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/nb920408

Text File | 1992-04-08 | 64KB | 1,385 lines

(NEWS)(UNIX)(LAX)(00001)

MIPS Announces New Product Directions 04/08/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- MIPS' John Hennessy,
chief scientist and co-founder of MIPS, announced three new product
lines in development regarding the company's R4000 reduced instruction
set computing (RISC) microprocessor family, and the markets for each
one.

MIPS is planning a R4000/R5000 with its semiconductor partners, the
company said. The top of the line processor, internally code-named
"T5," is designed for mainstream client/server computing. Two other
processors will then be derived from the T5, a high-performance
processor code-named "TFP" designed for technical computing and a
low-power, low-cost processor code-named "VRX," targeted at
notebook and battery-powered computers, MIPS said.

Nothing specific in terms of the release dates, the sources for the
new chips, or pricing was available, and Hennessy said the new products
will continue to be available from multiple sources. This is
significant in the light of the MIPS recently announced agreement with
Silicon Graphics for a merger. Industry sources, such as Dataquest,
say Silicon Graphics holds the purse strings and therefore has control
of MIPS. Dataquest said that implies that MIPS may have difficulty
serving the needs of Silicon Graphics, which is dependent on the MIPS
technology, and the needs of its other clients as well.

MIPS was careful to mention its semiconductor partners by name. They
are listed as Integrated Device Technology, LSI Logic, NEC,
Performance Semiconductor, Siemens A.G., and Toshiba.

The planned TFP processor, a CMOS processor, is based on technology
designed by Silicon Graphics, MIPS added. MIPS describes the TFP as
"designed to deliver Cray YMP-class performance" in floating-point
scientific and multiprocessing applications.

Other plans announced by MIPS include speeding up the R4000 family of
chips from the current speed of 50 megahertz (MHz) to 75 MHz by the
end of the year, and to 100 MHz by 1993, MIPS maintains. Next in line
is the R5000 chip expected in mid-1993, the company said. The R5000 is
expected to have larger on-chip caches and over 150 SPECmarks of
performance.

The T5 is expected another year after the R5000, or in mid-1994.
According to MIPS the T5 is expected to perform at over 500 million
instructions per second (mips).

MIPS yesterday said it is the first company to announce ARC-compliant
systems for running the Microsoft Windows NT operating system, which
is still in prerelease testing stages, as well as the Unix for ACE
operating system. ARC or the Advanced RISC Computing (ARC)
specification is a standard designed for compatibility in applications
between x86 microprocessor-based personal computers (IBM and
compatibles) and Unix systems.

MIPS Computer Systems describes itself as a supplier of RISC
technology and of the industry's advanced RISC computing (ARC)
reference platform. MIPS is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920407/Press Contact: Lisa Young, Regis McKenna for
MIPS, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00002)

Novell Expands Communications Server Offerings 04/08/92
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Novell's Netware
Systems Group is expanding its offerings in regard to the enterprise
computing model. This latest series of announcements introduces a
new product called Netware Communications Server v1.0 and provides
upgrades to two others: Netware for SAA v1.2 and Netware
Asynchronous Communications Services v3.0.

Netware for SAA v1.2 expands on the support provided to IBM's AS400
minicomputers. It also automates server management from NetView.
There are additional smaller enhancements that relate to the
availability of 3270 emulators for Unix and OS/2 clients and a
QLCC/X.25 host connection option. Netware for SAA is fully
compatible with SNA and supports up to 508 concurrent host sessions.

Netware for SAA v1.2 is shipping now. Pricing is determined by the
number of concurrent sessions that are supported with a 16-session
license costing $1995 and a 254-session at $14,995. Customers who
bought Netware for SAA since February 1, 1992 will receive a free
upgrade to v1.2. For other upgrade information contact your dealer.

Jointly with this announcement, seven other companies have announced
their support or new products that take advantage of this new
version of Netware for SAA. The companies and their products are:
BusTech - Ethernet LAN Controller for NetWare; CLEO Communications -
3270 Linkix; Gupta Technology - SQLGateway/APPC for Netware; Netwise
- DUET; Newport Systems Solutions - X.25 Communications Interface
Adapter; Tangram Systems Corporation - NLM version of AM:PM; Wall
Data - Rumba PM.

In a second announcement, Novell unveiled Netware Asynchronous
Communication Services (NACS) v3.0. This is a set of Netware
Loadable Modules (NLM) which provide the Netware environment with a
single point of control. The new version also supports Novell's own
Netware Asynchronous System Interface (NASI) and finally provides
support for Netware v3.11. Three companies have already announced
support for this new version in their products: Citrix Systems in
its Network Application Server and Citrix Remote Link, Digiboard
in their Multiport asynchronous communications adapter boards, and
Newport Systems Solutions in their Asynchronous Communications
Interface and X.25 Communications Interface adpater boards.

NACS v3.0 will be available on April 10. Pricing depends on the
number of ports. A 2-port license sells for $595. An 8-port license
for $1795. A 32-port license is $4995. The 8 and 32-port
licenses ship with a copy of Netware Runtime.

Finally, Novell is also introducing the Netware Communication
Services Manager v1.0. This is a Microsoft Windows-based program
that allows the network administrator to manage a network running
Netware - including Netware for SAA v1.2 and NACS v3.0 - from
anywhere on the network. CSM is based on Novell's Netware Management
Systems technology which lets it operate on a network that already
supports another netware management tool. Complete toolkits for
fault, performance, and configuration management are included.
CSM v1.0 will be available in May 1992 for $4995. To celebrate its
upcoming arrival, Novell will be offering significant discounts
to its distributors through July 31. These discounts can
range up to 30%.

(Naor Wallach/19920408/Press Contact: Bill Jeppesen, Novell,
408-747-4361)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00003)

Banyan Upgrades Vines Assistant Program 04/08/92
WESTBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Banyan has
announced the upcoming availability of version 2.0 of Vines
Assistant. To be available in May 1992, Vines Assistant v2.0 is
a major upgrade that enhances the network management, diagnostics,
performance tuning, and troubleshooting of Vines networks.

The main features that are incorporated into this version include
a Historical Performance Analyzer which collects all kinds of data
and allows the network administrator to graphically display that
information and detect trends. Different metrics can be selected for
display as well as different server resources and performance
parameters.

The Server Console utility has been significantly enhanced to
include 24 different utilities that can be used to provide better
on-going support and diagnosis of server problems. Some of the
utilities are targeted towards data collection.

The user interface has been changed to be a menu driven interface
with significant on-line help features. This practically eliminates
the need for the network administrator to memorize complex commands
with many options.

Vines Assistant v2.0 will retail for $699 and is a software option
for all Vines networks from version 4.0 onwards. Current Vines
Assistant users will receive a free upgrade to v2.0.

(Naor Wallach/19920408/Press Contact: Joann Anderson, Copithorne &
Bellows for Banyan, 617-252-0606)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LAX)(00004)

Sun Ships A Microphone With SPARCstations 04/08/92
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Sun Microsystems
Computer Corporation (SMCC), a subsidiary of Sun Microsystems, says it
is committed to offering multimedia capabilities as standard in its
workstations and to prove it, is shipping a microphone with every
SPARCstation.

SMCC says the desktop workstation can play, record, and
receive audio and can send the audio anywhere on a network at no
extra cost to the user, thanks to the microphone, built-in speaker, and
bundled software that comes with the SPARCstation.

Sun said its first workstation had a speaker, but last September the
company introduced Multimedia Mail and Audio Tool both of which will
run in a Solaris distributed computing environment. Bob Pearson,
director of interactive media marketing at SMCC, said: "We call our
approach collaborative multimedia, since it utilizes the various
media, such as audio, video, graphics and text, to enhance
communication and productivity, not just for individuals but for all
users on the network in the entire company."

Sun describe Multimedia Mail as an electronic mail application capable
of audio as well. Audio Tool allows the user to rewind, play, and
record electronic mail for use in Multimedia Mail and other
applications as well. Sun says more than 30 third-party software
applications are available for the SPARCstation that utilize audio.

The custom-designed, diamond-shaped, miniaturized microphone included
with the SPARCstation and is integrated with the Audio Tool software
via ToolTalk, object-based technology for transparent inter-
application communication, Sun added.

Tooltalk automatically invokes Audio Tool to allow a user to edit and
attach an audio message as an electronic mail attachment. Sun said
third-party developers can also use Audio Tool and ToolTalk and by
doing so they can save the time it takes to incorporate audio within
their applications.

Mountain View, California-based Sun Microsystems manufactures and
distributes workstation computers and software in conjunction with a
group of subsidiaries it spun-off to handle specific areas of
computing and software development. SMCC is one such subsidiary.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920407/Press Contact: Leiann Lee, Sun Microsystems
Computer Corporation, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00005)

 ****Seagate 1st Hard Disk Maker To Load DOS, Windows 04/08/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Seagate, a hard disk
manufacturer, says is has signed an agreement with Microsoft that will
allow it to provide "Instant On" for its hard disks by preloading MS-
DOS and Windows 3.1.

While original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), meaning those assembling
the computers, have these type of agreements with Microsoft, this is
the first time a hard disk manufacturer has made this agreement with
Microsoft or any operating system supplier.

Hard disks have to be formatted, then the operating system loaded and
configured -- tasks usually done by the store where the user purchases
the computer, by the user, and lately by some OEMs. The process is
time consuming and labor intensive, usually requiring the loading of
eight or more floppy disks, Seagate said. Recent attention over the
fallibility of the process if done by OEMs has made the headlines this
year when manufacturer Leading Edge and New Jersey-based mail-order
firm Computer Sales Professional discovered the Michelangelo virus had
been distributed on the hard disks of computers that had been prepared
in-house.

Computer virus expert Richard Levin told Newsbytes the hard disks of
the Leading Edge and Computer Sales Professional computers were
infected just as any other computer is infected, by the person who was
actually doing the manual labor involved in preparing the hard disk.
Levin said he predicted in his 1988 book "The Computer
Virus Handbook" that this would happen.

However, Seagate says it will now perform the formatting and
preparation of the disks for OEMs that are licensed by Microsoft to
distribute DOS and Windows on the hard disk of computer systems they
sell.

Seagate says eliminating a labor step for OEMs will help answer demand
from users who want more user-friendly systems. Al Shugart, Seagate's
president and chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement:
"We are very pleased to be the first out of the gate with 'Instant on'
capabilities and consider this kind of upstream integration to be the
wave of the future. Microsoft's new Windows 3.1 installation features
and Seagate's ability to deliver preloaded software in volume make a
powerful partnership capable of answering end-user demands for a more
user-friendly computer system."

Seagate says it expects to begin volume production of the hard disk
drives with the "Instant On" capability in June of this year.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920407/Press Contact: Julie Still, Seagate, tel
408-439-2276, fax [phone]; Rich Levin, Levin & Associates, 215-
333-8274)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00006)

Newsday Article Questions McAfee Credibility 04/08/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S., APR 8 (NB) -- In an exclusive appearing in
the Sunday, April 5th edition of New York Newsday, "Software Hard
Sell," staff writer Joshua Quittner critically examines the background of
John McAfee, the chairman of the Computer Virus Industry Association.

After quoting McAfee "doing what he does best: warning a reporter
about the perils of a new computer virus," Quittner states:
"But wait. This is John David McAfee, the man who once ran a service
that revolved around the curious premise that, if you paid him a
membership fee and tested HIV-negative, you could have AIDS-free sex
with other members for six months. This is the man who jumped from
biological viruses to computer viruses and quickly became a flamboyant
expert on the new demi-plague, showing up at the scene of infected
PCs in his Winnebago 'antivirus paramedic unit."

"And this is the same man who started something called the Computer
Virus Industry Association, and, as chairman, made national headlines
last month by saying that as many as five million computers may be
infected by a virus named Michelangelo."

After stating that, in the opinion of industry experts, Michelangelo was
a flop, Quittner goes on to quote various industry experts as saying:
"McAfee's programs are probably the most popular shareware programs
of all time, second only to PKZIP" (George Pulido, technical editor of
Shareware Magazine); "He does know the issue of viruses .. but his
tactics are designed to sell his software" (Ken Wasch, Software
Publishers Associates). Quittner also quoted McAfee throughout the
three-page article, allowing him rebuttal on the various criticisms.

Asked by Newsbytes what led him to the story, Quittner said, "While
reporting on Michelangelo, I was interested in trying to separate the
hype from the reality. I kept seeing John McAfee's name associated with
all the hype and wild estimates and I wanted to come up with an
understanding of who this John McAfee is."

Quittner also said, "McAfee is a very smart businessman. I think that, if
there was any undue hype, it was as much the fault of the press as
McAfee's. The press has a responsibility to get background on so-called
experts before we call them experts. One would expect McAfee to
promote his products and expertise. The press should be aware if an
expert being quoted stands to make a financial profit from being
quoted."

Quittner concluded his comments to Newsbytes by saying, "Every day,
hundreds of people lose the information on their hard disk due to
machine failure, operator error, etc. -- more people than are ever
affected by viruses. The protection against all of these problems is
backup procedures -- a very low-tech solution. We do not cover these
stories; it is only the Michelangelo-type viruses that get our attention.
It harkens back to the fear that people have for computers -- there's
something sinister in there and it can damage you."

McAfee, speaking to Newsbytes, responded, "The article is a lot of
bunk. The general tone was skewed. The people quoted were either
competitors or had an axe to grind. The SPA tried to take
over the Computer Virus Industry Association in 1988 and was rebuffed
so they have an axe to grind."

Patricia Hoffman, who now maintains the successor to David
Stang's library under the auspices of the Anti-Virus Product
Developers (AVPD) in association with the National Computer
Security Association (NCSA), said, "All of the vendors
involved - Certus, Symantec, Central Point and McAfee - agreed that
the library maintained by Stang was not usable. So I started over with
a library from Joe Wells at Certus and added from other sources
including my own collection."

McAfee, responding to Newsbytes' questions on the AIDS service, said,
"The service was strictly a part-time activity. I perceived AIDS to be a
problem earlier than most and attempted to provide a service."

Steve Stern, a McAfee spokesperson, also speaking to Newsbytes,
added, "I was not aware of the AIDS service until today when John
faxed me a copy of the newsletter. It is clear from reading it that it is
a medical newsletter and not simply a dating service. It has articles on
topics related to AIDS such as one dealing with concerns for African
travellers and on the AIDS danger spread by prostitutes."

Stern also said, "The article is not really journalism; it is fairly slanted.
There are accurate quotes used but it is clear that the persons chosen
for quotation were ones with an anti-McAfee bias."

When appraised of the McAfee and Stern comments, Quittner told
Newsbytes, "Concerning the AIDS service, my information was drawn
from the San Francisco Examiner articles at the time concerning the
service. The whole premise was even silly. We all know that AIDS
infectors can be present in the body for months without showing up on
a blood test."

Quittner added, "I'm certainly not going to get into a pissing contest
with McAfee and Stern. There is a real story here concerning self-
promotion and the responsibility of the press. I spoke to over three dozen
persons -- some who despise John McAfee and some that love him --
and the article reflects this intensive research. The story speaks for
itself."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19920407)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00007)

Samsung, Tatung Release 486 PCs 04/08/92
TAIPEI, TAIWAN, 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Available this month
from Taiwan PC manufacturer Tatung is a fast 486 server PC. Like
many manufacturers Tatung has just announced it will pre-load
Windows 3.1 and DOS 5.0.

The TCS-9620E is a 486-33 with between 4 and 64MB of RAM
on board. The processor chip is on a separate daughter
board, so may easily be swapped for a more powerful one
in the future. There are six drive bays and built-in support for two
diskette and two IDE hard disk drives.

Jerry Huan, deputy general manager of Tatung's overseas division,
said in a press release: "This tower system is designed as a high-
power departmental server, and many potential minicomputer buyers
will prefer it, especially as it can be supplied with Xenix or OS/2 2.0.
There is also a range of Tatung peripherals such as monitors, and 286
and 386 PCs."

Meanwhile, Korean manufacturer Samsung has released two
new 386sx and 486sx PCs, claiming their 25MHz rated processors are
real, not slower processors run at higher speeds, which is said to be a
common practice with Asian-sourced PCs.

(Paul Zucker/19920407/Contact: fax [phone] in Taiwan
or phone [phone] fax [phone] in the US)


(NEWS)(IBM)(ATL)(00008)

 ****Inside the Windows 3.1 Announcement 04/07/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 7 (NB) -- Most major
software vendors at this Comdex show are exhibiting at Windows
World, which has its own press facilities, a separate upside-down
showbook bound with the Comdex guide, and the entire North Hall
of McCormick Place.

They're all here to support Microsoft's announcement of worldwide
availability for Windows 3.1. In addition to holding a press
briefing and party on the first day of the show, and offering
Chairman Bill Gates for a Windows World keynote, Microsoft is also
offering a second day of plenaries, and a week of sessions devoted
to hyping the differences between this version of Windows and
Version 3.0.

Over one million copies of Windows 3.1 shipped in advance of the
release, the company said, with 175,000 delivered on the first
day of the show via Federal Express. In addition, over 85
hardware makers have agreed to pre-install 3.1 on their machines
before shipment, guaranteeing that millions of people will have
Windows 3.1 by the end of the month.

One of the advantages of Windows 3.1 is an Express Setup feature so
it can be installed by merely typing a user's name and specifying a
printer. A StartUp group feature instructs Windows to start-up
any application as the computer is turned on. Features like the
File Manager and SMARTDrive disk cache are faster, and there are
power management functions for laptop computers, as well as
Scalable TrueType font technology providing instant accesses to
typefaces on any monitor or printer supported by Windows. Object
linking and embedding, as well as built-in multimedia support,
and improved network support, are also part of the mix.

Say you upgraded last year to Windows 3.0. It will cost you another
$50 for 3.1, if you act by June 1, after which it's $80. You can get the
upgrade and a 44-font TrueType font package for $100 through June 1,
and it jumps to $180 after that. This is why Microsoft's stock market
capitalization is higher than General Motors.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920407/Press Contact: Collins Hemingway,
Microsoft, 206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEL)(00009)

India to Set Up Patent Database 04/08/92
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Patent Information System is
expected to have computer readable and searchable databases of Indian
patents in three years from now.

The Union government, in collaboration with the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and United Nations
Development Programme, has planned a $1 million modernization
program for the Indian Patent Office in Nagpur in central
India. According to WIPO experts, Daid C. Newton and Jaine
Sevilla, the best solution is to set up a national system
for Indian documents not covered in any on-line database. The
system could depend on an on-line foreign host for
non-Indian documents and gradually cover documents of foreign
patent offices.

At present, it operates with microfilms or paper-based databases of
about 30 million patent documents from various parts of the world and
in many languages, with one million documents being added every year.
Computerization will not only reduce inaccuracies, but will also make
it easily accessible.

(C.T. Mahabharat 19920331)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEL)(00010)

India Producing Own Supercomputer 04/07/92
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- India's own supercomputer is
now on a commercial production line. Last week, the Pune and
Bangalore-based Centre for Development of Advanced Computing
(CDAC), a government-aided mission, displayed two of its recently
developed supercomputing products in New Delhi - Param and Paras.

Param is a massively parallel processing computer and Paras is a
parallel applications development tool. The Param 8600 series,
which uses a combination of INMOS transputers and Intel's i860
chip, is capable of providing a scalable performance of about six
gflop (peak) over 3000 mips (peak). It has 256 processing nodes,
each with a 32-bit integer processor with a 64-bit floating point
processor.

"Developing such a powerful system was a dream four years
ago,'' said Sam Pitroda, advisor, technology missions, to the
prime minister and an erstwhile telecom czar. (He has recently fallen
out of the official favour due to several controversies raked up
by the press about his CDOT -- Centre for Development of Telematics --
that has been in pursuance of designing and developing India's
own digital switching systems.) "Today, it is a classic example
of self-reliance,'' he added. What he didn't mention was
controversy. Quite a few eyebrows were raised, when CDAC
announced Indian entry into the "supercomputing era" in August
1990 with its 64-node parallel machine. Internally, controversies
arose about the system architecture. Its software brain A. Paulraj,
director of the Bangalore unit, resigned in disgust to move to
Stanford University a few months ago. Even now, some question
Param's power as it is claimed to be. But, it has undoubtedly launched
India into the league of nations with competence to develop computers
with computational power beyond 1000 mflops.

Param series of supercomputers has been designed for large-
scale scientific and engineering applications like image
processing, computational fluid dynamics, remote sensing,
oil reservoir modelling, seismic data processing, finite
element analysis, and signal processing. CDAC has already
received orders from the Institute of Computer-aided Designing
of Russia, University of Bremmen, Germany, and National
Physical Laboratory, Delhi. And the centre has signed with a
Pune-based firm, Thermax Ltd., transferring the technology to
manufacture Param which means "super" in Sanscrit - India's
ancient and holy language.

Tata Unisys Ltd. has also taken CDAC's parallel processing
technology to incorporate into its Unix machine, U6000 range.

(C.T. Mahabharat 19920326)


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

Dayna Lowers Prices On Ethernet Products 04/08/92
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Citing an
increasingly competitive marketplace, Dayna Communications has
announced pricing reductions on several of its Ethernet products.

All DaynaPort Ethernet Adapters for the Macintosh have been reduced
in price from $299 to $239 effective immediately. The company claims
that this restores them to the position of having the lowest price
per board of any of their competitors who typically charge $249 per
board. DaynaPort Ethernet adapters exist in versions for every kind
of Macintosh including the new Macintosh LC II announced last
week.

The DaynaStar Minihub was also subject to price cutting. From now on
it will sell for $389 instead of $449. Again, Dayna officials
stressed that the price reductions were driven by competitive
pressures which forced them to reduce their margins in order to
compete. This is especially true now that Farallon has chosen to
return to the Macintosh networking marketplace in a big way.

The DaynaPort E/Z and the DaynaPort SCSI/Link lines are not subject
to these price reductions at this time. They will remain at $399.

(Naor Wallach/19920407/Press Contact: David Pascoe, Dayna
Communications, 801-531-0600)


(NEWS)(IBM)(MOW)(00012)

Moscow: Russian WordPerfect Launched At Comtek 4/08/92
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- WordPerfect Corporation has
launched the Russian version of WordPerfect 5.1 at the Comtek computer
show in Moscow. The package will be sold for local currency.

Alexey Chadovich, software engineer and the main product developer,
told Newsbytes that WP 5.1 was, unlike other localized products on the
Russian market, completely developed in-house by WordPerfect
Corporation, which has some clear advantages.

"Other products were localized with some sort of add-on programs, or by
outside programmers. As a big advantage over other word processing
software we would like to mention a built-in Russian language spellchecker,
which is not available as part of any other Western product. Other
things in the Russian edition are similar to the English one," Chadovich
said.

Alexey Chadovich was a programmer in Troitsk, a small science city near
Moscow. He was hired by WP to do the job a year ago.

The company first showed a beta version of the package at this computer
show last spring, intending to put it on sale "in several months." It
took a year in fact.

The word processor will be sold through Merisel, its main distribution
channel. The distribution agreement was signed in March, 1992. The
price is set at 15,000 rubles (about US$120). Mrs Ellen Zindel, market
development manager for the Eastern Europe, said her company is actively
looking for other distributors in the former Soviet Union.

Merisel/C.A.T. is a Moscow-based joint venture specializing in value-added
reselling. In addition to WordPerfect it carries a range of Symantec,
Borland, Microsoft, and Lotus software.

(Kirill Tchashchin/199203/Press & Public Contact: Alexey Chadovich,
WordPerfect, phone [phone], Merisel, phone [phone] or 276-
3149, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00013)

SPA Raids Grand Central Camera 04/08/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- On March 25, U.S.
Marshals and representatives of the Software Publishers
Association raided grand Central Cameras (AKA GCT Photo Dealers)
based on charges that the company had been making illegal copies
of software and selling computers preloaded with the programs in
violation of U.S. copyright laws.

SPA member companies whose software has allegedly been copied
include Lotus, Microsoft, WordPerfect, Datastorm Technologies,
Fifth Generation Systems, Interplay Productions, and Sphere.

Copied software was found on 25 seized floppy diskettes which
allegedly served as duplication masters. In addition, sales
records with names of customers were also taken and will
reportedly be used to determine if those obtaining pirated
software will be named in the case against the store.

Also seized in the raid, which was based on a federal court order
issued in the United States Court for the Southern District of
New York, were three desktop computers and two laptops which the
SPA says contained illegal or pirated copies of software.

Grand Central Cameras has agreed to submit to, and the court
subsequently entered, a preliminary injunction forbidding
unauthorized software copying by the reseller.

The SPA maintains an anti-piracy hotline, 800-388-7478, which
collects information from people wishing to report software
copyright violations.

To get a copy of the SPA Self-Audit Kit and SPAudit inventory
management program, companies should write to: SPAudit Software
Publishers Association 1730 M. Street, NW, Suite 700 Washington,
D.C. 20036.

(John McCormick/19920407/Press Contact: Terri Childs, SPA, 202-
452-1600)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SYD)(00014)

Australian Apple Distributor Goes Soft 04/08/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Allaw Technologies, one
of Australia's leading distributors of disk drives, tape drives, and PC
networking equipment, is moving into software distribution.
Bruce Dembecki, Allaw's Macintosh sales manager, said Allaw has
already begun distributing Letraset products, its first venture
into software, and that more deals are likely soon.

Allaw imports and manufactures peripherals, add-on cards, and
production components. It claims to have one of Australia's few class
100 clean rooms for hard disk assembly and repair. Product lines
include Radius screens, Micropolis hard disks, and the Outbound
Macintosh-compatible notebook computer. It has its own procurement
office in Los Angeles, handling local payments to US suppliers and
consolidating shipments.

Dembecki said Allaw made the software decision because it could see
an opening that worked with the company's existing line. "Basically,
Letraset was not well marketed in this country and its product
complemented our hardware such as Radius products."

Allaw has begun with Letraset's graphics package Painter, and will also
distribute an upgraded version of the entry level DTP package Ready
Set Go. Dembecki said Allaw will target the graphics and groupware
markets where it already has a stronghold.

Staff levels are being increased in preparation for May's launch date,
and are expected to exceed 60. Sales in 1991 were approximately
US$21M.

(Paul Zucker/19920407)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00015)

Oki/HP Signs Partnership Agreement 04/08/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Oki Electric has announced that
it has signed a partnership agreement with Hewlett-Packard to
develop a variety of products, cooperate on maintenance work, and sell
each other's products.

Both companies seek to beef up their system integration business
with the agreement. Oki will market Hewlett-Packard's RISC (reduced
instruction set computing) computer under HP's brand name. The
computer is installed with HP's "PA-RISC" chip and HP'S Unix operating
system. Both firms will develop software for these computers.

Both firms will hammer out details of the partnership ranging
from marketing, licensing, and joint development to maintenance
service.

The relationship between Oki and Hewlett Packard has been warm
enough. Both firms created a joint venture plant for printed circuit
boards in Puerto Rico in 1990. Oki has also been manufacturing HP's
PA-RISC chip.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920408/Press Contact: Oki Electric, +81-3-
3580-8950)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00016)

Dataquest Offers Japanese Info Service 04/08/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Dataquest is now providing
its expertise in the computer industry data-gathering field to Japan.
Japan Dataquest's new information service is called "Computer
System Industry Japan."

The price of this service is a whopping 3 million yen ($22,000) or
above depending on the term. The customer will be able to get both
general and detailed views on the Japanese and worldwide computer
industry. Also, analysis of the industry is provided in this service.

Topics covered include software applications, the overall
software market, and computers and peripheral equipment.
Detailed information is provided on each product, units shipped,
actual sales, expected sales, and new products. The analysis includes
the competitiveness of products and possible marketing strategy.
This analysis is provided by the specialists in the industry.

Currently, the information is provided in Japanese, but the
English version is expected to be provided later depending on
demand.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920408/Press Contact: Japan Dataquest,
 [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TYO)(00017)

Sony To Develop Netware For NEWS 04/08/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Sony has signed a license
with Novell to use Novell's network operating software Netware
for Unix. The agreement calls for Sony to revise the program to
support the Japanese language on its own NEWS workstation.

Sony expects to complete the products and release them for the NEWS
workstations this fall.

With this software, Sony's NEWS can be a file server with a large
memory. ISDN-based (integrated services digital network)
broad networks and advanced optical fiber networks can be used
with NEWS. Also, software applications combining Unix and Netware
can be produced.

Meanwhile, Sony also plans change its operating system from its current
Berkeley version to Unix System V Release 4.0. With this change,
Sony is preparing to add extra features in the System V Release
4.0. The new system, called NEWS OS Release 6.0., is due out
by August.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920408/Press Contact: Sony, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00018)

MCI Links To Mexico, Issues Annual Report 04/08/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- MCI's international
subsidiary says it intends to expand the Vnet virtual network
south to Mexico.

Telefonos de Mexico already has a virtual network service called the
Red Express and that Mexican business system will be linked to the
US through MCI's Vnet. Service will begin later this year.

MCI's Vnet uses software that emulates a private dedicated line
network, but without the dedicated lines, so businesses using it
are billed not for the line on a 24-hour basis, but only for the
time it is in use. One billing option lets companies on Vnet
service receive their bills on CD-ROMs which makes accounting
much easier.

General Motors uses Vnet to link more than 9,000 dealers in the
US.

MCI, which released its 1992 annual report today, has stated its
goal to target international markets for its future growth and
plans to make capital improvements in its networks totalling $1.3
billion this year, down just slightly from last year's figure but
a bit higher than the amount spent in 1990.

Backup security was the main area of investment in 1991, according
to the company report.

MCI's long distance market share grew a reported one percent to
16 percent in 1991, with five million new customers signing up
for MCI in an eight-month period, thanks to the Friends and Family
discount plan. This plan has been aggressively marketed in the
US and competitors are now putting on competing ads to counter
its success.

The company's annual meeting is scheduled for May 11 in
Washington.

(John McCormick/19920408/Press Contact: Jane Levene, MCI
International, 914-934-6480)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(ATL)(00019)

Comdex: Canon Offers Digital Color Copier 04/08/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Canon, a world
leader in laser printer engines, is using its bubble jet technology to take
a new stab at the color copier market. The CJ10 Desktop Color
Bubble-Jet Copier offers 400 dot-per-inch resolution and up to 256
gradations of color, at under $10,000 retail.

It can also work as a printer, linked via an Intelligent Processing Unit
or video adapter. Canon claims this will expand the market for color
copiers, currently expected to reach $466 million by 1995, from $141
million last year.

In case you're unfamiliar with the bubble jet technology, here's
how it works. Ink is heated inside a print nozzle, which forms a
bubble. The bubble forces out ink onto the paper, then the bubble
cools and contracts. A vacuum pulls more ink into the print
nozzle, and the process starts over again.

Canon's bubble jet printer line is called the BJ series, and its
latest in that line is the BJ-20. It's priced at $599, with laser
quality, and has a 50-sheet feeder, as well as a number of
resident fonts, including seven from Epson, and some from the IBM
ProPrinter. The BJ-20 takes plain paper in a variety of sizes, as
well as regular envelopes and transparencies, and prints at an
equivalent speed of 110 characters per second. It weighs 4
pounds, and has an optional rechargeable battery for portable
use.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19910408/Press Contact: Scott Cullen, for
Canon, 212-527-8891)


(NEWS)(IBM)(ATL)(00020)

Comdex: Audio Card Maker Launches Video Card 04/08/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Creative Labs,
makers of the Sound Blaster audio card, launched the Video
Blaster, a $495 video card for multimedia which can display,
edit, and frame capture full-motion video.

The Video Blaster handles both NTSC images used in North American
television as well as the PAL scheme used in Europe. The
digitized images can be captured in a "freeze frame" and saved in
a variety of popular graphics file formats. The board can switch
among three video inputs, and can handle four audio inputs as
well. It requires a full-length 16-bit AT style slot, as well as
MS-DOS 3.1 or higher and a VGA monitor. It's also compatible with
Windows 3.1.

Creative Labs also announced a $229 version of its flagship Sound
Blaster Pro product, which lacks only a MIDI accessory kit for
computerized music. The Musical Instrument Digital Interface,
originally created for synthesizers a decade ago, is a standard
for computer-based music. The new card handles up to 20 voices, and is
bundled with application software.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19910408/Press Contact: Arnold Waldstein,
Creative Labs, 408-428-6600)


(NEWS)(IBM)(ATL)(00021)

Comdex: Certus Launches Novi, Anti-Viral Program 04/08/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Certus
International, makers of the Certus anti-viral software package,
has officially launched Novi, short for no-virus, which it calls
the first anti-viral package that doesn't need updating.

A patent is pending on the system, but the company says it can
either prevent or detect and repair all infections caused by
viruses, checking the boot sections and operating system of a
computer's hard disk in a way which bypasses the operating system
to verify software integrity. "The only reason you will need
updates of Novi is to satisfy your curiosity about which virus
it stopped," said President Peter Tippett.

Here's how Novi works. A program called Noviboot runs each time
you turn on your machine. This program makes a compressed archival
copy of your CMOS, partition table, and operating system files.
Those areas are then checked against low-level routines which
actually force code stored on the BIOS chip to run. If the
integrity is off by even one byte, Noviboot detects the problem
and repairs it immediately. Single user versions sell for $129,
and network versions are available.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19910408/Press Contact: Peter Tippett, Certus
International, 216-546-1500)


(NEWS)(IBM)(ATL)(00022)

Comdex: Grid Intros 386SL Notebook 04/08/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Tandy's Grid
Systems unit, which introduced the three-pound PalmPad pen-based
unit last month, offered a new notebook PC based on Intel's
80386SL chip at Comdex. The Grid 1660 weighs 6 pounds and has a
built-in trackball as well as a magnesium-coated display for
ruggedness.

The 1660 supports up to 20 megabytes of RAM, has 64 kilobytes of
cache memory and comes standard with a 125 megabyte hard disk
drive, allowing it to run OS/2 as well as DOS and Windows. It
features a triple supertwist LCD, which can deliver clear
pictures across the 10-inch display.

The new box is designed for mobile professionals, especially
salesmen, financial analysts, and those involved in data
collection. The base model costs $3,995 in its standard
configuration, and a docking station is due by the third quarter
so it can be used on a desktop.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19910408/Press Contact: Bob Goligoski, Grid,
510-656-4700)


(NEWS)(IBM)(ATL)(00023)

Comdex: Midisoft Launches New Music Products 04/08/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Midisoft launched a
number of new music products alongside the release of Windows
3.1.

Studio for Windows Version 3.03 was upgraded for the new
operating system, the company said, and supports leading sound
cards such as the Sound Blaster, Ad Lib, and Pro Audio Spectrum.
Music Mentor is designed as an entertaining music tutorial, using
a notation-based MIDI sequencer which can bring musical concepts
to life even for beginners. While that sounds neat, the new
program requires a 386SX machine running Microsoft Windows 3.0 or
higher, 2 megabytes of RAM, 4 megabytes of hard disk space, and a
Windows-compatible sound card.

Two new music libraries were also released. The World of Music
Sampler contains over 20 pieces saved as Type 1 MIDI files and
set to conform to the general standard. You can listen to them,
or adapt them for use in multimedia presentations. The Multimedia
Music Library, Volume 1, is a collection of over 100 pop and
orchestral musical sequences, again in the standard MIDI format,
and all of it royalty-free, meaning you can distribute the
results of your sampling.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19910408/Press Contact: Chuck Robb, Midisoft,
206-881-7176)


(NEWS)(IBM)(ATL)(00024)

 ****Comdex: NCR Rolls Out New Computers, Notebook 04/08/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- AT&T's NCR unit
launched a new version of the Safari notebook computer, the 3170.
The new machine weighs 5 pounds and features a PCMCIA slot.

It measures 8 inches by 11 inches by 2 inches, approximately. It
comes standard with a data-fax modem, an 80 megabyte hard drive,
2 megabytes of RAM, and an Intel 80386SL chip running at 25
megahertz. The system is the result of a deal announced last year
between parent AT&T and Marubeni of Japan.

NCR has also introduced the System 3330, a personal computer
using the 16-megahertz Intel 80486SX processor. The 3330 is NCR's
first machine combining a 486 chip with the AT (Industry Standard
Architecture) bus. The company offers several 486-based systems
with Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) buses.

NCR said the System 3330 is aimed at office users who are running
multiple applications in a distributed environment using
Microsoft's Windows operating environment, or who need
high-performance storage or graphics capabilities.

The 3330 can be upgraded to a full 486DX processor. It takes
advantage of the ability to plug a faster 486DX processor into the
system's co-processor slot, whereupon the DX chip disables most
functions of the SX and becomes the central processor, a
spokeswoman for NCR said.

The system can also be upgraded to some versions of Intel's DX2
chip, which doubles internal clock speed, and future OverDrive
processors.

NCR said the 3330's base 16-megahertz model delivers performance of
eight million instructions per second (MIPS), nearly double the
performance of NCR's entry-level AT-bus machine, the NCR 3315. With
a math coprocessor added, the company said, the 3330 will deliver
13.1 MIPS.

The machine also incorporates an NCR graphics processor that it
said will handle full-motion video, object modelling, and imaging
displays.

NCR will offer three versions of the 3330 based on Intel's 16MHz
and 25MHz i486 SX microprocessors, and Intel's 33MHz i486 DX
microprocessor. Available in late May, at a price beginning under
$3,000, the 3330 will be marketed through NCR's direct and indirect
sales channels.

The company said it has also begun volume shipments of its System
3125 pen-based computer, which was shown at the Microsoft Pen
Windows booth at Comdex. This machine is based on the 80386SL chip.
NCR  said shipments were delayed while it sought FCC Class B radio
frequency emission certification. This took extra time, NCR
said, because new emission standards were needed for pen-based
systems. NCR vice president, Alok Mohan, claimed 150,000 pen-based
units will be shipped this year, and his company will take a
major share in the new market.

(Grant Buckler & Grant Buckler/19920408/Press Contact: Jeni Cozart,
NCR, 513-445-5648; Robert Gilbert, Manning, Selvage & Lee for NCR,
212-213-7045)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00025)

Sun Attracts Another GUI Expert 04/08/92
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Sun has recently
been attracting programmers from Apple and now the company says Dr. L.
Peter Deutsch has joined its advanced research subsidiary Sun
Microsystems Laboratories Incorporated (SMLI).

Sun says Deutsch is known for his work in object-oriented programming.
Deutsch is moving from Parcplace Systems where he spent five years as
chief scientist working on the development of the company's Smalltalk
products.

Deutsch also spent more than 14 years at Xerox in the Palo Alto
Research Center (PARC) where the graphical user interface (GUI) was
born. One of a select group, Deutsch worked on the Alto, the first
computer with a GUI interface and pull-down menus.

Sun is attracting other industry leaders in the field of object-
oriented programming. Bruce Tognazzini, author of the book "Tog On
Interface" a book about human interface design (Addison Wesley, 1992),
told Newsbytes he is leaving Apple to join Sunsoft, Sun's software
subsidiary. Robert Glass left Apple several months ago to head the
human-interface engineering group of Sunsoft. Frank Ludolph and
Annette Wagner -- both from the Apple/IBM joint venture Taligent, are
also leaving Apple to join Sunsoft.

Tognazzini told Newsbytes the attraction for him is Sun's openness to
the ideas he has concerning the next generation graphical user
interface.

Leiann Lee of public relations for Sun told Newsbytes that she cannot
talk specifically about what Deutsch is working on at the SMLI
advanced research subsidiary. Lee did say that typically the things
being studied there have to do with technology that is 3 to 5 years
out in the future. Lee also mentioned that Deutsch will be working on
object-oriented future technology at SMLI. Sun said it has named
Deutsch a Sun Fellow, one of three within all of Sun Microsystems.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920408/Press Contact: Leiann Lee, Sun Microsystems
Laboratories, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00026)

 ****Lotus Upgrades 1-2-3 For Windows, Unveils Bundle 04/08/92
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Lotus
Development has announced an upgrade to its 1-2-3 For Windows
spreadsheet software. The company also announced SmartSuite for
Windows, a bundle that combines with 1-2-3 for Windows with three
other Windows applications: Freelance Graphics, the Ami Pro word
processor, and a cc:Mail Single User Pack.

Release 1.1 speeds up the loading of the program, printing,
scrolling and selecting ranges, and formula recalculation, said
Chris Smith, product marketing manager. It also boosts over-all
product performance, according to Lotus. Second, the new release
has been tested and certified for use with Windows 3.1. This
involved some tuning of the software to work with the new Windows
release, Smith told Newsbytes.

There is a simplified and shortened update program for faster
installation of the new product, Lotus said, and network users can
install directly from a network server.

The update is available to existing users free of charge directly
from Lotus and through the Lotus forum on the Compuserve online
information service. New users can expect the product to be widely
available by April 30.

The Standard, Network Server, and Network Node Editions of 1-2-3
for Windows are available for a suggested retail price of $595,
$895, and $595, respectively. All other licensed 1-2-3 users may
upgrade to 1-2-3 for Windows Release 1.1 for a suggested retail
price of $150 or through the company's Technology Guarantee for
$49.

Lotus also said it has begun manufacturing International English,
French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, and Italian versions of
1-2-3 for Windows Release 1.1.

A compact disc (CD-ROM) version will be available later this
quarter when Lotus ships Multimedia SmartHelp for 1-2-3 for
Windows, an innovative new release that combines text, sound, and
animation to offer users new ways of learning and using the
product.

The applications included in SmartSuite are designed to be used
together, and are similar in their appearance, behavior and,
compatibility. Ami Pro, Freelance Graphics, and cc:Mail are tightly
integrated with all cross-platform versions of 1-2-3, reading its
graph file format, Lotus officials said, and Ami Pro outlines can
be copied into Freelance's outliner to generate presentations.
"Launching" icons for all of the SmartSuite applications allow
users to move easily between applications without interrupting
sessions. In addition, customers using cc:Mail for Windows Release
1.1 can send mail from within any SmartSuite application.

SmartSuite will also include a Windows 3.1 tutorial developed by
Personal Training Systems. It is delivered in a 90-minute audio
cassette, practice disk and command summary card.

Lotus will begin shipping SmartSuite by the end of April at a
suggested list price of $795. That is half the price of the
applications bought separately, Lotus said. The company will offer
an upgrade to SmartSuite from DOS, Windows, or OS/2 versions of
1-2-3, Freelance Graphics, Ami Pro, Symphony, Manuscript and any
release of cc:Mail user software at a suggested retail price of
$595. Both prices apply until September 30, when Lotus plans to
review the price of SmartSuite. Smith would not say whether the
price of the bundle will rise or fall at that time, but he said
SmartSuite will continue to be offered.

Lotus also announced Double Up, an upgrade for users of Lotus 1-2-3
or Freelance Graphics, who can buy whichever of those two products
they don't already have for a suggested retail price of $279. The
deal is available directly from Lotus or through its authorized
dealers.

(Grant Buckler/19920408/Press Contact: Bryan Simmons, Lotus
Development, 617-693-1697; Alexandra Trevelyan, Lotus, 617-
693-1580)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00027)

 ****Toshiba Intros World's First TFT-LCD 486 Color Notebook 04/08/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Toshiba says it has
introduced the world's first thin-film-transistor liquid crystal
display (TFT-LCD) 486SX color notebook computer.

Called the T4400SXC, Toshiba America's Information Systems (TAIS)
Computer System Division says the new notebook offers a 486SX
microprocessor at 25 megahertz and options for either a 120 megabyte
(MB) or 80 MB hard disk drive.

The 8.5-inch TFT-LCD color display provides video graphics array (VGA)
640 X 480 resolution, a wider viewing angle, and is over five times
faster with more contrast than standard LCD displays, Toshiba
maintains. The T4400SXC also supports Super VGA (SVGA) color (256
colors at 640 X 480 from a palette for 185,193 colors) simultaneously
on both the internal and external monitor displays, a feature Toshiba
says can be taken advantage of for sales and training presentations.

Toshiba maintains its new color notebook is the only notebook to
really measure up for color applications where realistic display of
scanned color photographs is necessary or to take advantage of color
intensive applications like those used in Microsoft Windows. The 486SX
processor at 25 MHz combined with the SVGA display is what makes the
T4400SXC measure up.

Toshiba also boasts the T4400SXC comes with 4 MB of random access
memory (RAM), memory that can be expanded up to 20 MB in 2 MB, 4 MB, 8
MB or 16 MB user-installable memory modules. The Intel 25 MHz 486SX
microprocessor comes with 8 kilobytes (K) of internal chip cache and
can be upgraded to a 25 MHz 486DX, Toshiba said.

The notebook also comes with a 3.5-inch 1.44 MB diskette drive and an
internal dedicated modem slot for an optional internal 9600 bit per
second (bps), cellular-ready, data or fax modem. The removable,
rechargeable nickel cadmium battery that three hours of battery life
in normal use and recharges the battery in approximately 90 minutes,
Toshiba added.

In January, Toshiba announced a color portable 486 computer, the
T6400, also with TFT. Toshiba said the TFT display has the advantage
of no distortion at the corners or convergence problems often found in
CRT monitor screens.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920408/Press Contact: Bob Maples, Hill and Knowlton
for Toshiba, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00028)

 ****TI Closes Tennessee Plant, 665 Lose Jobs 04/08/92
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) - Texas Instruments has
reports that it will close its custom manufacturing plant in
Johnson city, Tennessee. As a result of the closing 665 employees
will lose their jobs by the end of the year.

About a year ago TI sold the Tennessee plant to Siemans, as part of
the sale of its automation and control business. TI then leased
back a portion of the facility for the custom manufacturing of
circuit boards.

TI spokesperson Terri West told Newsbytes that the equipment used by
TI in Tennessee will be moved to similar facilities operated by TI
at several Texas locations.

West said that TI will provide outplacement services, including
counseling, aid in resume preparation and retraining. Qualified
employees will also receive severance based on their status and
years of service. She also told Newsbytes that TI is working with
Siemans to determine what employees might be hired by them.

TI has over 60,000 employees worldwide. The company has already
cut about 900 jobs this year. The company had said it would
probably be cutting about 1,000 jobs this year, but with the
Johnson City reductions will exceed that amount. West declined to
rule out further cuts.

West said that about 35 employees will be offered the opportunity to
relocate to one of the company's Texas plants.

"By consolidating operations, we can reduce operating costs and
increase efficiencies," said Ron Shelly, TI's executive VP of the
Information Technology Group. Shelly said the consolidation will
put TI in a more competitive position in the custom manufacturing
business.

West said that TI will save "several million dollars" through the
consolidation.

(Jim Mallory/19920407/Press contact: Terri West, Texas Instruments,
214-995-3481)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00029)

 ****Dell Shuns Pen Computing For New Graphics PC 04/08/92
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Dell Computer will
shun pen-based computing for now, but has introduced a new desktop
system with a graphics display that Dell says will run as
much as ten times faster than existing super VGA displays.

Dell Chairman Michael Dell told Reuters news service that the
company has no immediate plans to enter the pen-based computer
market, although the company does see some initial demand for the
product.

"The first generation of pen-based PCs are kind of a joke," Dell
reportedly said after his address at COMDEX, the semi-annual trade
show being held in Chicago this week. Dell cited weight
and operating problems with pen-based computers. He did not rule out
future interest in pen-based computers, saying, "We're not jumping in
right now. The pen market is probably six to nine months from
starting to take off."

Dell said the company is in discussions with potential consumers on
their requirements for pen computing.

Dell announced that it will be pre-loading Windows 3.1 on its new
computers. A bundle which includes Windows 3.1, MS-DOS 5.0, and a
mouse will cost $149; a similar bundle which includes
Microsoft's Ballpoint Mouse carries a price tag of $199.

Users who already have Windows but want to upgrade to version 3.1
can order it from Dell for $45, or you can buy a Windows3.1/DOS 5.0
package (without the mouse) for $89.

Dell says its new 450DE/2 DGX, powered by the recently announced
Intel 486DX2 50 megahertz chip, can deliver high resolution,
workstation-quality graphics by directly coupling a graphics
subsystem to the microprocessor. The new design eliminates the need
for a specialized graphics coprocessor to obtain video performance
better than super VGA.

The new system has a suggested list price of $5,499 including a
16-inch color monitor. Dell compared that with a similarly configured
system with a 34020 graphics coprocessor supporting 1280 X 1024
resolution, which sells for $6,199.

Dell said the new video technology was developed jointly with Intel
Corporation. According to the company, customer response was
overwhelming when it previewed the video display at last October's
COMDEX trade show in Las Vegas.

The 450DE/2 DGX is scheduled to ship in May, and includes a 32-bit
EISA (extended industry standard architecture) bus. Standard system
configuration includes four megabytes of system memory (RAM) which
is expandable to 96 MB, 128K or secondary cache memory, 2MB of video
RAM, one high-density floppy drive, and an 80MB hard disk.

(Jim Mallory/19920408/Press contact: Lisa Rohlf, Dell Computer,
512-343-3782/Public contact: 800-289-3355)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00030)

Micrografx Endorses Both Windows, OS/2 Strategy 04/08/92
RICHARDSON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Micrografx, the
company that publishes Designer and Windows Draw, is taking a
position squarely on top of the fence by supporting both IBM's
OS/2 and Microsoft's Windows strategy.

Micrografx has had ties with both companies for several years. It
said it was the first independent software vendor (ISV) to ship a
Windows application, and its statement supporting Microsoft's
Windows strategy said its fortunes have been closely tied to those
of Microsoft. "Nearly 90 percent of our revenue is derived from the
sale of Windows applications. The success of Micrografx has closely
mirrored that of Microsoft Windows," said Micrografx Chairman J.Paul
Grayson.

The company said it plans to support Windows 3.1 including adding
OLE (object linking and embedding) and TrueType support to its
Designer and Windows Draw programs. The company said it will also
bundle 33 TrueType fonts with Windows Draw. Micrografx said it
expects to ship the upgrades in May.

In its statement endorsing OS/2, Micrografx said it has been working
closely with IBM since 1987. "Micrografx is committed to supporting
IBM. We are fortunate to be able to play a leading role in the
evolution of OS/2," said Grayson.

Last year Micrografx announced it had signed a joint development
agreement for OS/2 2.0. Some of the features of OS/2 are reportedly
the result of that agreement. They include OS/2 libraries to support
Windows applications ported with Micrografx Mirrors; OS/2 libraries
to support Windows device drivers ported with Micrografx Oasis; a
charting and drawing application included in the OS/2 Desktop
Productivity applications; and a device driver for the HP PaintJet
printer. The company also said that full Mirrors and Oasis
development kits will be included in the OS/2 Developers Toolkit
when it ships.

(Jim Mallory/19920408/Press contact: J. Paul Grayson, Micrografx,
800-733-3729)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LON)(00031)

Wyse Unveils High-Performance Unix System 04/08/92
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, 1992 APR 8 (NB) -- Wyse Technology has
launched its latest high-performance Unix system, the Series
6000i Model 640, at the Which Computer? Show in Birmingham this
week. The 33MHz 80486-based system, which sells for UKP 7,995, is
claimed to be an optimum platform for Unix System V/386
environments, supporting up to 32 users.

According to Wyse, the Model 640 is being targeted at key
professional markets such as banking, financial services, the
legal profession and distribution industries.

Mark Jordan, Wyse's general manager for Northern Europe, said:
"The Model 640 is being strategically launched to build upon our
success within key vertical markets such as the professions, but
we believe that it is ideally suited for any small to medium
sized organization looking for outstanding performance, high
reliability and exceptional value for money."

Internally, the 80486 processor on the Model 640 features an
integrated 8 kilobyte (K) cache and an 80386 math coprocessor.
Coupled with a motherboard-based 128K memory cache and 8
megabytes (MB) of memory, the machine is Wyse's most powerful
Unix-processing system.

Also being shown, but not launched at the shown by Wyse, are a
series of notebooks, desktop PCs, and monitors that the company
will officially launch later this year in the U.K. According to
Jordan, the introduction of the new machines offers the user the
widest possible choice of hardware.

"In terms of flexibility, expandability and highest possible
ergonomic standards, we believe we offer users unbeatable value
for money," he said.

The machines on show at the Which Computer? Show are a 25MHz
386SX-based Decisionmate II notebook and two desktop PCs -- the
25MHz 386SX-based Decision 386SX/25C and the 50MHz 486-based
Decision 486/5-DX2. This last machine is based around Intel's
double-speed processor technology.

Although no prices or firm availability/launch dates for the
machines was given, Jordan said that the preview at the show
gives Wyse an opportunity of demonstrating to users "the breadth
and continuing expansion of our Decision PC family."

"When combined with the development of our terminal and Unix
systems, this clearly positions Wyse as a major force within the
computer marketplace," he said.

(Steve Gold/19920408/Press & Public Contact: Wyse Technology -
Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone])