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/nb090993

Text File | 1993-09-09 | 63KB | 1,425 lines

(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00001)

Japan - IBM Japan Creates Software Service Center 09/09/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- IBM Japan has set up a
software service center at its headquarters in Tokyo. The center
will provide direct service to its personal computer customers.
The firm has also released a DOS/V software catalog, and
has linked with several hardware companies for the purpose of
selling peripheral equipment.

IBM Japan's PC Software Service Center will provide
service to IBM Japan customers mainly through telephone support
and by mail. Information on, and purchase of upgrades, operating
system software, documentation, and applications are available.

IBM Japan's DOS/V Software Catalog disk contains 2,500 entries
on DOS/V programs. The data comes in database form for easy
searching. This catalog data can also be searched on personal
computer networks such as Nifty-serve and Nikkei MIX.

Meanwhile, IBM Japan has linked with several hardware firms
concerning sales of peripheral equipment: hard disk packs,
SCSI adaptors, multiple disk drive, printer sharing units, and
the memory boards. The hard disk packs are supplied by Tokyo Musen
Kizai, the SCSI adaptors are supplied by Future Domain in the US,
the disk drive and the printer sharing units are provided by KSD,
and the memory boards are supplied by Century Micro. IBM Japan has
also linked with TDC Software Engineering for sales of TDC's
easy-to-use database.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930906/Press Contact: IBM Japan, +81-
3-5563-4297, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(MOW)(00002)

Latvia - Bank Cards Introduced 09/09/93
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- The "smart card," a plastic
card with a special chip inside, is being introduced as a major
payment tool in the small city of Ventspils, Latvia. The project
promises to cover the entire nation of Latvia.

The project has been launched jointly by the Software House
Riga (SWH Riga), a large software development company in the
country, and the Union Baltic Bank.

Some five thousand cards are expected to be issued for residents
of Ventspils, the resort city on the Baltics, by the end of
the year. The card is offered free of charge. The card processing
equipment has been purchased in France, according to an SWH Riga
spokesman.

Cards are to be accepted in shops, restaurants, cafes, and by
housing administrations.

According to Valdis Lokenbahs, SWH Riga vice-president, companies are
willing to expand the service area to cover the capital city Riga
early next year.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19930909)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEL)(00003)

India's Own Cryogenic Engine Possible 09/09/93
BANGALORE, INDIA, 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- India's indigenous cryogenic
rocket engine program has made significant progress and the
first full-scale engine could be ready within two years,
according to a British journal on the aerospace industry.

The report quotes Prof R. Narasimha of the National Aerospace
Laboratories as saying that a full scale engine could be ready
within two years. Prime Minister Narasimha Rao had declared in his
Independence Day address that India would not let its space
program be stalled by Russia's suspension of the cryogenic rocket
motor capability, prompted by US sanctions.

Waiting for its own cryogenic engine would, however, push the
blast-off of the country's first GSLV (geostationary satellite
launch vehicle) ahead three years to 1998, says the journal.
As a result, India, for the first time, had to float tenders for
the launch of the INSAT 2C and 2D communication satellites,
which were originally to have been launched by the GSLV,
had it been ready in time, says the weekly.

Development of the GSLV will put India in a select group of
countries capable of putting satellites into the geostationary
orbit and it is for this reason that India wants to develop
the technology to become self-reliant in GSLV development.

India's second indigenously developed satellite INSAT 2B was
successfully launched aboard an Ariane flight on July 23 of this
year. The launch cost India Rs 990 million (around $33 million),
Rs 220 million (around $7.33 million) more than it cost to build
the satellite, which is one of the reasons India wants to develop
its own launch capability.

India has also entered the commercial launcher market, estimating
that the polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) being prepared for
its first flight in October, could capture nine launch contracts for
small satellites between 1996 and the year 2000, generating $100
million in business, according to Flight International.

In fact, it is the capability of developing countries to launch
satellites that has prompted the United States to misuse the missile
control trade regime (MTCR) due to commercial motivation, some
suggest.

(C. T. Mahabharat/19930909)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEL)(00004)

Bombay Linked By Underground Cable 09/09/93
BOMBAY, INDIA, 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- Bombay will soon have a digital
link with the rest of the world. Work has already started to lay
a fiber optic cable that will form a link for the Southeast
Asia-Middle East-Western Europe (SAE-ME-WE) project, undertaken
to provide a digital link around the globe.

The Bombay link will join the main cable in the Indian Ocean,
between Colombo and Djibouti, Africa. The British company, STC
Submarine Systems, is providing the cable that will link the city to
Djibouti. The link between India and the West and the East will be
formed when the laying of the SAE-ME-WE 2 cable is complete.

VSNL, the Indian signatory to the SAE-ME-WE project, is already
operating two submarine cables, one from Madras to Penang in
Malaysia (480 channels) and another from Bombay to Fujairah in the
United Arab Emirates (1,380 channels). For the project under
discussion, VSNL is investing Rs 250 crore (around $83.3 million).

The terminal stations and the landing points of this project are:
Singapore, Indonesia (Jakarta), Sri Lanka (Colombo), India (Bombay),
Djibouti, Saudi Arabia (Jeddah), Egypt (Suez and Alexandria), Italy
(Palermo), Tunisia (Bizette), Algeria (Algiers), France
(Marseilles), Cyprus (Pentaskhines) and Turkey (Marmaris).

The total cost of the project is approximately US$800 million and
is being shared by 52 signatories, each of whom becomes an owner in
part of the system's transmission capacity. Seven segments of the
SAE-ME-WE project are: Singapore-Jakarta (Segment 1), Jakarta-
Colombo-Bombay-Djibouti (Segment 2), Djibouti-Jeddah-Suez (Segment
3), Suez-Cairo-Alexandria (Segment 4), Alexandria-Palermo-Bizerte-
Algiers-Marseille (Segment 5), Alexandria-Pentaskhinos (Segment 6)
and Alexandria-Marmarris (Segment 7).

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930909)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00005)

Globalink's Power Translator Honored 09/09/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- Saying that international
marketing and communication are of ever-increasing importance,
Discover Magazine has announced that Power Translator, Globalink's
Spanish-English, French-English, and German-English bi-directional
translation software is the winner of the science and technology
magazine's 1993 Discover Award for Technological Innovation in
the Computer Software category.

Power Translator operates on a sentence-by-sentence basis rather
than attempting to translate documents word-by-word, so it can take
better account of idiomatic complexities of the languages.

Fairfax, Virginia-based Globalink is a small privately owned
language-manipulation software company founded in 1988.

Products, priced from $300 to about $2,000, include the MS-DOS
translation software cited by Discover, as well as a Russian-to-
English translation program and a Chinese ideogram-English
dictionary.

The more expensive Power Translator Professional is available in
MS-DOS, Macintosh, OS/2, and Unix versions.

(John McCormick/19930908/Press Contact: David Dubin, Globalink,
703-273-5600)


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

Dariana Ships WinSleuth Gold Plus 09/09/93
CYPRESS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- Dariana Software
has released WinSleuth Gold Plus, the latest offering in its
series of WinSleuth software for troubleshooting and configuring
hardware and software in the Windows desktop environment.

The original WinSleuth package, introduced in 1990, featured
analysis and reporting capabilities, along with a TuneUp module
that suggested how to optimize Windows, officials said.

A later update, WinSleuth Professional, brought the abilities to
actively test hardware, analyze DOS-level information, and detect
unused and used ports, memory addresses and interrupts. WinSleuth
Gold, rolled out in 1992, added animation and graphics for
explaining technical information, along with SmartEditors for
tuning the autoexec.bat, config.sys, system.ini, and win.ini
files.

The new WinSleuth Gold Plus ships with a library of data files that
provide DMA, IRQ and port requirements for such devices as
multimedia boards, CD-ROM drives, internal fax modems, and
scanners. The files allow for rapid, point-and-click device
installation, according to the company.

A new, customizable user interface includes help balloons and a
variety of other visual aids. Customizable motherboard graphics
pinpoint the location of bad memory chips. System operations are
demonstrated to the user through a set of new animations.

The package also includes text and chart displays of statistical
information, for quick evaluation and assessment, and a special
visual display that shows the user where the platter of a hard disk
is beginning to fail, complete with LED-style readouts of the track
and number of failures.

Another new feature helps the user to prepare a "safety disk,"
consisting of copies of the config.sys, *.ini and cmos files that
can help to restore a system when the hard disk crashes or system
files are corrupted.

WinSleuth Gold Plus also brings support for DoubleSpace and MS/PC-
DOS 6.x, the company said. Other new capabilities include external
loopback testing for serial and parallel ports, new "TuneUp tips"
aimed at wringing the best performance out of autoexec.bat and
config.sys files, and new performance benchmarks for disks, memory,
video and processors.

WinSleuth Gold Plus requires Windows 3.1, MS/PC-DOS 3.3 or higher,
at least 4 MB of RAM, 4 MB of hard disk space, a VGA or higher
display, and a mouse supported by Windows.

The suggested retail price is $189, but the package will be
available through January 1 at a special introductory price of
$99.95. Also through January 1, users of Norton Utilities, PC
Tools, and Dariana's System Sleuth Professional and WinSleuth Gold
will be able to upgrade for $59.95 direct from Dariana.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930906/Reader contact: Dariana Software, tel
800-892-9950; Press contact: Steven J. Leon, Technopolis
Communications for Dariana, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00007)

Planix Software Permits Office Redesign In Windows 09/09/93
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- If you need to
redesign your office at home or work, but you don't know where to
start, Foresight Resources has a new, Windows-based package that
can help.

According to Carol Walton, marketing manager for Foresight, 85% of
all business office remodeling is currently done inhouse, without
the help of professional designers, meaning that managers of
accounting, sales and engineering departments are carrying out a
task for which they are typically unprepared.

Planix: Visual Office Management Software for Windows aims to
simplify that task by supplying office space drawing and planning
tools as well as spreadsheet-style management reports.

The tools allow accurate production of a scaled drawing of the
office -- complete with such objects as office furniture, systems
equipment, and people -- even if the user is "all thumbs" when it
comes to drawing, Walton said.

As objects are placed into the drawing, management reports can be
simultaneously produced. Report topics include furniture and
equipment inventories, parts lists, personnel directories, software
programs registered to each user, space allocation by department or
lessor, and itineraries of network, phone and electrical systems.
Custom reports can also be created.

To start generating the scaled drawing, the user first enters the
room measurements, and then uses draw-and-drop icons to add doors
and windows, Walton said. Office copiers, computers, and other
furniture and equipment are then selected from an extensive set of
symbol libraries.

If a desired object does not exist in the libraries, the user can
employ a built-in drawing program to modify an existing symbol or
create a new one.

As objects are inserted into the floor plan, they are added to a
built-in database that is used to generate the reports. The report
data can be displayed on screen, printed out, modified, or cut and
pasted to Windows-based spreadsheets or word processing programs.

The symbol libraries are organized by category, selected by
clicking on icons, and placed through drag-and-drop. The libraries
include system furniture configurations and groups of furniture for
private offices and meeting rooms as well as individual objects.

Users who can obtain floor plans from their architects or landlords
can import that data, and start planning the office without
inputting building and room dimensions, Walton added. The program
is directly compatible with AutoCAD DWG and DXF files, and also
reads other PC CAD formats, including Drafix Windows.

Walton said that Planix can also be used to plan the arrangement of
office cubicles, generate instructions for the installation of new
phone or computer networks, and print out office "maps" for new
employees, embellished with co-workers' names, phone extensions,
and e-mail addresses.

Planix carries a suggested retail price of $249, but is currently
available in retail outlets for an introductory price of $99.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930906/Reader contact: Foresight, tel 800-231-
8574; Press contact: Carol Walton, Foresight, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00008)

Hong Kong University Gets Digital Network 09/09/93
CLEARWATER BAY, HONG KONG, 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- The Hong Kong
University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is upgrading its
campus network with new networking technology from Digital
Equipment.

Digital's GIGAswitch is an intelligent crossbar switch that
provides multiple parallel connections. Adaptable to customer
needs, it provides a seamless growth path to third-generation data
networks supporting transmission rates at a gigabit-per-second
level.

HKUST will purchase two GIGAswitch systems to add to its fibre
distributed data interface (FDDI) backbone network, providing an
immediate increase in network bandwidth and paving the way for a
possible "workstation farm" project in the future. A workstation
farm is a cluster of workstations connected together to share
information and resources in what appears to be a single system.

"There is nothing quite like Digital's GIGAswitch on the market
today," said Dr Max Ivey, director of HKUST's Centre of Computing
Services and Telecommunications. "It has very fast switching
capability and integrates very smoothly into our existing
network."

According to Ivey, a key benefit of the new switching device is
that it will enable HKUST to preserve the performance of its
backbone network despite a growing user base and increasing demand
for network resources as workstation technology develops. "The
GIGAswitch will play an important role in allowing us to extend
our network into the future," he said.

HKUST plans to use the GIGAswitch to support research projects
involving intensive computation in such disciplines as physics,
chemistry, biology, mechanical engineering, civil and structural
engineering, and electrical engineering.

"GIGAswitch networking technology provides for high bandwidth, high
performance computing requirements characteristic of advanced,
research-oriented institutions such as HKUST," said Bruce Dahl,
general manager of Digital Equipment Hong Kong Ltd.

"The GIGAswitch units that HKUST is purchasing provide a
cost-effective way to support intensive computational tasks, as
distributed high performance workstations can be used to do the
number-crunching instead of more expensive central systems."

Field testing of the GIGAswitch units has been in progress since
July, making HKUST the only site in Asia that has externally
field-tested this new technology.

The university will connect the switches to its production network
to change the configuration from a single FDDI ring to multiple
FDDI rings, all linked by high-speed crossbar switches. The two
GIGAswitch devices will be used to isolate different groups of
users into FDDI sub-nets, to speed up data traffic and avoid
overloading the backbone.

Network management for the GIGAswitch is provided via the industry
standard Simple Network Management Protocol.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is one of the
largest and earliest FDDI users in Asia. When the university
received its first batch of students in October 1992, a campus
network based on Digital's FDDI technology was already in place.
The first phase of the network linked the university's main
data processing and storage systems with some 1,500 PCs and
workstations located in lecture halls and accommodation for
both staff and students.

(Keith Cameron/19930908/Press Contact: Vivian Chan (Digital):
852 - 805 3013)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00009)

Government Reorganization Plan May Spur Computer Sales 09/09/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- While Vice President
Al Gore was doing the talk-show circuit, emphasizing the
silliness of government purchasing regulations by breaking an
ashtray on the David Letterman Show, many people missed the
bottom line for the computer industry if, as many doubt, the Gore
recommendations on streamlining the federal bureaucracy are
actually implemented.

Federal Acquisition Requirements, or FARs, are so gigantic that
companies publish them on CD-ROM discs, and many suppliers find
that they are inadvertently violating those complex regulations
despite their best efforts to comply.

This, and the highly complex negotiations with the General
Services Administration needed to get computer hardware and
software listed on the GSA Microcomputer Schedule, or the years
of effort and millions of dollars needed to win a major contract
such as Desktop IV, means that it is very difficult for federal
employees to obtain state-of-the-art computers which ordinary
citizens and/or businesses can buy either at their local computer
store or through mail-order houses.

One of the most important places where Vice President Gore's
simplification initiative is expected to have some impact is in
reducing the red tape and paperwork required for a government
agency or manager to make a simple purchase from a computer
company.

Unfortunately, virtually every President for the past four
decades has tried to simplify and reduce government and has found
himself blocked by the gigantic bureaucracy or by Congress, or by
both together.

While implementation of the Administration's new plan would
certainly increase sales of hot new computers and software to
government agencies, at the same time improving the level of
service available from agencies such as the IRS and Social
Security Administration, few Washington insiders see much hope
that any real changes will take place.

(John McCormick/19930909/)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00010)

AEA Supports NAFTA 09/09/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- The battle for and
against NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, which
would eventually create a single gigantic trading block reaching
from Alaska to Mexico with few import/export restrictions or
tariffs, surged into high gear as the end of summer was signaled
by the Labor Day holiday.

The Clinton Administration and Republican lawmakers on one
side are arrayed against trade unions, some powerful
Democratic Congressmen, and Ross Perot on the opposition side.

This week the 3,000-member American Electronics Association (AEA)
chimed in on the side of the Administration, saying that the cut
in tariffs on US high-technology products such as computers
will mean that companies wanting to sell into the emerging
Mexican market will no longer need to locate factories south of
the border just to avoid duties currently imposed by Mexico on
US imports.

According to AEA Chairman Arnold N. Silverman, "the demand for
US products in Mexico has grown 167 percent since 1986." He
also said, "Mexico is our [the US's] third largest trading
partner. We must not let this opportunity slip through our
fingers."

The most visible and vocal opponent of NAFTA is former
Presidential candidate Ross Perot, who is the co-author of a
recently published book that claims the trade agreement will cost
the jobs of a large number of US workers.

Reporters and analysts have pointed out that some of the numbers
in Mr. Perot's book appear to be what they call "cooked," and
several have pointed out that when he quotes Congressional Budget
Office reports saying that a certain number of jobs will be lost
he ignores other parts of the same report which point to an
overall gain in jobs.

Meanwhile, a Wall Street Journal report today says that Mr.
Perot's son apparently expects to profit from trade with Mexico
through a foreign free-trade zone permit issued to his company by
the federal government. Under such free-trade zone agreements,
companies can avoid many import/export fees.

(John McCormick/19930909/Press Contact: Theresa Pugh, AEA, 202-
682-4455)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00011)

AST Forms $16M Joint Venture With China 09/09/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- Following closely on
its purchase of Tandy's manufacturing operation, Irvine,
California-based AST Research has set its eyes on the world's
largest potential computer market by forming a joint venture with
the Tianjin Economic-Technological Area Business Development Co.,
a Chinese government agency established by the Tianjin Electronic
and Instrumental Industry Authority and governed by China's
Ministry of Electronic Industry.

Under the terms of the joint venture, AST Research, which was the
first major company to sell personal computers in China, will
invest up to $16 million in a plant to produce PCs for sale to
private businesses and individuals. According to CNBC's business
report today, 90 percent of existing PCs in China are owned by
the government.

Although the Chinese Communist government will retain a presence
in the operation, AST says that it will retain 90 percent
ownership in the venture.

Existing AST facilities are located in the US, Hong Kong,
Taiwan, and Scotland.

Because of the recent acquisition of Tandy's Grid notebook
division, it is expected that AST will quickly develop a
significant presence in the pen-based computer market which is
especially important in Far East countries like China which do
not use an alphabet and thus are not comfortable with keyboard-
based computers.

With fiscal-year 1993 revenues of $1.4 billion, AST now
manufactures computers sold under the AST, Tandy, Grid, and
Victor brand names. The product line ranges from network file
servers to notebook and pen-based computers.

(John McCormick/19930909/Press Contact: Emory Epperson, AST
Research, 714-727-7958)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00012)

Japanese Windows NT Due In December 09/09/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- Microsoft (Tokyo) plans to
release Japanese Windows NT in December. Microsoft will
beta test the operating system with 3,500 PC users this month.

10 Japanese personal computer firms, including NEC and Fujitsu,
have announced plans to simultaneously release Japanese
Windows NT on their personal computers in December. The firms
are also participating in the Microsoft test -- NEC plans to
offer the software to 2,000 PC-9801 users. Fujitsu will
test the software with 4,000 users of the FMR family.

Microsoft's Windows NT's menu and icon are expected to be
the same as those in Japanese Windows 3.1. However, Japanese
Windows NT supports advanced features for client/server-type
corporate information systems. It also supports a large scale
server system.

Japanese Windows NT will offer 32-bit multitasking for
both Intel and RISC-based chip. Network features are also included
in this operating system.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930908/Press Contact: Microsoft, +81-
3-5454-2300)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00013)

Wellfleet Licenses APPN From Data Connection  09/09/93
BILLERICA, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- Taking
another step toward supporting IBM's Advanced Peer-to-Peer
Networking (APPN) architecture, Wellfleet Communications, Inc.,
has licensed APPN technology from Data Connection Ltd. of London.

Wellfleet obtained the right to use Data Connection's SNAP APPN
Network Node software to provide APPN support on its
multiprotocol routers.

Wellfleet products based on the technology are under development
and are likely to reach the market in the second half of next
year, said company spokeswoman Martha Schaefer.

Earlier, Wellfleet signed an agreement with IBM giving it rights
to IBM's APPN patents, trademarks, and copyrights. This allows
Wellfleet to sell routers that include Network Node software and
to label its products as APPN-compliant.

Wellfleet said it plans to support existing 3270 applications and
new client/server applications over APPN networks, continue
supporting current networks and devices, make its products work
with those of other vendors, and maintain compatibility with IBM
network architectures as they evolve.

The company said it chose Data Connection's technology because it
is well-suited to a high-performance multiprocessor architecture
and because Data Connection has more than 10 years' experience in
adapting its technology to third-party products.

(Grant Buckler/19930909/Press Contact: Martha Schaefer, Wellfleet
Communications, 508-436-3655)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00014)

IBM Launches Feature-Packed Notebooks  09/09/93
SOMERS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- Hoping to repeat the
success of earlier ThinkPad models, IBM has launched the ThinkPad
750 series, which brings to the notebook line new multimedia
capabilities still rare in portable computers.

The new notebooks have built-in stereo audio subsystems, with
jacks for microphones, headphones, or speakers. Options promised
by early next year include an add-on device that will let users
display a television or video signal on the ThinkPad 750's
screen, and a mobile communications module for wireless
telephone, facsimile, and electronic mail.

Another option, IBM VoiceType Control speech recognition
software, will let users control the machines with spoken
commands.

The new ThinkPad 750 line includes four models. The basic 750 is
a monochrome notebook, though it can be upgraded to an
active matrix color screen or one that accepts pen input. The
750P accepts pen as well as keyboard input. The 750Cs has a
9.5-inch, dual-scan, passive matrix color display. Finally, the
750C has a 10.4-inch, active matrix color display.

All four models use a 33-megahertz (MHz) 486SL processor, and
come with a Personal Computer Memory Card Interface Association
(PCMCIA) Type III slot, as much as 20 megabytes (MB) of memory,
and a choice of 170-MB or 340-MB hard disk drive.

All four also use the TrackPoint pointing device, a small lever
mounted in the middle of the keyboard to take the place of a
mouse or trackball.

In spite of their special multimedia capabilities, the machines
are expected to appeal to a broad market, an IBM spokesperson
said.

The ThinkPad Dock I docking station provides a full-size Industry
Standard Architecture (ISA) expansion slot, and support for as
many as five Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) internal or
external devices, with one SCSI drive bay that can hold an
optional compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive. The Dock I
also includes built-in stereo speakers and a battery charger.

There are also two port replicators meant to allow easy
connection to a network when in the office. The Port Replicator I
has a PCMCIA Type III slot, while the Port Replicator II does
not.

In the first quarter of 1994, IBM plans to provide the ThinkPad
TV Tuner module, a device that will let users plug TV or video
feeds into the notebook and see them displayed on the screen. To
use this option, ThinkPad 750 owners will need to take out the
notebook's removable diskette drive. The TV Tuner module will
fit in the space vacated by the drive.

Users can also remove the diskette drive to lighten the machine
when travelling, IBM said. Without the diskette drive, the basic
750 weighs five pounds, while the other models weigh up to 6.1
pounds. The diskette drive adds half a pound to the weight, the
company said.

Removing the disk drive will also make room for another
option, a cellular digital packet data module called the ThinkPad
CDPD. This will allow for wireless phone, fax, or electronic mail
communication, and is due to be available in the first quarter of
next year.

IBM claimed the 750 offers impressive battery life. The company
said the 750 and 750P will run for about 12 hours in typical use
and the color models will run about eight hours.

IBM PC Direct catalog prices are: $3,199 for the ThinkPad 750
with 170-MB hard disk; $3,749 for the 750 with 340-MB hard disk;
$3,749 for the 750P with 170-MB hard disk; $4,299 for the 750P
with 340-MB hard disk; $3,899 for the 750Cs with 170-MB hard
disk; $4,449 for the 750Cs with 340-MB hard disk; $4,699 for the
750C with 170-MB hard disk; and $5,249 for the 750C with 340-MB
hard disk.

All models are available now, IBM said, except the 750Cs, which
is due to be available by the end of November.

The ThinkPad Dock I is also available now at $899, while the Port
Replicator I and II are available now at $299 and $109
respectively.

The machines have a three-year warranty.

(Grant Buckler/19930909/Press Contact: Jonathan Gandal, IBM,
914-766-1425; Michael Reiter, 914-766-1898)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00015)

Unisys Creates Client/Server Business Unit  09/09/93
BLUE BELL, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- If the
activities of large computer vendors are anything to go by, the
client/server market is hot. Close on the heels of a major IBM
announcement aimed at making the midrange AS/400 system more
appealing to client/server customers, Unisys has created a
business unit devoted to client/server computing.

The Unisys Client/Server Systems business unit essentially takes
the company's existing client/server group out from under the
umbrella of its Computer Systems Group and turns it into an
independent business unit, company spokesman Brian Daly said. The
move gives the client/server group more responsibility for
marketing as well as developing client/server products.

The unit now has full responsibility for development and
marketing of Unix servers, client/server workstation systems,
personal computers, and related network products, company
officials said.

Unisys named Donald E. Coleman to the post of president of Unisys
Client/Server Systems. Before joining Unisys in March, Coleman
was president and managing director of the Tucson, Arizona,
software firm Ventana Corp., and before that he was a
vice-president at NCR Corp.

Based in San Jose, California, the new unit is a fully integrated
profit center, operating within Unisys as though it were an
independent company, but drawing on Unisys corporate services and
technology resources.

It has more than 2,500 employees worldwide, with more than 1,000
of these in the United States, Daly said. Over all, Unisys has
about 52,000 employees.

In 1992, client/server hardware accounted for about $1.1 billion,
or 13 percent of Unisys' $8.4 billion in worldwide sales. That
figure does not include related software and services, Daly
noted.

Within the business unit are three groups: the Unix Systems
Division, responsible for Unisys U 6000 line of Unix desktop and
server systems; the PC Systems Division, responsible for the
Unisys PW2 Advantage and Advantage Plus personal computers; and
the Distributed Systems Division, responsible for Unisys CTOS
systems and products using the Microsoft Windows NT operating
system.

(Grant Buckler/19930909/Press Contact: Brian Daly, Unisys,
215-986-2214, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00016)

IBM Offers OS/2 Publications On CD-ROM  09/09/93
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- IBM has announced that
the OS/2 Online Book Collection, the first compact disc read-only
memory (CD-ROM) compilation of OS/2-related documents, is now
available worldwide.

The disk contains the text and graphics of more than 100 product
manuals, publications, and white papers, all published by IBM, a
spokeswoman for the company said. According to the company the
contents would cost about $1,000 if purchased separately, but the
list price for the CD-ROM is $49.

The CD-ROM also contains the IBM Library Reader, which lets users
view books under OS/2 or DOS and provides search and retrieval
functions. Tools included on the CD-ROM let users upload books to
a workstation hard disk or a mainframe, the company said.

"Now, instead of paging through books, users and developers can
find the answers they need through a quick CD-ROM search," said
Wally Casey, director of marketing for IBM's Personal Software
Products business unit, in a prepared statement.

Books are grouped into "bookshelves" such as OS/2 Product
Documentation, OS/2 Technical Library, Communications Manager,
LAN Server, and Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
(TCP/IP) for OS/2. Users can also create customized bookshelves
that contain only the books they refer to most often, IBM said.

(Grant Buckler/19930909/Press Contact: Rob Crawley, IBM,
512-823-1779; MeeLin Sit, Brodeur & Partners for IBM,
914-251-5996; Public Contact: IBM, 800-3-IBM-OS2)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00017)

PacTel Split Hits Roadblock 09/09/93
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- A judge
threw a roadblock in front of Pacific Telesis' plan to split its
unregulated and regulated business units, saying more study is
needed. After Administrative Law Judge Greg Wheatland's decision
was announced, the price of PacTel stock on US exchanges fell.

PacTel had said last December it wanted to split itself in two,
with its wireless businesses getting most top executives,
including Chairman Sam Ginn, and its regulated phone networks in
California and Nevada getting most of the assets. Since then, the
company says it has submitted 10,000 documents, taken part in two
days of public workshops, and held over a week of hearings on the
subject.

Its reaction to Judge Wheatland, in a press statement,
was fairly angry, but the company remains confident it will win
in the end, since the Judge's recommendation is not binding.

The final decision will be made by the California Public
Utilities Commission, but Wheatland raised a new possibility in
his opinion. He suggested that the wireless unit fork over up to
$500 million in cash to the wireline unit as "compensation" to
ratepayers for work done in developing wireless communications.
Pacific Telesis flatly rejects this, saying the investment was
by shareholders. Wheatland also suggested that loss of the
wireless unit might mean rate increases for regulated consumers.

Wheatland's decision now goes to the commission, which cannot
reject the split outright, but might attach conditions like
payments to the wireline company or as the judge suggests,
request more information. One commissioner, Norman Shumway, is
already on record favoring a quick decision to allow the split.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930909)


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

America Online SW To Be Installed On Sharp's "Newton" 09/09/93
VIENNA, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- The America Online
service said it signed an alliance with Sharp Electronics to
pre-install its software on Sharp's new PT-9000 personal digital
assistant (PDA) starting this fall. The PT-9000 is Sharp's version
of  the Apple Newton.

AOL has been very aggressive in the PDA market. In January,
it announced its software would be bundled with Tandy and Casio's
Zoomer. Apple has also reached an agreement to use America
Online's software in its own future online services linked to the
Apple Newton.

While some consider the PT-9000 a "clone" of the Newton, Sharp
insists the products are quite different. The PT-9000 has more
standard equipment, and a slightly different physical look. Sharp
is also trying to add software to the bundle, and recently signed
a deal with Palm Computing to bundle its Palm Organizer product
with the PT-9000. Palm had previously announced a bundling deal
with Casio and Tandy for their Zoomer product. The Palm Organizer
runs under the Geos operating system, not the Newton system, so
that system too is being added to the Sharp product.

AOL is currently the fourth-largest consumer online service,
according to market analysts, with over 325,000 members. It
trails Prodigy, CompuServe and GEnie. AOL is the only one of
the four which is publicly held -- the others are divisions of
larger companies which don't report their financial results
separately.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930909/Press Contact: Jean Villanueva,
America Online, 703-883-1675; Palm Computing, Ed Colligan,
415/949-9742)


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

Cellular Test Of Personal Phone Numbers 09/09/93
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- Two
cellular operators -- Sprint and Comcast -- said they will test
a new personal phone number service using BellSouth software.
The software links cellular calls, fax calls, pager calls, and
regular phone calls onto a single phone number which follows its
owner. Sprint's long distance network will also be used as part
of the test.

Some 160 customers will participate in the two trials, and
results will be shared to refine the service before a commercial
roll-out. The services enable users to program where they wish to
receive calls in priority order and by the time and day.  They
also offer a variety of other productivity features, including
alerting on important calls, offering the option of accepting or
storing incoming faxes, and integrating with services such as
voice mail. The service can also bypass an expensive cellular
line if it detects the customer is using a less-expensive
business phone line.

The plan is for calls made by the 160 to be linked using Sprint's
long distance network to BellSouth Enterprises in Atlanta, where
the software is maintained. Under a contract with Comcast
Cellular, Sprint also will begin providing long distance service
to the company's cellular customers.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930909/Press Contact: Melissa Nichols Comcast
Cellular, 215-975-5123; Norman Black, Sprint, 404-859-6096; Tim
Kline, BellSouth, 404-249-4135)


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

New TransAtlantic Fiber Optic Cable 09/09/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- AT&T announced
that service will start September 10 on its TAT-11 trans-Atlantic
fiber cable.

The new system runs from Manahawkin, NJ in the United States to
Swansea in the United Kingdom and Saint Hilaire in France. It has a
capacity to handle the equivalent of 80,000 simultaneous phone
conversations.

TAT-11 joins TAT-10, a cable AT&T placed in service last year,
and the two systems are linked. That means that if either one
fails, service is restorable immediately, AT&T said. The two
cables have identical capacity.

AT&T's Submarine Systems unit installed more than 2,000 miles of
the  TAT-11 cable system under contract to the owners, a
consortium of international phone companies. There are three
fiber pairs in the cable, each of which transmit at 560 million
bits/second. AT&T supplied over half the repeaters used in the
system, which are designed to last 25 years.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930909/Press Contact: AT&T, James Barnes,
201/644-7041)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00021)

Frame Relay Service Launched In Canada 09/09/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- Bell Canada has
launched HyperStream, a frame relay service aimed at customers
who want high-speed data transmission but do not have private
networks.

Frame relay is meant to connect local-area networks (LANs) at
different locations. The technology is a kind of variation on the
packet-switching model widely used in long-haul data
communications networks. It is faster than the widely used X.25
packet switching standard, mainly because it does no
error-checking. This is possible because local and wide-area
networking protocols do their own error checking today.

According to Bell, HyperStream is good for linking local-area
networks (LANs) to other LANs at different sites and to host
computers, and for creating wide-area networks (WANs). The
service can carry data at 56 kilobytes per second (Kbps) or at
1.5 megabytes per second (Mbps).

Financial institutions, multi-campus universities, and government
offices are among the likely customers for the service, Bell
officials said.

As an example of the service's speed, Bell said a spreadsheet
file that would have taken 29 seconds to transmit using the
fastest services available up to now would be sent in about five
seconds using HyperStream.

Bell is not the first with frame relay service in Canada.
Edmonton Telephones, an independent company service the city of
Edmonton, Alberta, claimed that distinction when it launched its
own frame relay service on a limited basis in July.

Customers will pay a monthly charge of C$300 for Bell's 56-Kbps
service or $375 for the 1.5-Mbps service. In addition, they will
be charges 12 cents per megabyte of data transmitted within
Bell's operating territory (the provinces of Ontario and Quebec)
and 18 cents per megabyte for national transmissions, a company
spokeswoman said.

The service is available now. An international service is planned
by year-end, provided telecommunications regulators give their
approval, the company said.

HyperStream is the first communications service to result from an
alliance formed a year ago by Stentor, the alliance of Canadian
regional telephone companies that includes Bell Canada, and MCI
Communications, the US-based long-distance carrier.

(Grant Buckler/19930909/Press Contact: Lissa Ellsmere, Bell
Canada, 416-581-4253)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00022)

European HDTV Funding Resolved; Large Grants Available 09/09/93
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- The European Commission (EC)
has announced that it wants TV broadcasters to submit their plans
for high definition television (HDTV) programming by the end of
September, in order to qualify for a special grant.

The surprise decision to allow TV channels, as well as producers
(who have until October 15 to submit their plans), to receive a
grant for their programming comes in the wake of an EC plan to
offer grants totalling 228 million European Currency Units (ECUs)
over the next four years to anyone involved in HDTV program
production and broadcasts.

To assist anyone interested in the grants, the EC has called a
special "open day" for September 13 at the Albert Borschette Center
in Brussels for officials to offer themselves for questioning.

Newsbytes notes that the grants for HDTV programming and technology
development are a mere shadow of previously set EC plans, which were
blocked by several EC member countries, including the British
Government.

(Steve Gold/19930909)


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

Rupert Murdoch Firms Up Digital Satellite Plans 09/09/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- Rupert Murdoch, the millionaire
magnate behind the British Sky Broadcasting (BSB) satellite TV
network in the UK, has revealed he has signed a deal to develop a
common international satellite TV system.

"We have been for some time developing the means with which people
will access the almost infinite wealth of programming and services
(which) digital compression will bring the consumer," Murdoch said,
adding that he has now signed a contract with National
Transcommunications Limited (NTL), the UK telecom research company,
as well as Comstream, the US high technology firm.

The contract was signed last between News International, Murdoch's
media company, and NTL plus Comstream.

Although Murdoch has given no further details of the agreement,
industry sources suggest that the digital TV system will be tested
on the Astra 1D satellite which is scheduled to begin transmissions
some time next year. The Astra 1A, 1B and 1C satellites, which
between them, carry 48 satellite stations across Europe, work to
analog standards.

Using digital transmission standards could, in theory, increase the
number of channels per transponder from one to eight, meaning that a
16-transponder satellite such as Astra 1D could carry as many as 128
different channels.

In the short term, there are unlikely to be many broadcast
channels available, Newsbytes notes. Instead, what is likely to
happen is that the same movie will be transmitted on eight different
channels, each channel staggered by 15 minutes from the others. So,
no matter what time a viewer tunes in to a movie, s/he would wait no
longer than 15 minutes for it to start.

(Steve Gold/19930909)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00024)

Hayes To Bundle BVRP Software 09/09/93
FLEET, HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- Dennis Hayes,
cofounder and president of Hayes Microcomputer Corporation, the
communications company, was in London earlier this week to discuss
his upcoming plans with members of the press. During the
discussions, Newsbytes learned that the company has signed an
agreement with BVRP Software, a French company, to bundle BVRP
software with Hayes modems in the future.

Newsbytes understands that plans also call for Hayes to market
BVRP's communications package as a stand-alone package through its
international network of distributors. The deal effectively gives
BVRP access to the global communications software marketplace.

BVRP is a French PME company. PME stands for "petite et moyenne
entreprise," or in English -- a small to medium-sized company.
The company specializes in communications software for the PC.

According to Dennis Hayes, the agreement with BVRP provides a
lot more than the simple bundling or sale of the French company's
software. In the longer term, plans call for the customization of
the BVRP software for different markets and the defining of future
Hayes and BVRP products.

Newsbytes notes that BVRP has been quietly establishing a name for
itself outside of its native France for the past three years.
The company's software is sold in parts of Spain and in Germany.

The French Ministry of Enterprises has congratulated BVRP Software,
and says it is a talented PME which did not hesitate,
in a difficult environment, to invest and take risks in order to
succeed in exporting its technology.

Alain Madelin, the French Minister of Enterprises, is said to have
given his backing to the agreement, which was concluded last week
between Dennis Hayes and Bruno Vanryb, BVRP's managing director.

BVRP Software was founded in 1984 by Bruno Vanryb and Roger Politis.
The company's turnover in 1992 was FFr 20 million. Today, the French
company has a staff of 20 people.

(Steve Gold/19930909/Press & Public Contact: Hayes - Tel: 0252-
775500; email on the Internet: [e-mail])


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

UK - Mercury's One-2-One Tariffs Cause A Stir 09/09/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- Just 48 hours after Mercury
officially announced its One-2-One digital mobile phone network in
London, industry analysts have been buzzing over the company's
decision to allow personal subscribers to make local phone calls to
subscribers on the BT network free of charge.

There are two tariffs on the network -- "personalcall" at UKP 12-50 a
month and "businesscall" at UKP 20-00 a month. Sign-up to the
network costs UKP 20. Usage charges vary for national calls between
10 and 25 pence a minute for personalcall subscribers and 8 and 16
pence a minute for businesscall subscribers.

Only personalcall subscribers get the free local calls -- as defined
by the BT area groupings -- between 7pm and 7am Monday through
Saturday and all day Sunday.

According to some sources in the telecom trade, the decision to
offer free calls during off-peak hours may be construed as a cross-
subsidy by Oftel, the Government-sponsored telecom watchdog,
assuming another company (competitor) or user makes a complaint.

When British Telecom first introduced digital phone exchanges in the
1970s, this Newsbytes bureau was allowed to hear about informal
discussions between BT and Government agencies over different
ways of marketing BT's services. At the time, the prospect of
flat-rate local call charges -- as exist in the US -- was
discussed and the decision was that it could be construed as
a cross-subsidy.

British Telecom, meanwhile, apparently in a fit of pique, has
started a counter-campaign in the media against One-to-One. Some
industry experts have pointed out that, despite the relatively high
cost of getting a One-2-One phone (UKP 250 hardware cost plus UKP 20
sign-up and UKP 12-50 a month subscription), the free local calls
during off-peak times are a major plus point in One-2-One's favor.

In certain heavy usage situations, for example, a One-2-One line can
be cheaper than a conventional landline, although Newsbytes notes
that national calls cost between 10 and 25 pence a minute on the
personalcall tariff.

(Steve Gold/19930909/Press & Public Contact: One-2-One, US West -
Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00026)

IBM Japan Launches VAN Service In Thailand 09/09/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- IBM Japan will begin an
international VAN (value-added network) service in Thailand in
cooperation with Thailand's national telecom firm CAT.

IBM Japan and CAT will spend 10 billion yen ($100 million)
to create VAN system starting in October. Through this
VAN, network users in Thailand will be connected to other
networks in the world.

The actual business will be run by IBM Japan's subsidiary IBM
Japan Service (SBC) at CAT's office in Bangkok. To start, SBC
and CAT will connect with IBM Singapore's international VAN,
which connects the network in over 90 countries.

Most foreign firms in Thailand are currently using public
phone lines for computer and fax communication. However, through
this network, communication is expected to be simplified and
costs will be reduced.

It will cost $100 million to create the VAN system. SBC expects
to make $30 to $40 million in sales for the first year. Some
50 corporate users are expected to subscribe during the first year.

Thailand's telecommunication network systems are behind most
of the developed world due to various regulations. Those
concerning Japan were finally eliminated following an agreement
between the Thai government and Japan in 1992. IBM
Japan is the first to cash in on the lucrative telecom market in
Thailand. The firm is planning to gain access to the telecom
markets in other Asian countries such as China and Indonesia.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930908/Press Contact: IBM Japan, +81-
3-3586-1111, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00027)

UK - Apricot Extends Xen-PC Family 09/09/93
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- Apricot has announced an
addition to its Xen-PC range of machines, the 486DX2-66, a 66
megahertz (MHz) 80486DX2 processor-driven system. The machine is
available immediately from all of the company's resellers in the UK
at prices starting from UKP 1,599.

For this money, users get a machine equipped with 4 megabytes (MB)
of memory and a 160MB hard disk. A 240MB hard disk system will cost
UKP 1,699. Newsbytes understands that these prices include a color
monitor, MS-DOS 6.0 and Windows 3.1 with a mouse.

Announcing the machines, Chris Buckham, Apricot's group marketing
director, said that they will continue to fuel the success of the
Xen-PC range "which, in only two months, has outstripped our best
expectations and won many thousands of new users over to Apricot."

Buckham claims that, at these prices, the machines are so price-
competitive that they undercut pricing from the company's main
competitors by as much as UKP 400.

"Also, as we continue to support our resellers with healthy margins,
there is plenty of scope for our channel to match the best prices
the direct operations can throw at them," he said.

The Xen-PC range of machines is based on 486SX-25, 486DX-33 and
486DX2-66 processors. All systems come with 4MB of RAM as standard,
upgradable to 64MB, a CD-ROM (compact disc read-only memory)
interface on the motherboard, accelerated EVGA graphics, and a
choice of 80, 160 and 240MB hard drives. Prices include a 14-inch
low emission SVGA monitor with 14, and 17-inch color Triniton
monitors available as optional extras.

(Steve Gold/19930909/Press & Public Contact: Apricot - Tel; 021-717-
7171; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(BOS)(00028)

$77M Expansion For NatSemi In Maine 09/09/93
PORTLAND, MAINE, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- To help meet the needs
of the expanding wireless communications marketplace, National
Semiconductor Corporation is adding a $77 million BiCMOS (bipolar
complementary metal oxide semiconductor) Center for Excellence to
its facility in Portland, Maine.

National Semiconductor is using BiCMOS technology to manufacture
advanced SiRF (silicon radio frequency) mixed-signal chips, company
officials explained.

These products include the DECT (Digital European Cordless
Telecommunications) transceiver chip set and the PLLatinum PLL
(Phased Locked Loop) frequency synthesizer line implemented in
cellular phones and other wireless communications systems in the US
and Europe. BiCMOS technology is also used to drive portable PCs
and computer networks.

National Semiconductor's manufacturing thrust is to develop key
manufacturing centers to mirror the company's market areas. The
Portland site will be the third Center for Excellence to be
established. Arlington, Texas is the home of National
Semiconductor's CMOS Center for Excellence. The Center for
Excellence for Analog-Intensive Markets is located in Greenock,
Scotland.

South Portland was chosen for the BiCMOS expansion due to the
quality record of the plant and the technical expertise of the
workforce, officials maintained.

Physical expansion of the facility will add an additional 12,000
square feet to the 440,000 square feet of manufacturing space
already in existence. The existing space is already set for
conversion of 5-inch wafer manufacturing lines to 6-inch wafer
manufacturing lines, a move designed to allow production of
circuits containing elements as small as 0.8 micron in a Class 1
cleanroom setting.

The 30 new jobs created by the expansion will include professional
and production slots for technicians, maintenance specialists,
production operators, and engineering support. Most positions will
be filled from within the South Portland facility and the
surrounding community, according to the company.

Design activities and other preparations for the Center for
Excellence have already begun. Full production is expected to
start in the summer of next year.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930909/Press contact: Roberta Silverstein,
National Semiconductor, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00029)

Quicken 3 For Windows Cuts Data Entry W/ Calendar 09/09/93
MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- Intuit
claims the best new feature in Quicken 3 for Windows is its new
calendar that looks like a paper calendar and can be used to
schedule automated payments, record past activity, or just mark
an upcoming event. Intuit claims the calendar metaphor is not
only easier to use, but eliminates much of the repetitive data
entry involved in using a financial program.

Intuit says its research decidedly showed a universal dislike
for data entry. The new Quicken 3 product is aimed at
eliminating as much data entry as possible. Some transactions
must be entered, but Quicken says once they are, users can
simply pick those transactions off a memorized list and drop
them onto the calendar.

Users who like the checkbook metaphor will be glad to
know that it remains in the product.

The calendar can also be used to track birthdays and
special events, just like a paper calendar, the company added.
Recurring transactions can be set up for automatic entry as
well, with or without the requirement for the approval of the
user before the transaction is posted.

The program can also track investments via built-in
spreadsheets so users no longer have to export the information
to a spreadsheet product in order to view investment
performance, the company said. Different views of the
spreadsheets offer the ability to look at investments from
varying viewpoints, such as estimated income, return on
investment, percentage yield, market value, market value
change, and percent market value. Views may be customized as
well.

In addition, the Quickzoom feature, originally introduced to
show the numbers behind graphs and reports, has been expanded
to the register so users may create summary reports from their
register transactions. A Quickreport feature offers standard
report layouts, and a new Comparison Reports feature has also
been added.

Visual representation in the forms of graphs is available via
the Financial Planning Graph feature so users can see projected
net worth, cash flow, and future account balances. Trends in
the current financial situation can be viewed as well, and
different what-if scenarios can be created and saved, Intuit
said. The program can even earmark funds for future financial
goals and let you know if current spending will impede those
goals.

Intuit says it offers better loan tracking in Quicken 3, so
users can review and manipulate all the information on their
loans in one place. For those with variable rate loans,
anticipated interest rate changes can be forecasted and stored
and projected loan payments may then be calculated.

Quicken also exports financial data to tax programs such as
Turbotax from San Diego, California-based Chipsoft. As a matter
of fact, Intuit recently announced it is purchasing Chipsoft,
for an estimated $225 million and the companies are boasting
this merger will have the long term effect of making financial
integration and tax reporting even easier for users.

Quicken 3 for Windows requires Windows 3.1 and 2 megabytes of
random access memory (RAM). The product is shipped on 3.5-inch
disks, but users have the option of receiving 5.25-inch disks
by mail.

The new version is retail priced at $69.95. Those upgrading
from previous versions of Quicken who purchase the product
through retail channels get a $10 rebate, and new users get a
$5 rebate. However, current users will find they receive a
substantial savings by ordering the product directly from
Intuit for $29.95 plus $5 shipping and handling.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930909/Press Contact: Sheryl Ross, Intuit,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Jane Gideon, Wilson McHenry
for Intuit, 415-592-7600; Public Information, Intuit, 800-624-
8742)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00030)

 ****Toshiba/Microsoft Pact Includes Microsoft At Work 09/09/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 9 (NB) -- Toshiba is the
second company to actually license the Microsoft at Work (MAW)
operating system, according to an announcement made by the two
companies.

Both Microsoft and Toshiba said they plan to work
closely together in order to make the Windows operating system
and its graphical user interface (GUI) off-shoots, such as MAW,
work smoothly in consumer and computer hardware from Toshiba.

While the companies say they will work together on notebook and
handheld devices, specifically handheld devices that use MAW,
Microsoft representatives said today's announcement should not
be viewed as a product announcement by Toshiba. International
Data Corporation (IDC) says Toshiba is the leading vendor in
the US portable computer market with 16.2 percent of the volume
for 1992 and leads the notebook market with 20.7 percent of the
sales 1992 volume.

Microsoft announced MAW, internally known at the software giant
as "Winpad," in June of this year in New York. Over 65
companies announced support for MAW and Compaq has licensed it
for use in a planned handheld device.

MAW is an operating system for smart office machines. The idea
here is to make products where all the features of the product
are available via a graphical user interface (GUI), instead of
users having to learn to use the device standing at the machine
with the manual in one hand. Microsoft describes MAW as a real-
time, pre-emptive multitasking operating system designed to
specifically address the requirements of the office automation
and communication industries. MAW will hopefully offer digital
connections between the various types of office devices, such
as fax machines and photo copiers, as well as with personal
computers running Windows.

Specifics of the agreement are sketchy, but are outlined by
Toshiba and Microsoft as cooperation on: the next generation of
Microsoft's operating system software, currently planned to
contain mobile services for notebook computer users; handheld
computing devices incorporating MAW software "Plug and Play,"
which allows hardware and software to automatically configure
the system with minimal user involvement; and product support
and marketing programs that include technical support and
marketing communications.

This announcement is on the heels of an announcement by Sharp
that it plans to incorporate the GUI DOS-compatible Geos
operating system in its next handheld device, the PT-9000.
Expected for fourth quarter introduction this year, Sharp is
calling the PT-9000 a Personal Information Assistant (PIA) and
says the steno-pad sized pen-based unit will have a detachable
keyboard. Casio and Tandy have already announced adoption of
the Geos operating system for the Zoomer, a personal digital
assistant (PDA) expected for introduction later this month.

Microsoft representatives said there have been no plans
announced to incorporate Windows into the hardware of Toshiba
notebook computers. Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft introduced a
palmtop computer, the Omnibook, in which Windows is
incorporated into the hardware of the notebook in much the same
way Apple Computer has incorporated its operating system into
the read-only memory (ROM) hardware of its computers.

Toshiba Computer Systems (TAIS) is headquartered in Irvine,
California and boasts $1 billion annually in sales. It is owned
by Toshiba America, a subsidiary of the $39.9 billion Toshiba
Corporation of Japan. Microsoft is the world's largest software
company, headquartered in Redmond, Washington.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930909/Press Contact: Karen Andring,
Waggener Edstrom for Microsoft, tel [phone], fax 206-637-
9963; Bob Maples, Maples & Associates for Toshiba, 714-253-
8737; Public Contact, Toshiba, 800-334-3445)