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/nb921110

Text File | 1992-11-10 | 81KB | 1,743 lines

(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEL)(00001)

India: TCS Opens Video Link To Canada 11/10/92
BOMBAY, INDIA, 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- India's software bigwig, Tata
Consultancy Services (TCS) has established a video conferencing
facility with Northern Telecom of Ottowa in Canada.

The facility, claimed to be first of its kind in India, links TCS in
the Santa Cruz Electronics Export Processing Zone (SEEPZ) in Bombay
and Northern Telecom in Canada, enabling the parties to meet
electronically.

Both companies have begun weekly video conference sessions on project-
related matters. According to the parties involved, the video link has
been a success, since it eliminates travelling time for the staff
concerned.

Tata Consultancy Services is using the video conferencing facility in
connection with contractual work it is completing with Bell Northern
Research, the software development subsidiary of Northern Telecom. The
total value of the contract is around the $3 million mark.

The video conferencing link operates via satellite, using two 64,000
bits per second channels that can also be used for data transmissions.
According to Diju Raha, Northern Telecom's general manager for
international software operations, his company as invested around 1.5
million Rupees in setting up the Indian end of the telecoms facility.

Plans call for the video link to be extended across to Bangalore in
order to open up links with third-party companies such as Asia
Technologies, JK Technosoft and Wipro.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19921110)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00002)

 ****New Photoshop For Windows, Mac, Offers Compatibility 11/10/92
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Adobe
Systems has introduced for the first time on the IBM and
compatible personal computer (PC) platform its popular image
processing software, Photoshop 2.5, for Microsoft Windows.
However, the new product is more than a PC version, but offers
cross-platform file transfer with the new Photoshop 2.5 for the
Macintosh.

Adobe says Photoshop 2.5 for Windows was developed in tandem
with the new Macintosh version so both versions are identical.
This means users can easily work with both versions and can
view or manipulate files between the two packages, Adobe said.

Photoshop is geared toward pre-press work and allows the
manipulation of electronic images as well as color separation.
Adobe says Photoshop offers the ability to manipulate
continuous-tone, bit-mapped, gray scale or color images, either
scanned in or computer-generated. The product offers special
effects filters and a million color paint capability. Support
of Adobe's page description language, Postscript Level 2 allows
color matching down to the ability to take into account the
type of device and the paper stock for printing. However, the
new version 2.5 has new features beyond the previous 2.0.1
Macintosh only version, the company maintains.

Adobe is boasting about support built into Photoshop 2.5 for
graphics accelerator boards which are not yet available. The
new boards will include faster reduced instruction set
computing (RISC) chips and digital signal processor (DSP) chips
to speed up image processing and display, according to Adobe.

The company says it is also licensing its technology to
independent hardware vendors so they can develop board "plug-
ins" for Photoshop that will replace the slower software-based
functions such as filters, painting, editing, image resizing,
and rotation.

New in Photoshop 2.5 are dodge and burn tools to selectively
lighten and darken portions of an image; the masking feature
allows for view and editing of masks using the product's tool
controls; "tiled" screen painting for faster redraw; support
for Kodak Photo compact disc (CD), Joint Photographic Experts
Group (JPEG) compression, .PCX, and Windows .BMP file formats;
new CIE Lab color mode as an alternative to RGB and compatible
with Kodak YCC and Postscript Level 2; collapsible modeless
palettes which are easy to get back to but allow more screen
space for editing; and support for the TWAIN image standard.

Truetype fonts, built into Windows 3.1 and Type 1 fonts are
supported in Photoshop 2.5. In Windows, contextual online help
and the display of multiple image files at the same time has
been added to the product, Adobe said.

Adobe says Photoshop 2.5 for Windows will run on a 386- based
PC DOS 5.0 or higher, Windows 3.1, 4 megabytes (MB) of memory,
a color video graphics array (VGA) monitor with 16- bit or 24-
bit display capabilities, and a pointing device such as a
mouse. However, the company recommends more "horsepower" in the
form of a 486DX- based PC, 8 MB of memory, and a 24- bit
display adapter and monitor.

On the Macintosh, Adobe says Photoshop will run on a Macintosh
SE/30, II Series, Performa, or Quadra computer with a hard disk
and over 4 MB of memory and System 6.0.7, 7.0 or later
software. But again the company recommends more computing power
with 8 or more MB of memory available for the application, a
color monitor, and 24-bit video card.

Both Photoshop 2.5 for Windows and the Macintosh are expected
to ship in the first quarter of 1993, Adobe said. Both products
are retail priced at $895, however, users can upgrade for $129
until May 1, 1993 when the upgrade price will jump to $179.
Users who purchase the Macintosh Photoshop 2.0.1 version after
November 1 of this year will receive a free upgrade, Adobe
added.

A compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) Macintosh Photoshop
2.5 version will be available for $199, but will increase May 1
to $249, Adobe added. The CD-ROM version will also include tips
from the Adobe Technical Library, a number of stock photographs
for unlimited use, new plug-ins, try-out versions of Adobe
software, and Quicktime movies in which Adobe representatives
demonstrate tricks and techniques. Also included Type On Call
which is Adobe Type Manager and 13 typefaces, Type Reunion and
the users choice of two out of six typefaces and the toll-free
number to Type On Call to access more than 1,300 typefaces
available for download as a pay-as-you-go service.

In a separate announcement, Adobe also said it would offer
Super Adobe Type Manager (ATM) which the company claims offers
Macintosh and Windows document transfer preserving the typeface
and the original line and page breaks, the company said. The
company said the Macintosh version would be available by the
end of this year and the Windows version would be out in mid-
1993.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921109/Press Contact: LaVon Peck, Adobe
Systems, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00003)

 ****New CD Offers Quicktime for Windows, Mac Movies 11/10/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- The San
Francisco Canyon Company says it will ship Canyon Action!, a
compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) of clips for Quicktime
for Windows that includes the Apple video player software for
Windows, Quicktime dynamic library links (DLLs) for Windows,
and Windows Picture Viewer.

The company says the CD contains Quicktime movies that can be
played in Windows or on the Macintosh. Two exact copies of each
of the movies, one in the Macintosh Quicktime and the other in
the Windows Quicktime format, are included on the disk and the
company says the software is smart enough to tell know if the
CD-ROM drive it was inserted in is connected to a Macintosh or
a PC.

The company says the inclusion of Quicktime for Windows and
Quicktime DLLs allow the Windows user to play the video clips
on the disk right out of the box. An install program is
available for the PC, but the company says Macintosh users will
need to already have Quicktime for the Macintosh, as the
company does not include it on the Canyon Action! CD.

Four categories of movie clips and still photos are included
on the disc, said the disc's creator, Nels Johnson. They include
8 three-minute clips of music videos; 27 clips from old movies
and cartoons from the 30's, 40's, and 50's; and modern clips of
computer animation or abstract, moving images, some of which are from
the works of video artist Nick Gorski. The fourth category is "sound
movies" which aren't movies at all, just sound.

The movies also play in a two-inch sized rectangle on the
computer screen that can be positioned anywhere on the screen,
the company said. Users also have the option of using the
company's interface with movie controls.

A 386SX PC running at 20 megahertz (MHz) with Windows 3.1 and a
CD-ROM drive, and a Windows-compatible sound card such as those
from Media Vision or Creative Labs is needed to play Canyon
Action!, the company said. For the Macintosh, the Quicktime
starter kit and System 7.0 are required.

Canyon Action! is retail priced at $89.95 and will be available
directly from the company beginning November 16, 1992. Canyon
will also demonstrate Canyon Action! in the Apple booth at the
COMDEX show in Las Vegas, Nevada at selected times during the
show, company representatives said.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921109/Press Contact: Nels Johnson, San
Francisco Canyon Company, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00004)

Iomega Announces Second Generation Floptical Drive 11/10/92
ROY, UTAH, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Calling it "a milestone in
industry support for Floptical technology," Iomega Corporation has
announced a second-generation Floptical drive that uses laser
holographical optical tracking (HOT) technology to read and write
data to the super-high-density disks. The product is shipping now.

Iomega says the HOT technology is important because it improves
servo tracking and reliability over its predecessor. Floptical
diskettes, which can store up to 21 megabytes (MB) of data, are
manufactured with a permanent pattern of concentric grooves, which
the Floptical drive's optical system uses for positioning the
magnetic recording head.

Because of the precise optical positioning, more tracks can be packed
on each diskette to achieve the higher capacity, called very high
density (VHD). Floptical disks are laser-etched, and manufactured with
a hard coating for greater durability.

Iomega says it is now shipping two versions of the new drive, an
internal model for the AT bus and an external version which gets its
power from the PC. Floptical drives can also read and write to the
720 kilobyte and 1.44 MB drives currently in common use.

Iomega spokesperson Cara O'Sullivan told Newsbytes that the
company has adopted a new policy of not establishing a suggested
retail price but rather of letting demand set the price.

Iomega says it expects that the internal model, called the Floptical
Insider, will sell for about $349, while the Floptical PC Powered
external version will go for about $399. Street prices for Floptical
diskettes range from $20 - $22.

(Jim Mallory/19921110/Press contact: Cara O'Sullivan, Iomega
Corporation, 801-778-3712; Reader contact: 800-777-6179)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEN)(00005)

 ****Compaq, Motorola Announces Cellular Modem 11/10/92
HOUSTON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Compaq Computer and
Motorola have teamed up to introduce an internal high-speed cellular
modem. This is the first time that two companies of Compaq's and
Motorola's stature have pooled their resources in this respect.

Both companies say that the Compaq SpeedPaq 144 utilizes Compaq's
cellular direct connection feature, a cable interface between the
computer and a cellular phone to send data and faxes. The unit is
compatible with various cellular phones, including Motorola
MicroTAC, MicroTAC Lite and MicroTAC Ultra Lite, as well as the
Nokia 121 made by Nokia Mobile Phones, Inc.

Compaq President and CEO Eckhard Pfeiffer says that wireless
communications will revolutionize the way portable computers are
used. "Customers told us they wanted integrated, highly mobile
cellar data and fax connections, and the SpeedPAQ 144 offers the
ultimate productivity tool for mobile computing," Pfeiffer said.

The 144 modem can transfer data at up to 14,400 bits per second (bps)
plus send and receive fax transmissions at up to 9600bps. The unit
supports MNP (Microcom Network Protocol) Class 10 error-detection and
data compression.

Compaq spokesperson John Sweney told Newsbytes that the internal
device works in conjunction with Compaq's proprietary Enhanced Option
Slot and consequently is not available for PCs produced by other
computer manufacturers.

The modem comes with Delrina fax software for both DOS and Windows
use. Compaq said the SpeedPAQ 144 will have a suggested retail price
of $649, and will ship in late November.

(Jim Mallory/19911110/Press contact: John Sweney, Compaq,
713-374-1564; Reader contact: 800-345-1518)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00006)

MS Announces Japanese Version Of Windows For Pen Computing 11/10/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Microsoft has
announced the Japanese edition of its Windows operating system for
pen computing. The company has also announced that 16 pen computer
makers will support the software on their pen systems.

Microsoft claims that the new release enables pen input and character
recognition of Kanji, Katakana, and Hiragana characters. Before the
new version was released, Japanese pen computer users were limited to
using the keyboard.

Microsoft also claims that the user interface can convert Kana to
Kanji characters, and the 3,000 most commonly used Kanji characters
are recognizable. Any Kanji character can be trained to recognize a
user's particular style of writing or character-stroke-order
preferences. The recognizer software allows for variations in the
stroke order of the Kanji characters, and can even recognize
characters that have had strokes omitted by the user.

According to Microsoft, its handwriting recognizer can be ported to
Windows for Pens, Japanese Edition, to accommodate the input and
recognition of Kanji, Katakana, or Hiragana characters, or all three
simultaneously. OEM's announcing plans to support the new software
include Fujitsu, Hitachi, Kyocera, Matsushita, Microslate,
Mitsubishi, NCR Japan, NEC, Oki, Sanyo, Sharp, Smart Technologies,
Toshiba, and Wacom.

Microsoft spokesperson Kim Wolfkill told Newsbytes that the product,
which is shipping now, is available only in OEM (original equipment
manager) format, distributed through licensed vendors for sale only
with those vendor's hardware.

(Jim Mallory/19921110/Press contact: Collins Hemingway, Microsoft,
206-882-8080; Reader contact: Microsoft, 800-426-9400 or Microsoft
Japan, 03-5484-0702)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00007)

 ****Dell Announces $810 Entry-Level PC 11/10/92
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Dell Computer has
announced that it is immediately shipping an entry level PC for
$810 that is powered by a 33 megahertz (MHz) Intel 386SX
microprocessor.

"With the 333s/L we're throwing another "fastball" at the
competition for budget-conscious customers," said Dell senior VP
Joel Kocher. He added that the system is targeted at the buyers of
network workstations and first-time PC customers. The industry
standard architecture (ISA)-based system replaces Dell's 325SX.

Features include a front-mounted reset button and a socket for an
optional Intel 387SX 33 MHz math coprocessor chip, which is expected
to be formally announced by Intel later this week. The system also
uses buffered serial ports that can store data in a memory buffer
during a communications session such as sending a fax.

Other features include support for a high-capacity 3.5-inch 2.88-
megabyte floppy drive and a small computer set instruction (SCSI)
adapter; 2 megabytes (MB) of system memory, or RAM; a 50MB hard drive;
and one 3.5 or 5.25-inch floppy drive.

Dell spokesperson Jill Shanks told Newsbytes that the $810 price
does not include a monitor, as is the case with all Dell systems
except the Dimension line. Monitors from Dell range in price from
$199 to $1,999. Other available options include a variety of
network interface cards, a $150 software package of DOS 5.0 and
Windows 3.1, and a mouse. You can also get a space-saving "combo:"
disk drive that fits both 3.5-inch and 5.25-inch drives into one
half-height drive bay.

If you really want a stripped down model, you can get the system
with only 1MB of RAM for $20 less. Shanks said the video is a
integrated 16-bit Cirrus Logic chipset with 256K of video RAM; for
an additional $39 you can double the amount of video RAM.

The standard configuration supports 1024 X 768 pixels interlaced
resolution. With the upgrade the system supports 1024 X 768 non-
interlaced. An interlaced monitor is refreshed in two passes of the
electron beam, while a non-interlaced monitor is completely updated in
a single pass. Non-interlaced video is less likely to flicker, but is
more expensive.

(Jim Mallory/19921110/Press contact: Jill Shanks, Dell Computer,
512-794-4100; Reader contact: 512-338-4400 or 800-289-3355)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00008)

Gateway Cut Prices Up To 20 Percent 11/10/92
NORTH SIOUX CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, U.S.A., 1992 (NB) -- Clone maker
Gateway 2000 has announced price cuts in its PCs by as much as 20
percent. The price structure brings the price of a Gateway 2000 486-
based notebook computer down to less than $2,000.

The company said its Nomad 420SXL, a 20 megahertz (MHz) system
powered with a 486SXL chip and configured with 4MB of system memory
was dropped from $2,495 to $1,995. A similarly configured Nomad
325SXL/25 was cut 10 percent, from $1,995 to $1,795. The Nomad
425DXL/25 was also reduced 10 percent, to $2,695. It comes standard
with 4MB of RAM and a 120MB hard drive. The 325SXL and the 420SXL
come with a 80MB hard drive, while the 425DXL is equipped with a
120MB hard disk.

All of Gateway's Nomad series come with MS-DOS 5.0, Windows, a mouse
that is used like a hand-held trackball, and Works For Windows, a
software package that integrates a word processor, spreadsheet, and
database program. The Nomad systems weigh 5.6 pounds and Gateway
says they will provide up to six hours of battery life. "At $1,995
our Nomad 420SXL represents the best notebook value in the
industry," says Gateway President Ted Waitt.

Asked about possible reductions in other Gateway 2000 systems,
Gateway spokesperson Glynis Gibson told Newsbytes she wasn't aware
of any such cuts, but did tell Newsbytes that Gateway typically
drops prices about every six weeks.

(Jim Mallory/19921110/Press contact: Glynis Gibson, Gibson
Communications for Gateway 2000, 312-868-9400, fax [phone];
Reader contact: 605-232-2000 or 800-523-2000, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00009)

Unisys Ports Tools, Will Add Image Repository And GUI 11/10/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, 1992 NOV 11 (NB) -- Unisys has announced the
upcoming availability of its Mapper and Linc 4 GL tools for
non-Unisys Unix platforms. Newsbytes has learned that the Mapper
database software is being enhanced to allow image storage and display
on Unix- or Unisys mainframe-based networks with a PC client running
Microsoft Windows.

The Unix ports of the Mapper report writer, relational database
manager (RDBMS), and application development tool, as well as the Linc
program for automating development of online transaction processing
(OLTP) systems were announced at "Unisys Symposium: The Client/Server
Paradigm," an all-day press event in Boston.

Mapper is slated to become available for IBM RS/6000 and SCO Unix
in the second half of next year, and Linc will ship for outside
Unix platforms after gaining certification as an open system from
the X/Open Application Registry, according to Unisys.

Also during the press event, Unisys demonstrated a prototype of an
application in which photos taken on a Canon Zapshot magnetic disk
camera, interfaced to a Sun Unix client workstation, were stored
instantly and then retrieved on the workstation.

In an interview afterward, Steve Richards, director of CASE 4GL
program management, and Andre Pino, product manager for Mapper,
told Newsbytes that the prototype represents an upcoming upgrade of
Mapper for Microsoft Windows that will integrate Unisys Designers
Workbench, software now available as a separate product only.

When tightly integrated into the enhanced Windows edition of
Mapper, Designers Workbench will add image repository as well as
full GUI capabilities, the officials said.

"We can't go into too many details, because the product is
unannounced, but our plan is to have the new version out next
year," Richards commented.

Richards explained that the incorporation of Designers Workbench
into Mapper for Windows will allow remote storage, retrieval, and
display of bitmapped (PCX) images, as well as development of image
database applications, from a Unix workstation, Unisys mainframe
terminal, or Microsoft-Windows-based PC running on a network.

"What you saw in Boston was still video, but we also have an
application that lets you grab frames of live video," he told
Newsbytes. Images will be capable of residing on either the host
or client, he added.

"That way, you won't have to consume valuable network time every
time you want to transfer an image," he stated. Users will also be
given a range of options for repository version control, such as
storage of all but the latest version on the host.

Textual data will be able to reside on either the host or a
workstation client, but not yet on a PC client. The image
repository will not incorporate text files, according to Richards.

Oriented around a file cabinet theme, the Designers Workbench GUI
offers radio buttons and pull-down menus that can be employed in
screens and applications being built with Mapper.

Originally developed for Unisys Unix and mainframe systems, and
later ported to Windows, OS/2 and Sun, Mapper was designed to let
the user work in a simple report format from directly within the
program database. The current Mapper product is based on a
function-driven language consisting of about 100 commands that can
be either used individually or strung together.

When used individually, commands can be entered while the report is
displayed on screen. The results are then show to the user. This
process can be repeated until the desired refinement is achieved.
When used collectively, the command are stored as "runs" that can
be invoked to build applications or generate subroutines.

Alternatively, calls can be made from the Mapper Relational
Interface (MRI) to a variety of outside RDBMS systems, including
Oracle, Informix, IBM DB2 and Sybase.

Richards told Newsbytes that the current editions of Designers
Workbench and Mapper for Windows do not fit as tightly now as they
will in the integrated product. The current version of Mapper
lacks image capabilities, and Designers Workbench can be displayed
only in a Window, in contrast to the full-screen GUI that will be
presented in the upcoming package.

At present, Unisys has no plans to make the image and full-screen
GUI capabilities of the Windows upgrade available to OS/2 servers
running on the network, said Richards. "But our plans for OS/2 are
still being formed," he noted.

The ports of Mapper and Linc to new Unix platforms are aimed at
carrying forward a company plan to increase support for multivendor
environments, announced last year as part of a strategic position
statement called the Advanced Solution Development (ASD) Framework.

The Linc product, available since February for Unix systems from
Unisys, is meant to speed development of OLTP systems by using a
single set of specifications to automatically generate COBOL code
for the database, transaction manager, and networking and
application software.

Ally, a tool from the same family as Linc and Mapper, has already
been ported to a variety of multivendor platforms, including Sun
and IBM RS/6000. A database-independent 4GL for developing
client/server OLTP systems, Ally is based on Unix System
Laboratories' Tuxedo transaction manager.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19921011/Press contact: Steve Holzman, Unisys,
tel [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00010)

Australia: Small Local Firm Wins Bank Networking Contract 11/10/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- A newly established local
firm has beaten international competition to win a lucrative
contract with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA). The
contract, for an undisclosed sum, will see Somerset Systems
providing CBA with LAN (local area network) to LAN connectivity and
network support services throughout 1100 branches.

The contract will see Somerset installing its NetRouter package in
the 1100 branches nationwide by June next year. The deliverance of
the networking capabilities and support will allow branches to carry
out more administrative functions -- especially attractive for more
remote branches.

"What major organizations like banks... are looking to implement is
new computing technologies, like distributed client-server
computing," said Somerset Systems sales and marketing director, Guy
Simpson. "In doing so what you find is organizations are giving retail
branches more processing capacity and more autonomy in their own
branch," Simpson went on to say.

The bank currently has hundreds of LANs throughout Australia
currently comprising its WAN (wide area network). NetRouter would
allow real-time support to be carried out remotely.

A CBA spokesperson said of the current situation: "If a database
breaks down, for example, we would normally have to talk them through
it over the phone or send someone out there to fix it. No we can do it
from a central site."

(Sean McNamara/19921110)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00011)

Computer Sciences Corp To Buy Computer Sciences Australia 11/10/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Computer Sciences of
Australia (CSA) looks set to be sold by the AMP Society to
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) of the US, a former part
owner in CSA. The sale will be effected in a move by AMP to
concentrate on its core business on providing insurance and
retirement savings services.

Under the plan, AMP will consolidate all of its information
technology (IT) and communications businesses under the auspices of
CSA in preparation for the sale.

"All AMP information technology staff will transfer to the newly
acquired CSA, and CSC will purchase all relevant information
technology and communication assets from AMP," said AMP managing
director, Ian Salmon. The agreement will see the AMP outsourcing its
IT needs to CSA, which CSA managing director, Peter Rehn, sees as a
tremendous boost to CSA and one which hopefully lead to similar
agreements in the wider commercial community.

CSA has recently been involved in some of Australia's most
technically advanced defense projects, including AUS$250M worth of
work from the ANZAC class frigates currently being built and the
newly announced Collins class submarines. The decision to sell is
being welcomed by CSA, which saw the need for a powerful owner to
boost its financial position. The sale is not expected to
significantly affect CSA's standing for defense contracts, as it is
believed the Defense Department is accustomed to many of its
contractors being transnationals.

(Sean McNamara/19921110/Press and Public Contact: Computer Sciences
Australia, phone in Australia [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEL)(00012)

 ****India: Dell Sources $50M Of PC Motherboards 11/10/92
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Pertech Computers Limited
(PCL), one of the major players in the Indian PC market, has
secured a major order from Dell in the US.

Terms of the $50 million contract, which will last for two years,
call for the computer component company to supply Dell with a
very large consignment of motherboards. Some industry experts
note that this may be the largest technology export contract of
its kind in India.

As part of its side of the deal, PCL plans to introduce Dell's
range of PCs to the Indian marketplace. This will give Dell a
significant boost to its sales in the region.

$50 million is a lot of motherboards. In terms of exact numbers,
the contract will call for PCL to supply around 10,000
motherboards per month for the next two years.

"Of course, the motherboard agreement is not the end-all for
us," said Bikram Dasgupta, the director of PCL. "We may extend
our manufacturing base to include switching supplies and finally
complete computer systems," he added.

Newsbytes suggested that, since Dell is one the computer
industry's major names, might it not pay PCL to market the Dell
machines under the PCL-Dell brand name? Dasgupta said that he is
not unaware of the market opportunities in India. "The US concern
has an open mind regarding this and we would also love to have it
provided the government is agreeable," he said.

In order to meet the large order, PCL plans to install a
manufacturing facility in New Delhi. According to Dasgupta, the
new facility should be up and running very shortly, possibly
forming part of the Indian Government's electronic hardware
technology park scheme.

Dasgupta has high hopes for an extension to the contract with
Dell. He told Newsbytes that PCL hopes to supply a range of
computer sub-assemblies to Dell, as well as procure contracts
from other PC manufacturers in the US. The ultimate aim of the
contracts, he said, is to import world class PC technology --
with PCL components naturally -- into the Indian sub-continent.

According to Dasgupta, the healthy profits that will result from
this contract with Dell will go toward improving the company's
sales and marketing services. In addition, PCL intends to
increase its software marketing scheme -- India produces large
quantities of PC application software that is relatively unknown
outside of the country. PCL plans to change that perception.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19921110)


(NEWS)(IBM)(WAS)(00013)

New For PC: Lotus Freelance Graphics 2.0 11/10/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Lotus
Development Corporation has released the latest version of the
company's graphics program, Freelance Graphics for Windows.

The company claims that the Windows-based business presentation
software is easier to use. Newsbytes notes that this actually a
pre-shipping announcement and the actual product won't actually
be available to users until after the COMDEX/Fall computer show.

Freelance Graphics Release 2.0 comes with a sample animated
product introduction tutorial that lets graphics developers get
their hands dirty modifying the sample presentation. The package
is just one of a flood of Windows-based applications programs
which are expected to dominate the COMDEX trade computer show to
be held in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Windows software sales, according to the Software Publishers
Association, jumped 181 percent in the second quarter of 1992
versus the same period in 1991.

Lotus quotes a study by International Data Corporation which says
that the market for Windows-based presentation graphics will also
grow by a similar amount from 1991 to 1992.

Of interest to those who get always want to see how the story
ends, Freelance 2.0's SmartShow screen will include a skip-ahead
button.

Freelance Graphics for Windows Release 2.0 will need a minimum of
three megabytes of memory and is reportedly well integrated with
other Lotus Windows software such as AMI Pro (word processor) and
the company's flagship 1-2-3 spreadsheet.

(John McCormick/19921110/Press Contact: Allison Parker, Lotus
Development, 617-693-1819)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00014)

Plasmon Intros 25-Gigabyte Desktop Optical Jukebox 11/10/92
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Claiming that
data is now flooding business and that effective management of
that data is now essential even in small offices, Plasmon Data
Systems has introduced a mixed media (erasable and WORM) optical
jukebox in a desktop-configuration.

The Reflection Systems RF-25JM offers double the data storage
capacity of desktop optical drive systems for those companies
which need more capacity than previous one- to 11-gigabyte
desktop units but don't need or can't afford the massive floor
mount jukeboxes, company officials added.

The RF-25JM houses two drives and will accept as many as 25
optical disc cartridges which can hold a mixture of write-once
(WORM) discs and erasable optical discs.

At a base list price of $25,000, the new Plasmon drive isn't for
home game storage but is only about one-quarter as expensive as
many large floor-mounted storage systems, some of which actually
offer less total capacity.

Cartridge swap time averages five seconds, with an eight-second
maximum, while the average seek time for an already loaded disc
is only 90 milliseconds. The desktop model jukebox measures about
14.5-inches high and has a 22.5-inch by 14.5-inch footprint.

Plasmon and its Reflection Systems subsidiary offer true write-
once capabilities by making physical changes in the disc's
surface rather than relying on software/hardware file protection.
Plasmon's erasable optical technology is based on phase-change
technology.

The new 25-gigabyte jukebox uses a SCSI or Small Computer Systems
Interface and is compatible with MS-DOS, OS/2, Novell, SUN, and
many other operating environments.

(John McCormick/19921110/Press Contact: David Kalstrom, Plasmon
Data Systems, 408-956-9400 or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00015)

New Product: Best Hypertext Power Protection Catalog 11/10/92
NECEDAH, WISCONSIN, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Best Power
Technology is at it again, offering an information-packed catalog
that not only touts its solid uninterruptible power supplies
but also provides useful information about power line protection.

The new Best Catalog on Disk is a full-color interactive catalog
and power protection tutorial which runs on an MS-DOS-based VGA
computer. Since the presentation is hypertext-based, it features
such things as interactive graphics which allow users to click on
many diagrams and photographs to bring up more information on a
particular subject.

Also included is a program which shows just how much back-up power
users need for particular computer systems. Offered are generic
solutions -- not just Best systems.

While Best Power Technology obviously puts out this free disk in
an effort to promote its own products, such as some earlier Best
catalogs, this hypertext program provides useful information
whether you buy a Best UPS system or look to another manufacturer
for protection against brown-outs, over-voltages, and voltage
peaks.

A UPS or uninterruptible power supply is a battery-powered back-up
system which provides continuous operating current to a computer
or other electronic device during power outages. Some offices
experience very brief power interruptions on a daily basis --
power irregularities which damage equipment and may cause system
crashes even if they are too brief to be visible.

A good UPS includes a power conditioner which also protects
against voltage variations such as brown-outs (low voltage) and
even voltage spikes caused by other electrical equipment or
atmospheric conditions.

(John McCormick/19921110/Press Contact: Scott Knickelbine, Best
Power Technology, 800-356-5794 or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00016)

 ****MCI Proposes PCN Consortium 11/10/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Stung by AT&T's
prospective investment in the US' largest cellular phone
outfit, McCaw Cellular Communications, MCI has proposed that it
form a consortium for the next generation of wireless phone
systems, called personal communications networks (PCNs).

A statement from MCI said it will form what it calls a "broad-
based consortium" to seek a national license from the Federal
Communications Commission for PCNs, which network microwave-based
wireless phones. PCNs are already one of the hottest issues
before the FCC, with cable television companies, cellular phone
companies, the regional Bells, and a host of new firms angling
for a piece of the pie.

Because PCN wireless phones operate at microwave frequencies,
between 1.8 GHz and 2.2 GHz, compared to about 900 MHz for
regular cellular services, the phones are lighter, less
expensive, and use less power.

But, because shorter wavelengths attenuate, or dissipate,
quickly, PCN cells have to be much closer together than
conventional cells -- it will take many more thousands of PCN
cells to cover a city already served by a cellular phone system.
For this reason, PCN cells are often seen as an adjunct to other
systems, covering only high-use areas like central cities.
Carrying the calls from cell sites to the other end of the call,
whether local or long distance, could be where the big dollars
are in all this.

MCI's proposal is to tie a series of small PCN systems together
under its network, and to seek a national license for its
consortium. Cellular licenses were given out, starting in the
1970s, two per metro area, with local phone firms guaranteed one
slot, and "non-wireline" companies the other. Eventually, the
regional Bell companies, GTE, and McCaw Cellular bought-out most
of these "non-wireline operators," so that the cellular industry
today looks a lot like the wired phone world. Wireless phone
users in Atlanta, for instance, can get service from either
BellSouth or PacTel. There is little price competition.

The FCC has seen PCNs as a way to force competition among
cellular, telephone, and cable companies, and has begun
proceedings to open necessary frequencies. MCI's announcement
was a response to the FCC's note of proposed rulemaking on PCN.
But those proceedings may not be complete for years, because
utility companies and others which now control the required
frequencies do not want to change to other, higher frequencies.
Still, the FCC has given out some experimental licenses and
claims commercial service could begin in 1994.

MCI brings both lobbying and technical strengths to the fray. It
first broke-open the AT&T long distance monopoly in the late
1970s, while Democrat Jimmy Carter was in the White House, and
those strengths could be brought to bear under the new
Administration of Democrats Bill Clinton and Al Gore.

Technically, MCI says its automated "Follow Me" 800 service would
let people have a single phone number for all calls: cellular,
PCN, and wired. Daniel F. Akerson, president and chief operating
officer of MCI, is already tailoring his story to fit the times,
saying that PCN could create 35,000 jobs in the next few years,
if regulators move ahead.

Every group seeking a piece of the PCN pie is claiming a faith in
the "public interest," but making proposals tailored to its
individual interest. MCI is no different, asking that three
national consortia be awarded licenses through short, comparative
hearings.

But MCI is the only company that has, until now, proposed a
national consortium. The process would, thus, be guaranteed to
give it a leg-up in any competition. Also under the MCI plan, the
FCC should classify PCS carriers as common carriers with the
status of co-carriers with local telephone companies. The result
would, in effect, give MCI a "captive network" of local phone
companies tied to its network. It's an interesting proposal, but
analysts don't expect it to be approved.

However, the election of Bill Clinton upsets the entire PCN
apple-cart. No one can be certain what stance the new
administration will take on PCN licensing. Since the FCC
commissioners rotate in office, it is also possible the current
Republican appointees could set a firm policy before the
Democrats gain control. The result is a muddle, into which MCI has
put itself firmly in the middle, at no big financial cost, just
when AT&T was gaining a foothold in the business at a cost of
billions.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921110/Press Contact: Debra Shriver, MCI,
703-415-6904)


(NEWS)(IBM)(ATL)(00017)

 ****Intergraph Porting To Windows NT 11/10/92
HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Intergraph is
"betting the company" on compatibility -- it plans port its
entire suite of computer-aided engineering products to Microsoft
Windows NT by the end of 1994. And it will make its Clipper chip
compatible with Windows NT, putting it in direct competition with
chips from Intel and others.

Rob Glasier, vice president marketing for Intergraph, told
Newsbytes: "We think this will remove the proprietary label from
the Clipper chip. We've been arguing for years there should be no
such label, but rather than arguing, let's go to an operating
environment that truly removes it. The process is, at worst, a
simple re-compilation -- portability is easy to implement. The
performance is good." The result, he says, is "a neutral playing
field for our platforms."

Glasier said that the announcement of the move was originally
scheduled for next spring, but after company signed to do a port
of its software to the Digital Equipment Alpha chip under Windows
NT, the date for the announcement was moved up. Glasier said the
company will be at next week's COMDEX PC trade show, in the
Microsoft booth, but "It was too expensive to get separate space
at this late date."

The strategy, of course, has risks. By making its software
compatible with Windows NT, Intergraph opens itself up to direct
competition with Autodesk and many other vendors, on their turf.
By offering a standard operating system on the Clipper chip,
Intergraph risks a chip price war. Glasier said Intergraph is
ready. "If you're looking at competing with workstation vendors,
Sun, H-P and IBM, we will be price competitive. Our
manufacturing and design capabilities are such we can compete."

But Glasier said Intergraph will not be concentrating on price,
but on value, in its sales calls. "The real issue for us is we're
trying to focus on selling applications. Our intention is our
boxes will be competitive and run our solutions. Then if you look
at the total integrated sale, the total performance will be
better with our platforms." Glasier called the strategy a battle
for the "technical desktop," with Intergraph positioned as a
complete solutions house.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921110/Press Contact: Intergraph, Jim
Ruester, 205-730-8301)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00018)

NBC Expected To Offer Desktop Product 11/10/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- NBC plans to
shortly announce a test of "News on Demand," a service combining
information from its regular news division and CNBC cable service
aimed at PC desktops.

IBM is teaming up with NBC to test the service, called NBC
Desktop News, in 1993, with commercial roll-out expected a year
later. A satellite feed will be linked to IBM "video servers" at
client companies, and users will be able to call-up updated
stories, on videotape, just as they now call-up printed news
through stored searches.

An NBC spokesman told Newsbytes that a formal announcement of the
project is expected very shortly, and confirmed the broad
outlines of the idea. The news was also broadcast by the
company's CNBC unit. The third partner in the venture, NUMedia of
Alexandria, Virginia, which developed software for the system,
declined comment.

The service could also reach home desktops using new technology
announced by Bellcore, research consortium for the regional Bell
companies. Bellcore's video-on-demand system uses compression
technology to squeeze video signals through phone lines. A
prototype is now available for sale in the US and Canada, and
help in designing the system came from Bell Northern Research,
the research unit of Northern Telecom.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921110)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00019)

Air Telephony Now A Close Three-Way Race 11/10/92
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- The battle
for airline telephony is heating up, with a McCaw-Hughes joint
venture called Claircom Communications gaining fast on GTE's
Airfone and John Goeken's In-Flight Phone.

While Airfone has most of the market now, while In-Flight has
been announcing mostly demonstration projects, Claircom is
getting real deals. Its latest will install the service in over
350 Northwest Airline jets by early 1994.

While Claircom is not offering anything unique in its service,
press reports indicate the battle is coming down to simple
dollars and cents. Airplane phone vendors and airlines share
revenues on all calls made by passengers. Some deals call for
airlines to get as little as 12 percent of the gross, others as
much as 22 percent.

In-Flight has been trying to raise that gross with new services,
like data transmission and information services. Airfone has
concentrated on putting more units on each plane with its
Seatfone technology. While no figures were offered by Hughes or
McCaw, it's likely they're just giving the airlines a price
break. They can afford to do that, since Hughes is a unit of
General Motors while AT&T is planning to take what could become a
controlling interest in McCaw. The market for airline telephony
could reach $1 billion by 1995, according to analysts.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921110)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00020)

MCI Discusses PCN Filing 11/10/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Roy Gamse, senior
vice president of MCI, told Newsbytes the company's filing
regarding PCN microwave-based telephony will likely be acted upon
by appointees of President-elect Bill Clinton.

Gamse said that Bill Clinton will likely make the final call on
all this. "I think that practically speaking there's not likely
to be a decision on this before new appointees come in. Certainly
the FCC staff should have the ability to take in the filings and
digest them so the new appointees can make it," he said.

"Once the Administration's appointees come to the commission, it
may not take long to make a decision. By then the staff will have
had these proposals to digest for a couple of months. If the
appointee is knowledgeable, it won't take long to reach a
conclusion. It's complicated, but not mind-boggling. And we've
given clear suggestions on how it ought to work," he added.

According Gamse, the industry is dependent on the FCC to get
through its rule-making process quickly.

"They put out their notice in July, published in August, and what
happened yesterday was the deadline for comments closed. They can
do this on a streamlined basis or take a long time. If they want
to bring this technology to market they'll do it in a streamlined
way," he said. Key to any proposal will be handling existing
users of the required frequencies, like utility companies. "There
are various proposals," he said. "There are means of negotiating
with people who have the frequencies to move them, and perhaps a
group could be put together with funding to help move those
folks," he said.

The hallmark of MCI's proposal is that PCN licenses be given on a
national rather than a local basis, and based on public hearings
rather than by lottery. "The reason we come to the national point
of view is looking at what happened in cellular. The localized
approach was used there, and roaming developed. There are
problems with it, however.

"The roaming approach is complex, it's not easy, it's not smooth,
you pay an awful lot for it. And on the inbound side it's 10
times worse. A key statistic to look at in cellular is the mix of
inbound to outbound calling. It's 50-50 in the regular world, 85
percent outbound in cellular. That's mainly because with the
fragmented approach, it's hard to structure things so people get
their inbound calls. With a national approach, we think the cost
and pricing will be such that you don't deter calls from outside
the home area, you'll be able to find the customer, the technical
standards will be consistent, and you'll have much greater
convenience for the customer, much higher usage, and many more
inbound calls."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921110/Press Contact: Debra Shriver, MCI,
703-415-6904)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(NYC)(00021)

Secret Service Role Questioned In "2600 Washington Raid" 11/10/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- In the aftermath of an
action on Friday, November 6th by members of the Pentagon City Mall
Police and police from Arlington County, VA in which those attending a
2600 meeting at the mall were ordered from the premises, conflicting
stories continue to appear.

Attendees at the meeting have contended to Newsbytes that members of
the mall police told them that they were "acting on behalf of the
Secret Service." They also maintain that the mall police confiscated
material from knapsacks and took film from someone attempting to
photograph the action and a list of the names of security officers
that one attendee was attempting to compile.

Al Johnson, chief of security for the mall, denied these allegations
to Newsbytes, saying, "No one said that we were acting on behalf of
the Secret Service. We were merely enforcing our regulations. While
the group was not disruptive, it had pulled tables together and was
having a meeting in our food court area. The food court is for
people eating and is not for meetings. We therefore asked the
people to leave."

Johnson denied that security personnel took away any film or lists
and further said: "We did not confiscate any material. The group
refused to own up to who owned material on the tables and in the
vicinity so we collected it as lost material. If it turns out
that anything did belong to any of those people, they are welcome
to come in and, after making proper identification, take the
material."

In a conversation early on November 9th, Robert Rasor, Secret Service
agent-in-charge of computer crime investigations, told Newsbytes that
having mall security forces represent the Secret Service is not
something that was done and, that to his knowledge, the Secret
Service had no involvement with any Pentagon City mall actions
on the previous Friday.

A Newsbytes call to the Arlington County police was returned by a
Detective Nuneville who said that her instructions were to refer all
questions concerning the matter to agent David Adams of the Secret
Service. She told Newsbytes that Adams would be providing all
information concerning the involvement of both the Arlington Police and
the Secret Service in the incident.

Adams told Newsbytes: "The mall police were not acting as agents
for the Secret Service. Beyond that, I can not confirm or deny
that there is an ongoing investigation."

Adams also told Newsbytes that: "While I cannot speak for the
Arlington police, I understand that their involvement was due to
an incident unrelated to the investigation."

Marc Rotenberg, director of the Washington office of Computer
Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR), told Newsbytes
that "CPSR has reason to believe that the detention of people at
the Pentagon City Mall last Friday was undertaken at the behest
of the Secret Service, which is a federal agency."

"If that is the case, then there was an illegal search of people
at the mall. There was no warrant and no indication of probable
illegal activity. This raises constitutional issues. We have
undertaken the filing of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
request to determine the scope, involvement and purpose of the
Secret Service in this action," he said.

2600 meetings are held on the evening of the first Friday of each
month in public places and malls in New York City, Washington,
Philadelphia, Cambridge, St. Louis, Chicago, Los Angeles and San
Francisco. They are promoted by "2600 Magazine: The Hacker Quarterly"
and are attended by a variety of persons interested in
telecommunications and so-called "hacker issues."

The New York meeting, the oldest of its kind, is regularly attended
by Eric Corley a/k/a Emmanuel Goldstein, editor and publisher of 2600,
hackers, journalists, corporate communications professionals and other
interested parties. It is known to have been the subject of
surveillance at various times by law enforcement agencies conducting
investigations into allegations of computer crime.

Corley told Newsbytes: "While I'm sure that meetings have been
observed by law enforcement agencies, this is the only time that
we have been harassed. It's definitely a freedom of speech
issue." Corley also that he plans to be at the December meeting
in Washington "to insure that it doesn't happen again."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19921110)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00022)

 ****Microsoft, Apple, IBM Go For Emerging PC Video Market 11/10/92
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Microsoft,
Apple Computer, and Intel are going after the DOS-based
personal computer (PC) video market in a big way this COMDEX.
Jostling for position, the big three are making announcements
this week.

Microsoft and Apple have both announced video record and
playback software for Windows. Microsoft is announcing Video
for Windows, while Apple is offering Quicktime for Windows.
Many of the major players in the Apple Quicktime for Macintosh
world are moving their hardware and software products to the PC
platform under Windows in anticipation of Video for Windows.

Some of those products include Supermac's Videospigot hardware
for Windows and Adobe's announcement of its planned support of
Video for Windows in port to the Windows platform of the
company's graphics programs Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Premiere,
Adobe Streamline, Adobe Typealign, Adobe Type Manager, and
Adobe Photoshop.

Claris has announced its database software, Filemaker Pro 2.0
for Windows, will support Apple's Quicktime for Windows while
Lotus has announced its Freelance Graphics product will support
both Video for Windows and Quicktime for Windows.

IBM however, is focusing its Ultimedia multimedia software and
hardware on distributed computing, including video
conferencing, with an aim for the corporate market. The company
announced Person to Person/2 for video conferencing, Storyboard
Live 2.0, and M-Control Program/2 Version 2.01 for development
of multimedia presentations.

Person to Person/2 runs on a network and allows video
conferencing along with data sharing so people at different
locations can see each other and the data they are discussing
at the same time. Person to Person/2 runs under OS/2 2.0 now,
but versions are planned for Apple's Unix operating system AIX,
Microsoft Windows, and the Macintosh operating System 7.

IBM says Storyboard Live allows the creation of multimedia
presentations and will run on almost any PC with no additional
hardware. M-Control Program/2 allows for multimedia development
under DOS, OS/2 2.0 with Multimedia Presentation Manager/2
(MMPM/2), and Microsoft Windows with Multimedia Extensions.

The company also announced it is offering discounts on its PS/2
and Ultimedia PS/2 systems to US software developers. IBM also
announced storage products for the increased storage needs of
multimedia applications.

Two new products, the IBM 3995 Optical Library Dataserver with
functions to support a local area networks (LAN) environments
and the 3431 External Rewritable Optical Drive, a standalone
drive that attaches to IBM Personal Systems/2, were mentioned
by IBM for multimedia storage.

This year's COMDEX promises to be an exciting showcase of all
the competing multimedia products for PCs, according to all the
companies, who've promised to display the new products at the
Las Vegas show. COMDEX is November 16 -21.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921110/Press Contact: Clifton Scott, IBM,
tel [phone]; Kevin Mallon, Claris, 408-987-7227; Pam
Pollace, Intel, 408-765-1435; Stephanie Bryant, Supermac, tel
408-773-4446; Claire Merriam, Media Vision, 510-770-8600;
Tricia Chan, Apple Computer, tel [phone], fax 408-974-
6412; Waggoner Edstrom for Microsoft, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00023)

Notebook PC Survey Throws Up Interesting Facts 11/10/92
FELTHAM, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- According to a
survey commissioned by portable computing connectivity specialist
PPCP, by the latter part of 1993, 50 percent of all notebook and
laptop PCs will need to be able to link into local area networks
(LANs). This compares to a current figure of 20 percent.

According to PPCP, the survey, which took a cross-section of 50
dealers and corporate end users in a bid to make sense of
conflicting claims from portable PC manufacturers, concluded that
as many as 70 percent of portable PC users in the corporate world
will need LAN connectivity by the tail end of next year.

Three companies that were singled out as issuing conflicting data
on portable LAN connectivity requirements: Zenith, Toshiba and
Compaq. In the survey, 95 percent of the sample said that the
most common question they were asked by users or customers
related to LAN connectivity. The most common method of access to
a LAN from a portable, with an estimated 60 percent market share,
was a parallel port adapter which at the Xircom unit. The docking
station or desktop expansion unit accounted for the remainder.

This situation is predicted to change markedly over the next year
as more internal Ethernet and Token Ring adapters come on to the
market. These are expected to account for some 30 percent of the
LAN connectivity marketplace by the end of next year, largely at
the expense of the parallel port adapters which were seen to be
too slow for serious corporate users.

Interestingly, the much heralded PCMCIA standard met with a
similar response from survey respondents. A third of the sample
were unfamiliar with the technology, while those who had heard of
it felt the first impact of PCMCIA would be in modems and fax
modems, followed by LAN and later, mainframe connectivity.

On the issues of wide area connectivity, people seemed to prefer
internal to external modems and fax modems. According to John
Nolan of PPCP, this is because of the perception of having to
connect up lots of connectors with an external pocket modem.

"I think many users will change their minds when they realize
that an external modem can be shared among several users in a
pool, especially if only one or two are out of the office at any
one time. Also, when you trade in your laptop for a notebook,
bang goes your modem with it. So there is an investment
protection issue here too," he said.

Many users felt that manufacturers should not be charging a
premium for the addition of fax capability onto an existing data
modem. "Fax will be included as standard on all high speed modems
in the future," explained Nolan.

"I do however believe that there is a market for cheap data-only
modems, particularly for vertical applications like data capture
in the retail environment or telemetry, where fax is unlikely
ever to be a requirement," he added.

So what of the future? Nolan reckons that the portable is fast
becoming a replacement for a desktop PC. "The key to unlocking
the true potential of portables from the corporate user's
standpoint is connectivity," he said.

"It's just not acceptable to be running two PCs, one desk bound,
one mobile, when you can use the notebook alone; provided there
is connectivity. I think the manufacturers have grossly
underestimated this need, especially with regard to LANs, so we
see increasingly powerful machines but scant regard given to
connectivity," he added.

(Steve Gold/19921011/Press & Public Contact: PPCP - Tel: 081-893-
2277; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00024)

 ****Apple & Others Offer Client/Server Dev't Tools 11/10/92
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Apple
Computer has joined with nine independent software vendors
(ISVs) in announcing development tools designed to enable
information systems (IS) professionals to build client/server
applications that operate on various computing platforms from
personal computers to mainframes.

Included in the announcement are third and fourth generation
languages as well as visual development and advanced development
environment tools.

Newsbytes participated in a conference call announcing the
tools. Apple claims that, by offering advanced software
development tools on the Macintosh computer platform, Apple
and the nine ISVs are meeting the client/server development
needs of large organizations.

The new tools will enable rapid prototyping and development of
applications using object-oriented technologies and Apple's
Data Access Manager (DAM) and Data Access Language (DAL).
Data access is one of the five information activities specified
in Apple's VITAL framework, announced in spring 1992.

VITAL (Virtually Integrated Technical Architecture Lifecycle)
was designed as a set of guidelines to help Apple's corporate
customers design information systems that integrate their
desktop computers into enterprise systems. In addition to
data access the architecture covers data capture, repository,
desktop integration and systems infrastructure.

According to Apple, as part of its charter, VITAL offers a
framework for developing vendor-independent systems that use
the power of desktop computers in a heterogeneous client/server
environment.

The nine vendors are Brio Technology Inc., Component Software
Corp., Digitalk Inc., Forte Software Inc., Micro Focus, Mitem
Corp., Powersoft Corp., Software AG of North America Inc., and
TGS Systems Ltd. Other vendors already on the list of Apple
partners include IBM Corp., Digital Equipment Corp., Oracle Corp.,
and Symantec Corp.

The nine vendors offer a variety of products as part of the
ISV initiative. Brio Technology's DataEdit is a forms-based data
entry system that provides Macintosh-based update capabilities
for SQL (structured query language) databases in client/server
environments.

Component Software's Component Workshop is an object-oriented
applications development system based on C++. It supports cross-
platform development to WIndows and Apple Events and is used
for developing, testing, and debugging event-driven desktop
applications.

Digitalk's Smalltalk/V Mac will be enhanced in 1993 to provide
high-level support for Macintosh features such as QuickTime,
QuickDraw, DAM, DAL, and Apple Events.

Forte Software's product, to be available in 1993, supports VITAL
in the areas of desktop integration, data capture, and data access.

Micro Focus is developing versions of Micro Focus COBOL
compiler, as well as tools for Macintosh computers, which
include Micro Focus COBOL, MicroFocus Toolbox, and Micro Focus
Dialog System.

Mitem's Mitem View, available now, allows for the development
of client/server applications for the Mac, with mainframe-based
legacy systems.

Powersoft's PowerBuilder 2.0 is an object-oriented, graphic,
client/server development environment, designed to create
large-scale commercial and government applications.

Software AG's products, set for release in 1993, include Natural
and Net-Work for Macintosh, and Entire Broker.

TGS Systems' Prograph 2.5 is an object-oriented programming
environment for the Mac, with extensions allowing for support
of DAM and DAL.

Said an Apple spokesman during the conference call: "In terms
of availability, five of the tools are going to be shipping by
the end of 1992, and four of the tools will shipping in the
course of 1993."

(Ian Stokell/19921110/Press Contact: Emilio Robles, Apple
Computer, 408-862-5671)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00025)

New For Windows: ClarisWorks Integrated Software 11/10/92
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Hoping
to cash in on the popularity of Windows, Claris Corporation has
announced the ClarisWorks for Windows integrated software
package.

Integrated software packages that include, among other features,
a word processor, spreadsheet, and graphics, are especially
useful for portable computing and bundling with desktop systems.
PC vendors bundle them with their hardware in order for buyers
to be up-and-running as soon as the product is installed. This is
especially useful for entry-level machines and users new to
computers who do not then have to pay for expensive single
applications.

The company claims that the product departs from the module-
based approach of other integrated products. ClarisWorks for
the Macintosh platform was Introduced a year ago, and Claris
claimed a 77 percent share of the integrated software market
by June 1991.

Daniel L. Eilers, Claris president and CEO, said: "The Windows
integrated category is growing at a rate of 100 percent a year
and Claris intends to lead this emerging market with our unique
product. ClarisWorks is already an award-winning product and a
proven market leader that will give Windows users the optimum
combination of ease-of-use, breadth of features, value, and
performance."

The company claims that ClarisWorks for Windows delivers
"seamless" integration through a frame-based design, that
lets users access tools and features from within a single
document - rather than switching between a collection of
applications as traditional integrated packages require.

According to Claris, a ClarisWorks user can create a one-page
document containing multi- column text, color graphics, and a
spreadsheet table and chart, without having to leave the page.

This is done by switching the word-processing tools for
spreadsheet tools by clicking on the tool palette. As the user
selects different objects on the page, the menu bar changes
appropriately.

Claris maintains that ClarisWorks for Windows includes "true"
WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) capabilities and
other such graphical user interface features as zoom
capabilities, multiple views, tear-off palettes, and
simultaneous database browse/layout views.

The company said that ClarisWorks has borrowed from FileMaker
Pro to offer database management capabilities that allow users
to "instantly start creating and modifying databases and
generating professional reports."

In addition to spreadsheet capabilities that include 100
functions and a number of built-in charts, users can launch
directly into the Windows Terminal communications feature.

ClarisWorks features an array of file translators for handling
files from such applications as Microsoft Word, WordPerfect,
Lotus 1-2-3, and dBase.

ClarisWorks for Windows will ship in the United States during
the first half of 1993, with the suggested US retail price to be
announced at a later date.

At the end of October, Newsbytes reported the shipping of
FileMaker Pro 2.0 for Windows. The company claimed a
pre-order total of 10,000 units for the product.

(Ian Stokell/19921110/Press Contact: Ines Anderson,
408-987-7154, Claris Corporation)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00026)

Software Toolworks Posts 2Qtr $1.6M Earnings 11/10/92
NOVATO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Following
its last quarter losses, Software Toolworks, Inc., has posted
earnings of $1.6 million or $0.06 per share on revenue of $25.7
million for the second fiscal quarter ended September 30, 1992.
This is due in no small part to its highly popular Miracle Piano,
a piano learning product, reviewed previously by Newsbytes.

This compares to profits of $1.2 million or $0.05 per share on
$22.2 million in revenue for the same quarter a year ago. During
the September quarter, total revenues increased 16 percent over
the same quarter a year ago, spurred by a 97 percent gain in
sales of The Miracle Piano Teaching System to $4.3 million and
a 79 percent increase in computer software sales to $13.2
million.

However, total Nintendo sales declined 37 percent to $7.1 million
during the September quarter versus the same quarter a year ago,
primarily, claims the company, because last year the company
generated additional revenues from the sales of significant
quantities of close-out titles. Additionally, in this September
quarter, the company says it did not ship any new 16-bit products
for both Nintendo and Sega. However, several new titles are being
readied for shipment during the December and March quarters.

Operating income jumped 48 percent over the same quarter a year
ago due to an increase in gross profits and a reduction in selling,
general, and administrative expenses.

The company says that its balance sheet also improved during the
September quarter as cash and short term investments increased
to $4.9 million from $2.6 million at June 30, 1992, and working
capital rose to $17.1 million from $15.9 million at the end of
June 1992. For the same period, inventories declined to $24.2
million from $28.0 million with the bulk of the decrease coming
in Miracle inventories which declined by $2.3 million.

Said Bob Lloyd, president of the Software Toolworks: "Our
diversity of product categories and strength of our 'evergreen'
products enabled up to have a positive second quarter. Miracle
and especially computer CD-ROM sales were excellent which
bodes well for the future. With an improving balance sheet and
several new Sega and Nintendo cartridges to be shipped in the
next two quarters, we feel most encouraged."

The company says that the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) has been conducting a confidential investigation of events
surrounding the company's July 1990 public stock offering.
According to the company, a lawsuit filed as a result of those
events, as reported by Newsbytes previously, has been settled.

In August Newsbytes reported that Software Toolworks had
posted a quarterly loss of $1.9 million on revenue of $16.4
million.

(Ian Stokell/19921110/Press Contact: Vincent Turzo, The
Software Toolworks, 415-883-3000, ext 586)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00027)

New For PCs: Lotus Brings Improv To Windows 11/10/92
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Lotus
Development has announced a version of Improv, the spreadsheet
package it released first for Next workstations, to run on PCs
equipped with Microsoft Windows software.

Improv takes a different approach to multidimensional data than the
three-dimensional spreadsheet approach used in some versions of
Lotus's better-known 1-2-3 package. Instead of multiple worksheet
pages, it uses a single sheet but lets the user restructure the
data by moving headings around.

In a demonstration for Newsbytes, Peter Carrescia, a product
specialist at Lotus Development Canada in Toronto, set up a simple
worksheet with several expense headings for each of two products,
broken down by quarter. He showed how Improv made it possible to
reorganize this data in various ways by dragging and dropping the
headings representing products, cost categories, and quarters.

By reorganizing the worksheet, Improv users can group data in
different ways and display whatever level of detail is needed. For
instance, a view with rows for each expense category, a total row
for each product, and a column for each quarter, can quickly be
rearranged to show rows for each product, totalled by quarter, with
a column for each expense category. Or the expense categories could
be hidden entirely, showing only product cost per quarter.

At the bottom of the screen, Improv shows a list of formulas used
in the spreadsheet. Selecting a cell will highlight the formula
used in that cell, while selecting a formula from the list
highlights all cells that use that formula. According to Lotus,
this will help users check their spreadsheets for errors.

Formulas also use English words, such as "expense" or "quarter,"
rather than cell addresses.

Carrescia said the software is well suited to users who deal with
complex worksheets and may need to reorganize data for varying
purposes. Examples of Improv for Windows applications may include
long-term corporate planning, sales forecasting and tracking, brand
management analysis, market research, and investment decision
analyses, Lotus said.

Improv's charting options include 20 major chart and graph types,
such as three-dimensional bar, stack, line, bar, pie, scatter, and
area graphs. Users can change font types, background colors, and
fill patterns in graphs. Improv for Windows also makes it possible
to annotate presentations with text, drawn images, lines and
shapes, bitmaps, clip art, logos, and photos. The software also
support Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), allowing objects
created with other software packages to be embedded in Improv
worksheets.

Improv also supports Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE), which allows data
exchange with other Windows applications, Lotus said.

Improv for Windows sports a number of features found in other Lotus
products, including 1-2-3 for Windows, such as the company's
SmartIcons for automating common tasks and the live status bar
familiar to users of the Ami Pro word processing software. Improv
is also mail-enabled.

Improv is the first Lotus product to use Lotus Script, a macro
language that Carrescia said will become common to many Lotus
packages, and Lotus Chart, a charting tool that will also be used
across the product line.

Improv for Windows will exchange data, formulas, fonts, and numeric
formats with 1-2-3 for Windows and other versions of 1-2-3, and
with Microsoft's Excel 4.0 spreadsheet.

Improv for Windows requires a personal computer with a 386
processor running at 20 megahertz or faster, four megabytes of
memory, a VGA monitor, and a mouse. Lotus recommends a 33-megahertz
386 with six megabytes of memory. The product will have a suggested
retail price of $495 and will be sold through standard Lotus
distribution and reseller channels. Lotus expects to ship it in the
first quarter of 1993.

(Grant Buckler/19921110/Press Contact: Shelly Eckenroth, McGlinchey
& Paul for Lotus, 617-862-4514; Peter A. Cohen, Lotus,
617-693-1283)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00028)

DEC Canada To Lay Off 230 11/10/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Digital Equipment of
Canada will be handing out pink slips to about 230 of its employees
by the end of 1992 as part of ongoing cost-cutting by the company
worldwide.

The reduction in DEC Canada's 3000-person payroll will be made
entirely through layoffs, company spokesman David Paolini said, and
most of the jobs that disappear will be in staff and administrative
positions. Sales and service jobs will be minimally affected, he
said, and no cuts are planning in manufacturing. The jobs
affected will be spread across the country.

In fact, Digital Canada said it plans to hire as many as 50 new
contract employees for its Kanata, Ontario, manufacturing plant by
year-end. DEC attributed that increase to growing demand for its
personal computers. In late October, the company announced that
PC-related systems integration work would move to Kanata from a
plant that is being closed in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Internal task forces are currently reviewing DEC Canada's
organization and processes and will make the decision on jobs to be
cut. Those who lose their jobs will get a lump-sum payment based on
length of service, formal outplacement help, and continued benefits
for a certain period after leaving. Paolini said DEC Canada's
severance package is less generous today than it was a year ago,
but remains more generous than that of the parent company.

During 1991, Digital Canada laid off a total of about 175
employees, Paolini said. Unlike its American parent Digital Canada
remains profitable: it reported net income of C$7 million on
revenues of C$1,080 million in the year ended June 30, 1992. The
parent company reported a loss of $260.55 million, or $2.04 per
share, in its first quarter, which ended September 26.

(Grant Buckler/19921110/Press Contact: David Paolini, Digital
Canada, 416-597-3529)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00029)

 ****DEC Launches First Alpha Systems 11/10/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Digital
Equipment has rolled out the long-awaited first entries in its new
Alpha line of computers, which are expected to supplant DEC's
venerable VAX line of minicomputers.

The new systems are the first to use the new processor technology
that Digital unveiled in February of 1992, said to be the fastest
in the world at present. Some models are available now, while
others are due to ship early in 1993.

Peter Hussey, vice-president of global information systems in
Digital's General International Area, described the Alpha AXP
systems as a "universal platform" able to run any of three
operating systems with equal ease.

Those three operating systems are: Open VMS, a version of the
proprietary VMS operating system well known to users of DEC VAX
systems, which is available now; OSF-1, a Unix implementation to be
available from DEC in March; and Windows NT, Microsoft's upcoming
portable operating system, which is expected to reach the market in
the spring of 1993.

Hussey said the Alpha AXP systems are designed "to evolve and
become more productive over a 25-year lifespan."

In a videotaped message to reporters, the DEC president and chief
executive called the new line "the cornerstone of future
innovation" for DEC.

"We fully expect the need for a quantum leap in capacity driven by
now-exotic applications" such as artificial intelligence and
multimedia, added Dave Booth, Alpha and VAX systems marketing
manager for Digital Equipment of Canada.

The first systems launched range from a desk-side workstation
priced in the $20,000 range to a mainframe-class server that goes
for about $550,000. Digital also announce that a range of software
from DEC and third-party vendors will be available, with more than
1,000 vendors committed to make more than 2,000 applications
available for the Alpha systems.

The bottom of the line initially is the DEC 3000 Model 400 AXP,
available in either workstation or server configuration. It uses
DEC's first Alpha chip, the 21064, running at 133 megahertz.
Workstation price is $14,995, basic server price is $18,995, and
DEC's Advantage-Server configuration costs $20,720.

The DEC 3000 Model 500 AXP is similar but has a 150-megahertz
processor. Workstation price is $38,995, server price is $41,195,
Advantage-Server price is $44,395.

The DEC 4000 AXP is billed as a distributed or departmental system
and comes in single-processor and dual-processor models using a
160-megahertz version of the 21064 chip. Prices start at $77,000.

The DEC 7000 AXP is intended for use in data centers and is
available with from one to six processors. It uses a 182-megahertz
version of the Alpha chip. Prices start at $168,000.

All of these models are available now, Digital said.

The top of the Alpha AXP line is the mainframe class DEC 10000 AXP,
available with from one to six 200-megahertz 21064 processors. With
prices starting at $316,000, it is due to be available in the first
quarter of 1993, Digital said.

Digital is widely expected to introduce personal computers using
the Alpha chip some time in 1993. One DEC official said the company
is likely to launch PCs that will compete with those based on
Intel's forthcoming Pentium chip, the next generation in the 80x86
line, at about the same time and about the same price as the first
Pentium-based PCs.

(Grant Buckler/19921110/Press Contact: Sarah Miller, Digital,
508-264-5420; David J. Bouffard, Digital, 415-617-3500; David
Paolini, Digital Canada, 416-597-3529)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00030)

Canadian Regulators Ponder Public Cordless Applications 11/10/92
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 NOV 10 (NB) -- Canada's federal
Department of Communications has received seven applications to
provide public cordless telephone service, a low-cost alternative
to cellular phones.

Regulators will probably license three to five carriers in each
service area, said Parke Davis, director industry structure in the
telecommunications policy branch of the department. Some of the
applications are to provide national service, others for regional
operations, so there may be more than three to five licenses
granted.

Regulators are looking at the applications now and decisions are
likely to be announced between December and February, Davis said.

The applicants are: Atlantic Telephone Company Inc., a partnership
of Monet Enterprises and Atlantic Telecommunication United Kingdom
Inc.; Canada Popfone Corp., backed by a long list of paging firms,
long-distance resellers, and other telecommunications firms;
Communications SFQ; Mobility Canada, whose shareholders are the
established regional telephone companies that make up the Stentor
consortium; Ontario Telephone Association, a group of local and
regional phone companies in Ontario; Rogers Cantel Mobile, which
runs Canada's only national cellular phone service in competition
with the phone companies' regional offerings; and Telezone People,
a consortium of six paging and communications firms.

Details of the successful proposals will be released once
regulators make their decision, Davis said.

(Grant Buckler/19921110/Press Contact: Parke Davis, Department of
Communications Canada, 613-998-4298)