ron Posner, the former president of Ansa Software,
with which Borland merged in the summer of '87.  However, the plan
seems to have been cancelled since Ron Posner resigned in early January.
Thus the relationship between Borland and the two Japanese dealers
has been mended.  As a result, the two Turbo Cs have been
resurrected, according to a NEWSBYTES' observation.

Meanwhile, the discord and the weak marketing policy have left an
ugly scar on Borland's strategy in Japan.  Two different kinds
of Japanese Turbo C 1.5 will debut in Japan.  An analyst says the
SPL (Southern Pacific) version and the MSA version are apparently
different due to a their own implementation styles of Japanese
features.  Among others, the kanji library could be very different
in each version. NEWSBYTES has not seen the products yet but is
hearing concern that the two programs might generate a lot of
confusion among Japanese users.

CONTACT: Southern Pacific, Sanwa-Yokohama Bldg. 3F, 2-16-20 Nanko,
         Nishi-ku, Yokohama-shi 220

[***][2/02/88][***]
TOSHIBA UNVEILS UNIX PORTABLE COMPUTER
TOKYO (NB) -- A Toshiba spokesman says the company has developed
a Unix-based desktop portable computer the T8200.  It has an 80386
MPU, a 4M memory (12M at maximum), a 100M HDD (200M at maximum)
and a 3.5-inch FDD.  The T8200 will be shown at the Uniforum
conference in Dallas, Tex. on February 8.  It will be released in
August.  The price has not been announced yet.

Meanwhile, Toshiba has developed a Unix program for its T5100
laptop computer.  The program supports a multiuser feature
connecting up to 4 terminals.  The program will also be shown at
the Uniforum next week.  Its release date will be in May.

CONTACT: Toshiba America, Inc. Information Systems Division,
         9740 Irvine Boulevard, Irvine, CA 92718, U.S.A.
         (1-800-457-7777)

[***][2/02/88][***]
EXTENDED OS/2 VERSION FROM FUJITSU
TOKYO (NB) -- Fujitsu will release the extended version of
Operating System/2 (OS/2) for its computers this summer, reports
the NIKKEI-SANGYO newspaper.  Based on Microsoft's OS/2, Fujitsu's
version includes features of the Systems Integrated Application
(SIA), which is Fujitsu's integrated computer architecture.
Fujitsu is planning to announce this extended OS/2 this May
and ship it in June.

The SIA is the counterpart of IBM's SAA (Systems Application
Architecture).  With the SIA, software engineers can develop
programs for all levels of Fujitsu's computers regardless of
operating systems. Also, the users can use the programs on any
Fujitsu computer, such as the personal computers or the general
purpose computers.

CONTACT: Fujitsu, 1-6-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100

[***][2/02/88][***]
JAPANESE PRINTER-RIBBON MAKER EXCHANGE TECHNOLOGY WITH IBM
TOKYO (NB) -- Giant Japanese printer ribbon maker, Fuji
Chemical Paper Industry, has signed a cross license contract
with IBM (U.S.A.).  According to this contract, both companies
will exchange their patents on printer ribbons.  The agreement
covers the patents currently owned by both firms, as well as the
ones which will be submitted by January 1991.  This agreement is
actually valid until around 2010 when the 1991 patents expire.

CONTACT: Fuji Chemical Paper Industry, 4-8-43 Utajima, Nishi-
         Yodogawa-ku, Osaka

[***][2/02/88][***]
PLASMA DISPLAY WITH MULTI-LEVEL BRIGHTNESS FOR IBM PS/2
TOKYO (NB) -- Dixy, Yokohama, has released a very clear color
plasma display D0640AX, which supports 16 levels of monochrome
shades in brightness.  The display is based on the IBM PS/2
specification.  The 12-inch display supports a 640x400 dot
resolution.  Samples are priced at 255,000 yen or $2,008.
Meanwhile, Dixy is developing a similar plasma display
with a 640x480-dot resolution.

CONTACT: Dixy, 1-5-5 Katsuradai, Midori-ku, Yokohama 227

[***][2/02/88][***]
APPLE JAPAN POWER UP JAPANESE MACINTOSHES
TOKYO (NB) -- Apple Computer Japan has announced it will ship
2MB RAM versions of Macintoshes, including Mac Plus, Mac SE, and
Mac II.  All the models are equipped with a Kanji (Japanese
language) feature.  The prices are between 428,000 yen ($3,370)
and 978,000 yen ($7,700).  Apple Japan will also release the Laser-
Writer IISC in February and the IINTX in April.  The 68020-based
IINTX supports Adobe's page description language PostScript.
Japanese HyperCard will also be released in April.

CONTACT: Apple Computer Japan, Akasaka-Twintower Bldg. 11F,
         2-17 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107

[***][2/02/88][***]
BULL SELLS JAPANESE-MADE LAPTOP COMPUTER
TOKYO (NB) -- Yokohama-based personal computer maker Sortec has
signed an OEM-supply contract for laptop computers with Bull in
France.  In the agreement, Sortec will supply Bull with its IBM
PC/AT-compatible laptop computer, the Snap.  Then, Bull will
market the computer under the brand name of Lattache in Europe.
10,000 units, which amounts to a deal worth $15.7 million, are
expected to be sold the first year.

Currently, the Snap is sold in the U.S. market by Atlanta-based
DataView, receiving the OEM supply of the product from Sortec.
The Snap has an NEC's V20 microprocessing unit, and a FDD or a
HDD.

CONTACT: Sortec, 18 Nippon Dai-Tori, Naka-ku, Yokohama-shi 231,
         Japan

[***][2/02/88][***]
SUPER FAMILY COMPUTER DUE THIS FALL
TOKYO (NB) -- Nintendo will release an upgraded version of its
best-selling Family Computer this fall.  The new game machine,
Super Family Computer, will be equipped with a 16-bit MPU and a
high quality FM sound board.  A proprietary modem will also be
released.  Super Family Computer will be compatible with current
model and the price is expected to be around 20,000 yen or
$157.

11.5 million units of the Family Computer were sold since
it was released in the summer of 1983.  In the U.S., 3.16 million
units of the machines and 18.64 million units of the cartridge
game software were sold last year.  The company expects to sell
5 million units of the machine in the U.S. this year.

CONTACT: Nintendo, Kami-Takamatsu-cho 60, Fukuinari, Higashiyama-ku,
         Kyoto-shi 605, Japan

[***][2/02/88][***]
IBM JAPAN'S JOINT VENTURES
TOKYO (NB) -- IBM Japan has announced two new joint ventures.
One of them is an international VAN (value added network) service
company, which was set up this past week between IBM Japan and
Japan Information Communication Corp., a subsidiary of Japan's
telecom giant NTT.  The new company, NI+C International, is owned
39.0% by Japan Information Communication, and 20.5% by IBM Japan.
NI+C already plans to tie up with MCI International (U.S.A.) to
provide an international e-mail and a VAN service in February.

Meanwhile, IBM Japan has signed a joint business agreement with
Shinnippon-Seitetsu, a major steel maker in Japan.  Both
companies will set up a software development and sales company in
Tokyo in April.  The new firm will deal with IBM's computers and
also train system engineers.

CONTACT: IBM Japan, 3-2-12 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106

[***][2/02/88][***]
YE DATA AND OLIVETTI SETS UP A JOINT VENTURE
TOKYO (NB) -- Tokyo-based electronics device maker YE Data and
Olivetti (Italy) have created a venture business, Pegasus, in
Tokyo.  The new firm will develop, produce, and sell laptop
computers.  The target machines are 16-bit and 32-bit IBM-
compatible laptop computers.  To start, a prototype of a 16-bit
laptop computer will be developed this fall, and the company
will begin volume production around the year-end to early
1989.  Meanwhile, the company aims to produce a 32-bit laptop
computer with fastest processing speed and a high quality
compact display.  The machine will be produced some time in 1989.
Both laptop computers will be manufactured by YE Data.

CONTACT: YE Data, 9F Sunshine-60, 3-1-1 Higashi-Ikebukuro,
         Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170

[***][2/02/88][***]
NEC LAUNCHES "GREAT CLEOPATRA SCHEME"
TOKYO (NB) -- Japanese tourists are being urged to visit Egypt
by none other than electronics giant NEC. This does not mean NEC
has gotten into the tourist business, per se.

This is part of the company's counter-trade strategy, dubbed the
Great Cleopatra Scheme.  It's quite simple.  NEC helps a travel
agent send 5,000 tourists to Egypt annually in order to
create enough funds for the Egyptian government to purchase a
quantity of TV sets from NEC.  Pretty clever, eh?  The Egyptian
government is quite happy about it  and is backing up NEC's plan.
The tours are organized by Nittsu-Koku, which offers an eight-day
tour to Egypt and Rome for only 198,000 yen or $1,599.

This is not the first counter-trade for the Egyptian government.
General Motors (U.S.A.) has already agreed with the government to
promote the tourist industry in order to send 20,000 Americans to Egypt
annually.  In return, Egypt will buy GM's cars with the income
created by the tourists.

[***][2/02/88][***]
<<< SUSHI BYTES >>>

NTT'S "DES" LSI -- Japan's telecom giant NTT, Tokyo, will release
a super-fast cryptograph LSI this spring.  It is said the data
cipher and decipher feature of NTT's FEAL8 is almost five times
faster than IBM's DES.

FASTEST 1M DRAM FROM HITACHI -- Hitachi, Tokyo, will ship samples
of the fastest 1 megabit dynamic RAM with the access time of 60-
70 nanosecond (0.00000006 - 0.00000007 second) as early as this
summer.  Volume production is expected to start at its Mobara
plant in Ibaraki this fall.

MOTOROLA AND OLIVETTI -- Motorola Japan and ATC, Olivetti's
subsidiary in Japan, have linked up in the data communication field.
ATC will help Motorola maintain customers' modems across
Japan.

LOW COST 5.25-INCH 10M FDD -- Itec, Osaka, will soon release a
5.25-inch 10 megabyte disk drive and diskettes for the NEC
PC-9801.  The access speed of the disk drive is as fast as a
hard disk.  It supports 2HD, 2DD, and 2D formats.  The disk drive
costs 189,000 yen ($1,488), and the diskette costs 3,980 yen
($31).  The products will be supplied by Konica on an OEM basis.

FUJITSU'S PCs RECEIVE VOLUME ORDERS -- Fujitsu's personal
computers, the FMR series, are becoming popular, receiving volume
orders from private firms and schools.  The volume shipment of
the FMR series in fiscal 1987 is estimated to be around
100,000 units, which is 40% greater than last year.

TOSHIBA SUFFERS $54.8-MILLION LOSS FROM THE AFFAIR -- A Toshiba
official said the subsidiary's illegal export to the Soviet Union
has hurt Toshiba's export business to the U.S.  Keiichi Komiya,
Toshiba's vice president for international affairs, said the
exclusion of Toshiba products from the U.S. military budget would cost
Toshiba about $54.8 million.


AND FINALLY... Japan has started to get ready for the America's
Cup yacht race off San Diego in 1991.  The Japanese team will
design and build a $39 million dollar high-tech yacht, backed by
Fujitsu, Japan Air Lines, and other high-tech firms.


[***][2/02/88][***]
COMMODORE IN A RECREATIVE MOOD, INTRODUCES NEW PRODUCTS
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (NB) -- Commodore, in a rather splashy
mood, gave a field day to the press and certain large
dealers to introduce several new products. The new Commodore PC,
which includes an 8MHz 8088, floppy, video, and ports on the
motherboard, was shown together with an 80386-based
system which, unlike earlier reports, does not run at
20MHz due to "the scarcity of the chips" as one company
spokesman put it. The company gave an interesting
presentation by combining the Amiga with a video recorder
which gave a look at Commodore's past advertising
excesses.

Commodore sponsors quite a few sports (the bus
used to ferry us around belonged to Bayern soccer club)
including soccer, handball, rowing and many others.
Commodore, in fact, has also chartered a 70-foot yacht for
the next three years which will be entered in the
Whitbread "around the world" race starting next year. Part
of the marketing gimmick provides for free airfare for clients
and dealers (not the press..tch.tch) to the various stops of
the yacht. Observers say this massive promotional effort will
either fly the company or sink it.  However, one must keep in
mind that since Commodore has sold about 200,000 systems
in Belgium alone, they may well be able to afford it.

In a related story, Commodore has still not shown the new
64 with the in-built 3.5" disk drive, which looks like the Amiga
500. A company spokesman said, "we have not yet made any
plans to offer a new 64" (which to NEWSBYTES indicates they
may well introduce it shortly). In addition, there was some talk
about a new laptop which will be "powerful and probably
not based on the 8088/8086 chip," according to Commodore's
general manager.

Commodore also announced the availability of an MS-DOS
emulator for the Amiga.

[***][2/02/88][***]
KONTRON ANNOUNCES SUPER-FAST GRAPHICS CARD
ECHING, WEST GERMANY (NB) -- Kontron, the well-known
control systems manufacturer, has introduced one of the
fastest graphics cards for the AT. The 7000 CB uses two
Advanced Micro Devices Quad Pixel Dataflow Managers (QPDM)
which give it an amazing 110,000 vectors per second or an 18.2
million pixel move or 45,000 characters per second writing
speed. The resolution, which is kept at 1024 by 780, is
designed to accommodate up to 256 colors. The performance
(can you imagine running Flight Simulator on this - more
like flying the Concorde) is due to the QPDM, which are
intelligent processors, able to operate on four-way
interleaved memory and which offer hardware windows and
scaling.

CONTACT: Kontron Datasystems, Freisinger str. 21, 8057
         Eching, WEST GERMANY, Tel: [phone]


[***][2/02/88][***]
COMMODORE PC-20 LEADS CHIP NUMBER LIST
MUNICH, WEST GERMANY (NB) -- The Commodore PC-20, the
system with the two floppy disks, leads the best seller list
in Germany for November 1987. Following the PC-20 is the
Tandon PCA, the Mac II, the Commodore PC-40, the Mac SE,
the PS/2 model 60, the Commodore PC10, the PS/2 model 30,
the XT286, and the Apple Macintosh +.

In the home computer market, the Amiga 500 leads the way
with the Commodore 64, the Schneider CPC464, the Commodore
128 and the Schneider 6128 following behind.

In the semi-professional market, the Atari 1040ST leads
the line followed by the Atari 520STM, the Amiga 2000, the
Atari Mega ST, and the Schneider PC512.


[***][2/02/88][***]
AIDS BAN SUSPENDED
EINDHOVEN, HOLLAND (NB) -- Philips, the giant Dutch
company which has had in place a controversial ban on
hiring employees carrying the AIDS virus, suspended the
plan following strong criticism from the Dutch government.
But the company said that it will require any future
employees to take a test if they have had a positive AIDS
test result. The ban has been in force since the
beginning of 1987 as a means of reducing medical insurance
liability. The company further declined to provide
information about what percentage of its employees have
the virus and what would happen if a manager or a
division head was found to carry it.


[***][2/02/88][***]
COMPUTER BRIEFS --

APPLE will open a fifth office in Belgium to support its
increasing activities. The office, which will be in the
city of Gent, is to concentrate in the Macintosh series of
products...

 ...IBM launches two new products in the non-stop series
of products, intended to give it a push in the low end of
the market currently held by Prime and Tandem and many
upstarts. The systems, 4578 and 4579, part of system/88 (no,
they are not based on the 8088 cpu), are the entry points
of the series...

 ...The new MacCLUB is giving away diskettes full of HyperCard
goodies to its members. MacClub operates across most of this part
of Europe. For more information write to Macclub, Wirtzfeld 140,
4761 Belgium...

 ...MICROSOFT has launched its Systems Journal in Europe
with local payment conditions, local address, and local
distribution. Considering the fact that the European
market is huge (320 million people), this is certainly seen
as a smart move...

 ...MICROSOFT has also announced the availability of Fortran
version 4.1 for PCs(upgrade from 4.0 is free)...

 ...The SOFTWARE LINK has introduced in Europe a new
version of Lanlink, Lanlink 5X, which offers sharply
improved transfer rates. The system gives up the serial
ports and instead uses parallel ports for the transfer...

 ...ZENITH is set to introduce a 386-based laptop with the
same backlit LCD as its less-powerful brothers. It will be
available with a 20 or 40MB hard disk...

 ...According to a study reported by CHIP magazine, prices
of XT compatible systems dropped from a high of DM3500 to
DM1600 in 1987. Laptops fared worse; the drop was from a
high of DM10000 to DM4500. The biggest drop was for 386-
based PCs which went from DM 18000 to DM 10000...

 ...and finally, FERRANTI, the British electronics
company, announced that it had received one of the largest
contracts for the US SDI outside the US.  The company won a
$21 million contract by Martin Marietta for the
development of a simulator.



[***][2/02/88][***]
************************BIG BLUE REPORT**************************
*
*  IBM UNDERGOES MAJOR RESTRUCTURING
*  NEW YORK (NB) -- Facing Wall Street pressure to show results from
*  his leadership, International Business Machines Corp. Chairman
*  John Akers has unveiled a major management shuffling. Akers'
*  intent is to decentralize decision-making authority in IBM, which
*  many analysts feel has been suffering from business arteries
*  clogged by bureaucracy. Akers' move came a week after Big Blue
*  announced that, but for some special items, IBM's 1987 earnings
*  would have decline for the third straight year. Akers said the
*  changes are "as significant as any we've ever had" and the most
*  important since Tom Watson Jr. succeeded his late father as IBM
*  chief in 1956.
*
*
*  The restructuring establishes five "highly independent systems
*  and technology businesses," according to IBM, along with a new
*  organization, IBM United States, responsible for all U.S.
*  business. The new businesses and IBM U.S. will have full day-to-
*  day operational authority. IBM Senior Vice President Terry
*  Lautenbach is the new general manager of IBM U.S. Among those
*  five independent "businesses" is IBM Personal Systems,
*  responsible for personal systems, displays, most printers,
*  typewriters, copies, desktop publishing, consumers systems, and
*  related operating systems.
*
*
*  NEW IBM KEYPAD TALKS TO THE BLIND
*  NEW YORK (NB) -- IBM has developed a keypad that that allows
*  blind users to hear text on the PS/2 personal computer. It is
*  the first entry in IBM's Independence Series of products designed
*  to handicapped computer users. The IBM PS/2 Screen Reader
*  package, at $600, consists of an adaptive keypad, software,
*  documentation, and support and works on single computer or in
*  networks. A text-to-voice synthesizer is also necessary for
*  Screen Reader to work. IBM says Screen Reader would increase
*  independence of the visually handicapped, allowing them to
*  perform the same functions with a computer as other users. The
*  product will be available in March, according to Big Blue. IBM
*  says it tested the program with more than 70 visually impaired
*  IBM employees across the country.
*
*
*  BIG BLUE GOES IN BIG FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS
*  WASHINGTON (NB) -- In a move aimed at improving its
*  competitive position versus Digital Equipment Corp., IBM has
*  rolled out a new series of hardware and software products
*  aimed at integrating various IBM systems into seamless
*  networks. On the hardware end, IBM offers the 3745 high-speed
*  controller, which features Big Blue's newest and densest logic
*  chips. On the software side, the developments include new
*  strategic communications software and advanced X.25 data
*  transmission software. IBM is also offering a new display for
*  data terminals that features black-on-white screen.
*
*
*  IBM, AT&T GIVE CHIPS TO SEMATECH
*  NEW YORK (NB) -- International Business Machines and AT&T
*  have agreed to donate advanced memory semiconductors to the
*  Sematech semiconductor research consortium hoping to improve
*  U.S. semiconductor technology. IBM will give Sematech access to
*  its four-megabit dynamic RAM chip plus manufacturing and
*  engineering support. AT&T will contribute its 64-Kb, .7-micron
*  static RAM chips. Access to the two memory devices should give
*  Sematech a leg-up in its effort to take on the Japanese computer
*  industry in developing the next generation of semiconductor
*  devices.
*
******************************************************************************
[***][2/02/88][***]
LOTUS POSTS RECORD PROFITS, ENHANCES MANUSCRIPT
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (NB) -- Bouyed by continuing strong sales of its
1-2-3 spreadsheet, Lotus Development Corp. has reported record
sales and earnings for the fourth quarter and for the 1987. Sales
in the quarter jumped 41 percent to $115.6 million compared to
$81.8 million in 1986. Profits for the quarter were $22.9 million
(50 cents per share), compared to $15.6 million (35 cents per
share) last year. For the year ended December 31, Lotus posted
net income of $72 million ($1.58 per share) on sales of $395.6
million, compared to 1986 figures of $48.3 million in earnings
($1.03 per share) on sales of $282.9 million. Lotus said 1-2-3
sales set successive records in each of the last three quarters
of 1987. Analysts believe Lotus sold a million copies of the
venerable and endurable spreadsheet during 1987.

Lotus has also upgraded Manuscript, its high-end word processing
program, to the point that the program functions as a mid-level
desktop publishing program. Manuscript 2.0 supports a greater
number of graphic formats, including .DXF (AutoCad and VersaCad),
PC Paintbrush, and TIFF, as well as the several graphic files
version 1.0 handled. The new version of manuscript also includes
macros, downloadable fonts, math functions, and an integrated
thesaurus. Available in March, Manuscript will be $495. Users of
1.0 can upgrade for $75. Contact 1-800-TRADEUP.

[***][2/02/88][***]
COMMODORE RINGS UP STRONG QUARTER, SHOWS UP IN BUSINESS STORES
WEST CHESTER, Pa. (NB) -- Commodore International continued its
strong financial comeback, with second quarter earnings of $20.7
million (65 cents per share) on  $455.6 million in sales, versus
profits of $16 million (50 cents per share) on sales of $446.8
million. Also, Commodore's Amiga and Amiga 2000 are beginning to
show up in retail outlets catering to businesses, indicating that
the powerful Amigas may be able to make the same leap to the
business world that Apple has recently accomplished. Several
Washington-area stores, including Standard Business Systems, a
long-time computer retailer, has started giving the Commodore
products floor space and customers have been surprised to see how
powerful and capable the Amiga is, reports Standard. Commodore
Chairman Irving Gould said the Amiga "is being established
solidly and currently represents 40 percent of total revenues."

[***][2/02/88][***]
DOCTORS NET STARTS IN CONNECTICUT
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (NB) -- Physicians in Connecticut with personal
computers can now access important medical databases, and file
patient claims and insurance information electronically, thanks
to Southern New England Telecommunications Corp. and Blue Cross &
Blue Shield of Connecticut. The statewide computer network is
called the Connecticut Health Information Network and its
developers say it is the first of its kind in the country. The
telephone company provides the transmission technology, while a
Blue Cross & Blue Shield subsidiary, ProMed Systems, offers the
software. Among the databases are the offerings of the National
Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Md., and AMA-Net, an American
Medical Association offering. The network will also handle Blue
Cross & Blue Shield affiliated claims and Medicare claims
administered by The Travelers Co.

[***][2/02/88][***]
UNCLE SAM HOLDS OFF ON BRAZIL SANCTIONS
WASHINGTON (NB) -- The U.S. has delayed imposing punitive tariffs
on Brazilian trade, following Brazil's decision to permit MS-DOS
3.3 to be sold in the country. According to State Department
sources, it isn't certain whether Washington will ultimately take
action against Brazil, although the odds are against heavy
penalties, now that Brazil has agreed to at least a first step to
open up its lucrative computer market to U.S. software firms. "We
will probably push them hard for further concession, such as
access to earlier versions of DOS, and might put in some trade
sanctions, but I doubt if we will really sting them," an official
told NEWSBYTES. Brazilian trade officials agreed to let MS-DOS in
the door because its locally-developed PC operating system
doesn't perform some of the functions in DOS 3.3. Some familiar
with the situation in Brazil have charged that large segments of
the Brazilian-developed operating system has been pirated from
Microsoft's DOS products.

[***][2/02/88][***]
PRIME WINS COMPUTERVISION
NATICK, Mass. (NB) -- For two weeks, Computervision Corp's lips
said, "No." But Prime Computer President Joe Henson believed
Computervision's eyes were saying, "Yes." Henson was right.
Computervision has agreed to merge with Prime, for $15 per share,
up from Prime's original $13.50 offer. The combination of the two
companies created the second largest CAD/CAM company in the
world, after IBM. Prior to the nuptials, Computervision will drop
its "poison pill" defenses against acquisition, Prime will stop
trying to oust Computervision's board, and both happy partners
will drop the pending litigation each had filed against the
other.

[***][2/02/88][***]
COMPUTERS TO BLAME IN CRASH, SAYS GAO
WASHINGTON (NB) -- The General Accounting Office, the
Congressional watchdog agency, says the New York Stock Exchange's
computers made the situation during the stock market crash of
Black Monday, October 19, worse. GAO also says the Securities and
Exchange Commission hasn't paid enough attention to technology
issues in stock trading. GAO said the crush of business during
the crash swamped none of the 12 basic computer systems at the
Big Board, and that more than half the orders placed with the
exchange by regional exchanges in the Intermarket Trading System
expired without being executed.

[***][2/02/88][***]
COMPUTER FACTORY BUYS SEVEN CALIFORNIA STORES
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (NB) -- The Computer Factory, a chain of computer
retail stores, has bought seven California retail stores from
PAC TEL Infosystems, a division of the regional Bell operating
company. Five of the stores are in the Los Angeles area and two
are in the San Francisco region. Computer Factory also recently
completed buying four stores -- two in Washington, D.C., one in
Chicago, and one in San Jose -- from Compushop, Inc., a Bell
Atlantic company. The acquisitions bring Computer Factory's
outlets nationwide to 58 stores. Jay Gottlieb, Computer Factory's
president, said he paid cash for both transactions, and expects
to buy more. The sales also provide further evidence that the
Baby Bells aren't having much more success outside the
telephone business than erstwhile parent AT&T has experienced.

[***][2/02/88][***]
NEWS NIBBLES FROM AROUND THE REGION

APOLLO COMPUTER of Chelmsford, Mass., had a strong fourth quarter
with earnings of $10.5 million (29 cents per share) on sales of
$163 million, compared to $5.3 million in profits (19 cents per
share) on sales of $120.9 million for the fourth quarter of 1986.
For the year, Apollo earned $21.7 million (60 cents per share),
compared to $9.3 million (27 cents) in 1986.

AT&T's billing have computers reached out and touched some 2 million
customers...by mistake. As a results, people are getting billed
for payments already made, and accounts have been assigned to
collection agencies. The red-faced phone company apologizes and
says it will make up for the glitch.

GENERAL DATACOMM of Middlebury, Conn., reported red ink for the
quarter ended December 31: a loss of $7.6 million (.53 cents per
share) on $44.2 million in sales. That compares to profits of
$1.4 million (a dime a share) on $53.4 million in revenues for
the comparable 1986 quarter. The companies supplies services and
equipment to data communications networks.


[***][2/02/88][***]
COLUMBUS PLEASED WITH YORK ST. ACQUISITION
TORONTO (NB) -- Sales of York St. Accounting software have been
encouraging in the month since Columbus Computer Business Systems
Inc. of Toronto acquired the package from Crowntek Inc. of
Markham, Ont., says Harry Debes, president of Columbus.  Debes
says customers are pleased that the accounting package, developed
by a Fredericton, N.B., subsidiary of Crowntek, has been picked
up by a company that can market and support it nationally.

Plans for new releases of York St. Accounting aren't firm yet,
Debes said, but "we definitely plan to do some work on it."  He
said the package, which has about 150 installations across
Canada, gives Columbus an entree in the PC accounting market.
The company already had accounting software for IBM's System/36
and System/38 minicomputers.

CONTACT: COLUMBUS COMPUTER BUSINESS SYSTEMS INC.,
         200 Consumers Rd.,. Willowdale, Ont. [phone]

[***][2/02/88][***]
DEBATE AT TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE PARTLY ABOUT COMPUTERS
TORONTO (NB) -- The floor traders at the Toronto Stock Exchange
are unhappy these days, partly about the possibility of being
replaced by computers.

The TSE was a pioneer in computerized stock trading when it
introduced the Computer-Assisted Trading System (CATS) 10 years
ago.  Until now there seemed to be little resistance to the
system.  But layoffs at the exchange in recent weeks have started
a controversy that has spread to the issue of automation.
Traders are worried that Terry Popowich, a TSE vice-president who
fired several senior employees of the exchange recently, is
trying to impose his own ideas on the exchange.  They fear those
ideas include replacing traders with an extended computerized
trading system.

McKinsey & Co., the New York consulting firm, has been hired to
conduct a C$1.2-million study of automation on the TSE floor.

[***][2/02/88][***]
DRAKE TO HANDLE NCR PRODUCTS
TORONTO (NB) -- Drake Network Systems, a member of Drake
International, will offer networking and workstation products
from NCR Canada Ltd. to its cross-Canada reseller network.  The
two companies signed a distribution agreement in late January,
marking the first time NCR has distributed its products through a
LAN dealer in Canada.  Drake has sales offices in Toronto,
Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary.  The company distributes local-
area and wide-area network products.

CONTACT: DRAKE NETWORK SYSTEMS, [phone]

[***][2/02/88][***]
FEW WOMEN USE CELLULAR, CANTEL EXECUTIVE NOTES
TORONTO (NB) -- About 96 per cent of subscribers to Cantel Inc.'s
national cellular telephone service are men.  That figure comes
from Kathy McLaughlin, one of the few female users and assistant
vice-president of marketing for the national cellular carrier.
She said the figure is typical of the uneven adoption of new
technologies, but certainly does not reflect the need.  Based on
the numbers of men and women in jobs where cellular telephones
would be useful, she said, the figures should be more like 75 per
cent men to 25 per cent women.

[***][2/02/88][***]
FINANCIAL BITS
-- BCE INC. of Montreal, parent of Northern Telecom and Bell
Canada, made a C$1.1 billion profit in the year ended Dec. 31, up
from C$1 billion the year before.  Revenues were C$14.6 billion,
up from C$13.9 billion.

-- NORTHERN TELECOM LTD., Mississauga, Ont., made a profit of
$329 million in the year ended Dec. 31, up from $287 million in
the previous year.  Revenues were $4.9 billion, up from $4.4
billion.  Fourth-quarter profit was $136 million, up from $126
million in the same period of 1986, on unchanged quarterly
revenue of $1.3 billion.  Northern Telecom reports in U.S.
dollars.

-- CABLESHARE INC., London, Ont., made C$2.15 million in the nine
months ended Dec. 31 on revenues of C$427,000.  In the same
period of 1986, Cableshare lost C$272,000 on revenues of C$1.1
million.

-- XEROX CANADA INC., Toronto, made a C$64.4 million profit on
C$996.9 million in revenues in the year ended Dec. 31, up from
C$57.9 million on C$864.9 million in revenues in 1986.

-- DEVELCON ELECTRONICS LTD., Saskatoon, lost C$1.8 million in
the quarter ended Nov. 30, worse than C$1.18 million in the same
three months of 1986.  Revenues were C$3.19 million, down from
C$4.49 million in the year-earlier period.  THE GLOBE AND MAIL in
Toronto reports the communications equipment maker is considering
private placements to raise money while it shifts marketing
efforts from older products to new ones.

-- NATIONAL BUSINESS SYSTEMS INC. of Mississauga, Ont., has
cancelled a plan to buy back about 20 per cent of its own stock.

-- NOVATRON INFORMATION INC. of Halifax, N.S., hopes to raise
from C$2 million to C$2.5 million through a  rights offering to
holders of its common shares.

[***][2/02/88][***]
BITS, EH?
-- COMPAQ COMPUTER CORP. has announced 14- to 19-per-cent price
cuts on its Deskpro 286 computers in the Canadian market.  The
Deskpro 286 Model 1 is reduced from C$4,899 to C$4,199, the Model
20 from C$6,499 to C$5,499, and the Model 40 from C$8,599 to
C$6,999.

-- BELL-NORTHERN RESEARCH, Ottawa, says a new benchmark software
tool it has developed will reduce the time needed to evaluate new
processors for its products by as much as 90 per cent.

-- BEST SYSTEMS CORP. OF CANADA LTD., Toronto, has appointed
Eugen F. Hutka as president and chief operating officer.  Best
manufactures IBM-compatible PCs at three Canadian plants.  Hutka
founded a predecessor company, Exceltronix.

-- GRID SYSTEMS CANADA INC., Toronto, has appointed Michel Pilon
as branch manager for the province of Quebec.

-- XEROX CANADA INC., Toronto, has announced wide-ranging price
increases, averaging six per cent across the company's entire
product line.  Xerox blamed the increases on inflation and "the
impact of adverse currency movements."

[***][2/02/88][***]
APPLE ANNOUNCES LOW COST 128/512K MAC PLUS UPGRADE PATH
Hemel Hempstead, Herts (NB) -- In a surprise move, Apple Computer
UK has announced an upgrade path to a Mac Plus for Mac 128K and
512K owners with a few pounds to spare.

The upgrade program, which runs through to 31 August this year,
makes a special bundling deal available at #450 which includes
the full upgrade to a Mac Plus, together with Hypercard, version
5.0 of the Mac's system software and Multifinder.

According to Chris Calvert, Apple UK's product marketing manager,
the deal works out at just under half the normal price of an
upgrade.  "We recognize that the power and functionality of the
Mac range has expanded rapidly over the last two years," he said.
"This means that owners of 128K or 512K machines are no longer
able to take advantage of all Apple's system software
enhancements such as Multifinder.  The upgrade program is
designed to allow users of our first Mac products to enlarge
their systems and harness the latest developments."

CONTACT:  Apple UK, Eastman Way, Hemel Hempstead,
          Hertfordshire HP2 7HQ.
          Tel: [phone].

[***][2/02/88][***]
FRONTIER/SUPRA DRIVES FOR MEGA ST RELEASED
Harrogate, North Yorkshire (NB) -- PCs have them, so why not the
Atari Mega ST?  Frontier Software, the sole UK distributor for
Supra hard disks for the Atari ST, has announced the Megadrive
internal hard disk for the Mega ST range.

The new Megadrive comes in three sizes - 20, 30 and 40Mb.  Prices
start at #589.95 for the 20Mb unit, rising to #799.95 for the
30Mb drive.  The lower capacity drives will be launched on 15
February.  Pricing and availability of the 40Mb Supradrive has
yet to be announced.

Frontier's marketing manager Dave Walsh says that the drive
prices include dealer installation, although - as with all Supra
products - they are available direct from Frontier.  "Supra have
done a tremendous job squeezing the Megadrive into the extremely
small space inside the Mega STs," he said.

Supra isn't resting on its laurels either.  Walsh told NEWSBYTES
UK that the company has a number of ST add-ons lined for the
coming year.  "The Megadrive is just the first of many," he said.
"Frontier will be making the new products available to ST owners
in Europe just as soon as they roll off the production line."

* Supra's 20, 30, 60 and 195Mb hard disks have been
extremely popular in the US during the past 18 months and in the
UK (via Frontier) since February 1987.  The 20Mb model is
reported to be outselling the official Atari product by a factor
of 3 to 1 in many areas.

CONTACT: FRONTIER SOFTWARE, PO Box 113, Harrogate,
         North Yorkshire HG2 0BE. Tel: [phone].

[***][2/02/88][***]
BELL NORTHERN RESEARCH CONTRIBUTE #95K TO SCIENCE RESEARCH
Glasgow, Scotland (NB) -- Bell Northern Research, the R&D
subsidiary of Northern Telecom, has donated #95,000 towards the
funding of a computer science research project at the University
of Glasgow.

The programme has enabled the university to buy equipment and
hire two research assistants for its computer science department.
The staff join a human-computer interaction team that is
investigating the use of icons as a means of communication
between humans and computers.

Dr John Patterson, who heads the university research team, sees a
challenge in getting non-English-speaking people to use a
computer programmed in English.  "By developing language-
independent icons, based on visual concepts common to all
cultures, the computer becomes accessible to everyone, no matter
what language they speak," he said.

CONTACT: NORTHERN TELECOM EUROPE LTD., Berkeley House,
         Berkeley Square, London W1X 5LB.
         Tel: [phone].

[***][2/02/88][***]
AMS UNVEIL LOW-COST PC MOUSE
Warrington, Cheshire (NB) -- Continuing its history of releasing
low-cost, but high-quality products, Advanced Memory Systems has
announced a #69 PC serial mouse.  The mouse was originally
bundled with the company's Finesse desktop publishing package and
has now been released separately following consumer demand.

AMS boss Nick Pearson sees 1988 as the year of the mouse.  "I can
see this as the year for mass market PC mice," he said.  "Since
our product is one of the most advanced, featuring a patented
design to ensure the ball is in surface contact at all times, I
believe we'll capture the lion's share of sales."

CONTACT: ADVANCED MEMORY SYSTEMS, 166/170 Wilderspool Causeway,
         Warrington WA4 6QA.                  Tel: [phone].

[***][2/02/88][***]
+ BRITBYTES - Bytes of news from around the UK... +
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

ACORN COMPUTERS of Cambridge has announced it is to invest
#250,000 in the development of Edsoft, the educational software
house which will specialize in educational software for the
Archimedes, Acorn's RISC chip machine.  The move will ensure that
software which would not otherwise be marketed, will be produced
for the Archimedes.

AMSTRAD has gained BABT approval for its PC card modem unveiled
at the Which Computer? Show last month.  Supplies of the #199.95
modem which works at all speeds between 300 and 2400 baud full
duplex, are expected in the shops later this month.

ATARI is now on course for reporting a $1 billion turnover for
the 1987 financial year.  Much of the increase is attributable to
the purchase of several retail concerns in the US during 1987.
The company is also expected to unveil its 1988 business
marketing plans at the end of this month.

BRITISH TELECOM is to consolidate its data and communications
networking services under the DIALCOM logo.  Part of the
management and marketing reshuffle involves the creation of a
Value-Added Services division with John Morris - formerly
president of Dialcom US - as its chairman.  The new group will
consist of four main divisions serving the Europe, the UK, the US
and the rest of the world, and span Dialcom, Prestel, Telecom
Gold and most (if not all) of BT's data communications services.
Target date for the new group launch is April of this year.

The CODEMASTERS software house has announced plans to produce a
global sports aid game for the 1988 SPORTS AID APPEAL.  THe
copyright of the games, which will be marketed for a variety of
computers on a worldwide basis, will be owned by the Sports Aid
Foundation.

COMMODORE has now ceased its A500/colour monitor bundling deal on
the Amiga.  The highly-successful deal offered #150 off the
retail price of the two units when sold separately.  The latest
POPULAR COMPUTING WEEKLY magazine suggests that a permanent price
cut on the A500 may be in the pipeline.

DIAMOND SOFTWARE of Rochester, Kent, has released a budget range
of PCs.  Diamond PC prices start at #945 for a 20Mb-equipped PC-
XT clone, rising to #1,899 for a PC-AT compatible with a 40Mb
hard disk, and #2,895 for a 44Mb hard disk-equipped 80386 PC with
2Mb of RAM.

The price of 3 1/2 INCH DISKS looks set to rise following a 25
per cent shortfall in supply in the US.  The disk shortage, which
is expected to last for at least six months, has been caused by
the success of the Apple Macintosh, Atari ST and Commodore Amiga
computers.

EEC LIMITED of Chalfont St. Peters (0753-888866) is selling off
Sinclair Spectrum micro drive units and cartridges.  The drives
cost #24-95 (#44 for two), whilst the cartridges work out at #1-
60 each.  This is one of few remaining discount outlets for the
obsolete, but still popular, Spectrum tape units.

In celebration of Australia's bicentennial last week, the
EPNITEX electronic mail service of Lincoln has opened up a
reciprocal email link with VIATEL, the Australian viewdata
network.  This is the first time that a transcontinental email
link has been opened between two viewdata/videotex services.

Last week's WHICH COMPUTER? SHOW in Birmingham has turned
in slightly disappointing figures.  Overall attendance at the
four day show was down 8,000 from last year's high of 60,000.
Cahners Exhibitions, the show organizers, attribute the
attendance drop as due to the event's move from February to
January, coupled with bad weather on the last day.  NEWSBYTES UK
attributes the drop in attendance as due to the show being
boring.

[***][2/02/88][***]
UK EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY

Event:         1988 Computer Law Symposium
Dates:         22/23 March 1988
Location:      London - Marriott Hotel
Organisers:    Legal Studies & Services Limited - 01-236-4080

Event:         Understanding Data Communications
Dates:         21/23 March 1988
Location:      London - Hyatt Carlton Hotel
Organisers:    Management Technology Education - 01-370-4200

Event:         Network Protocols
Dates:         24/25 March 1988
Location:      London - Hyatt Carlton Tower Hotel
Organisers:    Management Technology Education - 01-370-4200

Event:         Network Planning and Design
Dates:         28/30 March 1988
Location:      London - Swallow International Hotel
Organisers:    Management Technology Education - 01-370-4200
====