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/1992/nb920114

Text File | 1992-01-14 | 61KB | 1,340 lines

(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEN)(00001)

MCC Selects Uunet To Deliver EINet 01/14/92
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- The Microelectronics
and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC) says it has selected
Uunet Technolgies of Falls Church, Virginia as the carrier for its
Enterprise Integration Network (EINet), a national enterprise
integration information network.

EINet is a national communications network announced by MCC
late last year, with the goal of widespread electronic exchange of
information and services, both internally between departments or
divisions, and externally with customers, suppliers, and
development partners.

MCC says it sees EINet as a starting point, to collaboratively
guide and develop the necessary ideas and technologies for
a global commercial inter-network for businesses.

EINet is designed to be a federation of networks, or an internet,
similar to the existing Internet used by universities, colleges,
research organizations, and others to share scientific data and
information.

MCC says the internet is not intended to replace existing corporate
networks, but to bring together those networks, employing common
standards for protocols and data interchange. Participants would
have to agree on common guidelines for governing the network,
provide and operate shared resources, and develop softare for
common use.

They would also have to make a commitment to make the system
work. MCCV says this will entail encouraging employees of member
firms to use the network, and creatively enhance both the network
and the member businesses by providing commercial services to it.

According to Roy Smith, MCC director of enterprise integration:
"The agreement with Uunet will provide the nucleus for EINet."
Data communications facilities will be oriented towards incremental
interconnection of other networks, including members private
networks. In the future, variable bandwidth on demand technologies
would be introduced.

According to a statement released by MCC, initial services will
focus on the synthesis and analysis of EI technology, standards,
and methodology activities worldwide. Those services will be
augmented over time by more sophisticated company-to-company
services, including exchanging engineering and modeling data as
well as drawings.

(Jim Mallory/19920114/Press Contact: Bill Stotesberry, MCC,
512-338-3785)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00002)

 ****New For Mac: Wordperfect 2.1 01/14/92
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- Wordperfect is set to
announce Wordperfect 2.1 for the Macintosh.

The new version of the popular wordprocessing program is
scheduled to ship this month. According to Wordperfect Corporation,
the product is compatible with Apple's System 7 operating system,
and can take advantage of "publish" and "subscribe" features,
TrueType, Apple Events, and Balloon Help, as well as Apple's
new QuickTime technology.

Release 2.0 saw the light of day about one year ago. Since then,
according to Roger Bell, director of Macintosh marketing at
Wordperfect Corp, sales of the program have more than tripled.

Other features of the new release include an increase in the speed
of the graphics editor. The editor is a built-in drawing package
which includes all the standard drawing tools, plus bezier curves,
polygons, and a free rotation tool.

The company says the Styles feature has been improved to make it
easier to edit styles. The correct hyphenation of words which have
been added to the main Speller dictionary by the user can now be
displayed, and the user can add and delete conversion resources
either from within the program or from the desktop.

Using the QuickTime feature, the user can build documents that can
include video clips, text, and graphics. Once a QuickTime movie
has been inserted into the document, a double-click with the mouse
will run it. Movies can be played or replayed from any point, using
a controller bar at the bottom of the screen.

Apple Computer claims Quicktime will spearhead new types of
applications, including videoconferencing, dynamic documents,
"just-in-time" training, and low-cost video editing.  Apple says more
than 100 third-party products supporting Quicktime are now
available.

"We see QuickTime as the next step in word processing," said
Wordperfect's Don Sorensen. Sorensen says a word processor is
an ideal application for dynamic media. According to Sorensen, the
company is getting a lot of interest from corporate users who want
dynamic media capabilities without buying additional applications.

Quicktime requires a Mac computer with a 68020 or later chip.  Apple
recommends at least four megabytes (MB) of system memory when
using QuickTime with System 7.

Wordperfect Corp says QuickTime is expected to appeal to trainers
who want training materials easily accessible from the network with
associated training video clips, advertisers who need to present
ideas to clients, scientists who want to add visualization to their
presentations, and students who want to add animation or video to
reports.

The suggested list price for the upgraded program is $495 in the
US, and $595 in Canada. Wordperfect will also sell additional
licenses with or without documentation for use on network stations
or standalone computers. An additional license sells for $349 in
the US, while an additional license without documentation carries
a $295 price. In order to purchase additional licenses, the buyer
must be a registered owner of at least one full package.

Present users of any previous version of Wordperfect for
Macintosh can upgrade for $89 in the US and $110 in Canada. Users
can also purchase a disk upgrade, which includes disks and license
only, for US$39. Owners of Wordperfect 2.1 receive toll-free support.

The company also has a trade-in offer for owners of some
competitive programs. Owners of Microsoft Word for Macintosh,
MacWrite II, WriteNow, FullWrite, or Nisus, can switch to
Wordperfect 2.1 for US$150 or C$179. The trade-in offer is
available through resellers or directly from Wordperfect until
March 31, 1992.

Wordperfect 2.1 for the Mac runs on any Mac Plus, SE, II,
PowerBook, or Quadra computer with a hard disk. The system
must have System 6.0.3 or later. wordperfect 2.1 files are
compatible with Wordperfect on other platforms, including DOS,
Unix, VAX, and Windows.

For more information about Wordperfect 2.1 for the Mac, call
Wordperect Corporation at 800-451-5151. To order the upgrade,
call 800-321-4466.

(Jim Mallory/19920114/Press Contact: Liz Tanner, Wordperfect
Corp., tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00003)

Exabyte Signs New Distributor Deals Worth $15 Million 01/14/92
BOULDER, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- Tape backup
system manufacturer Exabyte has announced that it has signed
agreements with six new distributors to sell Exabyte products. The
distributor agreements are expected to represent about $15 million
worth of business over an 18 - 36 month period, says Exabyte.

The new distributors include: Avnet, a Los Angeles-based value-
added reseller with annual sales in excess of $1.7 billion; Group
Three Electronics, an integrator of software and hardware based
in Los Angeles; and Harris Corporation's Computer System Division,
which will integrate Exabyte systems into its Night Hawk 4000 series
computer systems.

Other newly signed distributors include: Introl Corporation, which will
integrate Exabyte systems into various Unix-based workstations;
and Illinois-based Universal Financial, which will sell the complete
Exabyte eight millimeter cartridge tape subsystems and cartridge
handling subsystems, primarily in the Unisys market.

(Jim Mallory/19920114/Press Contact: Susan Solomonson, Exabyte,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00004)

DOS 5.0 Tops CompuAdd's Christmas Sales 01/14/92
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- CompuAdd says its
top 10 seller list in its 120 stores nationwide during the Christmas
holiday season was led by Microsoft DOS 5.0 Upgrade.

The other nine leaders were a mixture of productivity packages,
children's programs, and educational software.

The number two seller was The New Print Shop, followed by Math
Blaster Plus, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego Deluxe,
Quicken (a home and small business accounting program), the
Prodigy startup kit (a subscription on-line service), Supersolvers
Treasure Mountain, and Where in America's Past is Carmen
Sandiego? Completing the best seller list were Microsoft Works
for Windows integrated package and Wordperfect 5.1 word
processing software.

(Jim Mallory/19920114/Press Contact John Pope, CompuAdd,
512-250-2000)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00005)

IBM Canada To Sell Properties, Including Country Club  01/14/92
MARKHAM, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- IBM Canada's
country club is the latest victim of cost-cutting measures at the world's
largest computer company. The Canadian operation announced it
will sell the 328-acre club along with an eight-acre parcel of land
adjoining its headquarters.

IBM Canada has maintained a country club for its employees,
retirees, and their families since 1942. The present location,
north of Toronto, has been in use since 1967.

In a prepared statement, IBM Canada President Bill Etherington
said the move was: "consistent with our plans to reduce real-estate
expenses across Canada. This announcement should send another
clear signal that IBM Canada is determined to create a more
competitive, aggressive company, totally focused on delivering
value to its customers. Maintaining our investment in a recreational
facility is not consistent with our strategic direction."

The sale of eight acres across the street from IBM Canada
headquarters is also the end of a luxury for IBM. Bob Waite, a
spokesman for the company, told Newsbytes the land was
purchased as a buffer so IBM could control development close to
its head office. This has been fairly common IBM practice in the
past, he said, as the company prefers not to have, for instance,
a gas station next to one of its offices. The eight-acre parcel is
zoned for industrial or commercial development.

IBM said it has no prospective buyers lined up for either property.
The company said it recognizes that the Toronto-area real estate
market is depressed at the moment, but will "carefully study all
options" to get the best possible return from the properties.

(Grant Buckler/19920114/Press Contact: Bob Waite, IBM Canada,
tel [phone] or 800-563-2139, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00006)

New For PC: PFS:Resume & Job Search Pro 01/14/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) --
Spinnaker Software is now shipping PFS:Resume & Job Search Pro,
software to help users of IBM and compatible computers find jobs.
The software combines word processing and contact management
with features intended to help users spice up their resumes and
prepare for interviews.

Spinnaker said the program can create professional-looking
resumes even on dot-matrix printers. With a suggested retail price
of $59, PFS:Resume & Job Search includes a word processor with
mail-merge capability.

It handles 30 typefaces plus resident printer fonts, with font sizes from
five to 72 points and support for superscripts and subscripts. Search
and replace, automatic and soft hyphenation, justification options,
three levels of indent, and adjustable margins and tabs are also
included. The word processor can work with ASCII, Spinnaker
Eight-In-One, and Word Publisher 5.0 file formats.

The software also comes with nine sample resume styles and cover
letters as well as interview tips. A contact and appointment
manager is also included. There is an action word glossary, which
the vendor said will add excitement to users' writing. PFS:Resume
& Job Search Pro also lays out resumes automatically, and helps
users prepare for interviews by offering sample questions.

With each copy of PFS:Resume & Job Search Pro, Spinnaker is
throwing in: Publisher's Powerpak, a scalable font generator; the
International CorrectSpell spelling checker; and Roget's II
Electronic Thesaurus. The bundle represents a combined value
of $179 if purchased separately, claims the company.

(Grant Buckler/19920114/Press Contact: Ed Goyette, Spinnaker,
617-494-1200 ext. 453)


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

Motorola Selling Retail Version Of MicroTac 01/14/92
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- Motorola is
trying to capitalize on the favorable response to its MicroTac Lite
digital cellular phone with a new model designed specifically for
the retail market.

The company claims that sales of the MicroTac itself have been
exceeding expectations since introduced last August. It weighs
7.7 ounces, roughly 0.2 kilograms, and measures 11.6 cubic
inches -- lighter than even the smallest Japanese models from
NTT.

The new portable, which does not have a flip-top and is designed
to be sold in retail outlets like Sears and Montgomery Wards,
rather than through the cellular phone service channels used for
the regular MicroTac, weighs 9.6 ounces, but otherwise has the
same specifications as the MicroTac. The user can talk on it for 70
minutes or carry it for 12 hours between battery recharges, for
instance, and there are extended operation batteries available.
"That is a different phone. It looks unique to its market, and is
featured differently," insisted spokesman David Pinsky.

Finally, Motorola announced plans to ship nickel metal hydride
batteries for its personal and portable cellular telephones
during the first quarter.  The batteries not only offer 30 percent
more power -- offering 200 minutes of talk-time rather than the 70
minutes offered on its other units -- but they are considered more
environmentally friendly than the nickel cadmium units they replace.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920114/Press Contact: David Pinsky,
Motorola, 708-632-2841)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00008)

Mtel Claims 45 Percent Growth Rate In 1991 01/14/92
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- Mobile
Telecommunication Technologies, which runs the SkyTel
nationwide paging service, said it had a 45 percent growth rate in
its 1991 subscriber base, ending the year with 181,200 paging and
voice messaging units in service. That figure includes 123,200
SkyPager units and 20,700 SkyTalk units in the United States, as
well as 37,300 paging units in service in the United Kingdom.

Many paging companies are reporting declining subscriber bases,
mainly due to the penetration of those markets by cellular phones.
Mtel has been an exception to the trend because it offers
a national service.

Mtel was once a major factor in the cellular phone services market,
but sold those operations to BellSouth in order to concentrate on
SkyTel. Besides operating in the U.S. and UK, the company also
plans to operate its services in Singapore, Mexico and Japan.
Since all those systems will eventually be integrated, the company's
plans are to eventually offer a single paging service, on a single
paging frequency, with a single pager, covering most of the
developed world.

If successful, that could keep Mtel growing for many years to come,
analysts say, since roaming agreements and technical differences
between national cellular systems will prevent such operations from
catching up, and even such worldwide phone nets as Motorola's
planned Iridium system will be very costly.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920114/Press Contact: David Allan, for Mtel,
212-614-5163)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00009)

High Frequency Cordless Phone Gets FCC Approval 01/14/92
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- Vtech
Communications claims the Federal Communications Commission
has granted complete authorization to Vtech's new Tropez 900DX
digital cordless phone.

The company has been producing the entire Tropez phone line
from its plant in Dongguan, China, for several weeks in anticipation
of FCC approval, and can now officially accept orders. The Tropez
900DX will retail for $299, and shipments are already available.

Most cordless phones operate on a low frequency band also
used by garage door openers. Their short wave lengths and
distances between the phone and the base unit do not require
explicit frequency assignments -- they can share frequencies with
other devices, in other words, and users will experience only
occasional interference. A digital phone at a higher frequency,
however, will not experience as much interference, and could
work at longer distances from the base as a result.

Since it is digital, the phone is also more secure as the U.S.
Supreme Court has ruled that anyone can legally tap into analog
cordless phone calls. The Tropez 900DX randomly scrambles the
digital transmission and automatically selects one of more than
65,000 possible digital security codes each time the handset is
placed in the base unit.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920114/Press Contact: Steve Johnson,
Vtech Communications, 503-643-8981)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00010)

 ****IMM Claims Cellular Standards Vote Victory 01/14/92
KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) --
A few days after Qualcomm said its Code Division Multiple Access,
or CDMA, standard won key support at a recently cellular industry
meeting, the maker of the competing Time Division Multiple
Access, or TDMA, standard claimed that, in fact, it had won the
war.

International Mobile Machines, best known for its UltraPhone,
which offers the equivalent of wired phone service using cellular
techniques in rural areas, also holds key patents on TDMA.
Following an interview between Newsbytes and a Qualcomm
official, IMM issued a press release reaffirming its office to
license its TDMA patents to all cellular equipment manufacturers
on a nondiscriminatory basis and on reasonable terms and
conditions. It called the recent action by the Cellular
Telecommunications Industry Association a "unanimous decision
to implement the TDMA Air Interface Standard for digital cellular
radio systems in North America."

"The latest vote by the cellular industry now clears up any
confusion about the status of the cellular standard," added
William J. Hilsman, chairman and chief executive officer of IMM.
"The TDMA standard -- known as IS-54 -- is the result of more
than three years of work by all the suppliers of cellular
equipment, including the major system suppliers such as AT&T,
Motorola, Ericsson, Northern Telecom, and Hughes/General
Motors, as well as the many manufacturers of terminal equipment.
IMM has participated very actively in this process.  The TDMA
standard has been tested exhaustively at every stage, and has
now completed the final, or 'lockdown' testing, which clears the
way for imminent commercialization of TDMA hardware.  Obviously,
this marks an important milestone as well for IMM, since our
intellectual property will now assume an even greater importance."

Qualcomm's position is that there is a difference between an
industry vote and actual implementation of technology, noting
that only one major operator -- Southwestern Bell -- has
committed to introducing TDMA service this year, and the head of
its cellular operations is also the head of the CTIA committee
which backed TDMA. Hilsman, however, said that the U.S. decision
echoes similar standards decisions in favor of TDMA in Europe and
Japan, and came after considerable industry discussion of other
alternatives, including CDMA, and Motorola's N-AMPS, an
enhanced analog standard. Hilsman said the CTIA announcement
this week indicated its unanimous view that wideband systems
would not be ready for two years at the earliest, and suggested a
need for extensive further study before any further steps could be
taken along those lines.

Popular wisdom is that TDMA carries three times the capacity of
present analog systems, and CDMA 10 times that capacity. But
Hilsman disputed that. "It is capable of much higher capacity and
performance," the press statement said. "That is the basis of our
partnership with Hughes/General Motors to develop Extended
TDMA for digital cellular systems." The E-TDMA program was
announced in December 1990 by a consortium involving IMM,
Hughes, and SEL Alcatel.

The technical objectives of the E-TDMA architecture include full
100 percent compatibility with the IS-54 TDMA standard, with
software-based enhancements capable of more than doubling
the baseline capacity to approximately 15 times the capacity of
today's analog cellular systems.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920114/Press Contact: Marcia A. Bexley,
IMM, 215-278-7831)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00011)

 ****Macworld: Panelists Debate Apple's Future 01/14/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- A
lively group of distinguished panelists tried to second guess Big
Red's unannounced plans at a  keynote session of Macworld in
San Francisco.

On the firm's recently announced plans to enter the consumer
electronic business, Denise Caruso, editor of Digital Media,
reflected general opinion that Apple has its work cut out
for it when she observed: "Apple is up against a whole world that
doesn't understand digital technology."

Apple Computer's CEO John Sculley announced at the Consumer
Electronics Show that Apple would be offering "PDAs" or "personal
digital assistants," as well as CD-ROM-equipped versions of
Macintoshes in the consumer market between 1993-94. All of the
new devices are to center around the new digital, rather than
analog technologies.

Tim Bajarin, analyst with Creative Strategies, suggested that
if Apple were to go alone into consumer electronics, as it
stands now as a company, "it would fail." He added, however,
that "Apple needs to establish a special division to work with Sony
to build PDAs." He suggested that Japanese firms already have
consumer electronics expertise.

Caruso agreed that Apple and the rest of the US electronics industry
should stop wasting time recreating technologies that already exist,
and should form more alliances with overseas countries, namely
Japan. Citing Lee Iacocca of Chrysler as an example of a poor
approach to international cooperation, she said if Iacocca was
working in the computer business, "he'd be history."

The future of the Macintosh, although the centerpiece of this
show and Apple right now, appears in doubt to Stewart Alsop,
editor in chief of Infoworld and publisher of PC Letter.
"The Mac today is where the Apple II was when the Macintosh
was introduced in 1984." That was the start of the decline of the
machine, an eight-bit computer which featured Apple's first
operating system. Showing how far we've come since then, Alsop
joked, "There are probably people in the audience saying 'what's
an Apple II?'"

He said Apple will most likely not upgrade the Mac line much more
as Apple's future lies in newer technologies, a new operating
system, and a hybrid machine being created with IBM. Dan Farber,
editor of Macweek, said he thinks Apple still sees the Macintosh as
a machine "with legs," and that the Macintosh III will probably reach
the market, but only when the base unit, replacing today's
Macintosh Classic, is a 68040-based machine.

Apple's recently announced liaison with IBM, just approved
by the government,  drew the liveliest debate. "If they can pull it off
(the alliance) we may have a paradigm shift that will leave most of
us in the dust -- especially those of us who like to type," said Dan
Farber, in a comment which drew a few laughs. Bajarin provided
the motivation behind the alliance -- explaining that Apple and IBM
got together to check the Microsoft march toward dominance in the
industry with its Windows interface. Alsop suggested the alliance
was designed to make up for each firms' weaknesses, saying that
IBM needs ideas in the PC arena, and "Apple designs really good
personal computers." In return, he said, Apple hopes to get more
market share.

He concluded that despite the talk about the two company's
corporate and cultural differences, they are "more alike than they
are dissimilar."

(Wendy Woods/19920114)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00012)

New For Mac: Enhanced GreatWorks 2.0 From Symantec 01/14/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) --
Symantec has introduced an upgrade to GreatWorks, an integrated
Macintosh software package which competes with Microsoft Works
and ClarisWorks.

The new software, which includes eight applications in one program,
offers more color options, a drawing and editing layer across
all modules, and enhanced dialogue and menu selections, the
company claims. There is a color paint module and new drawing
tools. E-Z Envelopes is a program that works inside the word
processing module to address envelopes, and there is a print
preview mode available.

Greatworks works with Apple's new System 7 operating system.
It includes a word processor, database, spreadsheet, charting
program, drawing module, paint program, outliner, and
communications program.

The program is set to hit the market in the first quarter of this
year at a cost of $299. Registered users can upgrade for $49.

(Wendy Woods/19920114/Press Contact: Terri Sammonds,
Symantec, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00013)

Macworld Expo/New York 1992 Cancelled 01/14/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- Mitch
Hall Associates, producers of the Macworld Expos, have cancelled
a planned Macworld for New York this year.

The company has not released attendance figures for the San
Francisco event, held January 12-15, but to some longtime
Macworld attendees, this year's crowds were smaller than in
previous years.

Mitch Hall Associates named names in its defense in announcing
the cancellation. "The cancellation of this year's show has been
forced due to the lack of support of some major Macintosh
developers such as Adobe, Aldus, Apple, Claris, Hewlett-Packard,
Microsoft, Supermac and others who, for economic or marketing
reasons, have chosen not to participate as of this date," the
company said in a prepared statement.

Macworld Expos are still slated for Barcelona, Tokyo,
Birmingham, England, Paris, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Milan,
Toronto, boston, Berlin, Auckland, Sydney, and Hong Kong this
year.

(Wendy Woods/19920114/Press Contact: David Eliot, Mitch
Hall Associates, 617-361-8000)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00014)

 ****Macworld: Sculley Boasts 100 Quicktime Applications 01/14/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- John
Sculley, CEO and chairman of Apple, provided more information
about the firm's consumer electronics plans and tried to
demonstrate that Apple is way ahead of the competition in the
field of multimedia.

In the keynote speech at Macworld in San Francisco, Sculley
said networking and telecommunications will drive the 90s and
that it will be a "different consumer electronics industry" than what
we know today. This will be an industry of PDAs, he repeated from
a speech at the Consumer Electronics Show the previous
weekend. He said Apple's consumer electronics products will
combine various new digital technologies.

Speaking of combining, Sculley launched into the combinations
of sound, video, text, and graphics which we call multimedia.
"The promise of multimedia is that it will improve our enjoyment
of information," said Sculley, saying that such a development was
now possible thanks to Quicktime, a software extension to System
7 which enables developers to smoothly integrate sound, video
text, graphics into documents and applications. Quicktime has
component managers for various input devices, including
digitizer cards, VCRs, and other peripherals. Sculley announced
that there are now over 100 Quicktime third-party products, more
than the numbers of products supporting any other multimedia
scheme.

The ease with which a Macintosh can run Quicktime applications
was demonstrated on stage by a company executive who spent
15 seconds loading Quicktime into a Macintosh's System Folder,
turning off the machine, then hooking it up to a CD-ROM drive with
a SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface) cable, and turning it
back on. That same executive next hooked up a 386 PC with the
Microsoft multimedia software -- a process that required the
removal of the cover and insertion of cards as well as a number
of other steps. The demonstration, of course, was meant to reflect
the easier job that Macintosh owners would have building a
multimedia system. The executive was still at the job a half hour
later.

Sculley showcased several new Quicktime applications, including
live video conferencing in a window of the Macintosh, a children's
program from Voyager similar to The Playroom by Broderbund,
and new multimedia "novels" from Voyager that feature keyword
search of phrases and words, as well as graphics with sound.

(Wendy Woods/19920114)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00015)

CES: Show Overview -- Computers As Home "Appliances" 01/14/92
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- Consumers will
be using computers and not even know it, if the plans and products
announced at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show take root.

Several companies announced products that are computers with
modems for communication, but that look like slightly different
versions of ordinary household items, such as telephones and
televisions. AT&T's Videophone is a good example, as is the
Scanphone, and the Frox Home Theater.

Apple President John Scully announced the company's intentions
to create PDA (personal digital assistant) devices, for the
consumer market which will be disguised Macintosh-based
multimedia computers.

However, other issues were taking root at the show. A new piece
of compromise legislation between the recording industry and
the Electronic Industries Association (EIA) was being promoted
in a grass roots campaign by the Home Recording Rights
Coalition. Congressmen were being escorted around the show
by HRRC representatives, which is closely aligned with the EIA.

The HRRC was actively seeking consumers at the show to write to
their elected representatives to promote the Audio Home
Recording Act, (S. 1623/H.R. 3204), a piece of legislation which
insures consumers, retailers and manufacturers may not be sued
for private, noncommercial home audio recording. Manufacturers
of digital audio recording products would pay a modest royalty
to a special fund for copyright interests.

The bill is aimed at digital recordings only, (not analog) and
could have an effect on the computer industry as well, paving
the way for consumers to be able to copy software for private,
noncommercial use.

In the way of games, Nintendo and Sega were competing, with
Nintendo in very high profile. Nintendo dominated the South
Hall and had a tent outside which was like entering another
world. Nintendo products from third-party developers abounded
and players intensely concentrating on video games were
everywhere.

One of the most fun and intriguing displays was a real-time
animation display of Mario from the Mario Bros., who called to,
and talked with, attendees from a television screen. Mario would
call to a passerby who would look around until the Mario
animation directed the person's attention to the television screen.
The Mario character was just the head, but it smiled, laughed,
frowned, and interacted with attendees just like a real person.
In fact, Mario told several attendees how "real" they looked.

The secret to Mario is called "digital puppetry" which allows a
human operator to control the head movements and speech of a
high-resolution, computer-generated character with their own
head movements and speech. Simgraphics, developers of the
display took Newsbytes behind the curtain.

Improvisational actor J. Stephen Coyle was Mario, with a
Digital Facial Waldo from The Character Shop attached to his
head and neck. Coyle viewed and heard attendees via monitors
and microphones hidden near the television screens where
Mario appeared. The Waldo was a conglomeration of wires and
electrodes protruding all over Coyle's head and shoulders that
made Mario imitate his facial movement. Coyle had a mouse in
one hand that rotated Mario, so if Mario got disgusted with an
attendee, he would turn his back on them.

A Silicon Graphics 420 VGX Workstation running a Performance
Animation System did the digital animation, interpreting the
signals from the Waldo. The Character Shop of Van Nuys,
California, has done similar animation projects and is
responsible for the animation of the character Pizza the Hut
from the movie "Spaceballs."

Of course, Japanese firms were at the show in force and received
even more attention after the publicity President Bush got from
his recent trade talks with Japan. While Japanese products seem
to dominate many of the consumer electronics industries, it seems
they do not have a foothold in the stereo speaker industry, or
in the computer software industry.

Audio speakers, it seems, are the realm of the US, as rock and roll
requires a speaker with a dynamic range, heavier base response,
and more efficiency to play louder, says Steven Frankel, a
consumer electronics analyst quoted by the Associated Press.

Computer software is another realm US companies have almost
exclusively, and that was quite evident at CES.

Further, while the economy is still suffering, the consumer
electronics industry is holding its own compared to other
sectors of the economy, said Frank Myers chairman of EIA
and speaker at the opening session of the CES.

The last major topic at the show was from Scully and others
who strongly echoed the theme already espoused by the major
computer retail stores like CompUSA and ComputerLand.
Everyone seems to be predicting further growth in the awakening
home office market.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920114/Press Contact: Steve Glenn,
Simgraphics, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00016)

Japan: Sharp Develops 16.5-inch Color LCD 01/14/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- Japan's Sharp has
developed, what is claimed to be, the world's first large liquid
crystal display (LCD). It is 16.5-inches wide and is based on the
thin-film-transistor (TFT) technology.

Sharp's latest TFT LCD is equipped with a high density and
high resolution screen containing 1,228,000 pixels. This is said
to allow the display to give an extra crisp and clear image. Also,
it gives clear color gradation with 16.7 million tones, says a Sharp
spokesman.

The 16.5-inch LCD can be used for various audio-visual
equipment not only for televisions but for computers. It is
compatible with the VGA (video graphics array) graphic mode
of personal computers.

Sharp developed a 14-inch LCD in 1988, and the firm has been
working on the LCD with a larger screen. The firm wants to
develop even larger LCDs in the future and it is expected that
Sharp will use these screens for high definition television sets.

Sharp's LCD business has grown at a rapid pace, and the firm
gained 115 billion yen ($885 million) in LCD sales last year.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920114/Press Contact: Sharp,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00017)

Virtual Reality Game Facility Debuts In Japan 01/14/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- Sega Enterprises has
developed a game facility based on "virtual reality" for
amusement parks. It is similar to "Star Tours" at Southern
California's Disneyland.

Sega's virtual reality game facility looks like a flying
saucer, and holds about 30 people inside. The prototype
version is called the AS-1 and is already installed at Korakuen
amusement park in Tokyo. It is something like a flight simulator.

The facility is equipped with a huge screen inside, moving up
and down and tilting with a shake. All these movements are
controlled by the computer. The screen image is produced
from a laser disc.

Sega wants to sell the facility not only to amusement parks,
but city governments by replacing the screen image into the
scenery of the city so that the "passengers" can get the bird's
eye view of the city.

A Sega spokesman said the firm has signed an agreement with
a movie producer in the U.S., and is currently developing quality
software. The facility will be released around April. The price
will be slightly less than 30 million yen ($230,000).

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920114/Press Contact: Sega
Enterprises, [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00018)

Japan: NEC Develops Virtual Reality Network System 01/14/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- NEC has developed a
network system based on virtual reality. It is the said to be a
combination of advanced computer graphics and the firm's
networking technology.

NEC's virtual reality network system uses workstations and
Ethernet. Under this system, the user wears three-dimensional
glasses and special gloves called "data" gloves. With this
data glove, the user can grasp the objects in the screen. Also,
the user can cut-and-paste objects with the virtual cutter on
the screen.

The company claims that the system can be used for the
designing of cars and the making of housing construction plans.
It can also be used for computer conferences between remote
areas and the presentation of materials.

NEC hopes to improve the system and sell it to various
industries including audio-visual equipment makers and
car makers.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920114/Press Contact: NEC,
[phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00019)

 ****Supreme Court Denies Inslaw Petition 01/14/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- The U.S. Supreme
Court has refused to reinstate the nearly $8 million fine which Inslaw
had won against the U.S. Justice Department in earlier cases.

Inslaw had charged that during the Reagan administration the
Justice Department had stolen the company's legal case-tracking
software and sold it to other agencies in the United States and
abroad.

The Supreme Court had been petitioned to reinstate the $7.8
million fine which had earlier be overturned because of a
procedural error in which the company had sued and won its
case, but in the wrong court.

The ball is now back in Inslaw's court and the company has
expressed confidence that a retrial in the correct court will
again result in its winning a major award against the U.S.
government. The Justice Department would not comment on
the Supreme Court's decision or Inslaw's statement that it would
continue to pursue the case.

(John McCormick/19920114)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00020)

 ****New For Mac: Videophone For ISDN 01/14/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- Compression
Labs Incorporated (CLI), the company who developed the data
compression algorithm for the newly announced AT&T Videophone,
has announced the Cameo Personal Video System for the
Macintosh. The Cameo allows callers to talk and view each other
during the conversation in a window on their Macintosh computer
screen.

CLI describes the Cameo as a voice and video communication
system with two-way color-motion video for the Macintosh over
ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network). ISDN involves
special network lines that transmit digital data as opposed to
analog information transmitted by regular telephone lines.

Communications take place via a user-controlled window in
either 6-inch, 3-inch or 1.5-inch diagonal area on the monitor. Once
a voice call is initiated, both callers can then switch to video
and view each other on screen during the conversation.

Also, Macintosh applications can be running at the same time,
and data may be transmitted from the an application running on
the computer directly to the receiving party during the call.

A video processor module sits next to the Macintosh and plugs
into the serial port. The camera module mounts on top of the
monitor to capture the image and a self-view mode allows the
user to see the transmission and make adjustments to themselves
or reposition the system's camera.

Basic telephone features, such as a directory with speed dial,
a hold function for video and audio, audio mute and automatic
redial are all built-in, CLI said.

The Cameo Model 2001 operates at 128 kilobits-per-second
(K-bps) with 64 K-bps devoted to the audio and 64 K-bps devoted
to video. It can run up to 15 frames-per-second (15 fps), or half the
frame rate of a television, with a resolution of 128 by 112.

The Cameo Personal Video System, Model 2001 retails for
$2,095, or $1,595 for a configuration not including the camera
module. CLI says this is a significantly lower price than any
current or announced computer-based videophone.

CLI representatives said the company expects to release
versions of the Cameo for the IBM personal computer and other
computer platforms by the end of this year. More information is
available from CLI at 800-225-5254.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920114/Press Contact: Tracy Beaufort,
Compression Labs Inc., tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(NYC)(00021)

 ****Digital To Market Cray Research Supercomputer 01/14/92
EAGAN, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB)  -- Cray Research
and Digital Equipment Corporation have announced an agreement
that grants Digital worldwide rights to market, sell and distribute the
Cray Y-MP EL supercomputer system. The agreement is effective
immediately and runs for three years with provision for extension
by mutual agreement.

Under terms of the agreement, Digital will sell the Cray Research
system in conjunction with Digital's own high-performance technical
computing (HPTC) products, which feature the Vax vector systems
and the DECmpp line of massively parallel systems. Digital has
announced its intention to price the Cray Y-MP EL supercomputer
system starting at under $350,000.

The agreement calls for limited exceptions, such as sales to certain
government agencies and into Japan, which will continue to be
processed solely through Cray Research. Subject to those
exceptions, Digital will, on July 1, 1992, become the sole source for
the purchase of the Cray Y-MP EL systems. Until that date, the
systems will be marketed by both firms. Under the agreement, Cray
Research is committed to continue to offer "back-up sales support
and applications expertise for the Cray Y-MP EL system."

According to the announcement, the agreement does not change
Cray Research's previous estimate of more than 100 Cray Y-MP EL
sales in 1992.  The statement maintains that Cray Research
announced this product in October 1991, and to date has received
approximately 50 orders from customers worldwide. After 1992, the
number of Cray Y-MP EL systems committed to by Digital and Cray
Research will be determined by Digital sales plans.

Announcing the agreement, John A. Rollwagen, Cray Research
chairman and chief executive officer, said: "The Cray Y-MP EL is the
price performance leader in the entry-level supercomputing market.
Today's agreement substantially broadens the marketing and
distribution of this superior product through Digital's well-established
global channels.  We expect Cray Y-MP EL sales volume
to increase significantly in the next few years because of this
agreement.  We also expect a number of new Cray Y-MP EL
customers who will purchase larger Cray Research systems as
their computing needs grow."

Kenneth H. Olsan, president of Digital Equipment Corporation,
added: "This agreement reinforces all three levels of Digital's open
advantage strategy. The agreement integrates new technology into
the open Digital environment, satisfies customers' needs through
open business practices, open services, and support programs."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19920114/Press
Contacts: David Lynch, Digital Equipment Corporation, 508-467-
7724; Mardi Schmieder, Cray Research; 612-683-3538)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(NYC)(00022)

Apple Joins Business Software Alliance 01/14/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB)  --
Apple Computer has announced that it has joined the Business
Software Alliance (BSA) and will "work closely with software
publishers and developers to reduce software piracy in the
global market."

While BSA members include well-known industry firms such as
Aldus, Autodesk  Borland International, Lotus Development,
Microsoft, Novell, and WordPerfect, Apple is the first computer
company to become a member. It will, according to the
announcement: "play a key role in the BSA's programs to
increase awareness of software copyright laws and legal
software use throughout the software distribution and retail
channel."

Announcing Apple's membership, BSA Managing Director Robert
Holleyman said: "The BSA is very pleased to welcome Apple as
our newest member. During 1992, we intend to implement a
communications program in all of our major markets that will focus
on increasing awareness of software copyright laws among
computer resellers and others in the software distribution and retail
channel, and we hope to learn a great deal from Apple's marketing
expertise in order to make this program a success."

Kirk Loevner, director of the Apple Developer Group, also
commented on the announcement, saying: "Apple cares about the
success and profitability of all of its developers, both in the U.S. and
abroad. By becoming a member of the BSA, Apple is further
extending its reach worldwide in working with key associations to
reduce the global software piracy problem. By working to establish
copyright laws, we are helping our developers be successful in all
markets."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19920114/Press Contact:
Lori Forte, Business Software Alliance, 202-737-7060)


(NEWS)(IBM)(NYC)(00023)

IBM & Adaptec Announce OS/2 I/O Specification 01/14/92
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB)  -- IBM and
Adaptec, Inc., have announced the development of an input/output
(I/O) specification for OS/2 2.0 which incorporates the SCSI (Small
Computer Systems Interface) for Direct Access Storage Devices
(DASD) into IBM's standard.

With the introduction of the standard, OS/2 2.0 now will support
Adaptec SCSI host adapters, which are configured in PCs and
workstations, and enable them to connect up to seven SCSI
peripherals, such as disk, tape and CD-ROM drives, scanners,
and printers. Specific Adaptec host adapter models supported by
the new specification are to be announced with the general
availability of OS/2 2.0.

Announcing the introduction of the specification, Lee Reiswig, IBM
assistant general manager of Personal Systems programming. said:
"Our working with Adaptec and providing this new I/O specification
enables OS/2 2.0 to be easily supported across a wide variety of
hardware platforms, reaffirming IBM's commitment to provide an
industry-standard operating system."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19920114/Press Contacts:
Jerry Steach, Adaptec, 408-945-6761; Keith Lindenburg, IBM,
914-642-5363)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00024)

IBM Canada To Sell ROLM Sales & Service Business 01/14/92
MARKHAM, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 JAN 14 -- Continuing a
program of spinning-off parts of its operations in an effort to reduce
costs, IBM Canada has agreed to sell operations that sell and
service ROLM telecommunications systems. The buyer is
Norstan, Inc., a Maple Grove, Minnesota-based communications
company.

IBM Canada spokesman Stan Didzbalis told Newsbytes the sale is
"consistent with the restructuring we're going through." Since its
U.S. parent company announced worldwide cost-cutting measures
last fall, IBM Canada has shed several pieces of its business in
similar deals with other companies.

Norstan plans to set up a new Canadian subsidiary based in
Toronto. In a separate announcement, the company announced a
deal with Access Telecommunications, of San Jose, California, to
become the exclusive distributor for Aspect's CallCenter automatic
call distributor telephone systems in Canada.

Norstan is ROLM's largest independent business partner, and is
also an IBM Business Partner. The 1,300-employee company sells
business telephone systems, videoconferencing equipment, long
distance services and call transaction processing products and
services.  With operations in 18 American states, it had revenues
just short of US$135 million in its 1991 fiscal year.

The IBM-Norstan deal is expected to be completed by March,
subject to necessary board approval.

The agreement calls for Norstan to acquire responsibility for IBM
Canada's roughly 350 ROLM customers, with 1,000 installation sites,
as well as distribution and service agreements. Norstan will market
and service ROLM's successful 9750 Business Communications
System, ROLM computerized branch exchanges (CBXs), and
PhoneMail.

About 180 IBM Canada employees will join Norstan Canada.
Didzbalis said they account for virtually all IBM Canada employees
who work with the ROLM products. "It's vital to Norstan that these
people move with them because they're familiar not only with the
products but with the customers in Canada," he said.

Norstan and IBM Canada also plan to enter into a joint marketing
agreement under which the companies will jointly market IBM and
ROLM products.

James Radabaugh, currently Norstan's vice president of field
support and a former ROLM executive, has been named to head
the Canadian subsidiary.

Norstan said it is also talking with Siemens Electric, representing
Siemens Private Communications organization in Canada, about
taking over responsibility for Siemens' installed base of private
branch exchange (PBX) equipment in Canada. Siemens employees
involved with that business would go to work for Norstan Canada.

(Grant Buckler/19920114/Press Contact: Patrick Brink, Norstan,
612-420-1146; Stan Didzbalis, IBM Canada, tel [phone] or
800-563-2139, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00025)

Infodata To Market Logicon's Message System 01/14/92
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- Infodata
Systems has agreed to sell the Logicon Message Dissemination
System (LMDS) from Logicon of Arlington, Virginia. Infodata will sell
the system, which sorts items from an incoming electronic data
feed according to keywords, either alone or along with its own
Inquire/Text full-text retrieval system.

LMDS is designed for customers who monitor on-line information
services constantly in search of time-sensitive text data. Likely
markets include intelligence, financial services, and commercial
news retrieval, the companies said. The software appeals to
"people that have messages coming in on a very regular basis
and huge volumes coming in, and a large number of people that
have to be receiving those messages," said Chip Coyle, a
spokesman for Infodata.

LMDS users can set up profiles that specify what information they
want to receive based on keywords contained in the text. LMDS
scans incoming text and sends pertinent items to users according
to their profiles. The software can be customized to look for
keywords in specific areas of a document, officials said.

LMDS complements Infodata's own Inquire/Text system, which
can retrieve text from a database based on similar criteria, Coyle
said.

LMDS is available for 16 different hardware and software platforms,
ranging from IBM and compatible personal computers running the
OS/2 operating system, through Digital Equipment Vax minicomputers
and a range of Unix systems to IBM mainframes running the MVS and
VM operating systems, Coyle said. The IBM mainframe version costs
$49,990.

(Grant Buckler/19920114/Press Contact: Chip Coyle, KSK
Communications for Infodata, 703-734-1880; Harry Kaplowitz,
Infodata, 703-578-3430)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TOR)(00026)

Canada Remote Announces Unix-Based Services 01/14/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- Canada
Remote Systems, a major Canadian bulletin board system, said it
is the first such system to offer its subscribers access to the UseNet
Network. UseNet is the news distribution and bulletin board channel
of UUCP, an international wide area network linking thousands of
computers that run the Unix operating system.

Canada Remote is now offering Unix memberships that will give
users access to news groups and electronic mail services from
UseNet. The service will connect subscribers to about 12 million
UseNet users around the world, Canada Remote officials said.

According to Neil Fleming, president of Canada Remote Systems,
access to UseNet has previously only been available through
universities and large corporations. Fleming told Newsbytes he
expects the service to appeal in particular to people who work with
Unix in their jobs -- and may have access to UseNet at the office
-- but who want personal access to the network from home as well.

Canada Remote's service costs C$99 per year and provides up to
one hour per day of UUCP transfer of mail and news. The service
will be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at modem speeds
from 1,200 bits-per-second and up.

Response to the service has been encouraging, Fleming said, with
"a good number" of memberships already sold in about a week
since a notice was posted on the BBS.

In the coming months, Canada Remote said it plans to offer
subscribers access to its own Unix facilities, file transfer through
Internet, and access to Unix archival material at Canada Remote
Systems.

(Grant Buckler/19920114/Press Contact: Neil Fleming, Canada
Remote Systems, 416-620-1439 or 800-465-6443 in Canada,
tel [phone] in the U.S., fax [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LON)(00027)

Borland UK Ships dBase IV On Two Unix Platforms 01/14/92
READING, BERKSHIRE, 1991 JAN 14 (NB) -- Borland International
has announced that dBase IV, its relational database package, has
been ported to two Unix platforms -- IBM's RS/6000 and Sun's
Sun 3 series of workstations. According to Karen Green, Borland's
product manager, both versions are available immediately in the
UK.

"DBase IV for Unix is a vital part of Borland's new cross-platform
strategy to offer fully compatible versions of dBase IV across
multiple computers and operations system," she said, adding that
the package has been available for Sun 4 and Sparc-based
machines since January last year, as we well as 80386-based
machines since June of 1991.

"Today's announcement means that IBM's RISC System/6000
and Sun 3 users also now have access to the thousands of
applications that have been written with dBase products," she said.

Package pricing for a single user version of dBase for the
RS/6000 or Sun 3 series of workstations has been set at UKP 595.
A multi-user pack adds four extra, simultaneous users for UKP
1,795. Customers requiring information on the packages are asked
to call Borland's customer service division on 0734-321150.

(Steve Gold/19920114/Press & Public Contact: Borland
International, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00028)

UK: M-Trade Cuts One Third Off Comtest Network Tester 01/14/92
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- M-Trade has updated
its Comtest LA range of network management and protocol
analysis tools, and lopped UKP 3,000 -- one third of the price --
off into the bargain.

So why the price cut? The company claims that the price reduction
results from lower hardware costs and economies of scale arising
from ramped up production.

Version 2.0 of the Comtest LA network tester features a new
interface for frames capture that adds four modes of display, a
toggle for switching between display modes, the ability to set
markers showing the range of frames to be saved to disk and/or
printed, and an enhanced search facility.

Other new features of the updated device include a new report
generator, early collision detection (within the first 12 bytes),
the ability to edit and output captured frames, the ability to
filter and trigger on error conditions, and a graph facility for
protocol distribution.

According to M-Trade, the Comtest LA's auto-diagnose facility
enables users to monitor activity on the entire network in real-
time with just a single key press. Unlike conventional systems,
the UKP 6,995 unit allows users to capture a true 100 percent of
the data stream as well.

(Steve Gold/19920114/Press & Public Contact: M-Trade,
081-877-1711)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00029)

Lotus Ami Pro Enters UK Top Ten Software Packages 01/14/92
STAINES, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- Lotus
Development Corporation's Ami Pro software. the Windows-based
word processing package, has entered the top ten list of best-
selling software packages in the UK.

According to Lotus, the entry into the top is just one month
after version 2.0 began shipping in the UK. The top ten list is
published by Softsel, one of the UK's largest software distributors.
It also shows Lotus as having three of the ten best-selling
applications in the areas of word processing, spreadsheets,
and presentation graphics.

Mark Mallinson, Lotus' word processing product manager, said:
"although Ami Pro has been a major Windows player for a couple
of years, only recently have we translated this to the entire word
processing marketplace. Now its market share here is approaching
ten percent. With continued progress like that, we should be looking
at the number three WP spot in the UK within three months. We see
Wordstar as seriously under threat now," he added.

Mallinson said that he believes that the success of Ami pro
reflects the rapidly changing requirements for word processing.

"As end users begin to move to Windows they're now re-evaluating
their real word processing needs. Ami pro fits the bill on two
important counts: tight integration with other Windows products,
and a great visual graphical user interface, making the
transition from character-based products far easier," he said.
"That's a powerful argument when switching over from DOS."

(Steve Gold/19920114/Press & Public Contact: Lotus UK ,
0784-455445)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00030)

Turn Your Macintosh Into A News Terminal 01/14/92
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 14 (NB) -- Mainstream
Data has introduced Mainstream Newscast, a service which turns
an Apple Macintosh into a news terminal.

Using a Macintosh, an FM antenna or satellite dish, and Mainstream's
FM data receiver and software, users can receive news from
Associated Press, McGraw-Hill, Knight-Ridder, Market News Service,
Newsnet, PR Newswire, Business Wire, The Sports Network, and
Weatherbank as it is transmitted.

Newscast is available in a stand-alone version now, and the
company says it is developing a local area network version,
integrated with electronic mail, to be available during the second
quarter.

Monthly cost is based on the monthly subscription price of the
various information services. There is no extra cost for connect
time, searches, records or storage. Mainstream said the price for
news delivery to a stand-alone Mac can be as low as $50 per
month, depending on what news services are ordered. The cost
for additional terminals starts at $10 per month per terminal.

Mainstream said the user can have up to 18 different windows to
receive and sort the news. Sorts can be as broad as "stock
market," or as specific as "Yugoslav politics."

Mainstream spokesperson Todd Williams told Newsbytes that as
stories move on the news service, a headline appears in the
appropriate window, and the previous headline moves down. The
user clicks on the desired headline to read the story.

Since the service is received via FM (frequency modulation) radio
frequencies, no modem is required. Mainstream says its
broadcasts can be received in about 10,000 locations in North
America. Williams said the company operates FM transmitters in
eight major metropolitan areas (New York, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago,
Los Angeles, San Francisco, St Louis, and Dallas). For subscribers
outside those broadcast areas, Williams said the signals would be
received via a 30-inch satellite dish.

Some typical applications cited by the company include marketing
managers tracking competitors activities, sales representatives
monitoring key accounts and prospects, financial officers tracking
economic trends, and PR professionals tracking press coverage
of clients.

According to Williams, any Mac with one megabyte of RAM and a
800 kilobyte floppy disk drive running System 6.0 or higher will run
Newscast. Williams said a hard drive is recommended.

(Jim Mallory/19920114/Press Contact: John Bannion, Mainstream,
801-584-28000)