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/1993/NB091493

Text File | 1993-09-14 | 67KB | 1,478 lines

(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00001)

IBM Shuffles Executive Responsibilities 09/14/93
ARMONK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- IBM has given
additional responsibility to two of its senior executives,
reduced Vice-Chairman Paul Rizzo's role in day-to-day operations,
and replaced two management groups. The moves are aimed at
improving cooperation among the company's business units, a
spokesman said.

Rizzo, a former senior executive who was recalled from retirement
late last year to assist then-Chairman John Akers, will no longer
oversee the company's software operation. He will remain as
deputy to Chairman and Chief Executive Louis Gerstner and will
deal with company-wide issues.

The software operation, now called the Software Solutions
Division, will now report to Ellen Hancock. Hancock, formerly
general manager of networking systems, will continue to oversee
that operation as well.

Also gaining new responsibilities is John Thompson, who will take
charge of the Large Scale Processors Division -- formerly
Enterprise Systems -- while retaining responsibility for the
AS/400 Division, company spokesman Jon Iwata said.

James Cannavino remains in charge of personal computer hardware
and software, while Patrick Toole continues at the head of the
data storage, printer, and microelectronics businesses.

IBM is also replacing its Management Committee with a larger
Corporate Executive Committee. With 11 members versus the six the
old committee had at its dissolution, the new Corporate Executive
Committee will have a more specific focus on coordinating IBM's
various business units, Iwata said.

Meanwhile, an enlarged Worldwide Management Council, with 34
members meeting about five times a year, will replace the old
Corporate Management Board, which had 24 members, Iwata said.
More division heads will be part of the new group, he said.

"It's easy to overplay the significance of today's actions,"
Iwata warned. "The overall objective is to make our divisions
more coordinated in what they do."

(Grant Buckler/19930913/Press Contact: Jon Iwata, IBM,
914-765-6630; Rob Wilson, IBM, 914-765-6565)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00002)

Unisys Expands CMOS Use In Mainframe 09/14/93
BLUE BELL, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- With the
launch of its Open 2200/500 computer, Unisys Corp. claims to have
taken the lead in putting complementary metal-oxide semiconductor
(CMOS) chip technology into a mainframe computer.

Using CMOS technology, company spokesman Martin Krempasky said,
Unisys has put the basic design of its top-of-the-line 2200/900
mainframe -- admittedly in a less powerful version -- into a much
smaller, cheaper system. The 2200/500 implements in 18 CMOS chips
what took 197 separate integrated circuits in the 2200/900,
Krempasky said.

"What it clearly signals is the end of the bipolar ECL
(emitted-coupled logic) era," Krempasky said.

The 2200/500 offers about one quarter of the 2200/900's
performance, or roughly 10 million instructions per second (MIPS)
in a box about six feet high by two feet square and with prices
starting at $350,000, according to Unisys.

It relies on semi-custom CMOS chips built by Motorola to
Unisys' specifications, Krempasky said.

The new machine is meant to fill a gap between departmental
servers and mainframe-class systems, Unisys said. It can be
coupled with other 2200-series systems using Unisys Extended
Processing Complex (XPC) to let the user grow from the smallest
system in the line to one 600 times more powerful without
changing software or networks.

Unisys also launched the Open System 2200 (OS 2200) operating
system, which it said is the first mainframe operating system
compliant with the Portable Operating System Interface X (POSIX)
standard -- a widely accepted open systems specification -- and
offers open networking and data management, plus client/server
interfaces to let the system work with software products from
other vendors.

The company said it has also improved transaction processing,
integrated database management and recovery, availability, and
security in the new system.

Unisys said it has already booked more than $50 million worth of
orders for the 2200/500, which is due to be available in
November.

(Grant Buckler/19930913/Press Contact: Martin Krempasky, Unisys,
215-986-4788)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00003)

Stratus To Buy Shared Financial Systems 09/14/93
MARLBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- As part of a
plan to strengthen its hand in vertical market areas it considers
important, Stratus Computer, Inc., has announced the purchase of
Shared Financial Systems, Inc., a Dallas-based software and
services firm that specializes in the financial sector.

Stratus, a maker of fault-tolerant computers, is paying about $15
million in cash for Shared Financial, which will become a wholly
owned Stratus subsidiary and keep its present name. All present
management and staff will remain with the Dallas company, said
Stratus spokeswoman Susan Cashen. "They've been doing a great job
running the company," she said. "Now they'll just be running it
for Stratus."

Shared Financial's products include the ON/2 line of applications
for Stratus' VOS operating system and Unix software called ON/X
for Stratus' FTX variant of Unix and other Unix systems.

The Texas company also provides professional services, including
custom software development, consulting, and systems integration,
to the financial sector.

The acquisition is one step in a Stratus plan to expand beyond
hardware, operating systems, and maintenance services, officials
said. It follows the company's announcement in June that it would
license telecommunications software from Phone Base Systems,
Inc., of Vienna, Virginia, so it could create online applications
for the telecommunications industry.

Stratus plans to pursue its expansion program through further
acquisitions, Cashen said, with particularly likely targets being
the financial services, retail, and travel markets, where Stratus
believes it has existing strength on which to build.

Shared Financial had revenues of about $20 million in its fiscal
year 1993, which ended March 31, Cashen said. Stratus' 1992
annual revenues were $486.3 million.

(Grant Buckler/19930913/Press Contact: David Hayward, Stratus,
508-460-2796; Susan Cashen, Stratus, 508-490-6264)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(TYO)(00004)

Japanese Govt Plans Multimedia Net Education System 09/14/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- The Japanese Ministry of
International Trade and Industry (MITI) and the Education Ministry
are planning to create a 200 million yen ($2 million) multimedia
educational network next year.

The Japanese Ministries are planning to set up a top-of-the-line
personal computer multimedia network to serve schools. The host
system will be accessible from various parts of Japan through
a proprietary computer network, from which students will be
able to access educational program that offer motion picture,
voice, and stereo sound data.

The Ministries will spend a whopping $2 million yen to set up this
system, which will actually be developed by the Information
Processing Association (IPA) and the Computer Education Center
(CEC). Both of these organizations are affiliated with the
government.

Japan has already allocated the money for this project which is
slated to begin in April, 1994.

IPA and CEC will develop the software, the hardware, and the network,
and the system is expected to be ready for testing in two years.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930913)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00005)

Sharp Produce More CCDs Due To Viewcam's Popularity 09/14/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Responding to the growing
popularity of its latest camcorder, the Viewcam, Sharp is
producing more CCDs (charged coupled devices), which serve
as the "eye" of the camera.

Sharp has continued to do well with its Viewcam. The unit is
no ordinary camcorder, but is equipped with a small LCD (liquid
crystal display) upon which users can watch and check the video
pictures being recorded. The Viewcam has a quarter-inch-size
CCD, which functions as its "eye." The CCD quickly focuses
on an object to display the clearest view.

Sharp has been producing about 100,000 CCDs per month and
will soon increase production to 150,000 units per month, and
200,000 units by the end of this year. These CCDs are currently
equipped only on Sharp products but will be sold to other firms
next year.

Currently, Sony and Matsushita Electronics are shipping
650,000 CCDs per month respectively. Annual demand for
CCDs is about 13 million units worldwide and increasing.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930913/Press Contact: Sharp, +81-43-
299-8212, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00006)

NTT PC Links With Microsoft On Telecom Software Dev't 09/14/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- NTT PC Communications,
NTT's 100 percent-owned subsidiary, and Microsoft (Tokyo)
have inked an agreement concerning the development of
network-related software.

Called a system integration dealer agreement, it calls for
NTT PC Communications and Microsoft to jointly develop
telecommunication network systems based on Windows NT and the
international standard Message Handling System (MHS). Both firms
will also create local area network systems based on Windows and
NTT Communications' telecommunication programs.

The two firms will also develop applications for local area
networks (LAN). Both aim to sell 3,000 LANs the first year.

This is good news for Microsoft. NTT PC Communications has about
5,000 corporate customers and 32,000 individual customers. The
firm has been selling network systems based on various personal
computers including Compaq and NEC.

Another advantage of the agreement is that NTT PC Communications
has been operating a nationwide network in Japan, through which
it has been selling hardware and software.

Meanwhile, NTT PC Communications has hiked the transmission
speed of this network. It was providing a maximum data transmission
speed of 4,800 bps, but now supports 9,600 bps. The cost
remains the same -- 10 yen (10 cents) per minute.

NTT PC Communications expects to gain CAD (computer-aided
design) and CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) customers who
need the higher speed.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930914/Press Contact: NTT PC
Communications, [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00007)

Japanese OS/2 2.1 Debuts 09/14/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- IBM Japan has announced a
Japanese language version of the OS/2 operating system.
Called OS/2 J2.1, it will be released September 28. The
CD-ROM version costs 32,400 yen ($324) and the floppy disk
version costs 41,800 yen ($418).

OS/2 J2.1 is extremely powerful compared with its predecessor,
OS/2 2.0. OS/2 J2.1 has 60 additional features and supports
applications for Microsoft Windows 3.1 as well as MS-DOS. The
processing speed is faster the software supports motion pictures
at 30 screens per second.

IBM Japan has also released a 32-bit integrated office application
program called Take-5 1.0 for 35,000 yen ($350). The program
provides a word processor, a spreadsheet, a graphics tool, a database,
and a report program under a graphical user interface called
Workplace Shell.

In order to support development of OS/2 applications,
IBM Japan has released a package called "C Set++" for both
OS/2 2.0 and OS/2 J2.1. The package includes SOM Object Tool,
an object-oriented development tool, and compilers.

IBM Japan is also planning to release this new operating
system for other compatible machine makers on an OEM (original
equipment manufacturer) basis.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930914/Press Contact: IBM Japan, +81-
3-3586-1111, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEL)(00008)

India Develops 40,000-Line Automatic Exchange 09/14/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- The Centre for Development
of Telematics (C-DoT), an autonomous organization set up by the
Indian government to develop India's own digital switching systems,
has announced its main automatic exchange (MAX) of 40,000 lines.

The development has come after six years of wait and controversy
over its ability to develop the key technology. The US-returned
telecom expert, Sam Pitroda, on whose initiation the CDOT came
up as a technology "mission" in 1984, went out of limelight
due to controversies raked up by successive governments.

Earlier, CDOT delivered its own designs for a Rural Automatic
Exchange for tropical conditions that has been taken up for
production by several vendors. RAX also attracted attention
from international telecom giants like AT&T.

The success of CDOT's MAX, however, has come only after the
government has opened the door to multinationals. Nonetheless, the
development is significant as it removes India's reliance on
multinationals for large exchanges.

Though having achieved the breakthrough in MAX technology, there are
many areas in which the system falls short of requirement. C-DoT's
MAX, in fact, falls short on a key specification. It can take only
300,000 call attempts in a hour against 800,000 call attempts
specified by the Department of Telecom.

A C-DoT spokesperson, while admitting this shortfall, claims the
organization will continue to work towards meeting the
specification. He, emphasized that this one shortcoming
should not undermine the achievement. He says the exchange meets
the international norm on busy hour call attempt indicator.

The Bangalore-based public sector company Indian Telephone
Industries (ITI) has been appointed lead manufacturers for the
MAX.

(C T Mahabharat/19930914)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00009)

"Survival Guide" For Novell Network Administrators 09/14/93
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Drawing
inspiration from the 1960s classic book, "How To Keep Your
Volkswagon Alive," network experts James Nadler and Don Guarnieri
have written a book touted as the ultimate survival tool for Novell
network administrators. "How To Keep Your Novell Network Alive"
(679-79109-4), published by Random House, is a $26.95, large
format paperback full of illustrations, easy to read text, and
comprehensive coverage of its subject.

Subtitled Survival and Success in a Multi-Vendor Environment, the book
covers such topics as cabling, internetworking, backup, troubleshooting,
printing, storage and disk subsystems, and preventive maintenance.
"We knew that networks don't have to be intimidating -- and neither
do networking books," says co-author Nadler. "The issues are just easier
to swallow when they're explained by people who have really been
putting this stuff together and have a sense of humor about man and
machine."

The book is available through major bookstore and software chains as
well as directly 800-733-3000.

(Computer Currents/19930914)


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

Computer Manual For PC Compatibles 09/14/93
FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- "There's no
reason for any PC clone company not to have a really great computer
manual," says David Rottenberg, president of David Rottenberg
Associates of Framingham, Mass. And he's here to supply one.

Your Computer Manual is a 205-page soft-cover book, written by
Rottenberg, that explains setting up, operating, expanding, and
troubleshooting any Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) or Enhanced
Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) computer.

The manual includes maintenance tips, questions and answers,
explanations of DOS and Windows, a glossary, and an index. Although
Rottenberg is aiming his product at clone manufacturers, the manual
would be suitable for user departments that already have
manufacturers' manuals but find them confusing, ponderously heavy, or
poorly written. Your Computer Manual can be used in conjunction with
those existing manuals.

"What I did was write a manual that would go with any computer,"
Rottenberg says. "It doesn't replace technical reference manuals that
detail jumper settings and things like that, but it tells someone what
serial ports are for, how to connect devices to serial ports, and what
problems to watch out for, like IRQ conflicts. If users ever need to refer
to their technical reference manual, they know what to do and are not
completely lost."

Rottenberg says he has received a lot of interest from computer
schools that do computer training, and "they have been giving this
manual to their students. We are also thinking of coming out with
a retail version," of the product, he says.

Your Computer Manual costs from $1 to $3 per copy (plus shipping)
depending on quantity. The minimum quantity that can be ordered is ten.
Customized covers are available with your company name and logo, and
manuals themselves can be customized, for a fee. Telephone
508-875-1021 for more info.

(Computer Currents/19930914)


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

New GamePad and Joystick Options For Macs 09/14/93
BURNABY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Advanced
Gravis has released Mac GamePad and new software for its MouseStick
II Joystick, both designed to give game players more options
and fun. Mac GamePad will look and feel very familiar to anyone who
has played Nintendo, as it has the same control pad and multi-button
activation design. It can also be easily reconfigured for left-handed
users. An "application aware" feature automatically sets up control and
button functions whenever a game is played.

"We expect the Mac GamePad to enjoy the same great success as our
MouseStick," said Ron Haidenger, Macintosh product manager at
Advanced Gravis. "The GamePad's easy installation into all current
desktop and notebook Macs and [its] smooth control will allow it to set
the standard for arcade game controllers on the Mac, just as the
MouseStick II has for Mac joysticks."

Advanced Gravis also released a software upgrade for its MouseStick
II. The software is designed to increase the MouseStick's performance
and compatibility across all Macintosh systems and entertainment
software. The version 3.2 software features an easier-to-use interface
that works with any Macintosh monitor, according to the company. The
software, included with all new MouseStick II units, also makes it
easier for users to customize control settings for either mouse- or
keyboard-controlled games. It also is available from the company as an
upgrade to existing registered MouseStick users for $15 or can be
downloaded from the firm's support forum on CompuServe.

The retail price of Mac Gamepad is US$49.95 and MouseStick is US$99.95.

Both products are available now through computer and other computer
game outlets. Advanced Gravis is based in Burnaby, British Columbia,
US distributors are Ingram Micro and Merisel.

For more information, telephone [phone] or, for sales,
800-663-8558.

(Computer Currents/19930914)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00012)

New Addressing Software -- "Mikey Likes It!" 09/14/93
REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Software
developer We (that's not a typo) may be setting a new
standard for evaluating the ease-of-use of software products, which
could be called the "can-a-baby-use-it?" rating.

"We" employed a group of six-year-olds to rate the usability of its
addressing/contact database product, Human Envelopes. Child labor
laws notwithstanding, the company claims its toddling test group was
printing envelopes and labels within five minutes without using that
pesky manual.

To achieve such usability, the data-entry interface in Human
Envelopes 1.5 is designed to emulate a typewriter, eliminating the need
for the fields found in a typical flat-file database. All features of the
program can be accessed from one main screen, the company says, and
any number of envelopes can be printed at once.

The one-screen approach is aimed at making the software as simple
and tool-oriented as possible. "Consumers and small businesses want
computers to work like simple tools to achieve specific results," says
Steven Hoffman, director of sales and marketing. "We believe the best
software offers invisible assistance and is written for humans not
machines."

Available at 350 computer stores or direct from We, the company says,
Human Envelopes retails for $49.95. The Redwood City-based company
can be reached at 415/368-0828.

(Chris Oakes/19930914)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00013)

Program Teaches Children To Draw 09/14/93
TUSTIN, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Draw To Learn 1.3
is a new kind of computer drawing package. Unlike Kid Pix and
other software that enables children to draw and paint using
computer tools, Draw To Learn teaches how to draw with a pencil
and paper using the personal computer as a kind of interactive art
instructor.

Based on real-life drawing instruction techniques, Draw To Learn is
designed to tutor children on the basics of drawing shapes and
forms that are the basics of an elementary art education.

Each drawing lesson is led by a whimsical, computer-generated
drawing character called Rembrandt Worm, who outlines each move so
that children can pencil basic geometric forms in a step-by-step
process. Eventually, these initial construction lines evolve
into finished, detailed drawings of animals and other objects.

The program was jointly developed by Tom Howell, a syndicated
cartoonist, and software engineering specialist Craig A. Chandler.
"The ultimate creative tool is still the pencil," says Chandler.
"It's the most portable computer and printing device available.
People like me drew stick figures as kids. With Draw To Learn,
children end up with a three-dimensional rendering of a dinosaur."

The $39.95 PC program is available directly from Draw To Learn
Associates in Tustin, Calif. A Macintosh version is due in the
next week or 10 days. To order or for more information, call
714-263-0910.

(Computer Currents/19930914)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00014)

 ****Eastman Exchange Helps Movies Find Locations Online 09/14/93
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Kodak
announced a new set of services aimed at moviemakers designed
for the transmission, storage, and retrieval of high-quality
images based on the company's Photo compact disc (CD) format.
Transmission of the images will be via a new online service
called the Eastman Exchange.

In the movie industry, part of the preproduction process is
finding a suitable location in which to film portions or all of
the movie's action. Traditionally, film commissions or location
scouts are assigned the task of finding the location, taking
photographs, and selling the spot to producers who pay for the
information. Location scouts typically have entire offices full
of file drawers of photos and descriptions of various
locations.

The Eastman Exchange, located at Kodak's headquarters in
Rochester, New York, is an online version of a location scout.
In practice, it is a series of 5 IBM RS/6000 workstations
linked together to handle the demands of the imaging database,
Kodak representatives said. A software package developed by
Kodak for the Macintosh computer was demonstrated using a
14,400 baud modem over standard phone lines, which brought
thumbnail sketches of images across the phone lines in 4 to 5
seconds per image. The software seamlessly handled the modem
access and image database for the user.

Kodak plans to set up ISDN lines for access as well which will
allow for image retrieval in as little as a single second,
company officials added. To find specific images, users may
search the image database by any one of over forty-five different
categories including whether or not the photo of the location
is in color, the light source for the image, the point of view,
the season, descriptive land marks such as bridges, and so on.
Once the thumbnail sketches are on the screen, the user can
then decide which image they'd like larger and the computer
will then download that entire image from the Eastman Exchange
at an estimated cost of $10 to $20 per image.

The larger images are available in 512-pixel resolution and
were printed for the demonstration on an XL 7700 thermal color
printer. While the printed images were not suitable for
reproduction in a publication, they were suitable for offering
a producer a good idea of what a particular location is like.
Various angles of the same location can be compared with each
other on the Exchange as well, if multiple photographs are
available.

During Kodak's pilot program, the New York and Arkansas film
commissions will provide images for the Eastman Exchange and
four studios, Disney, Universal, Warner Brothers, and Twentieth
Century Fox have agreed to participate.

Dan Di Paola, manager of desktop graphics for Disney Studios,
was on hand to present the pros and cons of the Eastman
Exchange from his point of view. While Disney plans to purchase
the Kodak equipment for in-house use as well as use the
Eastman Exchange, Di Paola says Disney's two greatest problems
are the large number of file formats used in-house at the
company and the fact that most software packages that offer the
control wanted are too difficult for anyone but computer
experts to use. However, Di Paola said the studio is eager to
begin reaping the rewards in terms of time and money saved by
having a unified, electronic access network for its images
available.

Kodak's introduction of the Eastman Exchange is significant as
Disney has been nervous about losing its image of master
craftsmen at animation production by being too high profile
in its acceptance of computerization. The company also recently
announced that Eastman Kodak's Cinesite center completed the
restoration of the fifty-year-old classic animation film Snow
White.

Kodak also announced the Eastman Exchange is a portion of a
larger image service, the Kodak Picture Exchange. Di Paola
emphasized that Disney's interest in quality storage and
retrieval of images goes beyond just preproduction film work,
extending into every part of the studio's production and even
post-production process.

Kodak representative Holly Hillberg, director of business
planning, said there could be an opportunity for location
scouts who have traditionally worked with photographs. Hillberg
estimated the cost of converting photos to Photo CD as about 60
cents per image and there is the possibility these Photo CD
images could be incorporated into the Eastman Exchange.
Location scouts would receive a commission each time the image
is accessed. A service bureau with a Photofinishing Imaging
Workstation (PIW) machine from Kodak can scan the images,
and place them on CDs in the Photo CD format, which can then be
read by computer or used by the Exchange.

Kodak officials were sketchy about when the Eastman Exchange
would be available for any moviemaker to access. Costs to
users of the system were estimated at $1.50 a minute and company
officials declined to comment on how much those who place
photos on the online service could receive. Officials said
they'd prefer to get through the pilot program first.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930914/Press Contact: Holly Hillberg,
Eastman Kodak, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00015)

 ****IBM Ships Production Volumes Of First PowerPC Chip 09/14/93
SOMERS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- IBM has started to
ship production volumes of the PowerPC 601, the first of four
microprocessors the company is producing out of the PowerPC
alliance between IBM, Motorola, and Apple Computer.

The PowerPC 601 is designed for use in low-end to midrange
desktops, a company spokesperson told Newsbytes. IBM began
sampling the microprocessor among OEMs in May, he added.

Motorola is also developing PowerPC chips, but IBM's PowerPC 601 is
being billed as the first edition of the part to be available to
the "merchant market."

Other microprocessors that will support the RISC-based
crossplatform PowerPC environment include the PowerPC 603, for
laptop, handheld and other portable systems; the PowerPC 604, for
servers and high-end desktop systems; and the PowerPC 620, an
ultra-high-performance 64-bit chip for workstations and servers.

The PowerPC chips conform to a specification created by IBM,
Motorola, Apple, Bull, Thomson-CSF, Harris, TadPole Technology and
other members of the PowerOpen Association for a hardware and
software interface that will allow binary-compatible Unix and Apple
Computer Macintosh System 7 applications to run across compliant
systems from multiple vendors.

In related news, IBM plans to unveil its first PowerPC computer
systems next week. The PowerPC systems will be part of a new
series of RISC System/6000s models to be announced on Tuesday at
Unix Expo in New York City.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930914/Press contact: Jim Smith, IBM, tel 914-
766-4066)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00016)

Electronic Imaging Conference Opens Today In Boston 09/14/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Electronic
Imaging International, a three-day expo celebrating its 10th
birthday this year, opens today at the Hynes Convention Center in
Boston.

To meet the interests of a broad range of imaging professionals,
this year's show is comprised of three separate conferences: Image
Input, Image Processing, and Image Output. Each of the three
conferences is further divided into three tracks:
Industrial/Commercial, Electronic Prepress & Publishing, and
Medical/Biomedical.

Activities began this morning with a conference-wide keynote called
"Coke Captures Our Imagination." In the breakfast presentation,
the Diet Coke commercials "Nightclub" and "Dance" were discussed by
their two creators, Losang Gyatso and Peter Kellogg of Lintas
Advertising Agency. In "Nightclub," Elton John performs alongside
Louis Armstrong, and in "Dance," Paula Abdul dances with Gene
Kelly.

This evening from 5:30 to 7:30, the show plays host to "The
Imaginary Reception," a networking opportunity for exhibitors,
full conference attendees, and conference faculty.

The Image Input Conference is being held today, the Image
Processing Conference on Wednesday, and the Image Output Conference
on Thursday. Image Input will cover subjects ranging from digital
cameras to laser scanners, and from Photo CD to "telemedicine."

Sample topics at the Image Processing Conference include "A New
Image Registration Paradigm," "Page Assembly," "Compression,"
"Neural Nets for Image Processing," and "Imaging Is Obsolete!"

Those who attend the Image Processing Conference will learn about
such areas as desktop color correction, digital printers, film
writers, and image transmission requirements of local and wide
areas networks.

The event also features a large show floor packed with dozens of
exhibitors, including Sony, Texas Instruments, NEC, Thomson-CSF,
and Hitachi. Show floor hours are Tuesday and Wednesday from 10
a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Electronic Imaging International is owned and produced by Miller
Freeman Inc., and sponsored by Advanced Imaging Magazine and the
Automated Imaging Association.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930914/Press and reader contact: Electronic
Imaging International Registrar, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(ATL)(00017)

US School Technology Spending Up 19% 09/14/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Schools spent
$2.1 billion on computer hardware and software last year, and
that could grow to nearly $2.24 billion this year, according to
the Software Publishers' Association.

The SPA based its figure on a study of 332 school districts
nationwide. Technology coordinators were interviewed and the SPA
then projected the results. The figure was up 19 percent from
spending a year earlier.

Most of the money went for hardware and peripherals, according to
the study's results. One interesting point was that 27 percent,
or $570 million, of the money went to non-integrated learning
systems. Integrated learning systems, like those offered by
Jostens' Learning, have long dominated the education software
market, since they follow district curriculums closely and offer
all materials as part of a bundle. Schools and school districts
had about 4.4 million PCs installed by last summer, but 10 percent
of those were in administrators' offices.

For the future, the study indicated, local area networks are
coming. The coordinators, perhaps reflecting lessons from shows
like the National Educational Computer Conference and the Clinton
Administration's priorities, say they're decentralizing their
systems, going away from labs filled with computers toward
classrooms with four or five computers each. Many coordinators
also expressed interest in linking these classroom local area
networks with each other, and with the wider world. This would
let them access the global Internet from student desks, for
instance.

Another coming trend was CD-ROM. About 112,000 CD-ROM drives were
installed at the time of the survey. Based on intents to
purchase, the study concluded, the number of drives could rise
by 72 percent in the next year. Purchase intent was also strong
for videodisc players and modems.

Integrating technology into the classroom through networking, the
use of CD-ROM databases and multimedia databases stood out as
the primary trends. "Technology has the potential to play a major
role as we reinvent our education system," concluded SPA
executive director, Ken Wasch, in a press statement.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930914/Press Contact: Software Publishers
Association, Sally Glass, 202/452-1600)


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

Reaction Swift To Viacom Buy Of Paramount 09/14/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- While most
analysts reacted favorably to Viacom's announcement it will
acquire Paramount, which is twice its size in terms of revenues,
there remains the chance the deal could be scuttled. If it goes
through, this would be the seventh-largest US merger since
1981.

In his press conference with Paramount head Martin Davis, Viacom
head Sumner Redstone was asked repeatedly about reports in the
Wall Street Journal that another bidder might emerge. He denied
the Journal report, but added that even if another bidder offered
more money for Paramount, they couldn't combine it with Viacom,
so his bid would be better in the long run.

Specifically, he denied that QVC head Barry Diller and
Tele-Communications Inc., head John Malone, acting through an
affiliated cable programming company called Liberty Media, would
get into a bidding war with him for Paramount. The Journal claimed
in its story the two would offer about the same price, $70, for
the company, but would offer more in cash and less in stock.

Even if another bidder emerged, Paramount has in place what's
called a "poison pill" which could fend off an unwanted takeover,
and its deal with Viacom gives it an immediate option on 20
percent of the company at $69.14.

If a bidding war develops, however, Redstone will go into it with
experience. He based his multibillion dollar fortune on National
Amusements Inc., a theater chain, and won Viacom itself in 1987
only after raising his price for the company three times to
compete with a management-led leveraged buy-out attempt. It turned
out to be a shrewd move, because he got into cable programming
just as sales of advertising for MTV and Viacom's other networks
took-off --- they're now growing at more than 25 percent per
year. That growth, and the confidence it will continue, pushed
Viacom's stock price above that of Paramount earlier in 1993, and
made it possible for Redstone to make a deal for the company he
said he'd been working toward for nearly four years.

Separately, Viacom issued a statement denying the gist of a
second Journal article, published September 14, which indicated
that parent National Amusements' stock purchase program may not
be complying with all laws and regulations. The rise in Viacom's
stock price this year helped keep down the price of Paramount.

"Any suggestion, hint or innuendo that these stock purchases
were at any time inappropriate, much less improper, is baseless
and false," wrote spokesmen. Added Redstone and Paramount
Communications Chairman Martin Davis, "Clearly, any malicious
innuendo which may be intended to serve others' agendas will
have no effect whatsoever as we proceed with our planned
merger."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930914/Press Contact: Viacom, Raymond A.
Boyce, 212/258-6530)


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

InterDigital Adds Third Patent to CDMA Suit 09/14/93
KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) --
InterDigital Technology filed a motion to add a third patent to
the Code Division Multiple Access, or CDMA, claims it's making
in a patent infringement suit against Qualcomm Inc., Oki Electric
Industry Company, Ltd., and Oki America.

InterDigital, best known for its Time Division Multiple Access,
or TDMA, patents, had sued Qualcomm back in June, after it
acquired the patent portfolio of SCS Mobilecom. While TDMA has
lately been losing popularity among cellular service providers,
CDMA has been gaining popularity. Companies like Bell
Atlantic and US West have committed to the technology as they move
from analog to digital networks. Higher-frequency networks,
called Personal Communication Networks or PCNs, which will be
licensed next year, will also use CDMA, and so will 800 megahertz
networks being developed using Specialized Mobile Radio, or SMR,
frequencies.

Qualcomm, in which both Pacific Telesis and NYNEX hold interests,
has been pushing hard for years to get CDMA approved, and its
version, which InterDigital calls "narrowband CDMA," was recently
approved as a standard by the Telecommunications Industry
Association. InterDigital cites its patent 5,119,375, issued last
year, entitled Subscriber RF Telephone System for Providing
Multiple Speech and/or Data Signals Simultaneously over Either a
Single or a Plurality of RF Channels, in its latest challenge to
this move. InterDigital claims the invention covered by this
patent pre-dates Qualcomm's CDMA work and, is in fact, basic to
digital wireless telephony. The patent is accepted by two of the
defendants, Oki Electric and Oki America, in their licensing of
InterDigital's TDMA.

Ironically, the move by InterDigital to attack Qualcomm's CDMA
patents again comes shortly after Ericsson of Sweden's US arm
sued InterDigital, claiming its TDMA patents may be invalid.
Analysts agree that the moves, taken together, move digital
cellular telephony out of standards-making body offices and into
courtrooms.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930914/Press Contact: Dave Buckingham,
InterDigital Technology, 215-278-7910)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(ATL)(00020)

CompuServe Offers Software To Geos 09/14/93
COLUMBUS, OHIO, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- CompuServe has
offered its Host Micro Interface, the "guts" of its service, to
Geoworks for use in its Geos operating system.

The deal means Geos will be the first operating system for mobile
devices to include CompuServe. Support for the service usually
comes through separate communications application software.

As a result, "Developers will create software allowing people to
access CompuServe in another way," CompuServe spokesman Debra
Young told Newsbytes. "HMI is the inner workings of CompuServe,
and it is service-marked. Some developers have been licensed to
use it. This is the first operating vendor to use it. There will
be more to come." While Geos is the first, and is setting a
precedent, "we are talking to other people as well."

In addition, CompuServe will support Geos through a forum on its
service, where developers can discuss technical points and get
questions answered directly from Geos. The forum will also serve
Geos software vendors, who can upload and download files through
it. The forum goes online September 15.

Geos was originally created as a low-overhead answer to Microsoft
Windows, but it is now pitched as an operating system for
personal digital assistants and other mobile devices. Recently,
Casio and Tandy said they'd standardize their Zoomer on Geos, and
Sharp said it would offer the system on its PDA.

Separately, Adobe said it is offering CompuServe's 1.4 million
members a special deal on its Adobe Acrobat Reader software. The
offer runs through the end of the year, and enables CS members to
get the reader for $24.95, in versions for either Macintosh or
Windows-based computers. Have your CompuServe ID handy if you
call 800/352-3354 to get this price. Adobe Acrobat Reader enables
users to view, navigate and print documents in the Acrobat
program's Portable Document Format, or PDF, which preserves the
essential look of a document regardless of the hardware
platform, operating system or application software used to create
the original.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930914/Press Contact: Adobe Systems, Micael
Wong, 415/962-2197; GeoWorks, Deborah Dawson, 510/204-8550;
CompuServe, Debra Young, 614/538-4553)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00021)

Compaq Announces Pen-based Notebook 09/14/93
HOUSTON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Compaq Computer
Corporation has announced a new notebook computer that uses
a pen to perform some functions or can be used with the
detachable keyboard as a conventional system.

Compaq's new family of pen-based notebook PCs is named
Concerto, a system with an adjustable built-in handle that
doubles as a stand. Compaq says the detachable keyboard will
allow Concerto users to position the display and the
keyboard independently for the most comfortable typing
position. The Concerto can be used as a conventional
clamshell-design PC or the user can detach the keyboard and
use the system as a tablet, writing on the screen with the
pen.

Concerto starts at $2,499, is available powered by a 25 or
33 megahertz (MHz) 486SL microprocessor, has a 9.5-inch
monochrome display (measured diagonally), two Type II PCMCIA
(Personal Computer Memory Card International) slots for use
with various peripheral devices such as modems or network
interface cards, and pre-installed software.

Each Concerto ships with DOS 6.0, Microsoft Windows for Pen
Computing, InkWare Notetaker, and Slate PenPower for
Microsoft installed. Notetaker is a pen-based application
for writing, organizing and accessing handwritten or keyed
notes and memos. PenPower is a application that supports pen
edits and annotations in Microsoft's Excel spreadsheet
software.

The pen that comes with Concerto is a pointing and input
device. You can use it to initiate commands by tapping on
the screen. It can also be used for editing spreadsheets or
documents by selecting pre-defined symbols for actions such
as inserting and deleting. You can write handwritten notes,
which are saved in the form they are written, or you can
print in block letters. The printing is translated into
data. The system has an instant-on feature that Compaq says
allows Concerto to be left in the standby mode for up to
seven days. Screen brightness and contrast and the power
management controls are activated by a tap of the pen.

The system connects to a docking station Compaq calls
FlexConnect Convenience in order to use other desktop
devices. An Enhanced FlexConnect Convenience base allows the
Concerto to connect to an Ethernet or Token Ring network.
Concerto is scheduled to ship by the end of the third
quarter.

(Jim Mallory/19930914/Press contact: John Sweney, Compaq,
713-374-1564; Reader contact: Compaq Computer Corp, 713-374-
0404 or 800-345-1518)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(DEN)(00022)

Compaq Intros New Server PCs 09/14/93
HOUSTON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Compaq has
introduced a new Proliant family of file servers that are
available in one, two or four processor models and come with
a set of CD-ROM-based utilities called SmartStart for
intelligent hardware configuration.

Compaq says the four-processor Proliant can deliver up to
360 transactions per second under the Unix operating system.
Internal or external drives can be plugged in or unplugged
while the system is running, and the system comes with a CD-
ROM drive.

At the low end of the new Proliant family is the Model 1000,
a single processor server that Compaq expects will have a
street price of about $6,000. That includes a 486DX2
processor running at 66 megahertz (MHz) or a Pentium 60 MHz
chip.

The Model 2000 supports two processors and has the same
features as the 1000 plus a memory integrity feature called
Advanced Error Correction Code. Compaq recommends the 2000
for an off-line backup unit or for symmetric
multiprocessing. The 2000 is expected to sell for just under
$9,000.

The Proliant 4000 can have up to four processors that use
Unix or Windows NT, and is priced at about $14,000. The hard
drives are contained in an external housing. Both the 2000
and 4000 are available with a 486 microprocessor running at
50 MHz or a Pentium chip running at 66 MHz.

Compaq says the new servers include Full Spectrum Fault
Management, a feature that monitors the performance of the
server and predicts potential problems before they become a
real problem. Fault management is supposed to automatically
restore the system to manual operation without operator
intervention in case of software failure. Fault Management
also includes the Windows-based Insight Manager, a SNMP
(Simple Network Management Protocol)-based application
supporting SCO Unix, Windows NT, and Netware that is
designed to alert the system administrator to potential
problems of changes in server status.

The SmartStart feature configures the server hardware then
installs and optimizes the operating system software. Compaq
says SmartStart can reduce the involvement of the system
administrator in setting up the server to as little as half
an hour. That doesn't include time SmartStart spends
configuring and loading the operating system.

All the Proliant systems come with current version of Novell
Netware, SCO Unix and Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server
software, Insight Manager, and a selection of drivers on
four CD-ROM disks. To use one of the operating systems the
user purchases an activation key code from any Compaq
software reseller. The systems carry a three-year on-site
warranty. Compaq also pledges to replace various components,
including disk drives and memory modules when they fall
below a specified performance threshold before they fail.

There is an available four-hour warranty response upgrade
that guarantees a Compaq-certified technician will be on
site within four hours. That service is available in 95
major metropolitan areas and can cover normal business hours
only or optionally is available around the clock.

Optional features include disk drives with capacities up to
147 gigabytes of compressed data storage, 2.1 gigabyte SCSI-
2 hard drives, Ethernet controllers, a 4/16-gigabyte double
capacity digital audio tape (DAT) drive, a four or 12-
cartridge DAT cartridge autoloader that can provide backup
of up to 96 gigabytes, and an uninterruptible power supply
(UPS).

Compaq says the 4000 is expected to ship by the end of the
year. The other Proliant models are scheduled to ship within
30 days.

(Jim Mallory/19930914/Press contact: John Sweney, Compaq,
713-374-1564; Reader contact: Compaq Computer Corp, 713-374-
0404 or 800-345-1518)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00023)

Market Reaction Surprises Compaq 09/14/93
HOUSTON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Compaq Computer
Corporation said this morning that it was surprised to
market reaction to its predictions about the personal
computer market made at its Innovate '93 conference
yesterday.

"There was nothing communicated at the Innovate '93
conference that would indicate a change in the outlook for
the industry or the company," said a Compaq spokesperson.

Compaq executives told reporters attending Innovate '93 at
the company's headquarters yesterday they see PC market
growth slowing in the second half of 1993 in North America
and Europe. Compaq Senior Vice President Ross Cooley said he
expects unit shipments in the market to grow 15 percent in
1993. A growth rate of about six percent was also predicted
for the Japanese PC market, and Latin America is expected to
grow by 23 percent, according to the executives.

With PC shipments growing by 40 percent in the first half of
1993, the predictions were apparently viewed with alarm by
the stock market, and Compaq stock dropped $4.25 by the time
the market closed yesterday. Compaq said it was surprised by
the reaction to what it called "generally available
independent research data." Compaq stock rebounded this
morning, selling at $54.375 at Newsbytes press time after
reaching a high of $55 earlier in the morning.

Other high-tech stocks also did poorly yesterday. Apple
Computer was down 2-1/8 to 23-1/8 in after-hours trading,
and microprocessor maker Intel Corporation was down $2 to
$62.75. At Newsbytes press time today Apple had recovered to
$24.50, but Intel had dipped to $62.25.

(Jim Mallory/19930914)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00024)

Wordperfect Enters Microsoft European Fray 09/14/93
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Wordperfect Corporation says
it has complained to the European Commission panel regarding a
complaint about Microsoft Corporation's business practices in Europe.

A Wordperfect spokesperson told Newsbytes the company has had what
she called "informal discussions" with the EC panel, but because the
talks were informal, declined to be more specific about the nature of
the complaints. "An official complaint has not been filed," the
spokesperson told Newsbytes.

Wordperfect is at least the second company to come forward with a
complaint to the panel. Last week the EC Directorate General for
Competition announced it had received another complaint from a then
unidentified competitor and was studying the complaint. Microsoft
later identified the original complainant as Novell Inc., accusing
the network software maker of trying to broaden its effort to
instigate government probes into Microsoft's business practices.

As reported earlier by Newsbytes, Microsoft's business practices in
the US are currently under scrutiny by the US Department of
Justice. Action by the Federal Trade Commission was avoided
after that organization's commissioner's deadlocked on two
separate occasions on whether to take administrative action
against Microsoft. That three-year investigation was undertaken
based on complaints by Microsoft competitors, allegedly including
Novell.

The Wordperfect spokesperson said Wordperfect is not the only
company talking to the EC panel, but declined to name the other
companies. "Rest assured there are many other companies involved,"
the spokesperson told Newsbytes. Wordperfect realizes about 43
percent of its annual revenues from international sales.

Novell Senior Vice President and General Counsel David Bradford told
Newsbytes Novell filed its complaint with the EC in early 1993.
Bradford said the company refiled the complaint in late June in
response to a request for more information from the EC.

Bradford declined to discuss specific details of the Novell
complaint but said alleged violations include Microsoft's exclusive
licensing practices and product incompatibilities intentionally
incorporated into Microsoft products. Microsoft has been widely
criticized, mostly by its competitors, for requiring a license fee
from PC manufacturers for MS-DOS operating system software, whether
or not the PC maker ships MS-DOS with each unit. Microsoft has
also been accused of including undocumented features in some
software which gives it an edge over competitors.

"We're seeking to protect the integrity of competition in
the entire software industry. This is not necessarily a
Novell-specific complaint." While Bradford would not name other
companies, it's rumored that Lotus Development Corporation and
Borland International have either filed complaints or had
informal discussions with the EC Commission.

Bradford says Novell's goal is to achieve a level playing field in
the software industry. "Competition is essential to the future of
this industry. It's not good that any one company should be allowed
to dominate. It's not good for Microsoft, it's not good for the
industry, and it's not good the nation."

Novell publishes and markets its own version of a disk operating
system, DR-DOS, which it acquired from Digital Research. Asked by
Newsbytes if the consumer shouldn't be the ultimate arbiter of which
operating system they prefer, Bradford said consumers don't have a
choice at present. "You can pay incrementally to buy Novell DOS, but
your PC will usually come loaded with MS-DOS."

Bradford denies that government intervention will stifle creativity,
calling that concept a Microsoft theory. "It hasn't resulted in
that. The opposite is true." He says until DR-DOS came to market
there was little in any competition. Once subsequent versions of
DR-DOS became available Microsoft introduced MS-DOS 4.0, then 5.0
then 6.0 in response to comparable versions of DR-DOS. "That
innovation brought about competition in the market." He says a
ruling favorable to Novell would force Microsoft to compete on the
basis of product and price, rather than their ability to garner an
exclusive contract with PC makers.

The investigation into possible violation of European rules
on competitiveness puts a new element into the case, since
Microsoft could be found blameless in one jurisdiction and guilty in
the other since different rules apply in each jurisdiction.
However, Bradford said generally the rules are similar in both
jurisdictions.

(Jim Mallory/19930914/Press contact: Beth Graviet, Wordperfect
Corporation, 801-228-5008, Microsoft Public Relations, 206-994-8080)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00025)

EC Gives Thumbs Up To BT-MCI, Alcatel-NT Deals 09/14/93
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- In an apparent burst of
bureaucratic generosity, the European Commission (EC) has given the
thumbs up to merger deals involving BT/MCI and Alcatel/Northern
Telecom.

Of the two planned mergers, the BT/MCI deal is the most interesting,
since it involves BT taking a 20 percent stake in MCI. The deal could
have fallen foul of the EC's anti-trust legislation if, for any
reason, the EC had decided that a full-scale investigation was
required. This is because full-scale investigations can take several
months to complete -- time during which any inter-company
arrangements would have to be put on ice.

BT is now allowed to create a joint venture company with MCI to be
known as Newco. Plans call for Newco to provide enhanced
international telecom services on a global basis. In return for the
20 percent stake in MCI, BT will release its North American
operation to MCI in the US.

Almost over-shadowed by the BT/MCI deal announcement, the EC has
also given the go-ahead for Alcatel of France to acquire the
satellite antenna operations of Northern Telecom Europe. Approval of
this deal, Newsbytes notes, was almost a formality, since there is
no apparent conflict of interests between the two companies.

(Steve Gold/19930914)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SFO)(00026)

Adobe Class Action Suit Dismissed 09/14/93
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Adobe
Systems has had the class action suit against it finally dismissed.

In a prepared statement, the company said that the "Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals has affirmed an earlier decision of the US District
Court, Northern District of California, dismissing in its entirety
the Consolidated Federal Securities Class Action Litigation against
Adobe Systems."

The plaintiffs had appealed a March 17, 1992, decision by the
Federal District Court granting Adobe's motion for summary
judgement, saying that "the plaintiffs had presented no evidence
from which a reasonable jury could find that any alleged
projection made by Adobe was false or misleading."

The initial class action lawsuit, which involved Adobe's 1990
fiscal second quarter results, accused Adobe Systems of
"artificially inflating the price of the company's stock by issuing
false or misleading projections."

Dr. John Warnock, chairman and CEO of Adobe, said: "We are pleased
that the federal appellate court has denied this appeal and has
upheld the trial court's decision. The decision confirms our view
that the litigation was without merit, that Adobe did not mislead
the market."

The original March, 1992, decision, was reported by Newsbytes.
At the time, the court ruled that the challenges against Adobe
were based in part on a "host of muddled and hypothetical
speculations."

Many companies settle class action suits out of court, something
that Adobe made a conscious decision not to do. At the time of
the original ruling in March, 1992, Newsbytes reported that
Warnock said, "The case demonstrates that companies do not have
to automatically settle when they are the target of class action
securities litigation. A company can vigorously defend these cases
on their merits and win."

(Ian Stokell/19930914/Press Contact: LaVon Peck,
415-962-2730, Adobe Systems Inc.)


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

Ask Me Intros Multimedia Presentation Software 09/14/93
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Ask Me
Multimedia Center has introduced Super Show & Tell (SST),
its first Windows-based multimedia presentation software.

The company says SST is the only multimedia presentation
software that allows the user to create interactive
multimedia presentations in a free-form environment.

SST supports most popular graphics, animation, sound and
digital video formats. Presentations use a slide carousel
metaphor and can include sound and motion without having to
use an authoring language, sometimes difficult and time
consuming to learn for busy PC users.

SST uses one quarter of the screen for preview windows.
The remainder of the screen is occupied by thumbnail images
that represent the image on which you are currently working,
two previous images, and the two following images. There is also
a set of VCR-type control buttons, a set of positioning
controls for alignment and centering, a control for slide
sorting, a status bar at the bottom of the screen, and an
editing section to determine which elements of each image
you will incorporate into your slide. The program has
context-sensitive on-screen help.

When you start SST, clicking on a media button displays
buttons for text, image, sound, draw, or movie. By selecting
one of those switches, you are placed into editing mode and a
select picture button appears. Clicking on the button presents
the user with a menu of available images for selection. Clicking
on the desired image causes it to appear in the preview
window.

To add text, the user clicks on the medium, then the text
button, and types the text which can be placed in
the desired location on the image. After the various images,
movies, text, sound clips, and drawings have been selected,
a rewind button takes you back to the beginning of the
presentation. Clicking on the play button runs the
interactive presentation. The carousel metaphor makes it
easy to rearrange the slides in the desired order.

Text can scroll on or off or move to any screen location
during the presentation. Images can grow or shrink, and
fonts and colors can be changed on the fly. Supported
formats include .BMP, .DIB, .PCX, .GIF, .TIFF, and .TGA
graphics files; .WAV and MIDI sound files; Autodesk .FLI and
 .FLC and Video for Windows .AVI files. The company says it
plans to add additional formats in version 1.1.

SST has a suggested retail price of $149, which includes the
software on 3.5-inch floppy disks, a user's guide, a handbook
called Making Great Presentations On Your PC, clip media, a
tutorial, and sample carousels.

(Jim Mallory/19930914/Press contact: Jennifer Weichert, Ask
Me Multimedia Center, 612-686-9751; Reader contact: Ask Me
Multimedia Center, 612-531-0603, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00028)

UK - "Intelligent" Parallel Port Tape Backup 09/14/93
STONEHOUSE, GLOS, ENGLAND, 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Cristie, the data
security specialist, has unveiled the Personal, a new parallel port
interfaced DC2000 data tape cartridge drive. The company claims that
the drive is unusual in that it manages most of the drive control
and error handling plus correction itself, rather than rely on
the host PC to control its functions.

This feature, Cristie claims, makes the drive intelligent in
operation. Robin Burton, the company's marketing director, also
claims that this makes the drive a lot more reliable, for two
reasons -- it reduces the overhead on the PC's processor and removes
the need to transmit error-correction data over the parallel port
interface.

"This innovation gives the Personal real advantages over some of the
other DC2000-based parallel port tape units currently on the market.
They are not advantages in terms of some top theoretical
performance, but they are advantages in terms of the typical
performance likely to be seen by the average PC user," he said.

Burton reckons that these features are very important for users. "We
see this as very important as many users who have tried DC2000
drives and have been very disappointed by the results achieved
with such units. This is especially true when compared with the
promises made in the advertisements," he said.

The Persona drive uses 3M Ximat data cartridges to avoid the time
normally needed for formatting. These cartridges deliver a native
data capacity of 120 megabytes (MB), although Newsbytes notes that
the software in the drive uses data compression to achieve data
capacities of up to 200MB and data transfers of up to 6MB/minute.

As supplied, the drive comes with three separate packages: SDB,
Script Manager, and BUSS. SDB is a file-selectable menu-driven
program. Script Manager is a backup session preparation utility,
while BUSS is Cristie's backup supervisor software, a package that
the company claims can manage complete backup cycles for the user.

The Personal drive will ship at the end of this month with
a retail price of UKP 699. For a limited time after shipment,
Cristie is offering the unit with a UKP 100 discount.

(Steve Gold/19930914/Press & Public Contact: Cristie - Tel: 0453-
823611; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00029)

UK - Elonex Resumes Price Cutting 09/14/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Elonex, the direct sales PC
company, has announced it is going back to a strategy of cutting PC
prices as it achieves economies of scale in production and a
general reduction in component costs.

Effective immediately, Elonex has cut PC prices across the board
by up to 16 percent. Models affected by the price cuts include the
PC400 upgradable desktop PC series, the PC400/VL VESA local bus
family, and the WS400 Energy Star-compliant local area network (LAN)
workstation machines.

Elonex claims that, because of the price reductions, the WS400
Energy Star series of machines now represent the most
cost-effective PCs available on the market.

In parallel with the price reductions, Elonex has increased the size
of the hard disks available on its machines. PCs which previously
came with 170-megabyte (MB) drive now comes with a 240MB unit.
Similarly, 240MB-equipped machines will come with a 340MB drive and
400MB-equipped machines will now come with a 525MB drive.

Elonex spent most of 1992 cutting PC prices, Newsbytes notes,
but has held off from cutting prices so far this year because of
increases in component prices, particularly DRAM (dynamic random
access memory) chips.

(Steve Gold/19930914/Press & Public Contact: Elonex - Tel: 081-452-
4444; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00030)

 ****Kodak Retailers Petition Kodak To Hire Sculley 09/14/93
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 14 (NB) -- Kodak
representatives confirmed to Newsbytes that John Sculley,
former chief executive officer (CEO) at Apple Computer, is
being considered for the post of CEO of Eastman Kodak. But the
most interesting push is from Kodak's retail outlets, which, with
a vested interest in Kodak's success, are pushing the company
to hire Sculley.

Officials from Kodak were on hand at the company's Hollywood,
California announcement of its new Eastman Exchange online
location scouting network for movie producers, and confirmed
that Sculley is one of several being considered for the CEO
post. Current CEO, Kay Whitmore, was asked last month by the
company's board of directors to step down. The reasons given by
the board included the feeling that Kodak needs to make changes
and those changes are not happening under Whitmore. However,
Whitmore will remain as CEO until a replacement is found, Kodak
officials said.

One of the strongest supporters in the Sculley-for-CEO movement
is Mich Goldstone, owner of privately held 30-Minute Photos in
Irvine, California. Goldstone claims this is the first time a
company's customers have gotten involved in choosing the
company's leadership, but claims he has a voice because his
company is one of Kodak's largest independent retail customers.

"John Sculley is the only one who has the vision to move Apple
forward. I understand he is a wonderful listener and
motivator," Goldstone told Newsbytes. While he agrees with the
board of directors that there has to be change, Goldstone said,
"They have to do something other than just firing people."

The Kodak board of directors was expected to make an
announcement concerning a new CEO last week, but postponed the
decision, saying they expect to fill the post by the end of the
year. Sculley, who stepped down as CEO at Apple, was to be
Apple's roving technology searchlight, with offices on both
the East and West Coasts. However, Sculley appears to have been
looking for a new job since early this year. He was interviewed
by IBM's CEO search committee, although IBM officials say
Sculley was never offered the position.

Reports are Sculley has made it to the "short list" of
candidates for the CEO slot, which Goldstone claims is a sign
the petitioning is working. Attempts are being made by 30
Minute Photos to contact the estimated 15,000 photo centers in
the US to encourage them to call Gerald Roche, chairman of
Heidrick & Struggles, the executive search firm working for
Kodak, in order to petition Kodak for Sculley's appointment.
Apple Computer representatives were unavailable for comment by
press time.

Kodak is one of the largest corporate users of Apple computers
in the world. Kodak employees estimated the company could rank
as high as number four in ownership of Apple hardware. The
$19.5 billion-a-year Rochester, New York-based company is
moving strongly into the electronic imaging market with its
introduction of the Photo CD format, which has been widely
adopted by the computer industry as a whole, and now its
introduction of online, electronic imaging services. Kodak's
stock closed up a point yesterday at 61 1/2.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930914/Press Contact: David Harney,
Eastman Kodak, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Mich
Goldstone, 30 Minute Photos, tel [phone]; Kate Paisley,
Apple Computer, 408-974-5453; Gerald Roche, Heidrick &
Struggles, tel [phone], fax [phone])