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(EDITORIAL)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00001)

Editorial: Bell, Newspaper War Over: Bells Won 07/24/92
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- By Dana Blankenhorn.
Despite moves by two House committees to restrain them, the
regional Bell companies have won their battle to compete in the
information business.

Newspapers, whose publishers sniff the political winds as part of
their jobs, had through their American Newspaper Publishers
Association trade group been among the most active opponents of
this. ANPA President Cathleen Black painted a chilling portrait
of Bells using their monopoly powers to control citizens, and
using their knowledge of calling habits as a marketing tool. But,
slowly but surely, her members have been making their separate
peace.

The Chicago Sun-Times is just the latest, teaming up with
Ameritech to offer a fantasy baseball line, a phone number which
will let people pick their own team and watch it compete for
valuable prizes each week. The new service is at 1-900-946-6377,
and costs $1.79 per minute. The service, like other newspaper-
phone tie-ups, would have been illegal before Judge Harold Greene
reluctantly lifted the ban on Bell participation in the
information business last October.

So far, at least, fears that the Bells would, given the power,
take over the online business seem unfounded. Instead, audiotex
and cellular tie-ins seem most popular. The Bells have cleverly
offered small services involving health, education, and
charitable causes to co-opt potential opponents. The two House
committees seeking to regulate the movement are squabbling
between themselves.

But it's time to stop fighting a battle that cannot be won. It's
time to let the Bells compete in information services. But it's
also time to make sure that, in that competition, they can't use
money you have to pay them for phone service against you.
It's time to call a halt.

Instead of worrying about whether the Bells will be let into the
information business -- since they already are -- it's time to
look at how they'll be let in. The great fear of Bell opponents,
that the companies will subsidize their dominance of new markets
with regulated cash-flow from captive customers, remains a
reality.

Here's a modest proposal. Require that all Bell information
service businesses be put into a separate subsidiary. Require
that all phone company services, salaries and space used by that
subsidiary be accounted for at its market value, not at its cost
to the phone company. And require that this information be made
public. My guess is that, after a few years, laughter at bad
results will turn to anger on the part of shareholders, and most
new ventures will be closed.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920723)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00002)

ROUNDUP: Stories Carried By Other Media This Week 07/24/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- Roundup is a brief
look at some computer stories carried in other publications
received here this past week.

InformationWeek for July 20 highlights the perils MIS departments
are encountering in the move toward downsizing.

UnixWorld for August features a look at DESQview/X and Cayman
System's XGator which, respectively, allow Unix X Windows
applications to be run over a network from an MS-DOS PC or a Mac.

Systems & Network Integration, which has ceased publication
(possibly one more issue coming), says that integrators are
skeptical about Windows NT despite Redmond's big promotional
blitz.

Software Magazine for July says that "X/Open [is] seen as a
unifier; Bellcore does compliance test itself."

Computer Reseller News dated July 20 says that there are just too
many copies of Microsoft Windows 3.1 out in the channel.

Computerworld for the 20th says that the Open Software Foundation
is struggling to remain an important player in the Unix standards
field.

(John McCormick/19920724/)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00003)

House Passes Cable TV Reregulation Bill 07/24/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- The US House
passed a bill to re-regulate cable television, but it faces an
almost certain veto from President Bush. The final vote, 340-73,
would be enough to override such a veto, however.

The bill requires the FCC to establish a rate structure for
"basic cable," defined as including major networks, local
independent stations, as well as educational and government-
access stations. It prevents cable companies from requiring
the purchase of any higher tiers of stations before they can get
premium channels like HBO. It requires creation of a formula to
determine the top price a cable company may charge for equipment,
and prohibits the granting of exclusive franchises by local
governments.

The bill also requires cable firms to carry all local
broadcasters, sets minimum standards for service and consumer
protection, lets localities regulate pay-per-view prices on top
sporting events, asks the FCC to study the trend of sports
programs moving off broadcast and onto premium cable services,
and prevents cable programmers from denying programs to
competitors like satellite dish owners or phone companies.

The debate, held live over the C-Span cable network, was
interesting in that it did not fall along party lines.
Some Republicans spoke for re-regulation, while some Democrats
argued against it. The House bill, and a similar bill approved by
the Senate in January, also with a veto-proof majority, now go to
a conference committee, where differences will be ironed out. A
showdown on the issue is expected before the November elections.

Bush could still easily win on this issue. Substitutes approved
by the White House were defeated by narrow margins, indicating
firm votes to override might not be there. But that could put the
issue into the Presidential contest itself, since Democratic vice
presidential candidate Al Gore of Tennessee was a major sponsor
of the Senate's version of the bill.

The cable industry is expected to press for a veto of the bill,
since it included language from Rep. Bill Tauzin, a Louisiana
Democrat, requiring that cable programmers sell their wares to
cable competitors. National Cable Television Association
President James P. Mooney said that made an "excessive bill"
worse. Mooney warned the bill, if it becomes law, will result in
much higher cable rates. Wireless cable operators, however,
hailed inclusion of the provision.

Cable regulation proponents didn't win everything, however. The
House dumped a provision that cable companies pay broadcast
stations to carry their wares. That provision, however, is in the
Senate version of the bill.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920724)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(ATL)(00004)

Study Claims Online College Education Works 07/24/92
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KENTUCKY, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) --
Cincinnati Bell released a study claiming its online college
education system called Ole works.

The study, by the company's MATRIXX Marketing unit, says that
students who took online interactive education classes as part of
a pilot program study at Northern Kentucky University received
better grades and evaluated instructors more favorably than
students who took the same courses without computer interaction.

Cincinnati Bell Directory teamed up with NKU and Apple Computer
to conduct the pilot program study, composed of six courses
during the spring 1992 semester, each with a test and control
section. A total of 224 students participated in the study,
divided evenly between test and control groups. Those in the test
group were assigned Macintosh SE personal computers to use at
home or at work to fulfill their course requirements while
online.

According to MATRIXX, both the quantitative and qualitative
phases of the research demonstrated Ole's success among students
and faculty, particularly in the area of increasing the amount
and quality of interaction outside of class. Almost half the
students in the test group earned final grades of "A" while one-
third of the students in the control group received "A's." Nearly
three out of every four students in the test group rated response
time, ease in doing assignments, quantity of feedback, quality of
the course, and their overall experience as better or much better
than past courses that didn't offer online computer interaction.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920724/Press Contact: Donna Noll, for
Cincinnati Bell, 513/721-5353)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00005)

MCI Earnings Rise 07/24/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- MCI said it posted
a nearly 10 percent rise in earnings for the quarter ending in
June, but claimed the gain was from its success in winning new
corporate accounts, not its "Friends and Family" discount plan.

MCI has been gaining residential market share for over a year
since instituting the "Friends and Family" plan, which offers a
20 percent discount to calls made within a "calling circle" of
people who agree to make MCI their default long-distance carrier.
AT&T has attacked it heavily in commercials, but copied some of
its provisions in a small business calling plan announced this
year. Sprint has replied with a calling plan called "Most" which
automatically gives out the discount to the most frequently-
called numbers, based on a monthly analysis of customer bills.
When the plan was first announced, analysts speculated that MCI
might lose money in its attempt to gain market share.

MCI said its traffic rose 14.6 percent over the previous year,
nearly double the industry average, and profits were $141 million
on revenue of $2.6 billion. Major contracts signed with Citicorp,
Holiday Inn, the US government and the state of Minnesota all
contributed, chairman Bert Roberts said. International growth and
residential market share gain were also given credit.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920724/Press Contact: MCI 202-887-3000)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00006)

Crain Communications Buys RCR Publications 07/24/92
DETROIT, MICHIGAN, U.S.A., 1992 JULY 24 (NB) -- The wireless
communication industry received a boost when Crain Communications
bought RCR Publications of Denver. RCR is a tabloid newspaper
covering wireless communications. It's the first purchase of a
publisher in the field by a major commercial publisher.

Chairman Keith Crain said he hoped for synergy with some of his
company's other publications, like Electronic Media, which covers
the broadcast industry, and Automotive News. However, the RCR
staff will not be moving from its present headquarters in
Colorado to either Chicago or Detroit, where most of the Crain
papers are located. "We like the idea of expanding the cities in
which we are located to now include Denver," Mr. Crain said.

RCR is a trade paper for wireless communication carriers, end-
users in government and business, and those operating in the
distribution channels including dealers and retailers. It
focuses on general news, regulatory business and finance, and
international coverage. Circulation is 20,000 worldwide. The
publication is printed on newsprint and looks a little like the
other Crain papers in its lay-out. The other Crain papers,
however, are printed on glossy stock. Crain has over 900
employees in 15 offices in the United States, England, Germany
and Japan.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920724/Press Contact: Penelope A. Geismar,
Crain Communications, 313-446-6014)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00007)

Pacific Bell Enters National 800 Business With Sprint 07/24/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- Pacific
Bell is offering a nationwide 800 service for California
businesses, in conjunction with Sprint.

The service, called Custom 800, lets businesses advertise a
single number nationwide. To spur companies to use it, Pacific
Bell will install its Custom 800 service free, a savings of up to
$70 per 800 number, for customers ordering service by August 15.

Pacific Bell is the first regional Bell to offer a
nationally-accessible 800 service. The service combines Pacific
Bell's Custom 800 service with Sprint's Fonline 800 service.
Although Sprint is the first, and currently the only, long-
distance carrier working with Pacific Bell to offer nationwide
service, Pacific Bell wants the participation of other long-
distance carriers.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920724/Press Contact: Pacific Bell, Dan
Theobald, 415/542-4589)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00008)

Australia: OS/2 Developer's Conference In August 07/24/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- Australia has
always supported more than the average number of corporate
OS/2 sites, and IBM is intent on continuing that. The 1992 OS/2
developer's conference promises to be a gala affair, with a star-
studded cast of imported and domestic players.

It's actually two four-day conferences in two cities, staggered by
just one day so that it starts on August 17 in Sydney and August
18 in Melbourne. Presumably the stars will flit back and forth
between the cities depending on when they're onstage and when
they want to see what's happening.

These stars include: Philippe Kahn who will give the keynote
address on day one; Lucy Baney, IBM's Personal Systems
director, who will give the opening address on day one; Dr.
Michael Kogan, the chief architect for 32-bit OS/2, who will
speak on various topics including 32-bit programming, DOS and
Windows compatibility and I/O and device drivers; Barbara
Barker, the lead strategist for IBM's LAN systems protocol design
who will speak on various topics including distributed systems
and OS/2 Lan; David Kerr, senior planner for OS/2 presentation
manager.

Other session topics include: Windows to OS/2 porting; Lotus
Notes design and integration; application development; What's
new in OS/2?; programming with the Workplace Shell; OS/2
REXX programming; Distributed services; Borland ObjectVision.

For 'basic' enrollment of AUS$700 (around US$520) attendees get
four days and four lunches. They also get a CD-ROM with the
latest OS/2 2.x, beta 32-bit Graphics Engine, beta Developer's
Migration Kit (for bringing over Windows applications) and a
demo version of GPF. As all presentations will be PS/2
multimedia format, attendees will be able to visit a booth to
collect a copy of any presentation on diskette, or review it on the
machine.

"Winning Post' enrollment costs twice as much and includes all the
above plus a a CD-ROM player, an OS/2 device driver and access
to a hands-on demo room; a 'jockey room session' for talking,
and a cocktail party. They also get a a second CD-ROM with
Borland ObjectVision, OS/2 reference library, the entire OS/2
developer's toolkit, and more.

And finally, to put it in IBM's words, "This is your chance to
decide for yourself. Over a comprehensive, well-planned four-day
program, these outstanding international experts will cover ways
in which you, the developer, can concurrently design, edit,
compile, test and debug for three popular environments on a
single system. For your own professional development and to find
out about bottom-line benefits such as reducing development and
maintenance costs - you can't afford to miss this opportunity."

Registrations or questions should be addressed to: OS/2 Developer's
Seminars, C/O ICMS Australia Pty Ltd, GPO Box 2609, Sydney NSW 2001
Australia, Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone].

(Paul Zucker/19920724)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00009)

IBM Australia Tests Direct Sales With Mobile PCs 07/24/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- As in most parts of
the world, IBM in Australia is experimenting with direct sales as a
method of bolstering it slow PS sales. The Australian experiment
will cover PS/2 notebooks and color laptops.

An internal IBM direct sales force, operating on a toll-free
number in Sydney will prove so successful (hopes IBM) that other
product lines can soon be offered. It's believed that IBM will
attempt to differentiate the machines by offering bundles of
memory, add-ons and application software such as Lotus 1-2-3,
and by pre-installing DOS 5.0 or OS/2.

The ad campaign has started with small spots in business
magazines and newspapers rather than the computer press. It's
also believed that a telesales campaign is planned, with staff
making cold telephone calls to selected targets.

The campaign is to run for three months and will then be
evaluated, and the results compared to Europe and other markets.
One area of interest to the evaluation team is the response in
markets which are well-served, and poorly served by traditional
storefront IBM dealers.

(Paul Zucker/19920724)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(SYD)(00010)

New For Unix: Panacea - Hospital Clinical Costing System 07/24/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- ICL Australia and
a Victorian state hospital have launched a hospital software
package, Panacea. The hospital is one of the leaders in the
state of Victoria, the Preston and Northcote Community Hospital
(PANCH).

Panacea is an X/Open INGRES-based system which can identify
the itemized costs of treating patients individually. It developed as
a result of post-graduate theses by senior executives at PANCH. It
is designed to operate on a hospital's existing Unix computer
network, and offers fourth-generation flexibility.

Marketing manager for ICL (which is wholly owned by Fujitsu
Australia) said that Panacea provided the means to measure and
thereby control hospital costs and was a vital tool for the
management of today's hospitals. "Increasingly, small and large
hospitals are recognizing the importance of the flexibility
provided by a 4GL relational product such as Ingres. Health
boards are realizing the benefits of an integrated Open Systems
environment, and are cutting free from restrictive single-vendor
systems."

He also claims that a Unix solution can cost significantly less,
which fits in well with Panacea's ability to maximize the use of
existing hospital funds, and quickly react to significant
infrastructure changes.

Panacea has been designed for portability across a range of high-
performance Risc/Sparc hardware architectures offered
competitively by a number of Unix X/Open vendors.

(Paul Zucker/19920724/ Contact Merri Mack, Fujitsu Australia,
Tel [phone] Fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00011)

New For Networks: Fresh Node Mgt For Netware 07/24/92
GILBERT, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- Fresh Technology
Company has announced that it will begin shipping copies of its new
node management program NodeVision before the end of this month,
and that it hopes to begin volume shipments early in August.

NodeVisions is attempting to be more than just a network inventory
program. The product's goal is to "maintain reliable network node
performance for desktop users amidst the inevitable changes created
by network growth." This quote is from company president and CEO,
Mark Dixon, when he previewed a copy of NodeVision to a
meeting of the Netware Users Group in Phoenix, Arizona earlier this
month.

The program accomplishes this by focusing on six areas that the
company believes are key: hardware configuration management,
software and file change management, cable and connector management,
concentrator connection management, TCP/IP address management,
and UPS (uninterruptible power supply) monitoring. In each of the
areas there is a mix of manual data entry and automatic monitoring
that allows the program to operate.

The benefit of the program can best be understood by example.
The following scenario happened to one of the company's spokespeople
and was relayed to Newsbytes. The employee in question normally
uses his PC to do some telecommunications and traditionally has
used Procomm Plus as his preferred package. One day, for some
reason, he needed to use a different package. After using that other
package he found that Procomm Plus would not work any longer. As a
matter of fact, he could not even access his modem through Procomm
Plus.

A quick run of NodeVision solved the problem. It turns out
that the other communications program reset the PC's serial port and
redefined the modem's initialization screens. Without NodeVision,
understanding the source of such a problem and fixing it could take
several hours. With NodeVision, the problem was identified in less
than 5 minutes and the resolution was quickly implemented.

NodeVision runs under Microsoft Windows. It sells on a server basis
with a limit on the number of nodes that each package can support.
The 50 node version for one server is priced at $495.

(Naor Wallach/19920724, Press Contact: Kip Meacham, Fresh Technology
Company, 602-497-4200/ Public Contact: 602-497-4200)


(REVIEW)(IBM)(LAX)(00012)

Review of: Micro-Scope V4.28 & Post Probe, for PCs PART I 07/24/92

Runs on: IBM and compatible personal computers (PCs)

From: Micro 2000, 1100 E. Broadway, Suite 301, Glendale, California
91205, telephone [phone], fax [phone]

Price: Micro-Scope $499 retail, $399 dealer; Post Probe $399 retail,
$299 dealer

PUMA Rating: Micro-Scope 3.75, Post Probe 3.0 (on a scale of 1=lowest
to 4=highest)

Reviewed for Newsbytes by: Linda Rohrbough 07/24/92

Summary: Both Micro-Scope and Post Probe (see next review) are the
best diagnostic products of their type yet, however MicroScope is
the most useful as it can low-level format IDE drives.

=======

REVIEW

=======

Micro-Scope software and Post Probe, a post code trapping card, are
ambitious products geared toward experienced computer users despite
claims to the contrary that try to conquer the enormous task of
diagnosing problems on all IBM or compatible personal computers.
Micro-Scope's claim to fame is it can low-level format IDE drives.
While both products seem to me to be the best so far, both have
problems and may be priced too high for what they do.

Micro-Scope

Micro-Scope is the product of the two I think is the most useful. In
evaluating the product, I went to Steve Sacco, owner of Agoura Hills,
California-based Amcom Consulting Services and a professional
hardware troubleshooter.

Steve and I each tested the products independently, then we got
together to compare notes and test further. The closest product
currently on the market to Micro-Scope and the one Steve is most
familiar with is Checkit 3.0 from Huntington Beach, California-based
Touchstone Software.

Micro-scope's user interface is text-based with pull-down menus and
looks pretty plain, but that plain look hides a lot of features. It
reports back information we expected about the computer's
configuration, number and type of drives, central processing unit
(CPU), graphics card, memory, type of basic input/output system
(BIOS), and so on.

In testing the software with various machines we found it didn't know
about some fairly common basic input/output systems. For example, it
didn't know the Award BIOS, a fairly common BIOS and one Checkit
picked up on. However, it gave us the information we expected and in
a straight forward format.

Micro-scope is operating system independent and the disk the program
comes on is bootable. Micro-scope is the only product we knew of that
offers it. Micro-scope says the product is operating system
independent, meaning it is not relying on DOS or some other operating
system to go out and get information on the hardware. Since DOS can
sometimes mislead you as to a problem, this is an important feature.

One of the first things we did was look at the interrupts. The
product picked up all the interrupts and the active addresses. It
also showed the partition table, the active partition, and the fact
that it was a DOS partition.

However, when displaying the CMOS, where the information about the
system's hardware configuration is stored, we found table the product
used was difficult to follow. But the product did allow us to change
the CMOS. This is especially attractive on older machines where the
set-up is not accessible by pressing and holding the delete key
during boot up, but instead must be changed with the use of a set-up
disk. Our experience is often the set-up disk is lost.

Micro-scope provides the ability to build a set of tests for a burn-
in and even provides an on screen report, but leaves out the CPU test
in the report. That means, in order to see an error in the CPU test
you'd have to babysit the machine's burn-in. Chris Hoffman, director
of engineering for Microscope 2000 told me a CPU problem shows up
pretty fast during testing, the message that the CPU passed the test
after it is run only appears for a few seconds and then the screen is
rewritten. Steve said he likes to leave the computer and just let it
run during a burn-in so he needs the information to be in the report
on all the tests run.

We found tests of the base memory, expanded and extended memory.
However, there is no test for a joystick or a mouse, but there is a
work-around for the mouse test in the keyboard to port test. Checkit
has a mouse and a joystick test.

No printed reports either to printer or disk are available for the
tests, which is a disadvantage and something that probably ought to
be added.

The software's biggest claim to fame is its capability of low-level
formatting an Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) hard disk drive. IDE
drives, unlike other hard disk drives are low level formatted at the
factory and up until now had to be sent back to the factory if low
level formatting was ever required again. I called Micro 2000 for a
recommendation of someone to talk to outside the company who has
formatted an IDE drive, as neither I nor Steve could find anyone,
including ourselves, who wanted to test this feature.

I talked to Bill Nash of CE Computers in Palestine, Texas who says he
wouldn't recommend low-level formatting an IDE unless it was
absolutely necessary as it destroys the bad sector map from the
factory. However, he said he has used the product to successfully
format several IDE drives that otherwise would have had to be sent
back to the manufacturer.

In setting up the drive for the low-level, the product reads the
drive types from the BIOS and displays them on as a pick list on the
screen. The software can test the interleave and a non-destructive
format option is available. Chris Hoffman director of engineering for
Micro 2000 said there is no such thing as a non-destructive format.
What's really happening in the non-destructive format is the
information is copied off to another location, the spot is formatted,
and the information is copied back. If the information cannot be
copied back for some reason, like the sector is bad, then the data
will be lost. The company emphasizes backups for this reason.

Micro-scope also allows formatting of a floppy disk drive, including
the odd-ball 720 kilobyte 5.25-inch floppy drive.

The RS232 port display was very informative and allowed us to select
the ports and showed the interrupts. However, the notation wasn't
COM1, COM2, but instead was like the notation an engineer would use
with Port 0 for COM1, Port 1 for COM 2. Steve thought the description
in the manual should be more complete for the port test, and we both
noticed the software only tests for speeds up to and including 9600
baud. That means the software isn't able to detect problems with high
speed data transfers. However, those tests, along with the loop back
plugs included with the package are great for making everything works
on a new machine before the customer gets it.

A status of ring indicator line notes whether the port is on data set
ready, or clear to send which is helpful information when interfacing
a printer.

One of the most useful features is the RS232 keyboard to port option.
Steve said he's been carrying ProComm, a telecommunications program,
in his toolkit just to be able to type commands from the keyboard to
test a modem. The feature allows for some limited telecommunications
as well as the ability to test serial connections. This is also the
work around for the mouse test, as when the mouse is working its
movement will generate characters on the screen. Parallel tests are
included as well and we found them to be standard.

There is a video memory test, but it didn't include a Hercules
monitor test. While a message on the screen says this test will be
implemented in a future release of the software, Hoffman told us that
isn't true. The company thought it would implement the test at one
time, but the decision has been made that it's not worthwhile,
Hoffman said.

The screen fill test is a good one for aligning the visual display,
but nothing is mentioned in the manual about how this is done. Once
this option is selected, a single press of a character fills the
screen with that character. Steve said he normally uses "E" for the
vertical alignment and "#" for focus. Hoffman recommended using ASCII
character 197. As far as we know, this feature hasn't been offered in
other products.

An option to examine the contents of memory in both hexidecimal and
ASCII is available as well as a sector editor that offers the same
option for the physical contents of the drives. This allows for
editing of the boot sector and partition table. Since the product is
bootable DOS isn't in the way when editing drives that have sector
translation like IDE and small computer systems interface (SCSI)
drives.

We both agreed however, that this is a loaded gun and an
inexperienced user could cause themselves a lot of grief with it. The
feature is a repeat of a similar editor in Norton, and while I've
found a need for such an editor several times, Steve says he rarely
uses one.

Another feature we liked was the floppy head cleaning capability that
cycles the read head from zero to 40 or 80. This makes the head go
back and forth as well as left and right across the surface of the
disk to give the head a good scrubbing. A pleasant side effect is
cleaning disks last longer since the wear is spread out.

One of the big problems is both Steve and I in out independent tests
and when we were working together noticed the software locks up for
no apparent reason, requiring a press of the reset button to reboot.
As my hardware junkie friends put it, this is a "real man's bug."
Hoffman explained however that this is not a bug, but the software
will appear to hang when doing an impossible test, like testing a
nonexistent disk drive. The software may attempt the test for as long
as five minutes, but Hoffman says he has never known it to not come
back and report to the user.

My definition of "hang" however, is if there is no message that the
system will be back, and if I can reboot and come back up where I was
faster than the software can get back to me, then it's hung. But, let
me mitigate that statement with the fact that I expect some of this
sort of thing when messing around with the "insides" of a PC, so I
didn't really find it disturbing.

The manual attempts to educate the user as well as providing product
information. The binding is perfect, a plastic coated spiral binding
that allows it to lay open flat. The documentation is inconsistent in
places, for example it explains every option the last one in the set
up menu, which it just leaves out. However, it offers good
explanations of memory addresses, as well as interrupts and their
common uses.

As it turns out, Hoffman said the product was originally developed
for use by engineers at TRW who used it for troubleshooting PCs at
corporate sites. While its not perfect, I think it's the best product
of its type.

==========

PUMA RATINGS

==========

PERFORMANCE: Micro-Scope 4, Post Probe 3

Both products have taken on an incredible task and both are more than
adequate. However, there are holes and gaps that are noticeable.
Micro-Scope gets a 4 because it performs significant, new functions
other products don't.

USEFULNESS: Micro-Scope 4, Post Probe 2

Micro-Scope would be a good addition to anyone's resource kit. Post
Probe only makes sense in more specialized applications, like when
you need to make an impression on a client, on IBM MCA machines, or
when troubleshooting lots of dead PCs. The price of both products is
mid-range among diagnostic products and about twice as much as I'm
comfortable with.

MANUAL: Micro-Scope 4, Post Probe 4

Both of these products have made valiant attempts with providing the
user with as much information as possible. Despite the ragged
appearance of the formatting of the tables in the Post Probe manual,
I still think both products should be recognized for that effort.

AVAILABILITY: Micro-Scope 3, Post Probe 3

Both products are available from Micro 2000 directly, though they are
offered by mail order houses like the Programmer's Shop. The company
offers dealer prices to those who call direct, so that's definitely
the way to go. All major credit cards are accepted as well.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920618/Press Contact: Chris Hoffman, Micro 2000,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Bill Nash, CE Computers, 903-723-
5971; Steve Sacco, Amcom Consulting Services, 818-889-9454)


(REVIEW)(IBM)(LAX)(00013)

Review of: Micro-Scope V4.28 & Post Probe, for PCs PART II 07/24/92

Runs on: IBM and compatible personal computers (PCs)

From: Micro 2000, 1100 E. Broadway, Suite 301, Glendale, California
91205, telephone [phone], fax [phone]

Price: Micro-Scope $499 retail, $399 dealer; Post Probe $399 retail,
$299 dealer

PUMA Rating: Micro-Scope 3.75, Post Probe 3.0 (on a scale of 1=lowest
to 4=highest)

Reviewed for Newsbytes by: Linda Rohrbough 07/24/92

Summary: Both Micro-Scope and Post Probe (see next review) are the
best diagnostic products of their type yet, however MicroScope is
the most useful as it can low-level format IDE drives.

=======

REVIEW

=======

Micro-Scope software and Post Probe, a post code trapping card, are
ambitious products geared toward experienced computer users despite
claims to the contrary that try to conquer the enormous task of
diagnosing problems on all IBM or compatible personal computers.
Micro-Scope's claim to fame is it can low-level format IDE drives.
While both products seem to me to be the best so far, both have
problems and may be priced too high for what they do.

Post Probe

The Post Probe is a hardware board that can be used as a companion
product to the Micro-scope software but is a completely separate
product. The card is designed to troubleshoot hardware problems that
would prevent boot up.

P.O.S.T. stands for power on self test, a test all IBM and compatible
computers do each time they are turned on. The self test sends
signals to the major components like the CPU, the motherboard, the
memory chips, or the display card, after which the computer beeps
Morse Code-like signal and emits the post code. The beeps can be
interpreted to indicate major problems. A single short beep indicates
all is well, but any other combination of short and long beeps, or no
beeps, spells trouble. The post codes are numbers and are used to
indicate other problems.

The Post Probe comes with the card, an MCA adapter, a probe, and a
manual. The Post Card is an 8-bit mini light show which plugs into a
free slot on the PC's motherboard. The MCA adapter adapts the Post
Card to fit into an IBM Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) PC. The Post
Probe is a logic probe which can be attached to the Post Card for the
testing of individual chips and is similar in appearance to the
temperature probe on a microwave oven.

Microscope 2000 suggests the entire manual be studied before the
Post-Probe is used. Steve and I not only agree, but we think it would
be difficult to use the card without studying the manual.

The card lights up to indicate signals being sent by the BIOS on an
IBM compatible PC. This allows for the post codes to be monitored
even if the PC isn't emitting audible signals.

The logic probe is for testing individual chips on the motherboard
for repair at the component level. While this is interesting, it's
not very practical as it's usually cheaper for the owner of a clone
to throw away the motherboard and get another one than to pay someone
to attempt to repair or replace chips on the motherboard. Also, since
the motherboard is layer upon layer of circuits, attempts at
soldering in new components could end up ruining the motherboard
anyway.

Hoffman pointed out there are exceptions to this, especially in the
world of the IBM Micro Channel Architecture where a new motherboard
can cost $1,500.

Also, the logic probe is designed in the way it attaches to the Post
Card so it needs approximately 2.25 inches of space on one side in
order to be attached. That usually means you have to pull cards in
order to use it.

But you might not need the probe. The light show on the card may
provide all the needed information. The manual is also valuable for
basic troubleshooting techniques, like pulling all the cards except
the graphics card and the drive controller card before testing a PC
with suspected problems.

On the surface the card looks really great and if you need to impress
clients, this would probably do it. Four green light emitting diodes
(LEDs) form a row across the top of the card, three red LEDs go down
the front, while a two digit display near the back of the card
displays number that correspond to the post code tables in the middle
of the manual.

On several machines we tested the card displayed FF, but that code
wasn't explained clearly, but is buried in a paragraph toward the
back of the book. The code means there are no post codes and on some
XT motherboards that is true.

There is a great description in the manual of the meaning of the
beeps, the PC emits on start up and a list of manufacturers and their
telephone numbers. Post procedures for the major manufacturers
including AMI, Award (which was the BIOS not recognized by Micro-
Scope 2000), HP Vectra, IBM, Microid Research, and Phoenix were all
explained in the manual.

However, the task of listing every manufacturer and every post code
could be viewed as an overwhelming one. Steve said in his experiments
with the card he found the code he needed was missing and the manual
referred him to the manufacturer about half the time.

The card has a set of dip switches for setting the input/output (I/O)
port that the Post Card reads. However, the numbers were silk-
screened backwards on our card, so number one should have been number
4 and so on. We didn't pick up on it, but, to his credit Hoffman told
us.

The probe is really a tool for experienced users but inexperienced
users who follow the manual religiously could create problems for
themselves. The manual says to test the CMOS and explains how to do
so. During the CMOS test, a set of three red LEDs down the front side
of the card light up to indicate a high or low signal. However, when
the high lights up, a faint flicker appears in the low and when the
low lights up the same thing occurs in the high LED indicator.

This could indicate to someone who knows enough to be dangerous that
the there's a pulse or electrical noise in the system. If you turn to
page 164 of the manual, an explanation of how to get rid of noise
recommends the cardboard (fiber) washers under the screws that hold
the motherboard to the chassis and the screws be removed to make a
better ground and reduce bus noise.

Here's where the problem comes in. Those washers may have been placed
there to prevent the overlapping top of a screw from connecting two
circuits or traces on the motherboard. Removal of the washer could
cause the screw to make contact.

Hoffman was aware of the problem, and said the next version of the
manual addresses it more clearly. However, since those echoes in the
LEDs were caused by the Post Card and not by bus noise, (Steve tested
it with an ohm meter), all of that work on the part of a new user
could have been for nothing.

Despite its faults, the Post Probe is a better product than its
competitors like the Kick Start card. The Kick Start card has about a
20 page manual and the post codes are in binary (displayed by the lit
or unlit status of eight LEDs) which you are responsible for
converting to digital and then looking up. Compared to the Kick Start
card, the Post Probe looks outstanding.

However, if you know what you're doing you probably don't need it and
if you don't you probably couldn't use it. It is fast however, at
diagnosing a problem, and that might make a difference to some. If
you diagnose dead PCs a lot and speed is important to you, it would
be worth buying and learning.

Overall, Micro-Scope is a better product and probably a better buy
than the Post Probe product, but both are priced in the mid-range for
diagnostic products. Some of the repair technicians said the products
were too high priced, while others said they were a bargain compared
to what they spent on other products that didn't work. I think all
the mass market will bear is about half the current cost, or $199
retail for Micro-Scope priced and about $150 retail for the Post
Probe.

Support

Support on both products is unlimited. CE Computers says they've
received top notch support and we did as well.

============

PUMA RATINGS

============

PERFORMANCE: Micro-Scope 4, Post Probe 3

Both products have taken on an incredible task and both are more than
adequate. However, there are holes and gaps that are noticeable.
Micro-Scope gets a 4 because it performs significant, new functions
other products don't.

USEFULNESS: Micro-Scope 4, Post Probe 2

Micro-Scope would be a good addition to anyone's resource kit. Post
Probe only makes sense in more specialized applications, like when
you need to make an impression on a client, on IBM MCA machines, or
when troubleshooting lots of dead PCs. The price of both products is
mid-range among diagnostic products and about twice as much as I'm
comfortable with.

MANUAL: Micro-Scope 4, Post Probe 4

Both of these products have made valiant attempts with providing the
user with as much information as possible. Despite the ragged
appearance of the formatting of the tables in the Post Probe manual,
I still think both products should be recognized for that effort.

AVAILABILITY: Micro-Scope 3, Post Probe 3

Both products are available from Micro 2000 directly, though they are
offered by mail order houses like the Programmer's Shop. The company
offers dealer prices to those who call direct, so that's definitely
the way to go. All major credit cards are accepted as well.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920618/Press Contact: Chris Hoffman, Micro 2000,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Bill Nash, CE Computers, 903-723-
5971; Steve Sacco, Amcom Consulting Services, 818-889-9454)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00014)

High Tech Company Earnings Roundup 07/24/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- This is the
latest financial news from Stratus, AICorp, and Weitek.

Gains:

Stratus Computer of Marlboro, MA, reported that  second quarter
earnings were $13.5 million, up 28 percent from $10.5 million for
the previous year's second quarter. Earnings per share for the
second quarter of 1992 were $0.58, up 23 percent from $0.47 per
share for the second quarter of 1991. Revenues of $117.4 million
for the second quarter of 1992 were up 10 percent from $107.1
million in the second quarter of 1991.  Revenues for the six months
ended June 28, 1992 were $227.6 million, 9 percent higher than the
$208.1 million Stratus reported for the first six months of
1991. Stratus Computer creates computer systems for online
transaction processing, online data communications and
telecommunications.

Losses:

Systems & Computer Technology Corp. of Malvern, PA says
revenue for the quarter increased 23 percent  to $23,283,000,
compared with $18,962,000 in the third quarter of fiscal 1991.
But there was a loss before taxes of $6,378,000,
compared with income of $1,817,000 for the third quarter of fiscal
1991.  Net loss was $5,877,000, vs. net income of $1,680,000
for the same period last year.  The future looks better,
however, as SCT reports it signed $22 million in new business and
contract renewals and extensions.  The backlog of business under
contract at the end of the third quarter was in excess of $184
million, compared with $124 million a year ago, the firm said.

AICorp, Inc. of Waltham, MA, reported a net loss of $822,000, or
9 cents per share, for the first quarter ended June
30, 1992, compared with a net loss of $3,285,000, or 43 cents per
share, for the same period last year.   Revenues for the first
quarter were $4,365,000, compared with $4,893,000 in the
comparable fiscal 1992 period. AICorp is merging with Aion Corp.
of Palo Alto, Calif. AICorp, which  makes application development
tools and services, says a new name for the companies will
be announced upon completion of the merger, expected in
September of 1992.

Weitek of Sunnyvale is reportedly cutting its staff by 20 percent
during a restructuring, which will cost the company up to $4
million.   Weitek makes computer workstations.

(Wendy Woods/19920724)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00015)

New For Macintosh: 3-D Desktop Planetarium 07/24/92
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- Virtual
Reality Laboratories promises to release on August 15 a
Macintosh version of Distant Suns, a program which the company
describes as a virtual reality desktop planetarium.

The program is an on-screen presentation, not the virtual
reality involving headsets and gloves. But its creators say
the virtual reality comes into play with its 3-d realistic
effect.

"Instead of a flat 2D effect,  it's television quality pictures,"
explained Valerie Devonish, marketing representative at VRL, to
Newsbytes. Added Susan Woeltjen, vice president of marketing,
"It's the virtual sky - exactly  the way it looks when you go out
your back door. You  can make it look absolutely like the sky outside,"
anywhere in time or from any point on the earth, or from other
planets or objects in the solar system.

Distant Suns comes with photos obtained from NASA, Goddard Space
Flight Center  various spacecraft missions, observatories around
the world, the Yale Bright Star catalog, or the user can add their
own images.

"You can see how an eclipse or commet works, or leave your computer
on all night and see how the star trails would have progressed over
a number of hours," said Woeltjen. "It's an eerie sense ...
a fabulous visual effect."

The program will now be available for Windows users, Amigas, and
now Macintoshes.

Distant Suns allows the user to set up a "virtual reality observatory"
anywhere on earth, then set the "time machine" to transport
back as far as 4713 B.C. or as far forward at 10,000 A.D., the
company says. The program displays up to 10,000 stars (expandable
to 250,000), 2,000 galaxies, nebulas and star clusters. The viewpoint
can be moved from Earth to other points in the solar system for
better views of the planets and other solar system objects.

Clicking on any object in the sky will open windows that will
identify them, including the name, distance from earth, type of object,
and, for some objects, a color photograph.

Distant Suns can also print star charts and timetables for star
gazing sessions.  Distant Suns for the Macintosh also allows the
user to add new objects, such as recently discovered nebulas,
galaxies and black holes, to the database.

Recommended hardware requirments:  2MB RAM, hard drive, II series,
68020 processor, math coprocessor.

The program has already won several awards, including a
Developer's Choice award.

In a related item, Virtual Reality Labs is shipping next week
New Makepath ($69.95), an add-on for the $129.95 VistaPro
that lets you chart your course through the latter's virtual
landscapes (based on US Geological Survey & NASA data). The program
is supposed to enable you to do a barrel roll over Crater Lake or
skim the dunes on Mars, for example.

(Wendy Woods/19920724/Public Contact: Virtual Reality Laboratories,
Valerie Devonish, 805/545-8515)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00016)

Lasermaster Reports Record 4Q, But Stock Drops 07/24/92
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- Lasermaster
Technologies has released preliminary figures indicating that it
achieved profitability and reached record net sales during the
fourth quarter, but the stock has declined sharply on significant
trading volume during the past few days.

Lasermaster CEO Mel Masters, apparently trying to head off further
decline in the company's stock price, said sales and profitability
are consistent with internal budgeting. Masters said the company's
WinPrinter and WinJet products were substantial contributors to the
sales growth being reported. The company said Windows printing
products achieved sales of over $4.1 million during the quarter,
which ended June 30, 1992, and that sale of those products would
continue to grow.

WinPrinter, introduced at the Comdex trade in 1991, is a $1,995
laser printer for Windows, which prints at up to three times the
speed of conventional laser printers. In April of this year, the
company introduced Unity 1000, a multiplatform plain paper device
for Postscript printing from Macintosh and IBM-compatible PCs as
well as minicomputers and mainframe systems.

Masters said he was unable to explain the stock activity.
"Lasermaster's stock price is inconsistent with current and
anticipated performance," he said.

(Jim Mallory/19920724/Press contact: Karen Neset, Lasermaster,
612-941-8687)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEN)(00017)

Cray Research President: "Japanese Unfair" 07/24/92
EAGAN, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- Cray Research President
John Carlson says the Japanese should have bought his company's
supercomputer for use by the National Institute For Fusion Science,
a branch of the Japanese Ministry of Education, instead of one from
NEC Corporation, a Japanese company.

Cray Research has filed a formal complaint with the Japanese Prime
Minister, alleges unfair treatment in the purchase process, saying
that Cray's supercomputer was superior and its proposal was
less than the lab had budgeted for the purchase.

"We definitely have a superior product, where the playing field is
level," Carlson told Reuters news service. "We're seeing delays on
the US government side for fear of protest from the Japanese, but
there has no been equal access," said Carlson.

Cray spokesperson Steve Conway told Newsbytes that the company felt
it had to protest the award. Conway said comparing the two
technologies bid "was like comparing a Hugo and a Corvette."

Conway said the company didn't expect their protest would result in
a reversal of the bid selection, but is looking ahead to other bids.
"We're pushing back," said Conway.

Carlson held a conference call with analysts, a common practice to
explain company fiscal reports, after the company reported second
quarter earnings of $0.05 per share, down from $0.75 per share last
year. Cray stock fell to 23-7/8, down more than 4-1/2 points.

Carlson expects the third quarter to be better, saying he expected
the third quarter per share earnings to be near the $0.19 earned in
the first half of the year. He reiterated that expenses will kept
at four percent more than last year's $300 million cost figure

Carlson said the company isn't losing orders, but that delays in
the procurement process are causing difficulties.

NASA is presently testing a NEC computer, although Carlson seems
confident that Cray will capture the agency's computer order when
the contract is awarded early next year.

In releasing their second quarter results earlier this week, the
company said second quarter orders had a value of $75 million, off
about $40 million from last year's second quarter. The company also
reported a $301 million backlog at the end of the quarter.

Carlson said he expects most of the company's business to occur
during the fourth quarter. Cray installed 56 computer systems
during the second quarter, with more than half of those being its
Y-MP EL entry level system. It said it now expects to sell 120 of
its EL systems in 1992, an increase of 20 over the original
projection. Ninety EL's have already been sold, including 30 to
Digital Equipment Corporation. The Digital contract calls for 30
more ELs.

(Jim Mallory/19920724/Press contact: Steve Conway, Cray Research,
612-683-7133)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00018)

 ****Windows, Windows, Everywhere, Says Gates 07/24/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- An office with
windows has always been considered a status symbol for most managers
and executives. Now, if Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has his way,
every office will have several Windows, even if that office is
buried below ground.

Gates, speaking at Microsoft's annual financial analyst meeting
yesterday, predicted that parts of Microsoft's Windows graphical
user interface will eventually be found in telephones and copiers.

Gates told the analysts that by the second half of 1993 telephones,
copiers and fax machines could be using elements of Windows code.
"Code" refers to the lines of instructions programmers write to tell
the computer how to accomplish a task and what to do in each
situation that arises. Code in a complex program such as Windows
can run into millions of lines. Gates said that bits of Windows
code can perform such tasks as integrating telephones with voice
mail and computer screens, or improve copier and printer quality.

Gates also said that Microsoft's new 32-bit Windows NT (new
technology) program, expected to be released by the end of the year,
will be targeted at increasingly more powerful computers as well as
a new class of workgroup software to link co-workers machines.

According to Microsoft, 25 percent of Windows 3.0 users have already
upgraded to the latest Windows version, Release 3.1,

"In the last seven years, we've made a lot of bets," Gates said,
apparently referring to Microsoft's product development efforts.
Some of those bets have included software for the Macintosh;
multimedia, software that incorporates video, text, graphics, and
sound; and networking software that allows multiple desktop
computers to share programs and data.

Microsoft told the analysts that it doesn't expect the company to
introduce a blockbuster upgrade or new product this year, but Gates
said he sees "enormous potential" for three new areas-database,
workgroup, and consumer software. One specific consumer product
Gates mentioned was "Cinemania," a multimedia movie guide that
allows users to look up film trivia on a compact disk, then replace
famous scenes or lines. The company said it expects to introduce
600 new products in fiscal 93, which it expects to account for 35 to
40 percent of expected revenues. According to Jesse Burst, editor
of Windows Watcher, Microsoft even has a project going with
Nintendo.

Adding strength to Microsoft's position of dominance is the way the
company handles independent software developers. While Microsoft
holds developers conferences, distributes software developer kits,
and in general provides excellent support for the people who write
applications for Windows, IBM apparently still hasn't gotten the
message. Berst told Newsbytes that most of the developers
he talks to have put development of OS/2 applications "on the back
burner." "Go down the list of developers who had signed up to
develop OS/2 and they've all switched camps," said Berst. "They
(Microsoft) know how to motivate developers - they know how to get
their heart started," Berst told Newsbytes.

Gates, addressing possible price cuts by other software companies,
said he would be willing to counter any price cuts by Borland
International. "The price wars may be in front of us," he told the
analysts. He said that while there was no evidence such a contest
had started, Microsoft would not give ground easily.

(Jim Mallory/19920724/Press contact: Marty Taucher, Microsoft,
206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00019)

Aldus To Launch Pagemaker Upgrade In Early '93 07/24/92
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- Aldus Corporation
says it plans to introduce an upgrade to its flagship software
program Pagemaker in early 1993.

According to Aldus CFO Bill McAleer, the company has an installed
base of about one million Pagemaker users, and hopes to release
upgraded versions of the desktop publishing program for the
Macintosh and for Windows at about the same time.

Aldus Chief Executive Paul Brainerd said that only about half of the
Pagemaker copies sold have been registered, and the company is
encouraging users to register their program. Only registered owners
can buy upgrades.

Aldus spokesperson Brad Stevens told Newsbytes that the upgrade
would feature innovations specifically tailored for graphics
designers. Major new features, said Stevens, will include
incremental rotation of text and graphics, built-in color separation,
and the ability to have multiple documents open simultaneously.

Stevens said Aldus released Pagemaker for Windows 4.0 in March 1991
and 4.0 for Macintosh in 1990. The '93 upgrade will bring both
versions to the same level.

In other Aldus news, the company's board of directors has authorized
the repurchase of up to one million additional shares of common
stock. That brings to 2 million the total shares authorized for
repurchase by the board since the beginning of the year. The
company said purchases will be funded from normal working capital.

Aldus has about 14.4 million shares outstanding. It has already
repurchased more than 700,000 shares.

(Jim Mallory/19920724/Press contact: Brad Stevens, Aldus,
206-628-2361)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00020)

CA Expands Developers Conference 07/24/92
ISLANDIA, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- Computer
Associates International says that, due to unexpected demand
from users of its desktop products, it has decided to expand
and reschedule its developers conference, called CA TechniCon,
to include more than 140 sessions. Products covered will
include Aspen, CA-Clipper, and CA-dBFast.

Bob Gordon, spokesman for CA, told Newsbytes that: "We are
also holding a vendor fair (in conjunction with the conference)."
He mentioned that the conference was expanded because
"there is a lot more interest in our products."

In addition, the company says that CA-Clipper 5.2, which
provides "functional extensions and upgraded documentation,"
will ship on schedule to beta testers in October.

The conference, which was previously called DevCon, is
scheduled for November 1-5 at the Marriott Marquis in New
York City. The company says that early registration remains
at $795 through September 15, and is $895 afterward.

Marc Sokol, director of product strategy, told Newsbytes that:
"The conference, as it is now scheduled in New York, as well
as having all the Clipper classes, and how-to courses and
things like that, is also going to have some education for
the people on data bases, client-server data bases, SQL,
Windows, some object-oriented programming classes, and some
workshops with Aspen itself."

According to the company, CA TechniCon will provide a forum
for users to learn about CA's plans for product evolution, and
will feature special education tracks on Windows, SQL
(structured query language), Aspen and client/server technology.
CA has announced, what it claims to be, a "major Xbase initiative"
centered on CA's Aspen and client/server technology that
provides a "guaranteed growth path" for Xbase developers.

Sanjay Kumar, senior vice president of planning for Computer
Associates, said: "CA TechniCon will provide additional sessions
and greater opportunities for CA-Clipper developers to learn
more about Xbase strategies and directions. We are excited
about a forum that will foster two-way exchange. We
want to meet as many of our CA-Clipper clients as possible,
and also give them the opportunity to network with their
peers."

The theme of the conference is "transition." The company
says that, in addition to information about the transition
from Nantucket to CA, CA TechniCon attendees will learn
about such transitioning technologies as the merits of
"mixed paradigm" programming versus modular and object-oriented
programming techniques; how to maintain and evolve older style
programs; and techniques that will help boost development
efforts into event-driven, graphical user interface-based
platforms.

Sokol told Newsbytes that, "Besides interest in seeing how
CA is going to move things forward, because of the acquisition
(of Nantucket), we are going to be talking (about) and showing
Aspen, and having these people work with it. (There has been)
"quite a lot of interest."

Anyone interested in registering is to call [phone].

(Ian Stokell/19920724/Press Contact: Bob Gordon, tel [phone],
or fax 516-DIAL FAX, Computer Associates International Inc.)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00021)

 ****Apple, IBM, Autodesk, 16 Others Help Educators 07/24/92
SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) - Hoping to
implement new strategies for improving public education, the
Autodesk Foundation is collaborating with Apple Computer, IBM,
educators and other corporations, on a pilot project with initial
funding of $250,000.

Called The Institute for Information Age Education, the pilot
project will run from July 27 to August 14 with participants
representing schools from Alameda, Marin, San Francisco and
Sonoma Counties. It will be followed by ongoing workshops and
training for these educators and their colleagues throughout
the school year.

Elizabeth Share, spokesperson for the Autodesk Foundation,
told Newsbytes that, "The Autodesk Foundation believes that
partnerships between education and businesses are vital if
we are to reach our goal of preparing students for work in
the 21st century."

Other founders of the pilot Institute include the Institute for
Research on Learning, the Marin Community Foundation,
Dominican College, and the Alameda County Office of Education.
According to the companies, they have spent more than a year
designing methods of training for teachers and school
administrators to initiate and manage change, as well as
designing ways to provide them with the ongoing support they
will need to sustain their efforts.

Share told Newsbytes that, "Traditionally, schools have been
isolated from the rest of the working world and that given
the rapid changes, both in society and in the technologies
we use, it's essential that we break down those walls."

In a press announcement the companies said that their
commitment to the project by the business and education
communities "reflects a growing recognition that the problems
of public education can only be solved by cooperative efforts
involving all segments of society."

At the Institute, educators from elementary and secondary
schools will learn strategies for teaching the skills described
by the Department of Labor's SCANS Report as necessary for
work in the 21st Century.

Multimedia in education gets a mention too. According to
the companies, "the use of multimedia technology in project
work will provide an opportunity for participants to experience
a model for education that emphasizes thinking skills, team
work and effective management of time, information, and
resources."

Share emphasized the importance of a corporate role in
the education system to Newsbytes, saying: "I think you can
use a quote that we often refer to here, in that 'It used to
be said that it takes a whole village to raise a child.' We
believe that teachers and educators deserve the assistance
of all of the rest of us in society in bringing expertise to
students, and encouraging them to learn."

In conclusion she said: "Most importantly, what needs to
be taught in schools today are 'learning skills.' Because
everything changes so quickly and there's no one set of
facts that you can learn that will prepare you for the
rest of your life."

Other sponsors include Microsoft Corp., The National
Geographic Society, and LucasArts Entertainment Co.

"The business education partnerships are a wonderful
opportunity for all of us to work together to try and solve
the problems that face education today," she said.

(Ian Stokell/19920724/Press Contact: Elizabeth Share,
The Autodesk Foundation, 415-491-8454)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00022)

Borland Enhances Support Service 07/24/92
SCOTTS VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- In an
effort to appeal to customers that require extra technical
support, Borland International has announced a support option
called the "Borland Advisor Lines."

The Borland Advisor Lines supplement Borland's existing
support services.

The company maintains that the Borland Advisor Lines, which
are fee-based, supplement Borland's existing support services,
and are designed to provide "fast, personalized service on issues
such as in-depth tutorials, training of complex concepts, report
design, debugging code and application design issues, that go
beyond the scope of Borland's standard support options."

Alan Henricks, senior vice president of finance and operations
and chief financial officer, said: "As our customer base has
expanded, so has the need for quality technical support. The
Borland Advisor Lines are an innovative approach designed to
offer our customers a level of consultation and support never
before available directly from Borland."

He explained the way the support services had previously
operated by saying: "In the past, when customers requested
assistance on topics beyond the scope of standard technical
support, they were referred to a third party such as a dealer,
reference manual or a consultant. With the Borland Advisor
Lines, we can now offer customers another option; a fast and
efficient route to resolving these problems."

Borland claims that when a customer calls on the Advisor
Lines they will receive quick access to advice and instant
information, and advice direct from Borland rather than a
third-party. The service, which is available in the United
States only, operates from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time,
Monday through Friday (except LPT, which is supported from
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Each call costs $2 a minute with the first
minute free.

Borland offers a number of other technical support services,
including: Borland Online Technical Support, which are support
forums on CompuServe, Bix, and GEnie; the Borland Express
Support Line - Borland's toll-free Express Support Line, which
provides "up-to-date" technical information 24 hour a day,
by using a touch tone telephone; the Borland Technical Support
Hotlines, which is phone support for all Borland products,
available from 6 a.m. - 5 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through
Friday; and Borland TechFax, a toll-free, 24-hour automated
service that sends free technical information to a
customers fax machine.

(Ian Stokell/19920724/Press Contact: Sandra Hawker,
408-439-1659; Steve Grady, 408-439-1621, Borland
International Inc.)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00023)

Everex Opens London Office; Appoints Beard VP 07/24/92
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- Hoping to
consolidate its Pan-European operations, Everex Systems Inc.,
has opened a European regional office in London, and at the same
time appointed Paul K. Beard vice president of European
operations, effective August 1. The operation will include a
marketing department, technical support, and warehousing
facilities.

Vaughn G. Hysinger, vice president of international operations,
said: "Over the past year European operations have grown by
300 percent, and in order to support that growth it is
important to open a regional office. This is a natural
progression for Everex to support the increase in business
within the European market."

The Everex Systems European Regional Office is located at
72 Capitol Way, Edgware Road, Colindale, London NW9 0EW,
and can be reached by telephone at 81-205-0607 or by
facsimile at 81-200-3573.

Everex maintains it has had European operations since 1987.
The company says it has wholly-owned subsidiaries in Benelux,
Canada, the Far East, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the
United Kingdom.

Hysinger also said that, "Since Paul was appointed to his
existing post of managing director of our UK subsidiary, he
has conducted a remarkable transformation of the operation.
Revenue has grown over 100 percent, the management team
has been significantly strengthened, and a clear and cohesive
channel strategy has been put into place. His experience and
skills will help us meet our European plans quickly."

During 1991 and 1992 Everex established subsidiaries in
Benelux, Germany, Italy, and Spain to complement its
existing business in France and the United Kingdom.

The company says that Beard, 41, brings 10 years of senior
European management experience to his new role. Formerly he
was vice president of the International Division, for Unify
Corp. Prior to joining Unify, Beard was with Motorola
Information Systems and Texas Instruments where he held a
variety of sales and marketing positions. Beard holds a B.A.
degree from the Queen Mary College, University of London.

"Our objectives in Europe include building Everex brand
recognition to the same prominence it enjoys in the US
marketplace," said Beard. They also include the "establishment
of an international ISO (International Standards Organization)
quality standard distribution unit and the creation of subsidiary
organizations with the capability to deliver not only DOS
systems, but also the multi-user products being introduced by
Everex,"

(Ian Stokell/19920724/Press Contact: Renee Mello, Everex
Systems Inc., 510-683-2114; or Colleen Martell, Franson,
Hagerty & Associates, 408-453-5220)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00024)

 ****Red Ink To Flow On Amstrad Balance Sheet 07/24/92
BRENTWOOD, MIDDLESEX, 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- One the darlings of the
computer industry and even ex-Premier Margaret Thatcher, Chairman
Alan Sugar has revealed that his company Amstrad's losses for the
full year will be much worse than predicted.

According to Sugar, losses for the year to June 30, which are due
at the beginning of October, will be around UKP 25 million worse
than previously expected. Analysts suggest that this could put
the company's annual loss -- on an anticipated turnover of UKP
200 million - as high as UKP 75 million, although the industry
now expects a figure of around of UKP 50 million.

The reason for the additional losses? Two reasons, the troubled
company claims: first, the continual erosion of PC prices, where
Amstrad has bargain binned its old models out to the retail
industry; and second, the higher than expected restructuring
costs.

Amstrad claims that its strategy of reducing inventory and
overall restructuring has put the company in a healthy cash
situation. Company officials predict that net cash at the year
will be more than UKP 100 million, which will more than cover the
expected losses.

Despite the silver lining to the potentially bad news, the London
stock market reacted adversely to the news, pushing Amstrad's
share price down to 25 pence -- down five pence - as shareholders
in the company sold their stock heavily.

What also didn't help matters was the unexpected departure of Ken
Ashcroft, Amstrad's corporate finance director for the last two
and a half years. Ashcroft revealed that he has left the company
to join Betacom, a telecom and white goods company, as a non-
executive chairman.

His departure looks amicable, as Amstrad has just underwritten
around two thirds of the unsold shares (at a cost of UKP 5.5
million) in Betacom after the company staged a rights issue.
Analysts suggest that the move was planned by Amstrad, in order
to be seen to be supporting Betacom.

(Steve Gold/19920724/Public & Press Contact: Amstrad - Tel: 0277-
228888)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00025)

Britain's Tax Service Could Be Privatized 07/24/92
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- The British equivalent of
the IRS, the Inland Revenue, could soon be privatized, Government
officials have revealed.

According to the Revenue, the government department is in active
discussions with a least five UK computer companies, with the
ultimate aim of moving most of its computer operations into
private hands.

The Inland Revenue, which spends around UKP 250 million a year on
computing activities, is undertaking a feasibility study on
privatizing and contracting out its computer division operations.

A decision on whether to contract out computing services, along
with a plan as to how it can all be done, will be made before the
end of the year, officials have said.

Although IR officials have declined to say which computer
companies they are talking with, media reports suggest that
Apricot, IBM and ICL are among the group. IR officials have
declined to comment on the reports.

(Steve Gold/19920724)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00026)

 ****Democrat Convention Platform Included Windows 07/25/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A. 1992 JUL 25 (NB) -- The Democratic
National Convention Committee picked an issues platform last week
-- but Newsbytes has learned that the group made another major
platform choice way before that. In year-long preparations for
this year's national convention, the Democrats used Microsoft
Windows for most of their computer tasks, with a sprinkling of DOS-
based and Windows applications thrown in.

Hadil Sabbagh, deputy director of Computer Information Systems,
told Newsbytes that ease of use was the major factor behind the
committee's software selection. The staff members, consultants and
volunteers who pitched in on event preparations ran the gamut from
computer novices to power users, he said. But after about three
hours training, even the new initiates were well on their way with
Windows, running applications that ranged from Word, Excel, and
other off-the-shelf packages to custom databases.

Political decisions are rarely unanimous, and agreement on Windows
was no exception. The director of the convention news service, who
hailed from a public relations agency in Colorado, brought some
Macintoshes along with her, according to Sabbagh. So, too, did
transportation, the division in charge of convention buses. A DOS-
based turnkey system was used for readying campaign credentials.
"And, of course, a number of people insisted on the DOS version of
WordPerfect," Sabbagh added.

But among the convention workers who did try Windows, so many
became converts that, at one point, the committee faced a "mouse
stampede." Commented the deputy director: "We found out that
users had been experimenting with Windows, even without mice."
The committee responded by purchasing 100 extra pointing devices.

The Democrats' Windows and DOS-based applications were run on 386-
based PCs, linked together over an Ethernet StarLAN network using
a 486-based machine as a server. A PC network was also employed in
1988, the last time the convention took place. But back then, all
the applications were DOS-based. "The LAN was great. But
productivity was low, because the applications were so hard to
use," stated Sabbagh.

Among the Windows packages implemented this year, Aldus Pagemaker
was used for mailing lists and Microsoft Project for convention
hall planning. In addition, Sabbagh wrote two custom database
programs: one listing minority press, and the other for tracking
computers, phones, furniture, and other equipment items. Each
database was devised with Visual Basic, together with an
applications development tool from Coromandel.

"I developed the press list program in only four hours," Sabbagh
informed Newsbytes. The tool employed, dbControls, supplies Visual
Basics forms with custom controls, he explained. One control
builds database files around fields in a form, and the other
creates file buttons.

The database developed under dbControls let convention workers
carry out quick, forms-based queries, Sabbagh said. "If you wanted
to find all the Hispanic press that started with the letter `a,'
for example, all you'd have to do is click on the buttons for three
fields: `a,' `Hispanic' and `press,'" he noted.

The more complicated item tracking database required Coromandel's
ObjecTrieve/VB, and took Sabbagh about two weeks to prepare. "This
application needed more than just forms. For each item, users had
to be able to go into the program to discover such information as
where the item would be located, who was delivering it, and when it
would be picked up," he reported. Users obtained this data by
first accessing a list of items, and then double-clicking on the
item in question.

The ObjecTrieve/VB package is an API (applications programming
interface) that operates by placing calls to Visual Basic to
perform such functions as creating, opening, and closing database
files, Sabbagh said.

The item tracking application and press list weren't the only
databases to be created for the convention. As the event drew
near, workers needed a list of people with disabilities who would
be attending the event. But this last list was generated in dBASE,
a DOS-based program. "Unfortunately," remarked Sabbagh, "all the
Windows machines were already in use."

(Jacqueline Emigh/19920725; Press Contact: Hadil Sabbagh,
Democratic National Convention Committee, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00027)

New For Macintosh: Quadra Graphics Display W/O Card 07/24/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- Radius, known
for its color display products, says it is introducing
Precisioncolor, a software product geared toward the Macintosh
Quadra and now offered with the company's 20-inch
Precisioncolor Display/20. The company says the software offers
resolution enhancement, color calibration, and compression
without the purchase of a graphics board.

The company asserts Precisioncolor is designed to take
advantage of the built-in-video circuitry of the Macintosh
Quadra. The software offers Quadra users 24-bit color as well
as control over resolution and bit-depth without having to
purchase a graphics interface board, Radius said.

Three software applications are included in the Precisioncolor
software package, Dynamic Color, Dynamic Desktop, and
Compression.

Dynamic Color offers users of the Radius Precisioncolor monitor
the ability to simulate the actual environment in which their
work will be viewed. For example, if a designer is designing a
package that will be viewed under florescent lighting in a
software store, it is possible to adjust the software to take
that lighting into account.

Four preset color temperatures -- 5000, 5500, 6500, and 9300
Kelvin -- as well as end-user settings from 2500 to 15000
Kelvin are provided, approximating the lighting conditions
under fluorescent, incandescent lights, lightboxes, and
daylight, Radius said.

Dynamic Desktop allows Quadra users 24-bit color without the
expense of purchasing a 24-bit graphics card. Dynamic Desktop
allows for the adjustment of the bit-depth (the number of on-
screen colors), including the ability to operate at up to 24-
bits at lower resolutions. For example, users can work in 24-
bit color at resolutions of 832 x 624 (Apple 16-inch
resolution) or lower, Radius added.

Switching resolutions on the fly is also included, so a graphic
designer can design in what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG)
mode, then switch to two-page resolution to see the entire
document. For example as user can go from 1152 x 870 for two
page resolution in 8-bit color, to 832 x 624 resolution in 24-
bit color, or to 640 x 480 in 24-bit color for video or
presentation applications. Radius said formerly this ability
was only offered with its Precisioncolor graphics card.

Radius says the image compression and decompression offered
with Precisioncolor is as fast as many hardware compression
schemes.

If users want to use a graphics interface card, Radius says the
software offers further imaging capabilities. The company says
it also bundles the Precisioncolor software with its
Precisioncolor Display/20S.

The Precisioncolor software is designed to work with any
multisynch monitor, Radius representatives said. However, the
company is encouraging users to purchase its monitor and the
Precisioncolor software by offering the two together for
$3,299. Radius customers who already have the Precisioncolor
Display (PCD/20) can purchase the software, priced at $299
retail, for $99 until September 30 of this year, Radius added.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920724/Press Contact: Andy Ramm, A&R
Partners, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00028)

TI Appoints New Asian President 07/24/92
KOWLOON, HONG KONG, 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- Texas Instruments has
appointed Marco Landi as president of TI Asia, responsible for all
of TI's operations in the Asia-Pacific region outside Japan. Landi
succeeds James M Hubbard, who is retiring after more than 30 years
with TI.

Landi's responsibilities include management and coordination of all
TI's multiple business activities in the region, with emphasis on the
development of strategic customer relationships that build on TI's
extensive and continually expanding regional presence.

This TI presence now includes eight manufacturing plants in operation
or under construction, a software development center in Bangalore,
India, as well as marketing, service and design centres in seven
countries in the Asia-Pacific region plus a representative office in
the People's Republic of China.

Landi will report to TI vice president, David D. Martin, who is
responsible for all of TI's international operations. Prior to his
new assignment, Landi was a vice president of TI Europe, based in
Nice, France, with responsibility for TI's semiconductor marketing and
sales operations throughout the European countries.

In this capacity, Landi was instrumental in effecting a transition of
the marketing, sales and support functions from multiple country-based
organizations to a pan-European structure.

Since joining TI in 1970, Landi has held a variety of national and
international sales, marketing and management positions in the
semiconductor and consumer businesses. He has been the semiconductor
division manager for TI Italy, responsible for research, development
and manufacturing as well as for marketing activities focused on
penetrating the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese markets. Before that,
he was the European consumer division manager.

The TI Asia operation under Landi is part of an international
organizational structure announced in February 1991. It is designed to
foster the execution of regional investment and marketing strategies
that integrate all TI's capabilities and resources and focus them on
customer needs.

The organization includes two other regional managers covering the
principal market regions outside the US where TI is active: Roberto
Schisano, president of TI Europe, and Sachiaki Nagae, president of TI
Japan.

(Brett Cameron/19920724/Press Contact: Sharon Hampton, Texas
Instruments, tel: [phone];HK time is GMT + 8)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00029)

New For PC: Edge Technology 24-bit Windows Accelerators 07/24/92
NAMPA, IDAHO, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- The increasing
popularity of Microsoft's Windows graphical user environment,
has led to an increase in demand for boards designed to speed up
graphics processing. To address this trend in PC technology,
Edge Technology has introduced two graphical user interface
boards that feature 24-bit true-color providing up to 16.7
million simultaneous colors and support resolutions up to
1280 by 1024.

The company maintains that the V24 BitBlaster incorporates
S3's new second generation 86C924 graphics controller with
one megabyte (MB) of VRAM and an AT&T 24-bit RAMDAC. Priced
at $199, the company claims that the VRAM-based board is
"positioned to aggressively compete with other high-end GUI
accelerators while offering a significantly higher price/
performance value."

The company maintains that the other board, the D24 BitBlaster,
offers similar capabilities in bringing fast 24-bit true-color to
consumer for a low $99. This GUI accelerator uses a Cirrus Logic
CL-GD5422 controller with 1MB of DRAM. The company is
claiming that it provides up to 50 percent greater performance
over similar DRAM-based graphics adapters.

Edge is offering both the V24 and D24 BitBlaster to end users
through its direct sales division, and to OEMs (original
equipment manufacturers) and distributors with an "aggressive"
volume discount structure. The company says that both
accelerators are made in the US and come with a complete set
of display drivers, including Windows 3.1 and AutoCAD.

(Ian Stokell/19920724/Press Contact: Pete Scamardo,
Edge Technology, tel [phone], or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LON)(00030)

UK: Apple PC Trade-In Deal On Selected Macs 07/24/92
UXBRIDGE, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1992 JUL 24 (NB) -- Apple UK is
offering up to UKP 600 off the price of a Mac, provided users
trade in their old PC -- any PC -- to an Apple dealer or reseller
in part exchange. In addition to the cash discount, buyers get a
free copy of PC Exchange (worth UKP 49) and the chance to upgrade
to Mac (from PC) versions of Lotus 1-2-3 and Wordperfect for UKP
99 per package.

Craig Sears Black, Apple business unit marketing manager,
explained that similar promotions have been carried in various
specialist divisions of the company over the past few years.
"This is the first time it's been done in the general market," he
told us.

According to Black, the typical trade-in on a Mac-based package
will be around UKP 500, even where discounted prices are
involved.

"We want to make it easy and attractive for companies wishing to
upgrade to the latest technology. By trading up to the Mac while
keeping their existing data and using well-known cross-platform
software packages, they will get all the benefits of the easy to
use Mac environment, while maintaining their investment in data
and training," he said.

The trade-in scheme applies to all purchases of the Mac LCII, the
IIsi, IIci and Quadra machines. According to Apple, even heavy
discounters of Mac hardware will still be able to offer the
trade-in deal to their customers, as Apple automatically credits
the dealer with the bottom line dealer equivalent of the end user
discount.

(Steve Gold/19920724/Press & Public Contact: Apple - Tel: 081-
569-1199)