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/nb921028

Text File | 1992-10-28 | 69KB | 1,482 lines

(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00001)

Olivetti Expands M Range PC With Ergonomic Designs 10/28/92
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Olivetti has extended its M
series of professional PCs with the addition of two new entry-
level machines, the M300-02 and the M300-28. Both machines
feature a number of ergonomic improvements over their
predecessors and are aimed at stand-alone or small business PC
users.

The M300-02 costs UKP 699, while the Model 28 costs UKP 999.
These prices include a base unit, color VGA monitor, mouse,
keyboard, DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1. Both machines have a 300 x
375mm footprint and weigh in at 12 pounds. The base unit can be
fixed horizontally or vertically.

Announcing the machines, Dominic Macey, Olivetti's product
marketing manager, said that manufacturers are often guilty of
seeing an entry-level PC as a cheap box with a lowest possible
specification.

"This is clearly untrue and unrepresentative of user demand. The
300-02 and 28 have been designed to address all the needs of the
entry-level market -- which means more than supplying an
aggressively priced PC. It means supplying a high performance
machine, as well as a quality and reliable system which users can
easily upgrade themselves, which will respect their environment
and fit into restricted office space," he said.

Both machines come with a 25 megahertz (MHz) microprocessor. The
Model 2 comes with 2 megabytes (MB) of memory, expandable to 10MB
internally, while the Model 28 comes with 4MB of memory with
expansion for up to 20MB.

Hard disk options on both machines include 40 and 85MB, while the
Model 2 tops out at 120MB and the Model 28 flagship has a 170MB
hard disk.

One interesting feature of the Model 28 is the inclusion of a
slot for the Intel Overdrive 25/50MHz chipset. This, Olivetti
claims, can boost system performance by as much as 80 percent.

(Steve Gold/19921027/Press & Public Contact: Olivetti - Tel: 071-
785-6666)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00002)

Pacific Telesis Continues Study of Complex Spin-Off 10/28/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- After
leaving shareholders in suspense for a week, Pacific Telesis
delayed a decision on the potential spin-off of its non-regulated
subsidiaries for at least a month. Chairman Sam Ginn said the
company must continue to evaluate many aspects of the potential
split.

Included in what needs to be evaluated are the regulatory impact,
impact on future markets, impact on international operations, impact
on capitalization, and what he called "the optimal structure for
meeting customer needs," a catch-all meaning whether the deal
would work well for customers. He added in a press statement that
"No deadline has been set for a decision by the board."

Before the previous week, anticipation of a split had been high,
especially after the company hired investment bankers to look
into it. In the week before the announcement, however, stock
traders, sensing a delay or a decision not to go forward, sold
PacTel heavily, bringing the price of the stock down to near $40
per share, at the low end of its recent trading range. The
decision is complicated by the fact that California wants to
place new regulations on cellular system operators, and the
"unregulated" unit would primarily be in that business, with the
bulk of its operations in California.

McCaw Cellular has asked California to reconsider those proposed
regulations, preventing them from becoming effective until the
middle of next year. McCaw claims that the decision, which lets
middlemen buy air-time in bulk, at the cellular operators' cost,
and using their own phone switches, would not benefit consumers.
McCaw also claims the decision amounts to rate regulation which
will cause the state's information infrastructure to fall behind
that of other states.

In other news involving regulated phone companies, Michigan Bell
moved 450 new employees into its Detroit headquarters offices,
calling it a vote of confidence in the city's efforts to
revitalize.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921027/Press Contact: Michigan Bell, Phil
Jones, 313-223-7194; Pacific Telesis, Michael Runzler, 415/394-
3643; McCaw Cellular, Bob Ratliffe, 206/828-8685)


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

AT&T Establishes Network for Go PenPoint 10/28/92
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- AT&T
continued its efforts to link portable computing to its EasyLink
Services electronic mail service by signing to create a special
service under Go's PenPoint operating system. A week earlier,
AT&T EasyLink announced a deal to provide services to users of
the Casio BOSS organizer.

GO will provide a software communications link that connects
users of GO Mail -- the messaging interface that is part of the
new GO Message Center -- to AT&T EasyLink. Every PenPoint user in
the world eventually will be tied together on the messaging
network, giving them access to each other, to other information
services, and via AT&T Mail gateways to other services. Over
time, GO said the link will allow mobile workers to browse and
retrieve information from bulletin boards and various other
information sources accessed by AT&T EasyLink.

The system was demonstrated in a wireless
environment at the Electronic Messaging Association conference.
The two companies said their relationship goes far beyond
electronic mail, and includes store and forward fax services,
bulletin boards, access to publication data bases, and even
support for business transactions and electronic software
distribution.

PenPoint's object-oriented messaging automatically
"mail-enables" all PenPoint documents, and makes it easy for
developers to integrate messaging into their applications.
PenPoint users will receive the AT&T Mail communications link
free with PenPoint and will not have to pay a monthly access fee
for using the network. Charges will apply only if they send a
message or access information services.

In addition to Go and Casio, AT&T EasyLink has also forged
arrangements with Microsoft, NCR, RAM Mobile Data, SkyTel, and
Sharp.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921027/Press Contact: Ed Lopez, AT&T EasyLink
Services, 201-331-4136; Dayna Deaton, GO, 415-358-2028)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00004)

MCI Mail Announces Fax Reply, Internet Support 10/28/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- MCI said
it will add an automated fax-on-demand service to its range of
services under the MCI Fax logo. MCI Fax Reply is due for release
in the first quarter of 1993.

Until now, most fax-back systems have either been run by
small companies like Worldwide Data or the Business Board, or
have been created by companies directly using fax boards and
software, either inside PCs or linked to their private business
switches. This is the first time a commercial mail service has
added fax-on-demand capability as a regular feature.

Documents may be added, replaced or deleted by the company using
the services as necessary, and they may include text as well as
graphics. Other features include page headers, a customized cover
page, and optional call routing to operators for assistance. An
optional password prompt can be added for security.

MCI Mail announced full support of the MCI Mail gateway to the
Internet. This means any MCI Mail user can send electronic
messages to any Internet address. The gateway has been in use on
an experimental basis since 1989. Also, MCI Mail said its
customer service desk is now available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921027/Press Contact: Jane Levene, MCI
International, 914-934-6480)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00005)

Sony Develops World's Smallest Cassette Tape 10/28/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Sony has developed an extremely
small digital cassette tape, the size of a regular postage stamp,
jointly with Toray of Japan. Sony claims this is the world's
smallest cassette tape, for which it has also developed a tiny
tape recorder that uses this size tape.

Sony's latest and smallest cassette tape is called the NTC-120,
which measures 3.0 x 0.5 x 2.15 cm. This is about a fourth the size
of current micro cassette tapes. The tape recorder, the "NT-1," is
also small -- 11.3 x 2.3 x 5.5 cm -- and it weighs only 147
grams. The tape recorder is sold at 100,000 yen ($830) and the
cassette tape is sold at 1,700 yen ($15).

Sony has developed this tape in cooperation with Toray, which
specializes in the creation of high-tech materials. Both firms
have worked on the development of an extra-thin film, and
claim the tape film in the new NTC-120 is only 4 microns thick. Sony
has also worked on the development of a "smooth" motor for the tape
recorder. The improved motor enables the tape to remain taut over a
number of usages and to have a longer life.

One cassette tape can record 120 minutes of sound. The quality of the
sound is said to be excellent due to digital recording. Sony plans
to ship 15,000 units per month to start.

Sony reports that this digital cassette tape will be listed in the
1994 edition of the Guinness Book of Records as the world's smallest
cassette tape.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19921027/Press Contact: Sony, +81-3-
3448-2200)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00006)

New For PC: French, German Versions Of Approach 2.0 10/28/92
REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- By mid-
November, Approach Software plans to release French and German
language versions of Approach 2.0 for Windows, a highly enhanced
database program that just started shipping in English, Newsbytes
has learned.

In an interview with Newsbytes, Jamie Rapperport, the company's
managing director for Europe, explained that the award-winning
database software is really two products in one. "It's a
stand-alone database for Windows applications, and also a user-
friendly front end to complex outside relational database
management systems (RDBMS)," he commented.

Version 1.0 of the database package captured Byte Magazine's "Best
Software" award at Comdex last spring, according to Rapperport. In
addition, the product is currently ranked number two on the Ingram
Micro Best Sellers List and number four on PC Computing's Resellers
Survey.

Version 2.0 represents the product's first foray in a language
other than English, emphasized the managing director for Europe.

Topping the list of new capabilities in Approach 2.0 are features
aimed at international markets, along with PicturePlus fields that
allow storage of graphics, sounds, charts and documents from OLE-
capable Windows programs and new PowerKeys for SQL Server, FoxPro
and DB2.

Rapperport told Newsbytes that, like the PowerKeys for dBase 3 and
4, Paradox, and Oracle that were introduced in 1.0, the new
PowerKeys allow transparent access from the user-friendly Approach
GUI, while also maintaining the data integrity of the outside file
formats.

Also new in 2.0 are a form letter function and a series of
features, including a "sounds like" option, that are designed to
make day-to-day database management more convenient, he said.

The "sounds like" option lets the user enter a term, and then
search within a field for words of various spellings that sound
like the entry. "This feature is especially useful if you know how
to pronounce someone's last name, but don't know how to spell it.
You simply enter your best guess," Rapperport illustrated.

In addition to new features, Approach 2.0 also brings greater
speed, he remarked. Importing and sorting and now 10 times faster
and a file can be saved 100 times faster. SQL access is also more
rapid, he told Newsbytes.

One new capability, which brings support for the European mailing
label format, will be offered in the new French and German editions
only, according to the official. All other features, including
metric rulers and European date and number formatting options, are
incorporated into all three language versions.

Rapperport stressed that the PowerKeys for dBase, Paradox and
Oracle SQL -- and now for SQL Server, FoxPro and DB2, as well --
differ from the data filters traditionally found in database
software by delivering full-blown native engines.

"Because there are no intermediary files or other types of
conversion, the user enjoys maximum performance," he asserted. At
the same time, though, information from the outside database is
displayed transparently, meaning that it looks no different from
any other data shown in Approach, he noted.

Information from multiple outside file formats can be easily
combined on a single form, report, letter, or set of mailing labels
within Approach, he added.

The new PicturePlus fields, made possible through more extensive
support for Windows OLE, enable storage of OLE objects in dBase,
FoxPro, Paradox and SQL formats, as well as in the Approach file
format. Approach 2.0 also incorporates fuller support for Windows
3.1 dialogs and TrueType, stated Rapperport.

The new form letter function lets the user perform automatic mail
merge from within the Approach menu system, which offers selections
for reports, forms, mailing labels and other familiar paper items.
The user can also insert names, account numbers, and other
information from database fields into the body of a letter.
Additionally, multiple font styles and sizes can be implemented
within a single document.

New database management features in Approach 2.0 include variable
fields, auto-entry of date or time, duplication of records, and
removal of duplicates, Rapperport told Newsbytes.

Approach 2.0 for Windows is priced at $399. Registered users of
Approach 1.0 for Windows can upgrade for $49 (or free of charge if
Version 1.0 was purchased on or after August 1, 1992). Between now
and January 1, 1993, users of dBase, Paradox, Q&A and other
databases can upgrade for $149.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19921027; Press contacts: Jane Smith or Lisa
LoVerde, Approach, tel [phone]; Reader contacts: Approach,
tel 800-APPROACH or 415-306-7890)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00007)

Japan: NTT Packet Service Membership Exceeds 400,000 10/28/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Japan's major common carrier NTT
has announced that it has more than 400,000 members of its
packet switching networks as of the end of September.

NTT's packet switching networks have gained in popularity recently.
NTT introduced the service in July 1980, and over the course
of 12 years, 400,000 users have been attracted to the
service. However, membership skyrocketed during the last year as
NTT has gained about 100,000 new members alone.

A terminal-to-terminal base digital network service called DDX-P
has about 46,200 members. The integrated service digital network
service (ISDN) called the "INS-P" has 39,600 members, and a
terminal-to-multiple feature phone packet service called "DDX-TP"
has about 317,400 membership.

The ISDN service has been particularly popular. ISDN supports
multiple features with a single line. These features include
voice phone call, fax transmission, and computer data
transmission. ISDN membership increased by 25,000 customers during the
past year, most of whom are city governments officials and firms.

DDX-TP has also been getting popular among users of multiple-
feature telephones. Many banks are using this service for their
home banking programs.

The packet network service allows data that is stored in the
packet switching computer to be dispatched to recipients.
The major advantage of this service is that it's cheaper for
users in distant locations than other kinds of phone services,
and for bulk users.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19921028/Press Contact: NTT, +81-3-
3509-5035)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00008)

Japanese Electronics Firms' Poor Showing Continues 10/28/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Major Japanese firms have
announced their mid-term sales for 1992 and almost all of them
have suffered major setbacks in sales.

Toshiba and Mitsubishi have been suffering under a two-year sales
and profit decline. Fujitsu has suffered a decline in sales and
profit for the first time in the firm's history. NEC has also
endured its first sales and profit decline in 21 years.

The average profit rate for eight major Japanese electronic firms
in the mid-term account period ending on September 30, 1992 is
minus 53.6 percent over the same term last year. Luckily, all the
major firms are making a profit, albeit smaller.

The profit rates over the previous year for mid-1992 are as
follows: Hitachi -59.2; Toshiba -38.9; Mitsubishi Electric
-73.7; Fuji Electric -68.2; NEC -71.0; Fujitsu -86.5;
Matsushita Electric -51.0; Sharp -36.2.

The expected profit rates for the latter half of 1992, which ends
March 1993, will still be low but they are expected to show some
recovery. The firms expect the following over last year's profits:
Hitachi -30.2; Toshiba -15.0; Mitsubishi Electric -35.0; Fuji
Electric -47.5; NEC -50.0; Fujitsu -50.0; Matsushita Electric
-48.0; Sharp -25.0.

The economy has forced electronics firms to revise their plans
for the immediate future, and to reduce their facility investment
including semiconductors.

Hitachi will postpone mass production of 16-megabit dynamic
random access memory chips in order to avoid facility investment.
Matsushita reports it will cut salaries of its board of directors
by 10 percent.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19921028)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(MOW)(00009)

Russia: Zyxel Modems Available 10/28/92
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- The Variant Company has announced
appointment as the official distributor of Zyxel modems in Russia.
The company claims that sales are brisk already.

Zyxel U1496 modems are among the best rated modems, providing both
14400 bits-per-second data, fax, and voice capabilities.

Modems, which required a US Department of Commerce license as long as
four months ago, are now free from limitations and are available direct
from Variant or its agents in the country.

According to Maksim Medvedev, sales manager, Variant offers a
four-line support BBS in Moscow (in fact, it is the largest bulletin
board in Russia). The company also offers a one-year, no questions
asked replacement warranty, and a free firmware upgrade. BBS
operators are entitled to a discount up to 50% off the regular price.

Variant claims sales of hundreds of modems since sales began
this summer.

The least expensive model -- U-1496E -- retails for US$550, while the
professional U-1496 is sold for US$920. The same price applies to
the rack mounted version U-1496R. All modems are available immediately,
for both dollars and rubles, in Moscow.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19921028/Press & Public contact: Variant, Maksim
Medvedev, phone [phone] or 420-5311; fax [phone]; e-mail
[e-mail] )


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00010)

New For Networks: Asante Upgrades Management Software 10/28/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Asante has
produced an upgrade to its network management software program
called AsanteView. The new version is numbered 2.1 and it will
replace the 2.0 version that Asante is shipping at this time.

Version 2.1 sports several new features designed to make life easier
for the part-time departmental network administrator who has more to
do than monitor the network full time. First, there is a
dashboard-like set of gauges that Asante is calling Health Meters.
These show the user the amount of good packets that go through the
network per second, the amount of bad packets per second, and an
aggregate measure of network health based on a simple algorithm
developed by Asante. Asante based this algorithm on information that
it gathers from the SNMP MIBs and on the number of collisions
detected by the hub.

Asante does not have a method to detect network utilization, so that
common measure of network performance is missing from the Health
Meters. Company officials have hinted to Newsbytes that this is a
deficiency that they intend to correct soon.

Another important feature is the ability to join up to
50 devices into a logical group and assign it a single group
icon. In this way it is possible to reduce the amount of devices
that show up on the screen and to make some sort of logical sense
among them at the display level.

There is a difference between the Macintosh and the Windows versions
of AsanteView here -- the Macintosh version can only show up to two
levels of mapping while the Windows version is limited only by the
amount of memory in the system. Another aspect of this feature is
that AsanteView will allow the user to automatically discover the
map that exists in terms of IP addresses and will configure the IP
network with some default IP addresses. This helps the network
administrator who is not necessarily up to speed on that aspect of
networking to get the network up and operational in a hurry.

A third major change occurs only in the Macintosh version. Asante
engineers have been able to figure out a way in which individual
windows can be shrunk down to the size of an icon and displayed in
such a manner on the screen. On the Macintosh, this involved quite
a bit of effort as the Mac operating system is not set up for such
displays. Asante has assured Newsbytes that its engineers have not
meddled with Apple's System 7 but are operating strictly within the
boundaries of what's allowed under Apple's programming standards.

Each of the windows that can get iconized can be set to display a
different diagnostic or measurement of the network. A network
administrator can choose to monitor many devices in several
ways without completely taking up all of the screen space in his or her
network node. When an interesting event occurs, that iconized window
will signal the user that something has occurred.

AsanteView 2.1 will begin shipping in November. It ships with
Asante's AsanteHub 1012. Current users of AsanteView can upgrade to
the new version at no charge by contacting the company.

(Naor Wallach/19921028/Press Contact: John Whitinger, Asante,
408-435-8388 extension 290/Public contact: Asante, 408-435-8388)


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

New For Macintosh: Inline Design InitPicker 3.0 10/28/92
LAKEVILLE, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Inline Design
has begun shipments of version 3.0 of InitPicker. This is also
the first Microseeds program to be distributed by Inline
Design. As Newsbytes reported in early August, Inline Design
signed an agreement with Microseeds to market and distribute its
products while Microseeds concentrates on development
responsibilities.

InitPicker 3.0 has a major addition -- StartUp Picker -- which will
automatically open up documents and applications at start-up time
from a set defined by the user. The user can define several
different sets to accommodate different needs.

The rest of the InitPicker function set should be familiar to
current users of the program. A feature that's been requested rather
frequently by network users has been implemented. This feature calls
for the program to store Extensions and Control Panels on the
network server and load them from there onto the Macintosh at
start-up time. Other features added to the product include better
log-in capabilities, better support for the various System 7
features, and the ability for line of icons displayed on the
screen at start-up to wrap around the screen. Prior to this release,
when the number of icons exceeded what could be displayed on the screen,
the rest of the icons were simply not seen.

InitPicker 3.0 lists for $79.95 and is being shipped. Current
users of the program can upgrade to the latest version for $25 which
includes the shipping and handling charges. Those who have purchased
the program since September 1 will receive the upgrade free of
charge.

(Naor Wallach/19921028/Press Contact: Darryl Peck, Inline Design,
203-435-4995/Public Contact: Inline Design, 203-435-4995)


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

New For Macintosh: Expert Office Design 10/28/92
CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Expert Software
has begun shipping the third and final member of its Expert Design
series of Macintosh programs -- Expert Office Design.

These moderately priced programs are designed to allow almost anyone
who is comfortable with Macintosh drawing tools to sit down and
design their own environments. The first two titles in the
series were called Expert Home Design and Expert Landscape Design.

Expert Office Design shares the same philosophy and same look and
feel as the other programs in the series. In fact, all three programs
are essentially the same, with different libraries of objects as the
main difference. The program lets you place any of the objects from
the library anywhere on a drawing in any orientation that a user
wishes. One can also resize the various objects and import or draw
one's own graphics in case of special needs.

The library contains the outlines of over 100 different items that
are commonly found in offices: desks, chairs, filing cabinets,
conference tables, computers, copiers, fax machines, and electrical
symbols. Data can be organized in layers so that presentations can
be devised in order to illustrate why certain configurations were chosen.
The user has 256 colors and many fill patterns to distinguish between
various devices and to display complete measurements of all the items.

Expert Office Design is shipping now. The complete series retails
for $49.95 per title.

(Naor Wallach/19921028/Press Contact: Scott Brand, Expert Software,
305-567-9990 Extension 202/Public Contact: Expert Software, 305-444-
0080)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00013)

Commerce Business Daily Available On GEnie 10/28/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Commerce Business
Daily, the bible for companies wanting to do business with the
federal government, is now available through the Air Force Small
Business Bulletin Board on GEnie. The public domain ZIPped ASCII
file can be downloaded and read or redistributed.

Commerce Business Daily is published by the Government Printing
Office at a cost of about $260 per year when delivered by mail
but many small businesses or just plain taxpayers who would be
reluctant to shell out that much money would, nevertheless, like
an occasional copy to see what is happening in government
purchasing.

The Commerce Business Daily publishes, for the benefit of federal
agencies, synopses of proposed contract actions that exceed
$25,000 in value. Businesses large and small look to the CBD
for potential jobs.

The first issue of each week contains important user information,
but the AFSB3 also offers other useful data for those who wish to
sell their products to the federal government, the largest single
purchaser of goods and services in the world.

CBD listings explain in relatively non-technical terms just what
the proposed contract involves, who is offering to buy the goods
or services, and when and where to submit bids on the contract.

Selling to the government isn't easy, but having the CBD readily
available online should take some of the mystery out of the
process even for those who just want to see how their money is
being spent.

Each daily issue is ZIPped (compressed), but will still take
about a half hour to download at 1200 baud - for instance, the
October 17 issue was 194 kilobytes even in compressed form and
expanded to more than a half-megabyte in ASCII text format.

CBD is available every evening in Library 7 of the AFSB3
RoundTable.

(John McCormick/19921028/)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00014)

Cox Enterprises To Start 511 Service 10/28/92
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Florida gave Cox
Enterprises' Palm Beach Post newspaper an experimental license
to start offering information services on the number "511." In
the US, local directory assistance is reached by dialing
"411," emergency services and police agencies are reached at
"911."

Cox has been trying for years to gain access to the three-digit
numbers, called "N11" numbers in the trade, in all the 12 markets
where it has newspapers. The Palm Beach Post already employs
computers, software, and telephone equipment to offer information
services on a 7-digit number -- things like sports scores, stock
quotes, political speeches, and weather reports -- and it plans to
expand the offerings and add fax services to the mix.

The experimental license represents the first commercial use of a
three-digit phone number, and puts pressure on other states to
offer the same access to their local newspapers. Under a deal
with Florida regulators, and the tacit approval of the Federal
Communications Commission, Cox Enterprises will pay Southern Bell
$25,000 to get its service up and running, plus 10 cents for
every call up to five minutes long, and 2 cents a minute after
that. In exchange Southern Bell will handle billing on the calls.

While the license is for just two years, Cox vice president James
McKnight emphasized he does not consider the system an
experiment, but a viable business.

Since there are a very limited number of "N11" numbers available
in each local calling area, the method for giving them out is
certain to become controversial. BellSouth wants to offer the
numbers by lottery, the way some cellular licenses were offered
in the early 1980s. Cox Enterprises wants a "first-come, first-
served" system which would guarantee it licenses.

McKnight discussed the system with Newsbytes. He said that Cox
has asked for the same number, 511, in every market where it does
business, adding that you can't reach the number from outside the
local calling zone. "This just covers the local dialing radius of
Palm Beach. It doesn't cover a full area code. Dialing 407-511
won't work" from outside the calling area. "It works just like
local directory assistance -- you can only reach it locally."

McKnight also discussed the services his company will provide on
the number. "Voice services come first. Then we'll probably add
some fax on demand services, and eventually it will migrate to
some form of videotex. We intend to add quite a bit more,
especially fax on demand."

While the phone company will handle billing for the system,
McKnight said, "We have to implement all the customer premise
equipment, both in terms of audiotex and fax. We also have to
design the information itself and determine its sources, then
update it." The idea is to turn the company's newspapers into
"local information resources" which reach consumers however they
want to be reached.

He added that Cox doesn't see this as similar to the notorious
"900" exchange. Callers probably will be charged just 25 to 50
cents a call. "We want it to be a flat-rate call to the
consumer, not like this 900-stuff where you get a bill for $25
and you don't know how or why."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921028/Press Contact: Linda Stewart, Cox
Enterprises, 404-843-5123)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(ATL)(00015)

Franklin Offers Personal Digital Assistant 10/28/92
MOUNT HOLLY, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Franklin
Electronic Publishers has begun shipping what it calls the
world's first personal digital assistant, called the Digital Book
System. By year-end, more than 10,000 retail outlets, including
Radio Shack and Sharper Image, will carry the DBS-1 at a retail
price of $199, the company said.

Mike Strange, the company's executive vice president, discussed
the new product with Newsbytes. The system's main chip, the
65816, is made by "Ricoh and Sanyo, among others. We source from
several companies. They're all pin-compatible." Strange confirmed
that the device has a proprietary operating system and its plug-
in cards do not follow the PCMCIA standard. "They're totally
different from PCMCIA. They're Franklin Digital book cards.
They're slightly thicker than a matchbook. They're unique to
Franklin."

While the new system is a stand-alone system into which databases
can be plugged-in through the cards, Strange said a second
version in mid-1993 will have a serial port for connections to
other equipment. "That will give you full connectivity to other
host systems. You'll be able to communicate with a modem card.
We're going after developers, with a developers kit at Comdex, so
a professional developer can get, for $500, everything he needs
to create applications" under the system.

Strange also defended the company's design decisions. "It's
totally incompatible with everything else, by design. Two PCMCIA
cards stacked on one another are the size of a single digital
book" in the Franklin system. "We couldn't reach our price points
with those architectures -- they're too large and costly. We can,
with our cards, put 10 megabytes on each card, and any mix of
applications on those cards."

The initial DBS retail package will include two digital books --
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary Plus dictionary and thesaurus, which
has over 274,000 definitions and 496,000 synonyms, and Word
Games, which plays 10 challenging word games. Also immediately
available is the Video Companion, a guide to 7,000 movies
available on videotape, and The Medical Letter Handbook of
Adverse Drug Interactions. The company hopes to add another 50
titles over the next 12 months, at prices ranging from $29 to
$129.

The DBS-1 weighs 4.6 ounces, roughly .2 kg., and is about the
shape of an index card. Using Franklin's data compression
technology, the DBS-1 can store up to 90 MB of information in two
removable, interactive "Digital Books." The DBS-1 measures 3 x
5 x 1/2 inches, or 8 cm by 13 cm by 2 cm, and is powered by
lithium batteries. The company says the DBS-1 will operate up to
one year of normal use on those batteries, which can be replaced.
Data is viewed on a 5-line LCD flat screen, which can handle
variable fonts and graphics. In addition, up to 60 lines of text
can be entered into the DBS-1's built-in notepad, which is
independent of the installed books.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921028/Press Contact: Franklin Electronic
Publishers, Mindy Fendrick, 609/261-4800)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00016)

 ****Bush For President? Yes, According to Electronics CEOs 10/28/92
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- The American
Electronics Association has conducted a second poll of chief
executive officers of electronics companies to learn who they
would prefer to see as the next president of the United States.
According to the results, it looks like they expect to be
disappointed because, while more favor George Bush's re-election, a
substantial majority expect Bill Clinton to be the actual winner.

The latest poll was held very recently and the AEA has supplied
the results of both that poll and the one the association held
back in May. Of the 505 responses to mid-October's poll, 40 percent
of the executives favored President Bush, 33 percent replied that
they wanted Ross Perot to become the next president, and Governor
Clinton garnered the support of only 23 percent.

As poor as Clinton's support was in the recent poll, things were
much worse a few months back.

In the poll taken five months ago Perot had a big lead with 55
percent of the votes, Bush came in a poor second with 29 percent,
and Bill Clinton had the support of a meager 4 percent of the
executives.

The question to which the CEOs were responding was, "Who is your
choice for President?"

The answer to a second question, "Who do you think will be
elected?," which was added in the October survey, indicated that,
despite their personal choices, 72 percent of the surveyed CEOs
believe that Clinton is the one who actually will be elected.
Only 19 percent think that George Bush will be reelected, and a
bare 7 percent think that Perot will win.

(John McCormick/19921028/Press Contact: John Hatch, AEA, 408-987-
4232)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00017)

Ziff Forms Ziff Institute 10/28/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- The Ziff Technology
Group has completed the purchase of Boston, Massachusetts-based
Weingarten Publications, a company which sponsors a number of
conferences, including the Synergy computer training conference.

To accommodate Weingarten and the recently acquired Masie
Institute Computer Training and Support Conference, Ziff has
formed a new company named the Ziff Institute.

The head of the new Ziff Institute is Elliott Masie, founder of
the Masie Institute.

Some former Ziff insiders told this bureau about a year ago that
many trade shows were run so badly that they were surprised that
Ziff hadn't decided to go head-to-head with them. Apparently they
now plan to do just that, at least on a limited basis.

Other Ziff divisions that specialize in training or support
include: The Help Desk Institute, The Cobb Group, and Ziff
Information Services.

Ziff-Davis Publishing produces Computer Shopper, PC Magazine, PC
Week, PC Sources, MacUser and MacWeek.

(John McCormick/19921028/Press Contact: Denise Hanley, Ziff
Technology Group, 617-252-5547)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00018)

ACC Long Distance Takes Over Customers From ISM 10/28/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- ACC Long Distance has
increased its Canadian customer base for the second time in less
than a month. The Rochester, New York, company has purchased
long-distance customers from a wholly owned subsidiary of ISM
Information Systems Management.

ISM, a computer systems integrator and service bureau, took over
service to customers of National Telecom, a Canadian
long-distance reseller, when that firm failed earlier this year.
Ray Lancashire, a spokesman for ISM, explained that ISM was renting
network facilities from his company, and ISM took over the failed
resellers customers "to make sure that those customers continued to
receive service."

ISM is not in the retail long-distance business and thus wanted to
turn the operation over to someone else, he said.

More than 5,000 customers in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and
British Columbia are affected. Terms of the sale were not
disclosed.

About a week earlier, ACC acquired One Plus Long Distance, a
Toronto-based reseller. Earlier in the year, the company took over
Network Optimizers, another Canadian reseller.

After the latest acquisition, ACC expects its annual revenues from
Canadian business to exceed $85 million, from a customer base of
more than 10,000.

Long-distance resellers lease communications capacity from the
major carriers and use their own switching equipment to offer
long-distance services. ACC currently has switches in Montreal and
Toronto, and has just opened an office in Vancouver, said Francis
Coleman, secretary and corporate counsel at ACC.

ACC Corp., the holding company for ACC Long Distance, has just
recently launched a long-distance resale operation in the United
Kingdom, he added.

(Grant Buckler/19921028/Press Contact: Tom Davis, ACC Long
Distance, 416-236-3636; Ray Lancashire, ISM, 416-651-6301)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00019)

Corel, Always In SCSI Bundling Deal 10/28/92
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Corel's CorelSCSI
software will be bundled with Small Computer Systems Interface
(SCSI) host adapters from Always Technology of Westlake Village,
California, under a deal just announced by the two companies.

Always will sell the adapters complete with the Corel software, a
Corel spokeswoman said.

Always offers two 16-bit SCSI host adapters and has a 32-bit
adapter scheduled for release early in 1993. Used with one of these
adapters, Corel said, the CorelSCSI software allows connection of
as many as seven SCSI peripherals to one adapter.

Supported peripherals include fixed and removable hard disk drives,
CD-ROM drives, Floptical drives, digital audio tape (DAT) drives,
QIC tape drives, write-once read-many (WORM) optical disk drives,
rewritable optical drives, multi-function optical drives, and
optical disk jukeboxes, Corel said.

Always currently sells the IN-2000Pro, a 16-bit SCSI adapter that
fits the AT bus (Industry Standard Architecture or ISA) and offers
data transfer rates of five megabytes per second, and the
AL-1000Pro, a parallel-port SCSI adapter for laptop and notebook
computers. In early 1993, the company is due to release the
AL-6200Pro, a 32-bit adapter for the Extended Industry Standard
Architecture (EISA) bus, which will offer as much as 32 megabytes
of caching and transfer rates up to 33.3 megabytes per second.

Suggested list prices for the adapters with CorelSCSI, in U.S.
dollars, are: $299 for the IN-2000Pro, $249 for the AL-1000Pro, and
$995 for the AL-6200Pro.

(Grant Buckler/19921028/Press Contact: Janie Sullivan, Corel,
613-728-8200 ext. 1672, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TOR)(00020)

 ****Apple Likely To Outsell IBM In PCs This Year: Analyst 10/28/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Move over,
IBM: Apple Computer is gaining and will probably sell more personal
computers than the industry's largest company this year. That's the
projection from Kimball Brown, an industry analyst in the
California office of International Data Corp., a Framingham,
Massachusetts, research firm.

According to Brown, Apple is having a good year in 1992 because it
finally announced products based on Motorola's top-of-the-line
68040 processor, and IBM is having a poor year. He said Apple
shipped more personal computers than IBM in the second quarter of
this year, and widened the gap in the third quarter. IBM's personal
computer shipments have been shrinking for the past six months, he
added.

Technology that was once at the top of Apple's product line has
found its way to the entry level, Brown told Newsbytes, making the
Macintosh line very attractive. The company's new Performa
computers are also likely to help Apple's sales by opening up new
channels of distribution, he added.

IBM's blitz of new products in September and early October will
help the company, Brown said. IBM launched new PS/1 and PS/2
models, followed by several portable machines under the ThinkPad
name and a new low-priced personal computer line called
PS/ValuePoint. This will help IBM regain its momentum, Brown said,
but the company has "dug themselves a big enough hole so far this
year that I don't think they'll catch back up this year."

While not confirming Brown's figures, IBM spokesman Chris Clough
did not dispute them. "Certainly industry-wide there has been a
tremendous shift" in 1992, he said, describing the year as "a
transition period as the entire industry moves into a branding
strategy where there will be specific brands addressing different
market segments."

Clough also said IBM does not expect to see the full effect of its
new products on sales until year-end.

Next year, though, is another matter. Clough said the new products
should "hit full stride" going into 1993. Brown agreed, saying a
boost from IBM's new products means the company "might well" pull
ahead of Apple in unit sales next year.

Brown's projections refer only to personal computers. IBM's unit
shipments of all computers, including mainframes, minicomputers,
and workstations, still exceed Apple's.

(Grant Buckler/19921028/Press Contact: Kimball Brown, IDC, 415-691-
1692)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00021)

Videoconferencing: Compression Labs Makes Moves 10/28/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Compression
Labs added AT&T Tridom to its list of value-added resellers for
its SpectrumSaver compressed digital video satellite broadcast
television system. Tridom is a data broadcasting service, using
satellites, which AT&T purchased a few years ago.

Tridom has its own large high-power satellite dish northwest of
Atlanta, but customers can pick up its broadcasts using very small
aperture terminals, or VSATs, which are only a few feet in diameter.

Perhaps more important, CLI announced that AT&T Tridom has
selected the CLI SpectrumSaver system for use in its Skynet
Global Video Service. This is a service which broadcasts one-way
video over satellites and provides two-way audio capabilities
for conferencing. The new service will provide high-quality,
full-motion video for business television, distance learning and
government applications.

Skynet is designed to offer VHS picture quality and near-CD
audio quality at a low cost, using VSAT antennas that until now
were mainly used for transmitting data. SpectrumSaver was
introduced in November, 1991, and compresses a full-motion US-standard
television signal so it can be transmitted via satellite in a fraction
of the bandwidth usually required.

Compression Labs also won a $2.7 million order from Westcott
Communications, the world's largest business television
programmer, for SpectrumSaver. The system's encoders and
receiver/decoders will be installed in Westcott's Health and
Sciences Television Network and Law Enforcement Television
Network. This will convert both networks to digital transmission,
saving Westcott money, and Westcott expects to convert its other
vertical-market, private television networks to SpectrumSaver in
the future. Westcott said that with SpectrumSaver, his company
can transmit five programs on the same transponder which
previously handled just one. Like AT&T Tridom, Westcott was named
a SpectrumSaver value-added reseller.

Separately CLI's arch-rival in this business, PictureTel,
announced it will use the Canon RE-650 Video Visualizer in its
videoconferencing systems. The visualizer can display images of
3-dimensional objects and documents on a monitor, either on the
full screen or inset with a picture. The system will help
companies using the PictureTel videoconferencing system
communicate more effectively, the company said.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921028/Press Contact: Ron Taylor, PictureTel,
508-762-5178; Compression Labs Mia Bradway, 408/428-6735)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00022)

Dow Jones Makes New Moves In Brokerage Market 10/28/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Dow Jones has
made two moves aimed at competing more strongly with Reuters,
Knight-Ridder, and Quotron for the information needs of stock
brokers and money managers.

The most important move is an increase in equity in Minex, a
Japanese-backed foreign exchange transaction system, from two
percent to seven percent. Minex is designed to compete with
Reuters' Trading 2000 system, which has already been released.
Originally, Dow Jones planned to develop its own system for
foreign exchange trading, but decided last November to buy into
the Minex consortium, which includes major Japanese banks and
brokerages and was announced in 1991. The company plans to go
live with its system next April, and Dow Jones/Telerate is the
exclusive distributor of the trade matching service outside of
Japan. Minex' principal shareholders include the KDD
telecommunications company and Tokyo Forex, the nation's largest
foreign exchange broker.

Second, the company announced a new release, version 3.2 of its
Telerate Matrix system. This is a full color, PC-based service
provides investors and traders with the ability to create
composite pages, chart financial instruments, and perform
analytics on live market data. The company's Telerate unit is
adding more market coverage with easier access to itemized data,
new composite page displays, a range of data utilities and an
optional analytics module designed for fixed income
professionals, as well as more interactive analysis of live
market data.

The system can also be used to analyze trades in US government bonds,
Japanese government bonds, mortgage-backed securities, foreign
exchange, and money, futures and options markets. This is the
second upgrade to Matrix made in the last year. Telerate executives
credited the work of SpectraSoft, which is its partner in development.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921028/Press Contact: Dow Jones, Roger May,
212/416-2601l Dow Jones/Telerate, Lisa Glover, 201/309-4606)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00023)

AT&T Unveils New Products, Hit With Mexican Lawsuit 10/28/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- AT&T was sued by
Grupo Sistemas Integrales de Telecomunicacion, S.A. de C.V.
of Mexico, known as Grupo SIT. Harris Corporation is the co-
defendant in a suit for over $490 million in damages, including
$75 million in punitive damages, filed in the US District Court
for the Southern District of New York.

The suit charges that AT&T and Harris fraudulently induced Grupo
SIT to purchase telecommunications equipment, which was known to
be obsolete, defective and unsuitable, for use in a shared
satellite communication system in Mexico and then purposefully
refused to support the project or to interconnect with AT&T's
Skynet satellite network.

The allegation continues that Harris used Grupo SIT's resulting
financial difficulties to force the Mexican companies to place one
of its executives into a position where he could use confidential
information to establish a competing Harris subsidiary to sell digital
switchboards in Mexico, destroying Grupo SIT's switchboard business.

Both defendants deny the charges, but businessmen who are wary of the
proposed North American Free Trade Agreement may follow its
progress closely. The plaintiffs suggest that if they lose the
suit, the government should not approve the NAFTA agreement.

Separately, AT&T made a number of moves aimed at increasing its
market share. The company bought Cincinnati Bell Telephone's
residential equipment-leasing business and PhoneCenter stores in
Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. CBT customers will still be
able to exchange equipment, drop off bill payments, talk with the
CBT business office people, and pick up CBT telephone
directories at the locations. About 100 people are impacted by
the move.

AT&T's Network Systems business unit also joined with Frame Relay
Technologies and Data General in a marketing alliance to sell
systems based on Frame Relay technology, which can integrate SNA,
X.25, LAN, synchronous and asynchronous traffic over the same
network. Frame Relay offers faster data transfer rates than the
older X.25 standard most computer owners use to link with
networks like GEIS, by putting all error correction into large
"frames." AT&T and Frame Relay will provide equipment, while Data
General will be general contractor, under the agreement.

AT&T's NCR unit announced a Simple Network Management Protocol-based
network manager for AT&T's InterSpan Frame Relay Service.
The NCR StarSENTRY Frame Relay Data Manager is a software
application that runs on NCR's StarSENTRY Systems Manager, the
company's enterprise network and systems management solution.
The application will be available in November. It works with
AT&T's InterSpan commercial Frame Relay service.

AT&T won a contract to upgrade Northwest Airlines' communications
network. The system is designed to double the call-handling
capacity of the airline's agents. Northwest has an agreement to
sell some of its equity to KLM of Holland, in order to make it
competitive with the three largest US carriers: Delta,
American, and United. Presidential candidate H. Ross Perot has
attacked that deal, claiming US government policy is selling
out the industry to foreigners.

Finally, AT&T connected one of its large phone switches to
Kazakhstan, a formerly Soviet republic, as part of a move to
improve that nation's telephone infrastructure, and it had no
comment on market reports that it might acquire a major stake in
McCaw Cellular Communications, a major player in the cellular
phone market. The rumors on McCaw are focused on the company's
$5 billion debt. British Telecom already owns 20 percent of
McCaw.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921028/Press Contact: Doug Miller, Northwest
Airlines, 612-726-2331; Jim Grossman, for Grupo SIT, 212-489-
6900; NCR, Mark Feighery, 513/445-5236; AT&T, Kathy Coulahan,
201/581-4037; Cincinnati Bell, Kyle Hill, 513/397-1240l Data
General, Pat Diamond, 714/724-3990)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00024)

America Online Reports Another Strong Quarter 10/28/92
VIENNA, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- America Online had
another strong quarter, and said it now has over 200,000 members.

Revenues jumped to $7.768 million from $5.878 million a year
ago, while operating income also rose, to $696,000, from $542,000
a year ago. The news is significant since the largest company in
the field, the IBM-Sears joint venture Prodigy, says it is still
not profitable after years of business and growth.

The company also announced that more than 200,000 households are
now subscribing to the services, up 40 percent increase from
approximately 143,000 households at this time last year. The
company also crowed about favorable press coverage in "The Wall
Street Journal" and "Business Week."

The company was founded in 1985, and for years ran networks primarily
for owners of Apple, Commodore, and Tandy computers. The icon-based
interface it created for those networks was then applied to a unified
network under the America Online logo, and the company now has a
joint-venture agreement with the Chicago Tribune under which it is
establishing companion networks in Tribune cities under names like
"Chicago Online." The company's stock is publicly traded.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921028/Press Contact: Lennert J. Leader,
America Online, 703-448-8700)


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

IBM, Marcam Announce Alliance 10/28/92
NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- IBM and
manufacturing software vendor Marcam have announced plans to form
an alliance to develop, market, and support software for
manufacturing companies. Under an agreement in principle just
signed, Marcam would acquire worldwide marketing rights to IBM's
Manufacturing, Accounting, Production, and Information Control
System (MAPICS). Marcam and IBM would market MAPICS jointly along
with Marcam's PRISM products.

The deal would give IBM 1,615,000 shares of Marcam common stock,
which is 16 percent of the company, Marcam spokesman John Cingari
said. IBM may receive additional payments from Marcam based on the
future success of MAPICS.

IBM and Marcam also plan to work together to form a new
organization in Atlanta that would provide MAPICS development and
support to Marcam for a fee. This would be a subsidiary of IBM's
industrial sector division, managed by Marcam, Cingari said. IBM
would make available its MAPICS expertise to the new organization.

In a press release, Edward J. Kfoury, vice-president of IBM and
president of the company's industrial sector division, said the
deal would "provide manufacturing companies with an expanded MAPICS
organization, broader product enhancements, and continued strong
product support."

MAPICS is an integrated manufacturing system for production,
planning, plant operations, marketing, distribution, financial
management, and business control. Marcam's PRISM line provides
process manufacturers with functions for production, logistics,
maintenance, and financial operations.

Marcam also announced its financial results for the quarter and
year ended September 30. Fiscal 1992 revenue rose 42 percent to
$80.3 million from $56.5 million in fiscal 1991. Net income grew 61
percent to $8.6 million or $1.02 per share from $5.3 million or 64
cents per share in fiscal 1991.

Fourth-quarter revenue rose 66 percent to $26.1 million from $15.7
million a year ago. Net income was up 62 percent to $3.1 million,
or 36 cents per share, from $1.9 million, or 23 cents per share, a
year earlier.

Founded in 1980, Marcam has 21 offices in North America, Europe,
the Far East, and Latin America, and is represented in more than 30
countries.

(Grant Buckler/19921028/Press Contact: John Cingari, Marcam,
617-965-0220; Elizabeth L. Arends, IBM, 914-642-5459)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00026)

 ****Microsoft Rolls Out Windows For Workgroups 10/28/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- More than 5,000
end users, software developers and members of the press watched
Microsoft roll out its Windows For Workgroups program yesterday
afternoon. The show, held in New York City's Gershwin Theater, was
more like a Broadway show than a computer software demonstration.
The event cost about $1 million to produce.

The show was even broadcast live to an estimated 40,000 industry
editors and analysts at 16 downlink sites across the country on the
Interactive Information Networks. Microsoft founder and CEO Bill
Gates hosted the live broadcast and even acted in the extravaganza.

Several companies, including Zenith Data Systems, Austin Computer
Systems, and DFI, have already said they will bundle WFW with their
PCs. Zenith said it will install WFW as standard feature on all 25
megahertz (MHz) through 66 MHz 386 and 486DX2 desktop systems, as
well as on its 20 MHz and 25 MHz 386SL A-Notes portables. DFI will
include the system as an option on its Premium Series PCs, which are
scheduled to start shipping later this quarter. Austin Computer
Systems says it will pre-install WFW on all its 386 and 486-based
systems. As reported previously by Newsbytes, Australian PC maker
Osborne Computers said it has also signed an agreement with
Microsoft to install WFW on its machines.

Windows For Workgroups is a type of networking software which
includes file sharing, electronic mail, scheduling, calendaring, and
can connect to other networks such as Netware, LAN Manager, and
Lanserver. A Microsoft spokesperson told Newsbytes last month that
Windows users will be able to upgrade to WFW without having to buy a
complete version of the workgroup software. The program also
includes dynamic data exchange (DDE) allowing users to link objects
across the network.

Microsoft Windows product manager, Joe Krawczak, told Newsbytes that
WFW is not positioned to compete with products such as Netware, but
rather to compliment them. "Its a great compliment to Netware; it
does not replace Netware," he said.

Microsoft said WFW is immediately available in seven languages, with
four more being added by the end of the year. According to
Microsoft, at least 40 major computer makers will pre-install WFW,
and more than 100 software and hardware vendors are working on or
already have products compatible with the program. Many DOS and
Windows-compatible applications will also run under WFW.

According to Microsoft, set-up of WFW is simple, with "intelligent
defaults" provided. Krawczak said the program offers an express and
an expert installation procedure. Using the express process, the
user doesn't have to worry about what settings to make or what cards
are in use. "Just press Enter a few times," said Krawczak. He told
Newsbytes the express installation takes just slightly longer than
it takes to install Windows itself. A starter kit includes all the
necessary software, network cards, and cables needed to connect two
PCs together. That would be the most basic workgroup. Unlike
networks where shared programs and files are stored on a server PC,
WFW connects PCs together with the data and programs stored on the
PCs, with access by other WFW users.

Krawczak told Newsbytes WFW is extremely important to Microsoft's
future. "It's a key first step in our strategy of information at
your fingertips." System administrators may be the first ones to
want to move to WFW. Krawczak said individual customers can install
and maintain the program. "That was one of our major goals," he told
Newsbytes. Gates predicted yesterday that WFW may eventually become
the company's biggest seller. He thinks up to 70 percent of all PCs
may be networked eventually. Gates said one million copies of WFW
will be sold by hardware makers this month.

For users who already have a working network, software-only versions
will be available. Upgrade prices for Windows users range from
$99.95 to $849.95 depending on configuration. Krawczak said Windows
users will feel right at home with WFW, since it looks nearly
identical to Windows, except for a few minor differences such as a
tool bar with buttons to perform such tasks like directory sharing
or connecting to another workstation. Some additional options have
also been added to the Windows Control Panel.

More than 20 third-party developers have already announced plans to
introduce applications that will run under WFW. Like any operating
system, specific applications are essential to the success of WFW. A
Microsoft official said earlier this month that the company expects
30 to 40 percent of present Windows 3.1 users to move to WFW within
as year. Other companies announcing support for WFW include Accton,
announcing Ethernet cards; tape backup support from Maynard
Electronics; NCR, who will offer WFW on their PCs as an option;
Action Plus; Banyan Systems; Teknekron, with financial
applications; and AST, who will bundle WFW with two network-ready
PCs.

System requirements include DOS 3.3 or higher, with version 5.0
recommended; an Intel 386SX or better PC; at least 3 MB of RAM, with
Microsoft recommending 4 MB; and a mouse. You'll also need a high
density floppy drive and a hard disk with 9.5 MB of available space
for the program software, but Krawczak says 14.5 MB is "sort of the
standard," ; a VGA or better monitor, with color recommended; and a
Windows-compatible network adapter card and cabling.

Microsoft will now try to convince the buying public that WFW is better
than all the other programs on the market that already do what
Workgroups does. Other Microsoft product rollouts have touted the
special features of the word processor, spreadsheet, or other
aspects that existing products didn't have.

However, a source close to the company who asked not to be named
told Newsbytes WFW is expected to be the trendsetter for groupware
technology, and will be Microsoft's corporate outlook for the next
10 years. "They're betting the farm on this one," Newsbytes was
told. Krawczak told Newsbytes WFW's big advantage is the fact that
it integrates all its functions into one program.

(Jim Mallory/19921027/Press contact: Microsoft Public Relations,
206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00027)

TI Intros Four New 486-based Notebooks 10/28/92
TEMPLE, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Texas Instruments has
introduced four new 486-based TravelMate notebook computers, with
processor speed ranging from 25 megahertz (MHz) to 59 MHz.

Buyers will also have their choice of color or monochrome displays,
main memory from 2 megabytes (MB) to 20 MB, and hard disk drives
from 60 MB to 200 MB. TI said prices will range from $1,999 to
$4,499. Battery life is estimated to be 3-5 hours for the monochrome
systems, and up to four hours for the color units.

TI says its TravelMate 4000 WinDX2 50MHz machine is the fastest,
lightest, and most powerful 486-based notebook computer available in
a 5.6-pound, including the battery, package. In addition to 8MB of
memory and a 200 MB hard drive, the 4000 also includes the Microsoft
BallPoint with QuickPort connection that allows the pointing device to
be snapped on and off, eliminating a mouse cable. The 4000 has a
diagonally measured 10-inch VGA display with 64 gray scales, and
will also support an external Super VGA color monitor. Dimensions
are 8.5 inches by 11 inches by 1.8 inches. The Travelmate 4000 has a
suggested retail price of $3,899.

The TravelMate WinsSLC is a 486SLC-powered 25 MHz system that, like
the other new portables, will come with MS-DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1
pre-installed, as well as TI's TravelPoint pointing device. All of
the new systems will also come bundled with various utilities
including battery saving and a cursor control program. TI
spokesperson told Newsbytes that Windows 3.1 will be optimized for
each PC. The SLC system will carry a $1,999 price sticker.

TI's newest color portables are called the TravelMate 4000 WinDX2/40
and the WinSX/25. Users can choose the WinDX2 40 MHz model with 8
MB of memory and a 200 MB hard drive or the WinSX 25 MHz version
with 4MB of RAM and a 120 MB hard drive. Both include the Microsoft
BallPoint with QuickPort connections. The 25 MHz version has a price
tag of $3,699 while the 40 MHz model carries a sticker reading
$4,499.

(Jim Mallory/19921028/Press contact: Jerry Rycaj, Texas Instruments,
817-774-6110; Reader contact: 800-527-3500)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00028)

Zenith Data Systems New Desktops Come With WFW 10/28/92
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Zenith Data
Systems announced yesterday that eight new models of its Z-Station
desktop computers will be delivered with Microsoft Windows For
Workgroups (WFW) pre-installed.

ZDS said the new systems will be powered by Intel's new 66-megahertz
(MHz) 486DX/2 microprocessor, and will include built-in hardware and
software to make them local area network (LAN) compatible.

"These new Z-Station desktop PCs are for people who need high levels
of power in numerically intensive computing, such as advanced desktop
publishing, engineering, or financial modeling," according to ZDS
director of desktop computers, Mitchell Perlitch.

Other features include a 1.44 MB 3.5 inch floppy drive, which can be
upgraded to a 2.88 MB drive when those become available. Prices
start at $2,659 for a model 200 with a 200 MB hard drive and 4 MB
of system memory ZDS says it expects to start shipping the new units
in December.

(Jim Mallory/19921028/Press contact: John Bace, ZDS, 708-808-4848)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00029)

Zenith Electronics Cuts Nearly 400 Jobs 10/28/92
GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Zenith Electronics,
reporting a loss of $41.8 million, or $1.42 per share for the third
quarter, said it would cut nearly 400 white collar jobs in the US.
The 3Q results were considerably worse than analysts had expected.
The company reported a loss of $15.2 million last quarter.

The company, the last US television maker, said it would also reduce
its work force in Mexico, where many of its TV sets are
manufactured. Zenith spokesperson John Taylor told Newsbytes that
the company didn't have any specific numbers to discuss, but the
reductions south of the border would be above the usual seasonal
fluctuations that follow industry sales trends. "We'll have
significant reductions resulting from increased efficiencies in
manufacturing and streamlining of production," Taylor said. Zenith
has manufacturing facilities in Matamoros, Reynosa, Juarez,
Chiahuahua, and Agua Prieta, Mexico.

The company said voluntary reductions started last week, and the
forced cuts will begin in the fourth quarter. Employees will be
offered severance packages, but the company said it doesn't plan to
provide any outsourcing services.

Zenith attributed the high loss to a combination of its delay in
matching industry-wide price cuts and to start-up costs at its
assembly plants in Mexico. For the first nine months of the fiscal
year the company has lost $85.6 million, or $2.92 per share compared
to a $52.1 million loss for the first nine months last year. Nine
month revenues are also down, at $821.4 million compared to $854.1
million last year. In the 91 third quarter the company reported a
$1.5 million, or $0.05 per share loss. Zenith does not make
projections about future quarters, Taylor told Newsbytes.

(Jim Mallory/19921028/Press contact: John Taylor, Zenith
Electronics, 708-391-8181)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00030)

HP, AT&T Develop 100 Megabits/Second Network Technology 10/28/92
BRACKNELL, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1992 OCT 28 (NB) -- Hewlett-
Packard and AT&T's Microelectronics division have announced the
development of 100 megabits per second (Mbits/s) transmission
technology over voice grade, unshielded twisted pair (UPT)
cabling. Both companies claim this is a first in the industry.

Hewlett-Packard, which claims to be a major contributor to the
IEEE 802.3 network standards committee, plans to propose that a
study group be formed to examine the technology at the next
meeting of the committee on 9 November. The meeting takes place
in La Jolla, California.

Current technology, Newsbytes notes, requires that 100 Mbits
networking use data grade UTP or shielded cabling. This, the
company claims, requires the user to install new networking if
such high speeds are to be achieved. Most low speed network users
already have UTP cabling in place, so moving to the higher speed
is relatively painless.

"Most business professionals today are interested in containing
costs. The HP and AT&T approach makes more economic sense for
users because they can leverage their investment in voice grade
cable rather than incur the additional cost of installing new
cabling," explained Mark Hollister, HP UK's network marketing
manager.

"Many corporations with sizeable LAN investments are expected to
save significantly as this technology becomes available. For
example, as HP migrates to higher speed networks, we could save
as much as $30 million by not having to recable our offices," he
added.

All being well, and assuming that the IEEE 802.3 network
standards group forms a study group to examine the technology,
how long before the computer industry sees real technology
available in the market that supports 100 Mbits/s? Neither
company is saying, though sources close to HP suggest that a
summer 1993 timeframe is quite possible.

(Steve Gold/19921028/Press & Public Contact: Hewlett-Packard -
Tel: [phone])