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/NB102593

Text File | 1993-10-25 | 81KB | 1,736 lines

(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEL)(00001)

Modi Olivetti Intros More PCs 10/25/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- With the competition in the
high-end PC market on the rise, a mad rush to spruce up companies'
PC ranges is on. The latest to join the race is Modi Olivetti, a
joint venture between Olivetti in Italy and Indian local interests.

According to Modi Olivetti, plans are in hand to unveiled nine new
machines in the personal computer systems (PCS) range during the
next two months. As in the UK, the new PCS range will start with a
25 megahertz (MHz) 80486-based system and range up to a 66MHz
80486DX2 computer. Pricing on the new PCS machines, which include
VESA bus and PCI technology as standard, start at Rs 70,000 ($2,300)
and range up to Rs 5 lakh ($16,000).

Even though Shashi Ullal, vice president of Modi Olivetti
operations, claims that he doesn't see much of a market for 80286-
and 80386-based systems, the company is not scrapping any of its
existing ranges. "But the emphasis will definitely be on the 486-
based systems, the market of which has grown by 146 per cent last
year," he said.

Plans call for the company to customise the new machines according
to user needs and this, Modi Olivetti claims, will lead to a
difference in price. For instance, the price of a 33 MHz M486SX may
vary from Rs 85,000 (around $2,800) to Rs 1.41 lakh (around $4,700)
according to the features, while the price of a PCS 486DX-33 MHz
mini tower will vary from Rs 1.35 (around $4500) lakh to Rs 2.31
lakh (around $7700).

A multi-user full tower 486DX2-66MHz-based LSX5025E will vary from
Rs 3.75 lakh (around $12,500) to Rs 4.95 lakh (around $16500). Ullal
said that he doesn't feel the necessity to introduce a Pentium-based
machine just now. "It will be there in the first quarter of the next
year," he told Newsbytes.

Newsbytes notes that the new series has to take on the new Dell
range from Pertech Computers, Super Genius from Wipro Infotech,
Tata Unisys' high-end offerings from Unisys and a beefed up Busybee
from HCL Hewlett- Packard.

"There is market for all. Networking has become de rigueur,
client/server computing flourishing, pushing up the demand for high-
end machines," Ullal said. "Besides, we can offer our machines at
very competitive prices. After all, we have cut overheads by
restructuring the firm."

(C T Mahabharat/19931025)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00002)

Australian IT Revenues On The Up And Up 10/25/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Better times appear to be on
the way for the Australian information technology (IT) industry,
with total revenue already rising eight percent to AUS$19.5 billion
in 1992-93, the Australian Information Industry Association's (AIIA)
annual conference revealed last week.

But, on the other hand, in a blow for the "clever country" concept,
IT exports -- frequently held out as a key to a recovery -- actually
fell slightly for the year, from AUS$1118M to AUS$1103M.

At the same time, IT imports increased by some eight percent to
$2297M -- still around $400M less than the levels of 1990-91. And
there were other worrying figures for the industry with capital
investment and R&D both down on the previous year with the outlook
for 1993-94 suggesting only marginal improvement in 1993-94,
according to AIIA chairman Peter Rehn.

Employment in the industry shrank 5.47 percent from 101,716 to
96,154. There are now around 11,000 fewer people employed in the
industry than there were in 1990-91 when the total was 107,122.

The figures were compiled from a survey of AIIA member companies.
With a total membership of 267 companies, the association represents
most of the larger players and a good number of the smaller
operators in the industry.

Rehn told the conference that, though the latest result for exports
was disappointing, it was not surprising, given the difficult
Australian and international economic climate and the uncertain
global outlook. Another speaker -- Geoff Squire, executive VP of
Oracle Corporation -- told the conference that Australia was poised
to become a major player on the world IT scene.

(David Frith and Computer Daily News/19931025)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00003)

Word For Word Gets Compound Document Conversion 10/25/93
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, U.S.A. 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Mastersoft has
announced that the next retail version of its Word For Word document
format conversion utility will integrate compound document
converters (CDCs) as a standard feature.

According to the company, Word For Word converts documents saved in
the format of one application to the proper format for use in a
different application. For example a document created in Wordperfect
5.1 could be converted and used in MacWrite II without losing any of
the formatting applied to the original document.

Integrating the CDCs in Word For Word means users can create
compound documents that combine text and graphic images then convert
to another format to include converting the graphics. The
Wordperfect WPG graphic could be converted to Microsoft's Word For
Windows WMF format. The text and graphics are converted in a single
pass.

Previously, Word For Word could only convert the graphics if the
original and target applications used the same graphics format. The
new CDCs also make it possible to perform pure graphic-to-graphic
file conversions.

The DOS and Windows versions of Word For Word contain a file viewer
that allows the user to preview any text file that can be converted.
The Windows viewer allows the user to view both formatted text files
and compound document files. While in the viewing window you can
print, launch an application, zoom in and out, search and highlight,
and perform other functions.

Lise Lambert, Mastersoft senior VP of sales and marketing, says
that, as text-based applications increasingly integrate graphics
capabilities, the need to exchange compound documents will continue
to grow. "The CDCs will provide our retail customers with a complete
conversion solution for compound documents. Additionally, CDC
support allows our viewer technology to provide the user with a
highly reliable document view, complete with graphics."

Lambert said that CDCs will be integrated into both the Windows and
DOS versions of Word For Word. The new products are expected to ship
in time for Comdex, the computer industry's annual fall trade show
in Las Vegas, Nevada. Comdex opens its five-day run November 15,
1993. Mastersoft spokesperson bob Kaplan told Newsbytes that Word
For Word can convert formats between more than 100 applications.

Mastersoft publishes several versions of its document conversion
software pricing varies depending on the version. The Windows
version has a suggested retail price of $149.

(Jim Mallory/19931025/Press contact: Bob Kaplan, Mastersoft, 602-
948-4888; Reader contact: Mastersoft, 602-948-4888, fax 602-948-
8261)


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

Valuepoint PCs Include Electronic Software Catalog 10/25/93
BOULDER, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- The IBM Valuepoint
personal computers announced earlier this month will come with a
CD ROM-based electronic software catalog from which users can
immediately access numerous popular software programs.

Called Options By IBM, the software catalog is provided by
Infonow Corporation, a Boulder, Colorado-based company. The disk
contains more than 80 popular software titles including Microsoft
Excel, Word and Office as well as programs from Central Point
Software, Metz Software, Micrografx, Symantec Corporation and
T/Maker. The user can browse through the catalog test driving
programs that interest them.

If you find a program you want to purchase, all you have to do is
call a special tollfree number and provide the operator with your
credit card number. You will receive an electronic code number that
unlocks the software as soon as it is entered. Entering the code
automatically installs the selected program on your hard drive and
the software is ready for use.

"The market for electronic software distribution is clearly on the
rise,:" explained Infonow CEO Sat Tara S. Khalsa. He said that
Infonow's electronic catalog is a way for PC makers to offer their
customers a quick, easy way to evaluate, test and buy a broad range
of business and entertainment software.

(Jim Mallory/19931025/Press contact: Anne Theriault, Infonow .3
Corp, 303-545-5012; Reader contact: Infonow Corp, 303-442-6666)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00005)

Microsoft Checks Out Australian Fax Modems 10/25/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Microsoft Australia has
dispatched a system engineer to its US headquarters in Seattle,
carrying a suitcase load of Australian made fax modems. It intends
to "certify" these for use with the "E-mail over fax" facility
offered by Windows for Workgroups 3.11, which was launched last week
in Australia.

The E-mail over fax facility allows electronic mail messages
incorporating data files and OLE (object linking and embedding)
objects to be sent over a fax connection, using a custom Microsoft
fax/E-mail applet.

A receiving WFW workstation will then present the incoming data as
an E-mail message, with embedded files. If a standard fax is
received, it will be presented as a page image. However, the E-mail
over fax only works with Group 1 fax modems -- Group 2 modems will
not support this feature.

According to Microsoft, various Australian modems, including models
from NetComm, Avtek and Banksia, have been sent to its US
laboratories to test them for support of the new feature. If it
works, they will then be officially certified as compatible with
Word for Windows 3.11.

(Kester Cranswick and Computer Daily News/19931025)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00006)

Aldus Intros New Gallery Effects Library 10/25/93
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Aldus Corporation
has announced a new library of Gallery Effects for the Apple
Macintosh and for Microsoft Windows-based PCs.

The new library is called Gallery Effects: Classic Art, Volume 3.
It's a collection of image enhancement effects that can be applied
while you are working in your graphics program through plug-in
filters or from within the accompanying Gallery Effects version 1.5
application.

Volume 3 includes several classic painting and drawing methods
including the Sumi-e effect that replicates an ancient Japanese
brush-painting technique. Ink Outlines is a scribbled drawing style,
and effects like Cutout, Plaster, and Plastic Wrap create other
distinctive effects.

The 16 plug-in filters that come in Volume 3 include Conte
Crayon, Crosshatch, Cutout, Glass, Halftone Screen, Ink Outlines,
Neon Glow, Paint Daubs, Plaster, Plastic Wrap, Reticulation,
Sponge, Stained Glass, Sumi-e, Torn Edges, and Water Paper.

Each effect can be applied by itself or in concert with other
effects to a single area of the user-created image or just to
selected areas. There is a preview feature that lets you see what
you will get by applying each effect. You can save a particular
combination of effects for use on other images without recreating
the customized effect.

The plug-in filters can integrate with Aldus Photostyler, Aldus
Superpaint, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, Fractal Design
Painter and other programs that use Photoshop or Photostyler-
compatible plug-in filters.

Aldus says both platform versions will be available within 30
days. For Mac users, the recommended system configuration is a
Mac II series, Mac LC, or SE/30 computer with a color monitor,
four megabytes (MB) of system memory, a hard drive, System 6.0.5
or later including System 7.0, Finder 6.1 or later, and 32-bit
QuickDraw 1.2.

Windows users need Windows 3.1 or later, at least a 386-based PC
with 4MB of memory, an 80MB hard drive, a 16 or 24-bit color
display, and a mouse or other pointing device. Gallery Effects:
Classic Art, Volume 3 has a suggested retail price of $199.

(Jim Mallory/19931025/Press contact: Kathy Episcopo, Aldus Corp,
619-558-6000, ext 5302; Reader contact: Aldus Corporation, 206-
622-5500, fax [phone])


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

Eccentric Software Intros Windows Rhyming Dictionary 10/25/93
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Eccentric
Software has introduced A Zillion Kajillion Rhymes, a rhyming
dictionary for Windows-based personal computers. An Apple Mac
version has been shipping since April 1993.

"It's like a thesaurus for rhymes, but a lot more fun," explained
Eccentric Software Marketing Director Maureen Judge. She said that
the user just types a word and clicks the "find" button, then
scrolls through the list of rhyming words.

David Goldstein, one half of the songwriting/programming team that
also includes Neil Radisch, claims that the program is more than
just a dictionary with a search engine added. "We tried to draw upon
our experience both as songwriters and computer users, to discover
the unique advantages of a rhyming dictionary in electronic form,"
he said.

Judge says that a Zillion Kajillion Rhymes appeals to a much broader
audience than just the poets and lyricists who need it, since
everyone rhymes their words from time to time. She points out that
rhyming dictionaries are standard on most reference book shelves.

Eccentric Software says the Mac version released in April appealed
to teachers, school kids, lovesick lawyers, singing psychology
professors, and several Grammy and Tony award-winning songwriters.

The software comes on one 3.5 inch high density floppy disk and has
a suggested retail price of $49.95, but Eccentric is offering it for
$39.95 if you order directly from the company. The program requires
less than one megabyte of hard disk space.

(Jim Mallory/19931025/Press contact: Maureen Judge, Eccentric
Software, 206-628-2687; Reader contact: Eccentric Software, 206-628-
2687 or 800-436-6758, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00008)

UK: Trend Monitor Announces Electronic Print Plans 10/25/93
PORTSMOUTH, HANTS, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Trend Monitor, which
publishes a regular abstract of most matters in the press and other
publishing outlets, has announced it is moving into electronic
publishing. According to Jan Wyllie, a director of Trend Monitor
International (TMI), by their very nature, printed books have proven
to be inadequate for keeping up to date with fast moving subjects.

"Even journals with peer review cannot keep up. Magazines and
newspapers cover the news, but are unable to provide the thought-out
structure and the background of books. Publications, such as `The
Economist', do attempt to provide a context and a consistent
structure, but the news comes through on a random basis based on
whatever happened to occur in that week. Last week's stories may or
may not be followed up depending on the vagaries of events. The
result is confusion," he said.

TMI has produced a regular printed synopsis of the news, published
by category, for five years now. According to Wyllie, this
information is now being produced in a more timely format known as
the Trend Monitor eBook.

The eBook, the company claims, presents the most significant
information in a systematically synthezised and structured form,
along with lists of thousands of key references as a means of
accessing more detail, if required.

TMI also claims that eBooks are not only easily updatable, either by
telephone, disk or compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM), but they
"can also enable users to create their own information bases around
the structure and the content supplied with the eBook."

TMI's eBooks come with software capable of free text and hypertext
access facilities with a special version of Blackwell's text search
software, a package that normally retails for UKP 275.

As a special launch offer, TMI is offering the eBook version of its
reports at below the cost of the printer version, despite the fact
that the eBook expands to 20 megabytes (MB) on the user's hard disk.

Several "package deals" on the eBook are available. The flagship
package costs UKP 995 and offers all TMI reports in eBook format
from December 1989 to the end of this year.

The second offer is the latest 1992/93 editions in eBook format at
UKP 135 per edition. There are current four editions: computing,
communications, media and socio-technologies.

The third offer is a restricted eBook on the specific elements of
the four editions, chosen on the basis of their being fast moving
subjects. Each eBook costs UKP 75. The categories available are:

[] Computing (only microchips, operating systems and databases)
[] Communications (only modems, LANS, ISDN and ATM)
[] Media (only HDTV, CD-ROM and multimedia)
[] Socio-technologies (only Groupware, DIP and teleretailing)

To convince people what eBook is capable of, TMI is offering a
single disk version for UKP 12-50. This is based on a 380 record
sample and, according to Wyllie, is very much a sample disk.

(Steve Gold/19931025/Press & Public Contact: Trend Monitor
International - Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]; Email over
the Internet on [e-mail])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00009)

 ****ICL Unveils New High-Speed Computer Technology 10/25/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 25 NB) -- International Computers Limited,
better known by initials, ICL, has unveiled a new high-speed
computer known as the Goldrush Megaserver. The new machine is based
what ICL describes as a radical new implementation of parallel
processor technology.

Parallel processor technology involves the use of two or more
processors, with the various program tasks allocated between the
processors on a controlled basis. Single processors "share time"
between various tasks, which frequently requires the processor to
"freeze" and hop between various tasks.

Using parallel processor technology means that each processor can
concentrate on single tasks wherever possible, saving time spent
freezing and hopping between tasks as would happen in a single
processor environment.

According to Tom Hinchcliffe, ICL Corporate Systems' managing
director, said that the new computer handled programs a data faster
than normal by the simple expedient of using parallel processor
technology and drawing heavily on experienced gained from the
European Esprit information technology (IT) project.

Hinchcliffe said that European Commission (EC) had agreed to pool
its Esprit resources with those of ICL, a process that Martin
Bangemann, the EC's Industry Commissioner, said proved that Europe
could compete on an equal footing with the US and Japan in this
respect.

"It is a clear example of the fact that Community-funded research
and development can deliver practical results... that are of real
relevance to information technology vendors and their users," he
said.

Newsbytes notes that ICL is an internationally-owned company, 80
percent owned by Fujitsu of Japan and 20 percent owned by Northern
Telecom of Canada. There have been a few political troubles about
ICL's involvement in the Esprit project in the past, Newsbytes
notes, but Bangemann said that this posed no problem now.

Goldrush has cost ICL a small fortune, company officials said. Press
sources quote ICL as claiming that the project has cost a total of
UKP 42 million to date, although this only around 20 percent of the
company's annual R&D budget, Newsbytes notes.

ICL remains coy on the exact cost of the Goldrush technology.
Officials with the company say that machines, produced to order,
will be available early next year, but declined to quote prices,
other than claiming that it will be around a tenth of the cost of
comparable machines with the equivalent processing power.

So who will buy the Goldrush technology? According to John Bennett,
ICL's marketing director, banks, building societies and government
departments are the most likely people to use the technology. He
said that interest from these market sectors had already been high.

"70 organisations came along to a presentation last night and the
general reaction was enthusiastic. The key thing is that Goldrush
will enable a big organisation to hold one copy of its information
in one place and then to network access to that to anywhere across
the world," he said.

Now the slightly bad news. The minimum buy-in to Goldrush technology
will set you back UKP 750,000, with system prices measured in
millions of pounds. For the time being then, RISC (reduced
instruction set computing) based computers and mini manufacturers do
not have too much to fear.

(Steve Gold/19931025/Press & Public Contact: ICL - Tel: +44-
344-487842; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00010)

CASE World/Objex: Bringing Methodology Into Planning 10/25/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Applied Business
Technology (ABT) has announced Methods Architect 1.0, a tool that
lets developers customize methodologies created inhouse or by
outside vendors for use in project planning and estimating.

In an interview at CASE World/Objex, officials told Newsbytes that,
until recently, integrating a methodology into hands-on project
planning was such a cumbersome process that it was rarely done.

Companies would purchase methodologies from outside vendors, with
the intention of using those methodologies in project planning, but
the products would usually end up on the shelf, unused.

In a demo for Newsbytes on the show floor, Newsbytes saw how the
Windows-based Methods Architect lets developers customize a
methodology to company needs and send the customized methodology
into ABT's Project Bridge Modeler to plan and estimate a project.
The project is then sent to the company's Project Workbench for
scheduling, tracking and analysis.

A spokesperson explained that Methods Architect also provides a
special re-engineering function that lets developers draw upon past
projects in planning new projects.

Another capability in Methods Architect is designed to let
developers convert Project Workbench projects into new "routes," so
they can standardize development approaches across multiple project
teams. This capability is aimed, in particular, at organizations
without formal methodologies.

A newly announced Project PAC includes Methods Architect, Project
Bridge Modeler, and Project Workbench, together with a Needs
Assessment component and an Implementation Assistance professional
services consulting package. Project PAC is targeted at project
teams of up to 25 members.

A new Enterprise PAC adds ABT's Metrics Manager to the software
suite, along with Needs Assessment and Implementation components
that are suited more to entire departments and larger organizations
with 50 to 100 project team members.

Also, in a newly unveiled agreement with Andersen Consulting,
Andersen will integrate its Foundation for Co-operative Processing
client-server development tool set with ABT's Methods Architect,
Project Modeler and Project Workbench for delivery to Andersen
customers.

In turn, ABT will adopt Foundation's repository and client-server
architecture as the basis for a new generation of ABT products.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931025/Reader contact: ABT, tel [phone];
Press contacts: Michael D. Thomas, Geltzer & Company for ABT, tel
212-575-1976; Todd J. Keefe, Digital Consulting Inc., tel 508-470-
3870)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00011)

Time Logger Program For Windows Increases Cash Flow 10/25/93
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- The time spent
on a single project is often very important when it comes to
billing the customer, especially for small companies. Now
Responsive Software has introduced the Responsive Time Logger
time tracking and reporting software for Windows program,
designed to increase cashflow for users that bill for their time.

According to the company, the program captures billable minutes
that might otherwise slip through the cracks. The software's report
generator then analyzes how to use their time more profitably.

Announcing the package, Responsive Software President Alan Macy,
said: "I wanted something for tracking time that was as simple to
use as a stopwatch. I also wanted users to be able to easily
generate professional-looking reports that are ready to send,
because the faster users can send a bill, the sooner they'll get
paid."

According to the company, a single mouse click starts timing a new
task. The program automatically compiles the information for
generating reports. The company maintains that, logical screen
layouts and typical WIndows conventions help users navigate Time
Logger's features, while the WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get)
reports formats may be modified using "drag-and-drop."

Time Logger also allows simultaneous time tracking of multiple users
by allowing them to share a single task database on a single
computer or a local area network (LAN). The program will reportedly
run on any network that allows users to share a common disk drive.

The company says that the program is targeted primarily at
independent consultants and small legal, accounting, marketing and
engineering firms which bill clients hourly for their services.

The software requires and IBM PC or compatible, running WIndows 3.1,
at least two megabytes (MB) of RAM, and 1.5MB of hard disk space.
Time Logger carries a suggested retail price of $139, although the
company is offering it at the introductory price of $99 until
November 30.

(Ian Stokell/19931025/Press Contact: Alan Macy, 510-843-1034,
Responsive Software)


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

Artisoft LANtastic For Home Offices; Deal With Visisoft 10/25/93
TUCSON, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- The small and home
office (SOHO) markets are increasingly lucrative areas for network
software companies. Now Artisoft has introduced the entry-level
Simply LANtastic network operating system (NOS) that it claims
offers basic sharing of files, printers, and CD-ROMs (compact disc
read only memory).

The company has also announced a deal with Visisoft to develop a
network management system for LANtastic networks.

The program is intended as a low-cost NOS and will begin shipping
in early December priced at $79 per node for the software only.
There will also be two hardware bundles available as well.

The hardware bundles feature new internal and external adapters.
The first bundle is priced at $149 and combine one node of the
software with a new internal adapter and two different lengths
of cabling.

The 10Mbps (megabits per second), Ethernet-capable, self-terminating
adapter is designed to reduce the complexity of network installation
and operations, says the company. It also features plug-and-play
cabling using a standard RCA connection for easy network
installation.

The second bundle includes the software and a new external
adapter. The 10Mbps adapter plugs into the PC's parallel port and
includes an RCA connector, which the company says allows for
immediate, one-step installation. Pricing for the second bundle
has yet to be announced.

The company says that the Simply LANtastic NOS works with either a
DOS or Microsoft Windows environment, and offers a single integrated
install program. The program works with a range of PC processor
architectures, from the old 8088 to 486s.

A single menu interface provides all control functions, including
sharing or accessing network drive and printer connections, print
job display and control, as well as electronic mail. The software
also offers help files and pop-up screens. It can also integrate
with Artisoft's LANtastic 5.0 NOS, for increased performance and
security functions, and added connectivity options.

Three levels of access control the sharing of either an entire
drive or specific subdirectories - full access, read-only access,
and no access - using Access Control Lists (ACLs). Multiple
machine names can also be grouped in "wildcard" accounts within
the ACls.

Peer-to-peer networks are becoming increasingly popular because
they are easier to install and manage that fully fledged NOS
(network operating systems) such as the market-leading
NetWare from Novell. They are also easier to use and allow each
node on the network to be set up as either a client or a server
or both.

In this way, network resources, such as printers and individual user
hard disks, can be used and accessed by everyone on the network.
However, the easy availability of all resources brings problems for
the network manager, such as increased security headaches and
difficulty in backup of vital data stored on multiple hard drives.

The deal with Visisoft calls for the development of a network
management software customized for LANtastic users
who require "sophisticated" management capabilities in their
networks. The product is scheduled for release by the end of
1993, and will be marketed through Artisoft's reseller channels.
Pricing has yet to be announced.

The software will let administrators monitor and troubleshoot
LANtastic local area networks, and will include such features
as real-time monitoring, inventory management, report
capability, and administrative security.

(Ian Stokell/199310252/Press Contact: Joe Stunkard, 602-670-7145,
Artisoft)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00013)

 ****British Government Announces ID cards Under Active Consideration
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- The British Government has
revealed plans to introduce national ID cards as a means of stamping
out social security fraud. Ministers have admitted, however, that
the spin-off will be a form of national identity cards that could be
used by the authorities (i.e. the Police) for identification
purposes.

Announcing the proposals today, John Major, the British Prime
Minister, said that social security fraud is costing the British
Government around a billion pounds ($1,500 million) every year.

"We are looking at a whole range of options that may be appropriate
to combat that fraud," Major told a BBC radio interviewer this
morning. "We are examining whether it would be practical to deal
with it by ID cards, whether it would be helpful."

In an interview on British TV, Peter Lilley, the UK's Minister for
Social Security said that he wanted any system to be rock solid in
terms of its security before the system was introduced. Lilley also
confirmed that the Government is also looking at options other than
a physical token system, including biometric technology such as palm
prints.

Welfare claimants in the UK are issued with voucher books to cash at
post offices for their social security. The problem with the books,
Newsbytes notes, is that, apart from the recent introduction of
computerized bar coding, the books are years old in their design. As
such, they can be easily forged.

As the day progressed after the announcement, several civil liberty
groups have openly criticized the proposals, claiming that they
social security aspect is merely a back door to a national ID card
system.

Newsbytes notes that national ID cards were scrapped in the UK in
1952, their having been introduced in the Second World War. Other
European Community (EC) countries, with the exception of Ireland,
have retained their ID card systems.

(Steve Gold/19931025)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00014)

Japan's PC Software Sales Top $490 Million Mark 10/25/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- The Japanese Personal Computer
Software Association (PCSA) has announced the results of its
research into sales of PC software in Japan. This was, Newsbytes
notes, the first time that the association carried out the research,
which concluded that sales reached $492 million last year.

The research was carried out by the 36 member companies of the PCSA,
which includes Lotus, Microsoft and Just Systems in its ranks. The
association reports that a total o 3.32 million units of software
were sold last year, the packages sold including operating systems,
applications and games software.

The details of operating system sales make for some interesting
reading, since it is these figures that enabled the industry to
assess how operating systems are faring against each other.
Unsurprisingly, sales of MS-DOS were way ahead of the rest of the
package, with Windows clocking up second place. Apple System, Unix
and OS/2 held third, fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

The PCSA reported, however, that sales of the MS-DOS operating
system have gradually been declining -- during the first half of
1992, the sales ratio of MS-DOS against total sales was 83.4
percent. In the second half of 1992, this ratio fell to 75.5
percent.

Unix sales over the period also went down from 3.5 percent to 3.0
percent, while sales of Macintosh and OS/2 went up by, respectively,
1.8 to 3.2 percent and 04.4 to 2.7 percent.

On the application programs from, best selling packages were Lotus
1-2-3, Ichitaro, dBASE III/IV, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word and
Kiri, the Japanese word processor. Newsbytes notes that the Japanese
version of Lotus 1-2-3 -- Release 2.4J -- gained the number-one
position in September of this year.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931025/Press Contact: Japan Personal
Computer Software Association, [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(BOS)(00015)

 ****CASE World/Objex: First 3D Tool For CASE Unveiled 10/25/93
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- At the CASE
World/Objex show, Cadre Technologies has unveiled Ensemble Viewer, a
package that is billed as the first 3D tool for the CASE (Computer-
Aided Software Engineering) market. According to the company, the
package is an interactive 3D and 2D graphical tool for visualizing,
constructing, reusing, testing, and documenting C programs on Unix
workstations.

The object-oriented tool is designed to allow point-and-click
display, querying, and browsing of information on all three
program aspects: program flow, data structure, and physical file
structure.

By interacting with graphical representations of software design,
code and files, and seeing the impact of program changes, users
are prevented from having to read through detailed source code,
the company maintained.

The information and test results displayed in Ensemble Viewer are
stored in a database generated by Cadre's Ensemble Understanding
modules for reverse engineering.

Ensemble creates views of the source code and test results, as
well as module specifications, control flow diagrams showing
internal logic flow, and formal and actual parameter reports
showing invocation information, officials said.

The software is meant to let users start with simple views, and
then gradually add more information as their understanding grows.

For example, a user might begin with a simple call graph, and
then add in global variables to see how data is shared. In so
doing, the user might become interested in a specific structure,
check to see where else it is used, and then check to see where
each of its elements is used.

Ensemble Viewer is expected to become available for Sun
Sparcstations in December of this year, and for HP9000 and IBM
RS/6000 workstations in February of 1994. Pricing starts at $2,400.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931025/Reader contact: Cadre Technologies
Inc., tel [phone]; Press contacts: Harry Merkin, Cadre
Technologies, tel [phone]; Dana Pantos Harris, Rourke &
Company for Cadre, tel [phone];


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00016)

Trade Show Firms Blenheim, NDN Join Forces 10/25/93
FORT LEE, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Blenheim, producer
of the annual New York-based PC Expo and other computer industry
shows, has acquired NDN Enterprises of Mountain View, California,
which produces the DB/Expo show in San Francisco.

Blenheim, a unit of Blenheim Holdings, also runs the NetWorld show,
soon to be renamed Networks Expo, and Unix Expo.

Plans call for NDN to become Blenheim NDN and remain in Mountain
View, company officials said. Norm DeNardi, president of NDN, is to
remain as chief executive of the new subsidiary.

A Blenheim spokeswoman could not provide financial details of the
agreement at Newsbytes' deadline.

Officials indicated the purchase will allow NDN to expand the
DB/Expo show in San Francisco and launch spin-offs in other American
cities and in Europe.

NDN also runs HRMS/Expo, a show aimed at human resources
professionals, and manages the Santa Cruz Operation Inc.'s annual
SCO Forum.

Blenheim runs 35 information technology events.

(Grant Buckler/19931025/Press Contact: Annie Scully, Blenheim,
201-346-1400 ext. 145; fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00017)

Hewlett-Packard Intros Budget 600 DPI Laser Printers 10/25/93
BRACKNELL, BERKSHIRE, 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Hewlett-Packard has
announced what it claims is the industry's cheapest-ever 600 dots
per inch (DPI) laser printer. Costing UKP 979, the Laserjet 4P is
also available in an enhanced version, the Laserjet 4MP, which costs
UKP 1,379.

According to HP, the Laserjet 4P series are designed for users who
want a low-cost printer that produces professional looking print in
a variety of media formats.

HP claims that both the 4P and the 4MP are capable of superb print
quality thanks to the use of HP's Resolution Enhancement Technology
(RET) and microfine toner, both of which enhance the resolution by
smoothing and sharpening the edges of laser-printed graphics and
text.

Both units, HP claims, have been designed to print on smaller paper
sizes and/or heavier cards if required. The printers operate on
index cards as small as 7.6 cm x 12.7 cm and paper up to 157 grammes
per square inch in weight.

Both the new printers are compatible with the original Laserjet 4.
The 4P, the standard unit, comes with 2 megabytes (MB) of memory
expandable to 26MB internally, and 45 scalable typefaces. The 4P is
driven by a 16 megahertz (MHz) 80960 RISC (reduced instruction set
computing) processor.

HP claims that the LaserJet 4MP offers the best price and
performance for Mac and Windows users. The printer comes with
20 Mhz RISC processor, two SIMM (single in-line memory module) slots
and hot I/0 switching plus support for LocalTalk, the Apple Mac's
networking technology.

Gail Noble, HP's printer product manager, said that both printers
are very low in their power consumption, HP claims. In use, they
consume 10 watts in standby mode and remain powered down when not in
use.

The 4P and 4MP series are designed to replace the Laserjet IIIP and
IIIP Postscript units which will be withdrawn from sales as the new
printers start to find their ways into the shops.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931025/Press & Public Contact: Hewlett-Packard -
Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(ATL)(00018)

 ****Re-invention of Data General Continues 10/25/93
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Data General was
holding major meetings for its sales staff, its re-sellers and its
users in Atlanta today, so Newsbytes took time out to have breakfast
with Stephen P. Gardner, vice president-corporate marketing, to take
the company's pulse.

It's strong, he said. DG is a company which now knows precisely what
it's about. That is, it designs, builds and maintains client-server
computing environments for companies which previously relied on
mainframes. Gardner himself came to the company just seven months
ago from Integris, a spin-off from Groupe Bull specializing in open
systems integration and software.

Now he's with the company which had been one of his primary
suppliers. Data General's major products today are its AViiOn
client-server platform and Clarion disk arrays. Since 1988, "We got
out of the disk drive business, got out of the terminal business,
got out of the silicon business. That let us change the economics of
the company and focus on the real value of what we were doing,
integrating commodity technology better than others."

Data General started that work with a natural base of customers,
companies relying on its proprietary Eclipse mini-computers. "We
want to show we're keeping faith with them," he said of the Eclipse
customers, "launching new products and showing new ways for moving
from that to the open systems world."

But the company's future is totally based on the AViiON, a Unix-
based server. At this week's Atlanta events the company announced
the AV 5500, a new version of the server priced below $15,000.

According to International Data Corporation (IDC), Data General is
currently the leader in servers priced at $100,000 to $1 million,
with the company's server revenues growing four times faster than
the market as a whole. The new product is an attempt to broaden the
line, and the possible customer base. The new server is intended for
companies with between 20 and 125 computer users.

The new product means re-sellers are an increasingly critical part
of the company's distribution strategy, Gardner said. "They bring in
a lot of applications and lets us bring our servers into a vertical
market. They also provide a distribution channel that lets us reach
a larger audience than we could through our sales force."

Gardner credits Tom West, an engineer profiled in Tracy Kidder's
book "The Soul of a New Machine," about the original Eclipse, with
the changes in Data General since 1988, but says that readers of the
book wouldn't recognize the man.

"Tom West made a fundamental choice. He saw the old integrated model
was wrong -- we should integrate closer to the customer. That
decision was made in 1988, and the AViiON was the fruit of it. We
got out of the disk drive business, got out of the terminal
business, got out of the silicon business, and that let us change
the economics of the company to focus on the real value of what we
were doing, integrating commodity technology better than others."

Today in fact, Data General is in a position where it doesn't even
care about the winner in the new battle between Windows NT and
Unixware for the client-server market. "There are clearly going to
be 2 major operating systems. One is Unix, the other NT. Unix has
spent the last 10-15 years maturing enough so a data center manager
can have confidence in using it. NT has to go through the same
maturation, but it will be shorter than for Unix."

But if NT wins, DG will make products running NT. Not that Gardner
expects it. He has high praise for Novell's recent moves to
integrate Unix with Netware, to pass the trademark Unix to the
X/Open group, and to create a new specification level 70 which will
make all the current proprietary versions of Unix, including DG/UX,
roughly compatible.

"We've been a primary advocate behind Spec 1170 out, have Novell
work to move the trademark out to X.open -- we didn't want this to
deteriorate to a Microsoft-Novell war. We already support NT as a
client operating systems. It may be a powerful server system, but we
don't think it's ready for prime time. Unix is there, but we confuse
a lot of customers with fragmentation of standards. To have one
organization with one brand and a guarantee of commonalty is
wonderful. We've taken streams to make sure that DG/UX is
compatible. And now we can use the Unix name."

What about the company's long term strategy? Newsbytes asked.
"Expectation levels are moving to where it is in telecommunications.
If you know the number, you can talk to anyone at anytime, without
using a specialist. That's what client server does for computing
issues. It means that anyone should be connected, without wires, to
wherever you want to be, and you shouldn't have to ask any experts"
for information," he replied.

"Companies like Data General become invisible to the end user,
unless we have a tag on the device, the same way Northern Telecom
and and other back office providers are largely invisible" to
telephone users.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931025/Press Contact: Kim Sarkisian, Data
General, 508-898-6392)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00019)

 ****Gateway 2000 Announces Initial Public Offer 10/25/93
NORTH SIOUX CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Personal
computer marketer Gateway 2000 has announced plans to offer nearly
11 million shares of its common stock for public purchase. The
offering manager says that the shares should sell for $13 to $15 per
share, a project that is expected to raise about $163 million.

The direct marketer says it will offer 8.72 million shares in the
US and 2.18 million in a concurrent international offering. Goldman
Sachs & Company and Paine Webber will manage the deal.

Gateway 2000 and one of its current stockholders have granted the
underwriters an option of 30 days to purchase up to an additional
1.635 million shares. Privately held Gateway 2000 is owned by its
president, Ted Waitt, and brother Norman Waitt.

In December 1991 Gateway was named the fastest growing privately-
held company in the US by Inc magazine. In 1986 Gateway reported
$1 million in sales. In 1987 sales grew to $1.5 million, and jumped
to $12 million in 1987. In 1989 the company reported $70.6 million
in sales, followed by $275 million in 1990. By December 1992 Gateway
was shipping over 100,000 units each quarter and had completed a
250,000 square foot production, shipping, technical support and
product development facility.

In March 1993 Gateway reported it had topped $1 billion in sales in
1992, a 76 percent increase over the previous year, on shipment of
473,000 units. In April 1993 the company shipped its one-millionth
PC. Government Computer News reported in July 1993 that Hewlett
Packard and Gateway had tied for the most popular PC in a survey by
the magazine. GCN said nearly 500 readers responded to the survey.

Last month Gateway began offering Mastercards for customers and non-
customers, with interest rates of 12.9 and 13.9 percent
respectively. The company also announced it was entering the
European market with the opening of a facility near Dublin, Ireland
to service that country and the UK. It said it plans to service
additional markets on the continent in 1994. Gateway 2000 employs
more than 2,000 people.

(Jim Mallory/19931025/Press contact: Glynnis Gibson, Gibson
Communications for Gateway 2000, 312-868-9400; Reader contact:
Gateway 2000, 605-232-2000 or 800-523-2000)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00020)

Motorola TPU Gets Motion Control Functions 10/25/93
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Motorola's Advanced
Microcontroller Division has announced the addition of motion
control functions to its Time Processor Unit (TPU).

The TPU is an on-chip co-processor with a microengine dedicated to
complex timing tasks and are used on the chips that power
camcorders, cellular telephones, plotters, printers, bar code
readers and auto engine controllers. The TPU relieves the central
processor unit (CPU) of time-intensive tasks.

Motorola says that the motion control functionality is optimized for
time-critical applications such as motion control and motor control.
A TPU function library gives customers the ability to access
additional timing functions which can be loaded into random access
memory via software to upgrade and differentiate customer's products
without changing hardware designs.

The new motion control functions include an input capture transition
counter that can capture the value of a specified timer count
register at the occurrence of each transition or series of
transitions and then generate an interrupt, and a queued output
match that generates complex pulse sequences without CPU
intervention.

The chip can also accumulate a 32-bit sum of high time, low time, or
period of an input signal providing an instantaneous or average
frequency measurement, and can generate sophisticated pulse-width
modulation outputs suitable for H-bridge AC and DC motor control. It
also provides asynchronous communications of up to eight RS232-type
channels at 9600 baud, and can generate phase commutation signals
for a variety of brushless motors or count the number of input
pulses to a TPU channel within a user defined time period.

Twenty timing functions are currently available in the TPU library
on two standard microcoded ROMs. All are available on Motorola's
freeware electronic bulletin board. The functions can be mixed and
matched by downloading them into the microcontroller TPU emulation
RAM.

Motorola's Advanced MCU Division is conducting eight customer
seminars across the country to educate its customers about the TPU.
The seminars kick off November 18th in Hauppauge, New York and
Indianapolis, Indiana and finish January 26th, 1994 in San Jose,
California. Readers of Newsbytes are asked to contact Motorola for
information about seminars in their area.

(Jim Mallory/19931025/Press contact: Holly Hunter, Cunningham
Communications for Motorola, 408-982-0400; Reader contact: Judy
Racino, Motorola, 512-891-3465)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00021)

Design Your Dream Home Or Remodel Using Your PC 10/25/93
NOVATO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- You can imagine
and design your dream house, that remodeling job, or just put
in the dimensions of a house and arrange your furniture inside
and color schemes with Broderbund's new 3D Home Architect or
the Autodesk Home Series Release 2 software products.

According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB),
Americans spent $103.4 billion on home improvement and upkeep in
1992, a six percent increase from 1991's figures. And of the one
million new home buyers a year, 20 percent are taking control of the
planning process themselves instead of buying builder's ready-made
models or paying big money for an architect's original plans.
Ambitious modeling projects, such as adding a bedroom or a new wing,
are the order of the day as well, NAHB officials said.

Software developers recognize this as an opportunity. Autodesk
decided it could expand into the home market sometime back with its
Retail Products Division and this Home Series is the second release
of its products for budding do-it-yourselfers. Broderbund, whose
main products have been educational and entertainment software, says
this is a departure from its regular software line, but was too good
to pass up.

The Broderbund product runs in Microsoft Windows and allows users to
create plans from remodeling designs to designing an entire house.
"Interactive 3D Editing" allows switching between two dimensional
(2D) drawings and three dimensional (3D) views at the click of a
mouse as well as display both of views simultaneously.

Interactive walk-thrus are not part of the product, but the user can
see the space from any angle by moving a camera icon. Users can get
a bird's-eye view to edit the big picture or zoom into a room to
adjust details. Changes made to either the 2D or 3D views are
automatically updated in both views, the company added.

The tool bar provides all tools necessary to create a complete
floorplan, including walls, openings, cabinets and much more, and
without confusing switching back and forth between menus. The
program also provides 50 professionally designed houseplans
(including kitchens and baths) and automatically labels dimensions
and calculates areas.

3D Home Architect may also be used for interior design. A
Rainbow tool allows experimentation with colors and shades to
create a color scheme both on the walls and with the library of
over 200 furniture, fixtures, and appliances included with the
product.

Broderbund also says that the package attempts to guide users
through the design process to avoid mistakes and the overlooking of
important details. A built-in system Broderbund calls Smartparts
technology offers users guidance so, for example, a user couldn't
place an object -- such as doors, windows or appliances -- where it
couldn't be properly installed. Broderbund describes the Plancheck
feature as a "built-in building inspector" that takes do-it-yourself
designers on a room-by-room tour of the design and suggests possible
changes.

Once a design is created, users can automatically prepare a
spreadsheet of all the needed materials, and if the cost of the
materials is added by the user, the program can even calculate the
expense involved. The data may also be exported to spreadsheet
programs, such as Microsoft Excel or Lotus 1-2-3, for further
manipulation or analysis.

Complete designs may be exported to other computer aided design
(CAD) programs in the .DXF file format or printed and given to an
architect, contractor or interior designer. Broderbund doesn't say
the program will eliminate the need for those professionals, but it
can help users avoid mistakes like designing a room with all windows
with no place to put a couch or a fireplace except in the center of
the room.

Broderbund representatives said they were originally approached with
the product by Morgan Hill, California-based Advanced Relation
Technology. The two companies have since worked together to make
enhancements to 3D Home Architect and Broderbund is marketing the
product.

Autodesk, known for its market-leading CAD program Autocad, also has
similar software in its Home Series Release 2 product line. The
Autodesk series appears to go into more detail, allows users a walk-
thru, and has the ability to add surface textures to objects in the
design. The Autodesk Home Series includes four products: Home,
Kitchen & Bath, Deck, and Landscape.

To run the software, users will need at least an IBM PC or
compatible with a 386SX or greater microprocessor. A math
coprocessor is optional, but it will speed up the program. Microsoft
Windows 3.1, 4 megabytes (MB) memory, a video graphics array (VGA)
or Super VGA display, a hard disk, a mouse are also required, and
the more memory the better.

The Autodesk product line requires less horsepower, running on an
IBM compatible PC/XT/AT with 640 kilobytes (K) of memory, an
extended graphics array (EGA) card for color, a hard disk, and a
mouse. Broderbund's 3D Home Architect product is priced at $59.95
and Autodesk's Home Series line is retail priced at $69.95.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931025/Press Contact: Dawn Montoya, Broderbund,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public Contact, Broderbund, 800-
521-6263; Jill Miailovich, Autodesk Retail Products, tel 206-487-
2233, fax [phone]; Public Contact, 800-228-3601)


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

 ****Viacom Matches QVC Offer for Paramount 10/25/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Owners of Paramount
Communications stock woke up this morning to two competing, but
almost identical, offers of $80 per share for their stock.

QVC launched a hostile take-over of Paramount, offering $80 per
share cash for 51 percent of the company, last week. Now Viacom has
matched the offer. In both cases, individuals who don't tender will
be taken out for stock.

Paramount's directors endorsed the new deal, as they had endorsed
the previous $70 per share Viacom offer, again saying they see
enormous synergies in matching Paramount's product assets to
Viacom's cable programming assets. The fall in Viacom's stock price
since that makes the current value of that offer about $64 per
share. Paramount has yet to begin any negotiations with QVC, and
that company moved last week in part so it could begin filing papers
on the acquisition without waiting any more for the board to act.

Viacom head Sumner Redstone had said repeatedly over the last
weeks he would not raise his offer, but the increase was widely
expected. In buying Viacom itself a number of years ago, he
raised his offer three times before winning the day. Asked why he
was raising his bid this time, Redstone claimed the Paramount
assets were worth more than he first believed.

There were reports on the CNBC cable channel that Viacom and QVC
had been negotiating on a joint effort to buy-out Paramount and
avoid the bidding war, but those reports were unconfirmed. Viacom
has charged that QVC's bid was part of an attempt by TCI head
John Malone to control the cable industry, but anti-trust
officials are expected to approve that proposal, as they recently
approved Viacom's bid.

A Viacom lawsuit making that allegation is also expected to go
nowhere. QVC is also expected to sue Viacom and Paramount over what
it calls unfair treatment by the companies' boards regarding its
bid. Neither suit is expected to be heard, however, before the issue
is decided in the market-place.

Speculation continues on what might happen next. BellSouth and
Ameritech are among the regional Bell companies which have yet to
be heard from, and both have huge amounts of cash. They also have
an incentive to get into the fray because of Bell Atlantic's
pending acquisition of TCI.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931025)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00023)

ATI Launches Video Accelerator, Capture Chips 10/25/93
MARKHAM, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- ATI Technologies has
announced a graphics and video accelerator and a video capture
controller compatible with the Shared Frame Buffer Interconnect
(SFBI) specification developed by ATI and Intel.

The ATI 68800DX Advanced Graphics and Video Accelerator and the
ATI 68890 Video Capture Processor are to be available in the
second quarter of 1994, the company said. Board-level products
using both components will be shown at Comdex/Fall in Las Vegas
in mid-November.

The ATI-68800DX joins ATI's mach32 line of graphics controllers,
which also includes the ATI-68800LX and ATI-68800AX. Unlike the
others, it supports SFBI and comes with a video display processor
(VDP), which improves full-motion video performance and allows
full-screen playback without compromising the frame rate,
according to ATI.

The ATI-68800DX can also scale an image horizontally and vertically,
do color conversions from RGB to YUV and vice versa, and support
special effects such as mixing and fading video images, ATI said.

The single-chip controller supports the Industry Standard
Architecture (ISA) system bus and the Video Electronics Standards
Association (VESA) and Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) local
buses, ATI officials said.

The ATI-68890 is meant for stand-alone video subsystems and
integrated video and graphics subsystems, according to ATI. It can
capture the full picture quality of NTSC or PAL video transmissions
into RGB or YUV format. Video is scaled and captured directly into
shared memory, so it can be displayed in a window or compressed.

SFBI is a specification meant to let video and multimedia components
share memory and work together easily.

Introductory prices are expected to be $90 for the ATI-68800DX
and $50 for the ATI-68890, falling later as volume production
brings costs down, and evaluation boards are due to be available
in February, ATI said.

(Grant Buckler/19931025/Press Contact: Andrew Clarke, ATI
Technologies, 905-882-2600 ext. 8491, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(SFO)(00024)

Sun Intros Desktop Videoconf'cing Pgrm; Sandia Nat Lab Deal 10/25/93
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Sun
Microsystems' SunSolutions division has introduced the ShowMe 2.0
videoconferencing software. The company has also announced a
technology transfer partnership with the Department of Energy's
Sandia National Laboratories research and development laboratory.

According to the company, ShowMe 2.0 is, "the industry's first
complete, easy-to-use desktop video conferencing solution that
enables workstation users to collaborate interactively, in real
time, with a full range of video, audio and screen sharing tools."

Cindy Walden, marketing manager for the company, told Newsbytes that
the product allows for real-time video over any local area network,
but, "there are bandwidth considerations. Depending upon how much
motion there is in the picture or what the size of the video window
is, it will take more bandwidth." She said that if there is not
enough bandwidth available, then it will still be possible to use
the videoconferencing element of the product but, "your frames-per-
second slow down."

In terms of enhancements over version 1.1, she told Newsbytes that
the previous version, "Was simply a shared whiteboard. We've added
the video, the audio and the application sharing capability, the
shared whiteboard."

The company also says that users can display, discuss, edit or
annotate documents or images, display or send video, and share
applications through a graphical user interface.

ShowMe 2.0 is set for shipment in December, 1993, running on
SPARC systems in the SunSoft Solaris operating environment.
Versions of ShowMe for Hewlett-Packard and IBM workstations,
and for Intel platforms running on Microsoft Windows and
Solaris X86 are scheduled to ship in 1994.

ShowMe 2.0 consists of a number of components: ShowMe Video,
ShowMe Audio, ShowMe SharedApp, and ShowMe Whiteboard. The
company says that the capabilities work together. ShowMe is based
on the Motif graphical user interface and operates on SPARC
workstations over TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol) networks.

The company says that ShowMe Video and ShowMe Audio enable users to
hold face-to-face meetings from their desktops. A ShowMe video
camera mounted on each user's workstation provides a live, full-
color image of each participant, with audio input through
SunMicrophone and output through the workstation's speakers.

Users can reportedly modify the size of the video window and adjust
the sound level through a graphical menu. Automatic bandwidth
allocation lets users adjust the transmission rate to optimize
network usage. ShowMe Video also includes a one-way conference
feature that supports multicast and allows participants to receive
video without a SunVideo capture/compression SBus card.

The ShowMe SharedApp software enables multiple users to interact
with a live application simultaneously in real time, with
participants seeing the same view on their workstation screens.
Remote users need not have the application loaded on their
workstations in order to participate in the on-line meeting.

SPARC systems running Solaris applications based on the X Window
system version 11 standard work with ShowMe SharedApp. Also,
Microsoft Windows applications supported by SunSelect's Wabi
software are also shareable.

SunSolutions' whiteboard software provides a shared "desktop
conference board" that makes allows for the simultaneous viewing and
annotation of drawings, spreadsheets and other documents. Each user
has a separate, personalized on-screen marker that is visible to all
participants and can be used to express ideas visually by pointing,
gesturing and making annotations.

ShowMe 2.0 is set for availability at the end of 1993 at the price
of $3,270 for a single license, and $8,430 for a three-user license.
A video camera and a SunVideo card are included with each
right-to-use license, along with CD media and documentation. An
audiographics configuration, which includes ShowMe SharedApp,
ShowMe Whiteboard and ShowMe Audio, is available for $899 for
a single license, $1,650 for a three-user license, $3,750 for
a 10-user license, and $26,200 for a 100-user license.

The company also says that, through the National Competitiveness
Technology Transfer Act of 1989 passed by the US Congress, Sandia
and SunSolutions have signed a non-exclusive licensing agreement
allowing SunSolutions to build on technology developed by Sandia
engineers "to make their own work more productive and to lower
costs."

By using Sandia technology as a base, SunSolutions claims to have
developed commercially available videoconferencing application
sharing software years faster than if it had conducted development
on its own. That software is now part of ShowMe 2.0.

Said Al Narath, president of Sandia National Laboratories: "This
partnership advances the goal of more effective collaboration
between government and industry, and is a great example of the
many technologies available at the national laboratories that can
contribute to the nation's economic well being."

Scott McNealy, chairman and chief executive officer of Sun
Microsystems, said: "Sandia created the technology to increase their
productivity internally. Because of the technology transfer
legislation, Sun is able to bring application sharing software to
our workstation customers years before we could have done so on our
own. The US is now reaping full benefit from its investment."

(Ian Stokell/19931025/Press Contact: Kathryn Watson, 415-336-6851,
SunSolutions; Ken Frazier, 505-844-5550, Sandia National
Laboratories)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00025)

Canadian Product Launch Update 10/25/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- This regular feature,
appearing every Monday or Tuesday, provides further details for the
Canadian market on announcements by international companies that
Newsbytes has already covered. This week: new Apple Macintosh
hardware and software, and Microsoft Office software.

Apple Canada of Markham, Ont., joined its US parent (Newsbytes, Oct.
21) in shifting Macintosh Centris models into the Quadra lineup and
announcing new LC and PowerBook computers and a new LaserWriter
printer. The company also eliminated suggested retail prices in
Canada, saying it will quote estimated street prices instead.

In Canada, the company expects the new Macintosh LC 475 to sell for
C$2,000 to C$2,700. The Quadra 610 will range from C$3,400 to
C$4,400, and the Quadra 650 from C$4,300 to C$5,700, including
monitor, keyboard, System 7.1 operating system software, and
Ethernet local-area network interfaces. The PowerBook Duo 270c will
sell for C$5,000 to C$5,500, Apple said, and the new LaserWriter
Select 360 laser printer from C$2,300 to C$2,400. The new Performa
models unveiled in the Us were not announced in Canada.

Apple Canada has also unveiled System 7 Pro (Newsbytes, Oct. 4), an
advanced version of the System 7 operating system with Apple's
PowerTalk, QuickTime, and AppleScript extensions built in. System 7
Pro is available now from Apple Canada and its dealers.

Microsoft Canada unveiled Microsoft Office 4.0 (Newsbytes, Oct. 19),
an update to its application suite for Windows. The
Canadian list price is C$999.95, and customers who already have
any of the applications included can upgrade to the whole suite
for C$329.99. Users of competitive products can trade for
C$379.99. Microsoft Office Professional, which includes the
Access database management system, lists for C$1,199.95.

(Grant Buckler/19931025/Press Contact: Franca Miraglia, Apple
Canada, 905-513-5511; Jeff Dossett, Microsoft Canada,
905-568-0434, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00026)

Nokia Secures Second Phase Of German Digital Mobile Network 10/25/93
ESPOO, FINLAND, 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Nokia, the Finnish telecoms
company, has secured the contract for the second phase of the E-Plus
DCS1800 digital mobile phone network in Germany.

Terms of the DM 220 million ($120 million) contract call for Nokia
to supply and install a series of its DX200 electronic mobile
exchanges (EMXs) and radio base stations, as well as maintenance and
operations systems. Nokia will also be called upon to provide
services, training and equipment installation.

DCS1800 is a digital mobile cellular system which operates at 1800
megahertz (MHz) - twice the frequency of the global system for
mobile (GSM) communication networks seen elsewhere in Europe. The
main advantages of DCS1800 over GSM is that DCS has small cells,
making for better channel usage, Nokia claims. In the UK, the
Mercury One-2-One system, launched a few months ago, uses DCS1800
technology.

Plans call for the E-Plus network one of the largest Personal
Communication Networks (PCS) in the world. The network will cover
high-density urban environments and suburban areas throughout
Germany.

The E-Plus consortium estimate that the DCS-1800 network should go
live in the early part of next year. Plans call for the first cities
where the network will be up and running to be Berlin and Leipzig

The E-Plus company estimates the opening of the E-Plus network in
early 1994. The first cities where the network will be functioning
will be Berlin and Leipzig, the two largest cities in the former
Eastern Germany. By the end of 1995, the E-Plus network should cover
88 percent of Eastern Germany.

E-Plus is concentrating its efforts on getting the network up and
running in Eastern Germany first, as the Western half of the country
is well covered in terms of mobile phone networks.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931025/Press & Public Contact: Nokia - Tel: +358-8-
793-8430; [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00027)

 ****Experimental New Macintosh TV Intro'd In US 10/25/93
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Apple Computer
has put a television in its Macintosh and will begin marketing the
new combination product to consumers. Called Macintosh TV the
product is an experiment on the part of Apple to see which way the
consumer electronic wind is blowing.

Macintosh TV is similar to the Performa 460, the low-end of the new
Performa products introduced last week, but includes a compact disc
read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive as well as a television card and is
being aimed at the US educational market, Apple said. Apple is
introducing the product in consumer retail stores including Best
Buy, Select Video Concepts, Silo Yes, and Tops, through its programs
on higher education campuses, and through the Apple Catalog.

While users have been able to obtain and install a television card
for their Macintosh computers, this is the first time Apple has
offered the combination pre-installed. The advantage to television
displayed on a computer screen is that in full-screen mode the
television is much sharper and clearer than the picture on a
standard television set.

The disadvantage is that the display is only 14-inches and that
computers are normally placed on a desktop instead of in a place
where users can relax while watching. This could make it perfect for
a college dorm room, but it remains to be seen if consumers will buy
into that concept.

Apple says Macintosh TV comes cable ready and is also equipped
with a double-speed CD-ROM drive that can double as a CD player
producing high-quality stereo sound and it can display Kodak
Photocds.

A video cassette recorder (VCR), camcorder, laserdisc player, or
video game player can also be connected to the Macintosh via an RCA
port and it comes with an infrared remote that can control both the
television and the CD player. Apple claims that software is
available to accomplish frame grabbing, closed captions displays
during television watching, channel scanning, and password
protection of the television mode.

Brodie Keast, director of product marketing for the Apple Personal
Computer Division said: "With Macintosh TV, Apple extends its
popular all-in-one computer design with new media capabilities that
create a whole new category of computing and entertainment devices."

"With this special edition of the Macintosh, Apple hopes to learn
more about the needs of this market and to apply that knowledge to
future product development," he added.

Not forgetting the computer end of Macintosh TV, Apple is offering:
Clarisworks 2.0, an integrated spreadsheet, word processor, and
database program; the American Heritage Dictionary; Mavis Beacon
Teaches Typing; Homework Templates; and the Performa Click Art
Collection. CD-ROM titles bundled in with Macintosh TV include:
Grolier's Multimedia Encyclopedia; World Atlas; Space Shuttle;
Wonders of the World, Volume I; Time Almanac 1993; and the Kodak
Photo CD Sampler.

Inside, Macintosh TV is equipped with a Motorola 68030
microprocessor running at 32 megahertz (MHz), 5 megabytes (MB) of
random access memory (RAM) expandable to 8 MB, a 160 MB hard disk
and a 1.4 MB Apple Superdrive floppy disk drive. The Superdrive is
capable of reading IBM PC 1.44 MB disks via Macintosh PC Exchange
software, which must be purchased separately.

A small computer systems interface (SCSI) port is built-in that will
support up to six daisy-chained SCSI devices, such as additional
hard disk drives or an optical scanner. Two serial ports are
included for printers, modems, and Appletalk networks and two Apple
Desktop Bus (ADB) ports are available for keyboard, mouse, and other
input devices. Built-in Appletalk networking is also included.

The display is an 8-bit, 14-inch color Sony Trinitron with 640 by
480 picture element (pixel) resolution and a .26 millimeter dot
pitch capable of displaying of 256 colors. In addition, 512 K of
video RAM (VRAM) is built-in, Apple said.

Last week, Apple introduced the a low-cost line of Performa
products, including the low-end model Performa 460, starting at
$1299 and its Quadra product line now starts at just under $1000. In
this latest round of price cuts, Ian Diery, executive vice president
of Apple's personal computer division said: "We have smashed the
price barrier long associated with Apple products."

The company also announced last week it will no longer be
advertising a retail price, then offering discounts to quantity
buyers or special groups. The "Appleprice" is now the only price and
the Appleprice for Macintosh TV is $2,079.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931025/Press Contact: Betty Taylor, Apple
Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00028)

Legato's NetWorker 2.2 For NetWare Debuts 10/25/93
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Backing up
data, along with the ability to recover lost data, are two
increasingly important aspects of networking. Now Legato Systems has
announced the availability of NetWorker 2.2 for NetWare.

The company claims that the new version features new capabilities
that increase performance, simplify installation and operation, and
expand the range of supported systems and backup devices.

The package is billed as a software system that backs up all the
files on the network server or desktop system and is claimed to
allow easy recovery when a needed file is destroyed or damaged.

Enhancements include support for the NetWare 3.11, 3.12, and 4.01
operating systems, support for concurrent tape devices, client file
compression, tape duplication, built-in diagnostics and expanded
autoloader support. The company claims that using NetWorker 2.2
allows for the reduction of backup time and the automation of system
administration.

A new option -- called Concurrent Device Support (CDS) -- allows for
the writing to multiple storage devices at the same time, which cuts
the time required for overnight backups, for example. The company
also says that client file compression maximizes data throughput,
and minimizes network bandwidth usage and tape space utilization.
Increased performance comes from compressing files and volumes
during backup.

The company says the version 2.2 takes just 10 to 15 minutes to
install.

Announcing the new version, Edward Cooper, vice president of
marketing at Legato said, "NetWorker 2.2 meets the data protection
needs of the simplest to the most complex networks through
centralized management of distributed backup operations resulting in
significant cost savings."

"For example, users can be empowered to perform their own file
recovery, providing network administrators with more time to
evaluate new products, perform network maintenance and provide more
network services to their users," he added.

The company says that version 2.2 supports all the leading storage
devices and tape auto changes for 4 millimeters (mm), 8mm and
QIC formats.

Two versions of the product have been made available: NetWorker
and NetWorker Advanced. While NetWorker is reportedly best-
suited for small NetWare workgroups with a single server, the
Advanced version is targeted at NetWare departments and large
enterprise networks with multiple servers.

NetWorker for NetWare 2.2 is currently in beta testing. It is set
for shipment in later October, 1993. Pricing ranges from $750
to $7,500. Additionally, any user that is covered by the company's
six-month initial support or extended support can get updates
at no charge. Those not covered by these plans are charged a
"nominal fee," to upgrade to version 2.2.

In August, Newsbytes reported that Legato had signed a deal with
Compaq, under which the PC vendor would integrate and resell
NetWorker. Compaq plans to offer customers a complete disaster
recovery system that includes SCO Open Server and Open Desktop
products, Compaq servers, and Legato NetWorker.

(Ian Stokell/19931022/Press Contact: Suzan Woods,
415-812-6112, Legato Systems Inc.)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00029)

Banyan Posts 3Qtr Profits; Supports Apple's PowerTalk 10/25/93
WESTBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Banyan Systems
has reported net income for its third quarter ended September 30,
1993, was $3,473,000, an 88 percent increase over the prior year's
third quarter net income of $1,850,000. The company has also
announced support for Apple Computer's PowerTalk and other AOCE
products.

According to the company, net income per share was $0.19 in the 1993
third quarter, versus $0.11 per share in 1992's third quarter.
Revenues for the third quarter were $32.4 million compared with
$28.3 million in the third quarter of 1992.

For the first nine months of 1993, Banyan reported net income of
$9,745,000, or $0.53 per share, compared with $5,310,000, or $0.34
per share in the same period in 1992. Revenues for the first nine
months increased to $95.0 million from $82.9 million in the same
nine month period of last year.

Revenues from Banyan's North American business increased to $27.5
million this quarter from $23.5 million for the same period last
year. The North American software revenues increased 35 percent to
$20.1 million this quarter.

International revenues were $4.9 million compared with $4.7 million
in the third quarter of 1992. However, the company says
international software revenues were essentially flat at $3.9
million, while hardware revenues declined in this traditionally
slower seasonal quarter.

In a different announcement, Banyan says that it will support Apple
Computer's PowerTalk and other AOCE products in future releases of
its networking products. According to the company, Banyan's
Enterprise Network Services will integrate PowerTalk into the
network.

This will allow Macintosh users, the company claims, to have
"unlimited access" to information and applications anywhere on the
network, regardless of operating system or hardware platform in use.

The company claims that PowerTalk client software will provide a
strong tool for using, searching and displaying Banyan's StreetTalk
global directory service. PowerTalk delivers a  single user
interface to all Apple desktop applications and information with
"transparent" access to system resources and services, regardless of
location. Banyan's StreetTalk includes the entire global network.

By combining PowerTalk's client electronic mail directly with
Banyan's Intelligent Messaging service, users can collaborate  on an
enterprise scale. Banyan says that its Intelligent Messaging will
allow Mac users to send and receive electronic mail regardless of
location on the network or the recipient's electronic mail software
package.

(Ian Stokell/19931025/Press Contact: Gary Wolfe or Siobhan
Carroll, 508-898-1000, Banyan Systems)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00030)

Hewlett-Packard Intros Compact Printers For PC/Mac Portables 10/25/93
BRACKNELL, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 25 (NB) -- Hewlett-Packard
has introduced a series of personal printers that it claims provide
full desktop functionality and portability as well as colour
capabilities. The new family of printers includes: the HP DeskJet
310 printer for notebook PCs and the HP DeskWriter 310 printer for
MacIntosh PowerBooks.

According to HP, printing facilities on these UKP 230 machines is
similar to that of the HP DeskJet 500C and HP DeskWriter C series.
The new printers give a high quality black & white or color printing
on plain paper and other media, HP claims.

Both printers, which use thermal inkjet technology with 300 dots per
inch (DPI) resolution for printing text and graphics in both black
& white and color, print at three pages of text a minute in b&w, and
one page a minute in color mode.

As supplied in the UK, the two printers come with b&w print
cartridges. For color printing, a color kit is available for UKP
38.00. ATM and TrueType fonts are full supported by both printers,
HP officials claim.

The DeskJet 310 printer, which cimes with Windows printer drivers
and six built-in typefaces, has a centronics parallel interface,
while the DeskWriter comes with the AppleTalk interface.

According to Andrew Gunyon, HP's Inkjet Printers Program Manager,
both printers are extremely compact -- around half the size of a
notebook PC and weigh approximately 1.95 kilos (four pounds). There
is also a cut-sheet feeder unit available as a bundle for UKP
280.00. The feeder normally costs UKP 55.

"Notebook PC and Mackintosh PowerBook users who need desktop
functionality in a portable package should find these products
attractive. Full-featured printers with convenient portability are
the ones most likely to bridge the gap," explained Gunyon.

"These products are the only choice for users who need high
performance and colour printing capability on the road," he said.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931025/Press & Public Contact: Hewlett-Packard -
Tel: [phone])