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/nb093093

Text File | 1993-09-30 | 63KB | 1,436 lines

(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00001)

Europe - Spea, Escom In Partnership 09/30/93
STARNBERG, GERMANY, 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Spea Software, the PC card
specialist, has announced what it calls a "strategic partnership"
with Escom, Germany's second largest computer reseller chain.

Financial terms of the deal have not been revealed, although
no changes in company ownership have resulted.

According to Ulrich Seng, Spea's chairman, both companies plan to
coordinate combined new PC products, for sales through Escom
outlets later this year.

Newsbytes notes that Seng owns 51 percent of Spea's share capital,
although a major proportion has been passed over to the company's
employees. The remaining 49 percent is held by US venture capital
companies.

Escom, meanwhile, which has several offices around Europe, including
the UK, was formed in the late 1980s when Escom Computer acquired
Hako, another computer company based in Bochum. Escom generated a
turnover of DM 1,070 million during 1992.

Spea, which describes itself as the leader in the European market
for high-end PC graphic systems and was established in 1985,
generated a turnover of approximately DM 100m in 1992. For 1993 the
company is targeting turnover in the region of DM 125m.

(Sylvia Dennis/19930930)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00002)

 ****Jim Manzi Says Notes Sales Are Soaring 09/30/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Lotus founder and
president, Jim Manzi, held an open court in Boston this week to more
than 300 journalists from around the world. At the keynote speech
for the one-day event. Manzi revealed his plans for the next 12 to
18 months for Lotus. He also revealed projections showing the
company has already topped the $250 million mark in terms of sales
of Lotus Notes.

"Sales of Notes are doing extraordinarily well," he told the press.

Manzi revealed that, although 18 months had elapsed since the first
international technology briefing in March, 1992, his stated
objectives for Lotus had not changed appreciably. The strategy still
revolves around the idea of dominating the communications
infrastructure in order to provide ongoing differentiation in
core desktop applications, dominate workgroup computing, and lead
in software for the mobile computing arena.

After explaining that Lotus is well on target toward achieving its
strategy, Manzi said that the future of computing will revolve
around a central server computer, which will service the needs of
users who will access it on a client-server basis, using a
combination of desktop and portable PCs.

In the case of portable PCs, connected to the server using mobile
computer technologies such as modem, packet radio and other links,
he said that mobile communications is not about being connected
continually to the server.

"This idea of continuous connection is a myth," he said, adding that
he sees Lotus' future as offering cc:Mail and Notes packages to
portable computer users on the move.

This evolution, he said, was changing the way in which Lotus is
progressing. "The Lotus of 1993 is a lot different than the Lotus of
1988, while the Lotus of 1988 was a lot different to the Lotus of
1983," he said.

Manzi envisions the computing workplace of the mid-1990s as being a
portable, disconnected environment, with many users dialling into
the main server with a modem and updating their network node, as
well as the information on the server. This process, which takes
place automatically under Notes, is known as replication.

PC users of the future, according to Manzi, will become part of the
electronic Keiretsu, a Japanese word for an extended enterprise. The
idea is that a network of PCs linked to a server is linked on a
virtual store and forward basis using modem links.

(Steve Gold/19930930/Press & Public Contact: Lotus Development
Corporation- Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00003)

 ****Lotus Screencam - Multimedia Communications 09/30/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- At a technology briefing
for journalists and analysts taking place in Boston this week, Lotus
took time out to unveil new technologies it is hoping to
release within the next 12 to 18 months. One of these new
technologies is Screencam, an audio-visual software package that
allows interactive screen sessions to be recorded in a data file,
along with a digital copy of the users voice.

The aim of Screencam, according to Will Reynolds, Lotus's director of
Smartsuite Development, is to transfer recordings of screen images,
as they change, together with a voice-over from the user. The
resultant file can then be transferred as a Notes file item and
replayed at the distant end of the Notes link.

"Screencam files can be recorded in one of two ways, either as a
TPI format, allowing the file only to be played back on a Screencam-
equipped PC, or as an executable (EXE) file that can be played on a
non-multimedia PC.

According to Lotus, Screencam is a technology that allows users to
capture application screen activity, cursor movements and sound into
a multimedia movie that can be distributed or shared with others to
improve learning, presentation, and communication.

"Screencam is useful in a wide variety of situations, such as
learning to use software, as well as presentation and communication
services. Not only can you show another user what is happening on
your screen, but they get your voice-over as well," he said.

Reynolds added that Screencam's screen recording routines are
totally unlike other recording software, since it saves each screen
and its subsequent changes in a GDI call format. This, he said,
means that each frame requires a lot less data to record than a
standard bit map image.

"That doesn't mean we don't need to compress the files. We still get
large files ... Basically, we have to compress the hell out of a
file," he said.

(Steve Gold/19930930/Press & Public Contact: Lotus Development
Corporation - Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00004)

Lotus Says Code-Named "Notebook" Coming 09/30/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Lotus has
revealed one of its next-generation software products being
readied for release some time within the next 18 months. Known only
under the project code-name of Notebook, the software technology is
an application development package that extends Notes in four key
areas to allow tailor-made applications to be created.

According to Tim Davenport, vice president of graphics and database
products with Lotus, these areas are: query and update of
heterogeneous databases, programmability, report generation, and
sophisticated graphical user interface (GUI) creation.

"Notebook has been underway for almost two years, but it's still
not finished. The idea is the same, but the software is changing all
the time, though we are getting there," he said.

Notebook is not a standard end user's package. Instead, Davenport
asserted, developers will be encouraged to work with users to create
new applications. Once an application has been coded, then the end
user of the PC linked to a Notes network can use the application.

Davenport said Notebook applications will be available in
two versions -- the developer and the end user. The developer allows
graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to be built, and includes a
Lotuscript language and debugger module. These features include
reporting and charting functions.

The end user version, meanwhile, allows the PC user to run Notes
applications, but without access to the development environment. The
idea, though simple, means that, if an application is not suitable
for a user, the developer can code a new program, but
customizing it to meet the needs of the driver much more closely,

To speed development of applications, Davenport said that around
60 "Links" had been coded into the package. Links, Newsbytes notes,
are pre-defined, graphical Lotuscript modules. There are around 60
Links supplied with Notebook, although Links can be edited or
started from scratch.

(Steve Gold/19930930/Press & Public Contact: Lotus Development
Corporation - Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00005)

McDonald's Computer Prank 09/30/93
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- A Scottsdale, Arizona
man has been convicted of trying to extort $1,000
from a local McDonald's after he got a cash register receipt that
contained an obscene suggestion rather than the usual "Thank You."
The machine was apparently reprogrammed by a disgruntled
employee of the restaurant.

The man, who had purchased two Big Macs, fries and a soft drink,
claimed he would tell the press about the message on the
receipt if the store owner didn't pay him $1,000. Prosecutor
Caroline Como said the store owner set up a meeting with the man
after notifying police. When he came to collect, officers were
waiting. Como says a disgruntled McDonald's employee apparently
reprogrammed the store's computer to print the message.

The man's defense attorney said the meeting was merely a discussion.
During the meeting the individual reportedly talked about how the
incident had affected him. "He hadn't been able to sleep. It was
like finding out there was no Santa Claus," according to Como.

The man was convincted yesterday and will be sentenced Oct 27.
He said he thought the $1,000 "was compensation for his distress,"
not extortion.

(Jim Mallory/19930929)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00006)

New Products From Japan 09/30/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- NEC has developed a dedicated
word processor that comes equipped with both a color LCD screen and
a color printer. Mitsubishi Electric has released a pen
computer with a hard disk and IC card drives. Iwatani Sangyo
has developed Japanese MS-DOS software for Apple Computer's
Macintosh.

NEC's color word processor, an industry first, will cost
295,000 yen ($2,950) when it is released November 10. The unit
has a supertwist nematic (STN) color display with a
resolution of 640 x 400 pixels. With the four-color ribbon,
users will be able to print documents in color.

The machine includes programs for doing illustration,
graphics, and the creation of postcards, as well as
regular word processing. A proprietary color scanner
is also available.

Meanwhile, Mitsubishi Electric has developed a pen computer called
the Amity M3015. Equipped with Microsoft Windows For Pen
Computing V1.1, it has a 40-megabyte 1.8-inch hard disk and
two IC card drives based on the international PCMCIA 2.0/
JEIDA 4.1 standard. It is the size of an A4 size piece of paper
and it weighs only 1.4 kg. The price is 478,000 yen ($4,780).

Iwatani Sangyo has developed a Japanese MS-DOS interface
program for the Macintosh called the Orange PC486V, which was
originally developed by Orange Micro in California. Iwatani
Sangyo has signed an exclusive dealer agreement with Orange
Micro, and will release this program in Japan through Transoft
at 298,000 yen ($2,980) in October.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930929/Press Contact: NEC, +81-3-
3451-2974, Fax, [phone], Mitsubishi Electric, +81-3-3218-
2332, Fax, [phone], Transoft, [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TYO)(00007)

Apple Computer Campaigns For Japanese School Market 09/30/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Apple Computer (Tokyo) is
launching a sales campaign at Japanese schools. The goal is
to double Apple's share of the school market within three
years.

Currently, Apple Computer has only about a 5-percent share of
elementary schools and 10 percent of universities. NEC has the
lion's share and is followed by Fujitsu.

As part of the campaign, Apple Computer has designated
15 of its 50 dealers as school specialists. Apple Computer
in Tokyo will directly assist these 15 dealers to
sell the Macintosh into Japanese schools.

The plan calls for Apple to hold a series of sales promotional
activities to support these dealers. Apple will also provide
sales and presentation techniques, and dispatch the technical
experts if necessary. Apple Computer will even lobby
local governments to install Apple computers at schools.
The company will also encourage localization of its
English language software programs.

About 10 percent (200,000 units) of all personal computer
shipments (2 million units) are destined for the school market
in Japan. The government has recently mandated an increase
in computer education in schools, providing a major opportunity
for PC makers to sell into this market.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930929/Press Contact: Apple
Computer, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00008)

Funky Networking Proxy OEM Deal 09/30/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- As networking
becomes increasingly complex, the ability to remotely manage
sections of the network is an added bonus for overtaxed network
managers. Now Funk Software Inc., and Network Computing, Inc.,
have announced an original equipment manufacturing (OEM) deal,
whereby Network Computing will resell a customized version of
Funk's Proxy network remote control software.

Network Computing will begin offering Proxy with LANAlert, its
NetWare-based network management system. The combined
package will be marketed as LANAlert Base Package with Remote
Control.

LANAlert proactively alerts network administrators to impending
problems before their NetWare networks fail or performance is
impacted. The company says that the product offers comprehensive
management of the most critical components of a NetWare network
- file servers and workstations.

The combination of Proxy and LANAlert means the network
administrator can identify problems and, "with a click of the
mouse," remotely view and operate the machine to resolve the
problem.

According to the companies, that means no more time consuming
trips to the offending server, which may not even be in the same
building.

In announcing the deal, Funk Software's President Paul Funk,
said, "As support of LANs (local area networks) becomes more and
more complex, a network manager's time is at a premium. Now,
with the tight integration of Proxy with LANAlert, network
managers can view and operate problem workstations or file
servers at the click of a mouse."

Proxy is claimed to be the first network remote control product
to run from Windows, and the only such product which allows users
to view and operate multiple PCs simultaneously, whether running
DOS or Windows. Also, a new feature added for the LANAlert Base
Package allows Proxy to run as an NLM (NetWare Loadable Module)
on a Novell file server.

The LANAlert Base Package with Remote Control will ship in the
fourth quarter, priced at $1,295. The package will include the
LANAlert Base Package, a single Proxy Master, and a single Proxy
Host NLM.

(Ian Stokell/19930930/Press Contact: Bryan Baehr,
408-296-8080, Network Computing Inc.; or Janet Lill,
617-497-6339, Funk Software)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00009)

Gigabit LSI, LCD Projector Developed 09/30/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- NEC has developed technology
to create a gigabit-scale LSI (large scale integration) chip
called a surface transistor (STT), which is seen as a major
step toward next-generation chips. NEC has also developed a
liquid crystal display projector equipped with an extra
clear TFT (thin film transistor) display which is designed
for workstations.

NEC's gigabit-scale chip is based on gallium arsenide. It has
an aluminum layer, a gallium layer, and an arsenide layer on the
gallium-arsenide material. This chip is based on the
theory of tunnel effect, in that the size of current chips is
miniaturized to about a hundredth the size of contemporary
semiconductors.

NEC reports it has already developed a prototype chip which
has been tested at room temperature. This chip was developed
as part of a project led by the Japanese Ministry of
International Trade and Industry.

Meanwhile, NEC has developed a powerful LCD projector for
workstations. The NX5120FZ projector has a TFT color
display with 1,280 x 1,024 pixels. The size of the picture screen
can be between 35 inches and 200 inches. It is said the screen's
contrast rate and picture quality is extremely sharp with
this high density TFT method.

The price of this projector is a whopping 10 million yen ($10,000),
or about 3 times more expensive than Braun-tube displays.
NEC expects to sell 250 units for the first year.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930928/Press Contact: NEC, +81-3-
3451-2974, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(DEL)(00010)

Alpha, Pentium, SPARC To Power Supercomputers 09/30/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- The Centre for Development
of Advanced Computing (CDAC), a Government of India entity, plans
to install in its next generation of Params, a range of parallel
processing computers developed by CDAC, a choice of processors,
including the DEC chip 21064 Alpha AXP, Pentium, and SPARC.

While Pentium and SPARC figured in CDAC's plan earlier, the
center recently signed a letter of intent with Digital Equipment
India Ltd. (DEIL) to acquire Alphas.

Over the next two years CDAC plans to design a range of parallel
computers which will be built around a combination of the
three chips or a set of any one of the three processors.
Presently Param comes in two different 64-node versions. Param
8000 is based entirely on transputers while Param 8600 has a
i860 processor for superior number crunching. The current
models are targeted at high-end scientific applications.

With the next generation Param 9000, CDAC is hoping to
penetrate the high-end of the commercial markets too. "We may
build boards with only Alphas for scientific applications while
Pentium and SPARC-based Params would be for the commercial user,"
explains Vijay Bhatkar, executive director, CDAC.

Efforts are also underway at CDAC's software center in Bangalore
to make the Param operating system independent. A Unix-compliant
kernel would be the key feature of the Param 9000 OS environment.
Bhatkar hints that CDAC may offer both Chorus and OSF/1 kernel.

It will be sometime before Param 9000s would be ready for
delivery. But Bhatkar figures that intermediate systems will
be out by mid-1994.

There has been little progress in its export activities since
CDAC shipped out four machines months ago. However, negotiations
are on with some American universities for the sale of current
models of Param, discloses Bhatkar.

(C. T. Mahabharat/19930930)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(SYD)(00011)

IBM Launches PowerPC At Australian Unix Conference 09/30/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- "From palmtops to
teraflops" was the all-embracing theme of IBM Australia's
formal PowerPC at the Australian Unix Users Group (AUUG)
conference in Sydney on Tuesday.

Capitalizing on the waterfront location of the Darling Harbor
Exhibition Center on Sydney Harbor, IBM hired a cruise vessel
dubbed the "Power Boat" to stage a multimedia demonstration
of the technology based around the new Power and Power2
processor chips.

As with most IT (information technology) matters, POWER turns
out to be another acronym, "Performance Optimization With
Enhanced RISC (reduced instruction set computer)."

New PowerPC systems launched include the Powerstation 25T,
Powerstation 25C, Powerserver 25S, and Powerserver 25O,
all based around the new PowerPC 601 processor, also
soon to be used in Apple Macintoshes. (A story in the latest
Australian MacNews magazine says Apple will delay its machine
until next year due to problems. Newsbytes was unable to
independently confirm this information.)

IBM's enhanced Power2 technology adds extra integer and
floating point units to the PowerPC architecture, allowing
up to eight operations to be performed in a single clock
cycle. Among the products launched that incorporate the
Power2 technology were the Powerserver 990, the Powerstation
590, and the Powerstation 58H. The 990 and 590 models are
classified as supercomputers by the US Department of
Commerce, and are thus subject to a special export license.

On board the Power Boat, IBM staff demonstrated the new
PowerPC systems running pre-release versions of its
Macintosh emulation software, Unix, and Wabi, the software
that allows Unix systems to run Windows applications directly.

(Computer Daily News/19930929)


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

Sony Low-Cost Mini-Disk Players 09/30/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Sony reports it has
developed low-cost, powerful Mini-Disk players, which include
a Mini-Disk Walkman and stereo set. These new players will be
released on November 1.

Sony sold about 300,000 Mini-Disk players last year. The
company's latest in the Mini-Disk line are 5,000 yen ($50)
cheaper than current models, and are smaller in size.

The portable model, the MZ-R2, is about 45 percent lighter
than current models and can be operated for 6.5 hours straight
with a lithium battery and regular removable batteries. This
player also can record, a feature which will enable users to
record crystal clear digital sound from compact discs or
satellite broadcasts of digital music.

The Walkman-type Mini-Disk, called the MZ-E2, is for playback only.
It measures 74 x 106.8 x 18.5 mm, and weighs only 205g.
Similar to the Walkman headphone stereo tape player, its
price will be 55,000 yen ($550), which is 4,800 yen ($48) cheaper
than the current model. Sony plans to ship 20,000 units per
month.

Sony has also announced a Mini-Disk stereo set, the DHC-MD1, with
a retail price of 140,000 yen ($1,400). For installation in
cars, Sony has developed the MDX-400 Mini-Disk. Equipped with
a disc changer to accept up to 4 disks, it will sell for
120,000 yen.

Sony has been selling Mini-Disk systems in retail electronics
stores where the units vie with sales of DCCs (digital
compact cassettes). DCC makers Matsushita and Philips are
expected to release powerful and low-cost DCCs towards the
end of this year, which should heat up competition.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930930/Press Contact: Sony, +81-3-
5448-2200, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SFO)(00013)

Delrina Takes Bite Out Of Berkeley's Toast 09/30/93
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- There is no
doubt that Berkeley Systems Inc., is best known for its Flying
Toaster screen saver. Now it seems that Canadian software
publisher Delrina has developed a taste for toast too.

In a lawsuit filed September 28, Berkeley Systems alleges unfair
competition by Delrina, along with copyright and trademark
infringement of its Flying Toaster graphic design contained in
its popular After Dark screen saver program.

According to Berkeley Systems, Delrina included a version of the
its copyrighted work in a new "Opus N' Bill Screen Saver." The
program features a cartoon penguin character from "Outland"
shooting at a flock of Flying Toasters.

Berkeley Systems is trying to get an injunction to stop Delrina
from distributing and selling its new screen saver and to cease
"from all references to Flying Toasters in Delrina packaging and
point-of-sale display materials."

Wes Boyd, president, chief executive officer, and founder of
Berkeley Systems seemed less than happy about the situation,
saying: "We did everything we could to avoid legal action. But to
no avail. We're astounded they would so flagrantly violate our
copyright and use the Flying Toaster image in a damaging and
misleading way in all their promotional activities."

Continued Boyd, "We created the Flying Toaster screen saver and
have invested significant resources in building its enormous brand
equity in the marketplace. The Flying Toaster is the flagship
symbol of our company. We at Berkeley Systems are known
worldwide as the 'Flying Toaster' people. Our mascot has achieved
a phenomenal cross-cultural following in the United States and
around the world. The Flying Toaster is a brand that has become
synonymous with our company alone."

The company, founded in 1987, claims to have sold more than
one million copies of its After Dark screen saver. The company
markets screen saver products for the Macintosh, DOS and
Windows platforms. After Dark was first introduced for the
Macintosh in 1989, with versions for Windows and DOS coming
later.

(Ian Stokell/19930930/Press Contact: Monica Granados
or Steven Decker, 510-540-5535, Berkeley Systems Inc.)


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

Omnipoint, Rockwell Sign PCN Deal 09/30/93
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Rockwell
International agreed to integrate Omnipoint's spread spectrum
technology in its equipment for use in personal communication
networks, or PCNs.

PCNs are microwave-based phone networks, running at 1.8-2.2 GHz,
which will be licensed in spectrum auctions, probably next year,
under rules promulgated recently by the Federal Communications
Commission.

Equipment makers are falling all over themselves looking to serve
the new market, and Rockwell will have to fight hard against
Motorola, Ericsson, Northern Telecom and others for business.
Omnipoint has already participated in trials of phones and base
stations with four of the regional Bell companies, four cable
operators and several other prospective PCN providers. The
equipment has been demonstrated in cells ranging in size from
1,000 feet across to 2.5 miles, with hand-offs at speeds of up to
65 miles per hour. The Omnipoint handset can also be used both
in licensed PCN bands and unlicensed bands, where wireless PBXs
and other cordless phone systems are expected to be offered.

The announcement of the agreement between Omnipoint and Rockwell
was made at the Telocator show in New Orleans.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930930/Press Contact: Omnipoint, Mark Vonarz,
719-548-1200


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00015)

MCI Reorganization 09/30/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Atlanta will be a
big winner in the latest MCI reorganization. The move also
divides the job of former president Daniel Akerson among three
executives. Akerson left last month to become chairman of General
Instrument.

Atlanta will become the home of a new MCI Business Markets unit,
under Timothy Price, and over the next two years about 1,000 jobs
will be added to the 2,000 MCI jobs already in the area.

The company will now divide along three lines: domestic,
international, and wireless operations. The largest division, the
US business, will fall under Gerald H. Taylor. The
international side, including the relationship with British
Telecom, will fall under Eugene Eidenberg. Richard T. Liebhaber,
the company's chief strategy and technology officer, will be in
charge of seeing to MCI's part in the growing personal
communication networks, or PCN wireless business. Analysts said,
however, that the division of Akerson's job into three parts sets
up a three-way race to succeed current chairman, Bert Roberts, but
Roberts is only 51.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930930/Press Contact: MCI, Frank J. Walter,
212/326-4389)


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

Scholastic Launches Online Network 09/30/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Scholastic Inc.,
the publisher of textbooks and children's books, formally
launched its Scholastic Network, an online network hosted on
America Online aimed at teachers, students and schools.

The Scholastic Network was first announced in June at the
National Educational Computer Conference, where company
officials told Newsbytes they hoped to draw 10,000 users into
the system over the next year. Schools will be asked to pay $295
for a year's subscription to the service, which includes all
usage, and they can also pay $16.95 per month for five hours per
month of usage. America Online by itself costs $9.95 per month
for five hours per month of usage.

John Lent, director of the Scholastic Network, said he hopes to
make the system a learning community that breaks down the
barriers isolating the nation's classrooms, inspiring teachers
and students alike. Many states, including Texas, have recently
experienced encouraging results with their own online networks,
tied to the global Internet. But the education market is
remarkably price-sensitive, and experts are divided on whether
enough schools will pay commercial prices in order to make
the new network pay.

Among the services planned for the new network are live
discussions with childrens' book authors and education leaders,
the offering of lesson plans online, and interactive learning
projects on which member schools can collaborate. There will also
be the usual America Online mix of newswires, including
Newsbytes, databases, and online information available, as well
as electronic mail.

Scholastic will provide the first months' use of its network free
to the first 10,000 educators who sign up by calling 1-800-473-
2500. In addition, the company will provide a limited number of
grants covering the costs of membership to schools demonstrating
exceptional need.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930930/Press Contact: Scholastic, Gabrielle
Myers, 212/505-3403)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00017)

Crossplatform Standard For Sound Under Consideration 09/30/93
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- To
encourage creation of a crossplatform standard for playing,
recording and manipulating sound over a network, Network
Computing Devices, Inc. (NCD) has submitted a proposal for an
audio protocol to the X Consortium and the Interactive Multimedia
Association.

Originally developed for NCD's new sound-capable line of X
terminals, the protocol calls for a hardware-independent method
of transferring data among applications and desktop devices such
as X terminals, PCs, and workstations, officials said.

Three other vendors -- the Santa Cruz Operation (SCO), DUX
Software, and Z-Code Software -- have already adopted the new
system.

SCO plans to integrate the method into the SCO Open Desktop
graphical environment by the end of 1993, according to Rick Kamp,
SCO's Open Desktop product manager.

DUX Software is using the system in a new multiplayer Unix
version of SimCity and also plans to use it in an upcoming
version of SimEarth, and a business graphics/presentation tool,
Ta-Dah!, stated company president, Robert Adams.

Z-Code intends to use the system to add sound functionality to
its Z-Mail software. "Users are increasingly interested in
accessing voice mail through their computer systems, and they are
coming to expect audio capability on all their desktop devices,"
noted Dan Heller, president of Z-Code.

An application programming interface (API) for the Network Audio
System has been available to third-party developers since March,
1993. In accordance with the Common Open Software Environment
(COSE) process guidelines for standardization, NCD has created a
sample implementation of the system source code for Sun OS 4.1.

Under the proposed protocol, applications specify how various
inputs and outputs are hooked together, NCD officials explained.
The system automatically routes sound data to the proper
destinations.

Sounds may be stored in the audio server for rapid replay, or
streamed directly to output devices such as speakers. The system
also permits dynamic volume adjustment and mixing of sounds.

NCD is currently offering the source code to the industry free of
charge, without royalties or restrictions, over the Internet.
Individuals and organizations interested in obtaining the code
should send e-mail to [e-mail].

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930930/Reader contact: Network Computing
Devices Inc., tel [phone]; Press contacts: Judy Estrin,
NCD, tel [phone]; William Orange and Janis Ulevich, Ulevich
& Orange for NCD, tel [phone])


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

ABC To Offer Interactive Programs 09/30/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- EON Corp.,
formerly TV Answer, signed a non-exclusive deal with Capital
Cities-ABC to carry its interactive programming over ABC's
network and cable channels, ESPN and ESPN2.

TV Answer originally hoped to win a national license for its
system, and its move to the market has been hampered by the fact
that regulators decided to only offer local licenses for new
interactive channels. Additional frequencies are also needed to
take signals from players' game boxes back to the service for
processing. The company, now called EON Corp. signed a deal with
Hewlett-Packard to produce game boxes, which will cost about
$700.

However, the company now faces a crowded interactive market. NBC
is a part-owner of The Interactive Network, a prime EON
competitor. Time Warner and TCI see interactivity as an inherent
advantage of their coming 500-channel cable systems. Telephone-
based services also offer interactivity.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930930/Press Contact: ABC, Terry Everett,
212-456-3587)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00019)

IBM, Siemens Have Samples Of 64-Megabit DRAM 09/30/93
EAST FISHKILL, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- IBM
Microelectronics and Siemens AG are supplying selected customers
with samples of the 64-megabit dynamic random-access memory
(DRAM) chip they have been developing since 1990.

While volume production would be technically possible within a
few months, it will depend on customer demand for the chip, said
Jim Smith, a spokesman for IBM Microelectronics. Volume
production will start in the next two or three years "or possibly
later," he said.

Manufacturers are currently still buying four-megabit memory
chips in quantity and gradually shifting to 16-megabit chips, so
demand for the 64-megabit part may take some time to build.

IBM and Siemens have not yet decided where to mass-produce the
chips, Smith said.

Engineers from both companies have been working on the memory
chip at IBM's Advanced Semiconductor Technology Center (ASTC)
in East Fishkill, New York since IBM announced its alliance
with the German computer maker in 1990. Some details of the
chip were revealed at the Symposium on VLSI Technology in Seattle
in June of last year.

They are using a .35-micron complementary metal oxide
semiconductor (CMOS) process and deep ultraviolet (DUV)
photolithorgraphy techniques. The 3.3-volt,
10.7-by-18.1-millimeter chip is expected to be offered in
versions with 40-, 50-, and 60-nanosecond access times. IBM and
Siemens plan to produce it on eight-inch (200-millimeter) wafers.

(Grant Buckler/19930930/Press Contact: Jim Smith, IBM
Microelectronics, 914-766-4066; Klaus H. Knapp, Siemens,
[phone])


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

Microsoft Lowers Software Cost For Smaller OEMs 09/30/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Microsoft has
announced a new software licensing program that will reduce the cost
of its operating system software to some personal computer makers and
could also cut into the market for counterfeit copies of MS-DOS and
Microsoft Windows.

The program is called the Delivery Service Partner Program.
Microsoft says the program expands the current Microsoft OEM
licensing options by making it easier and more affordable for small
to medium-sized original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to obtain
and include with their PCs genuine Microsoft products such as MS-DOS
and Microsoft Windows for Workgroups.

Under the Delivery Service Partnership Program, PC makers will be
able to obtain special Microsoft OEM Distribution Packs of the
software through three software distributors: Ingram Micro, Merisel
and Tech Data.

The packs use a "break-the-seal" distribution agreement to make it
easier for an OEM to obtain and pre-install Microsoft products,
which can be installed only on new computer systems and cannot be
sold separately. Each pack contains five copies of an operating
system product that consists of an end user license agreement, a
manual, the program diskettes, a registration card, and a
certificate of authenticity.

Microsoft spokesperson Collins Hemingway told Newsbytes the new
program will also make it quicker and easier for the producers of a
relatively small number of PCs to obtain Microsoft operating
systems. "Ordering in small quantities is not really efficient for
Microsoft, and we're not necessarily very prompt with (delivering)
it. This is just another option to make it easier. A large OEM can
also order this way if they want to," Hemingway told Newsbytes.

Hemingway said that while a couple of hundred PC companies account
for a large portion of the business, there are many, many very small
OEMs who find the overhead of trying to buy small units directly
from Microsoft very difficult. The new program is designed to make
purchasing easier for them.

Hemingway said the easier purchasing path can also reduce the
temptation to buy and ship counterfeit DOS. "The easier we make it
for OEMs, particularly for the small ones, to get legitimate
Microsoft software, the more likely they will use them."

Microsoft and other software companies have lost hundreds of
millions of dollars of potential revenue as the result of software
counterfeiting. The company takes an aggressive stand on the
counterfeiting issue, and has on numerous occasions cooperated with
local and federal law enforcement agencies in seizing counterfeit
software both in the US and in other countries.

Hemingway emphatically denied that the new program is in response to
criticism about Microsoft's OEM licensing program. The company offers
a number of licensing programs for its operating systems. PC
manufacturers can license a copy for each microprocessor they buy or
a copy for each particular model they build such as its 386 or
486-based systems. Hemingway says the concept of volume purchasing
applies. "We unquestionably give the best rate to those OEMs that
commit to the most units." He emphasized that no OEM has ever been
required to use a particular pricing model or put MS-DOS on every
machine they build.

Hemingway stressed that the new OEM program is in no way connected
with Microsoft's sale of the DOS 6.0 upgrade. Microsoft sells
upgrades only of its disk operating system to end users. The
Delivery Partnership Program is available only to OEMs.

Microsoft said the program is initially available to US and
Canadian manufacturers, but expects the offer to be extended to the
international market in the next few months.

(Jim Mallory/19930930/Press contact: Collins Hemingway, Microsoft,
206-882-8080; OEM contact: Microsoft, 800-325- 1233, Dept DSP2)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00021)

Gateway 2000 Enters Europe 09/30/93
NORTH SIOUX CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- PC maker
Gateway 2000 announced this week it will enter the European PC
market, with the first units shipping October 1.

Gateway has established its European headquarters near Dublin,
Ireland to service that country and the United Kingdom. The company
said additional markets on the continent will be added next year.

Gateway 2000 President and CEO Ted Waitt said he sees the European
market as the next logical step in Gateway's growth. "International
sales account for a significant percentage of our competitors'
business - for some up to 40 and 45 percent."

As reported earlier this month by Newsbytes, European market
research company Context says sales of PCs through indirect
channels rose by 29 percent to more than one million units in the
12-month period ending in June of this year. However, while
shipments were up, Context says profit isn't. It reports that
sales by value increased by only 2.6 percent over the year,
and attributed that to the price war, which it says shows no
sign of slacking off.

"PC vendors are looking for volume. Pricing pressures mean that
everyone is trying to get their products out to all consumers
through as many channels as possible. Hardly a week passes without
some new channel initiative being announced. Compaq's recent
agreement with (department store) John Lewis is a prime example,"
according to Context senior partner, Jeremy Davies.

In March of 1991 research company International Data Corporation
said the European PC market had slowed significantly. The report
predicted less than 10 percent growth rate in the market for the
period 1993 through 1996. Apparently that's enough for some
companies. In 1993 Sun Microsystems, Informix, Packard Bell, Applix,
Fulcrum Technologies and Sybase were some of the companies entering
the European market or expanding their presence there.

Gateway 2000 will sell its desktop and portable computers through
the direct channel by means of toll-free phone numbers which will be
advertised in ads taken in computer trade magazines. Each order will
be custom-built to meet the buyer's specifications. Gateway is
offering free technical support for the life of the system, a 30-day
money-back guarantee, a one-year parts and labor warranty, and
on-site service. Gateway told Newsbytes that selection of the
on-site service provider is still in negotiation.

Waitt said most of the staff at the Ireland office was trained at
corporate headquarters in South Dakota "not only for product
training, but so they can learn about and experience our culture
firsthand. This way, they understand who and what Gateway 2000 is,
and they can take that back with them."

Waitt said the company is pleased with the quality of the workers
available in the Irish workforce. "The employees are enthusiastic
about becoming part of a company like ours, and at the same time we
are pleased that our presence here helps the local economy,
especially given the high unemployment rate in the Dublin area.

Gateway 2000 spokesperson Glynis Gibson told Newsbytes the Dublin
unemployment rate currently stands at about 18 percent. Gateway has
hired 125 Dublin employees and says it will eventually have over 400
people employed there over the next three years. About 2,800 people
are employed at its headquarters.

(Jim Mallory/19930930/Press contact: Glynis Gibson, Gibson
Communications for Gateway 2000, 312-868-9400; Reader contact:
Gateway 2000, 605-232-2000 0r 800-846-2000, fax [phone])


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

Toshiba Notebook PCMCIA Peripheral Line 09/30/93
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Toshiba America
Information Systems (TAIS) is shipping a new line of accessory
products, Noteworthy, for its popular notebook computers. The
products are credit-card sized peripherals that add network
access, telecommunications, and additional storage space to the
company's notebook computers.

Two modems, two Ethernet cards, a Token Ring card, a 3270
emulation card, a 16/4 Token Ring card, and a removable hard
drive are the first products in the Noteworthy line, all in the
Personal Computer Memory Card International Association
(PCMCIA) form factor.

Some examples of the Noteworthy line include a local area
network (LAN) PCMCIA Type II 16/4 Token Ring card operating at
either 16 megabytes per second (Mbps) or 4 Mbps, with a retail
price of $595. TAIS also said it will offer a PCMCIA Type II
3270 emulation card for $515. For extra storage, a PCMCIA 13.5
millimeter (mm) hard disk drive with an 85-megabyte (MB)
capacity that is compatible with the Toshiba T1900, T1950,
T4500, T4600 and T6600C series computers was also mentioned,
but no pricing information was yet available. The company also
announced a 14,400 bit-per-second (bps) data and fax modem
featuring two integrated RJ-11 jacks 14 mm PCMCIA 2.01-
compliant slot, which is also compatible with the T1900 series,
T1950 series, T4500 series, T4600 series and T6600C series
notebook and portable multimedia computers. Retail price for
the modem is $499.

Most of the products mentioned will be available in October,
however a free catalog of Toshiba accessories is available to
consumers via a toll-free number, 800-959-4100.

The problem with the PCMCIA format is not every peripheral
built to that form factor is compatible with other PCMCIA card
readers. However, five companies recently announced they would
work together to make their PCMCIA cards and slots
interoperable. Toshiba was one of the five who announced
conformity to the (PC) Card AT-bus Architecture (ATA) standard.
The other companies involved in the announcement were IBM
Personal Computer, Maxtor, Seagate Technology, and Sundisk (a
Sun Microsystems Company).

TAIS is the Irvine, California-based subsidiary of the $39.9
billion dollar TAIS Corporation. According to analysts at the
International Data Corporation (IDC), Toshiba is the leading
vendor in the US market for portable computers, with 16.2
percent of the volume for 1992, and holds the largest market
share among IBM compatible notebook computers, with 20.7
percent of the 1992 total sales volume. TAIS boasts sales of $1
billion annually.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930930/Press Contact: Howard Emerson, TAIS
America Information Systems (TAIS), tel [phone], fax 714-
583-3645; Public Contact, TAIS accessory catalog, 800-959-4100)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00023)

New Broderbund CD-ROM Titles 09/30/93
NOVATO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Broderbund has
introduced The New Kid on the Block, the first volume of
multimedia poetry and a new multimedia adventure game, Myst.
Both titles are being published under Broderbund's newly
announced joint venture with book publisher Random House called
Living Books.

The New Kid on the Block includes 18 of Jack Prelutsky's poems.
Prelutsky is a children's poet who has published "A Gopher in
the Gardens" (1967), "The Snopp on the Sidewalk" (1977) and
"The Baby Uggs Are Hatching" (1982).

In this multimedia title, children can browse through such
poems as My Dog, He is an Ugly Dog, and Forty Performing
Bananas, which can then be read aloud to the child. Each poem
offers animations, so, for example, if the child clicks on the
word "dog," a cartoon dog will appear on the screen. Many of the
poems are read by Prelutsky himself and children can proceed at
their own pace, Broderbund said. The "Let Me Play" mode
encourages readers ages 6 to 12 to learn language skills and
poetry by clicking on various words and phrases.

Myst is a multimedia version of "The Never Ending Story." The
player stumbles across a battered old book whose author is
Atrus, picks it up, begins to leaf through the dusty pages, and
is suddenly transported. Myst island is the first stop, and
from there access to one of several Ages (each with its own
theme) can be gained by solving puzzles. For example, in one
Age the key is to channel water through pipes to power various
devices, Broderbund maintains. Switch one spigot and you power
an elevator which takes you to another level of a tree village.

The goal in the story is to discover which of the two sons of
Atrus has harmed the creations he has made in his book.
Broderbund says the game is aimed at players ages 14 and older,
offers photorealistic three-dimensional graphics, and an unique
soundtrack.

Myst was created by Rand and Robyn Miller, creators of the
critically acclaimed children's programs Spelunx and the Caves
of Mr. Seudo, Cosmic Osmo, and the Manhole. The brothers are
the co-founders of the company Cyan.

Broderbund officials added that the Tortise and the Hair, also
a multimedia story and based on the classic Aesop tale, will be
shipping soon as well.

The New Kid on the Block and Myst require a Macintosh computer
equipped with a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive.
Myst also requires an 8-bit 256-color display, 3 megabytes (MB)
of hard disk space and 2.5 MB free random access memory (RAM)
available. The New Kid on the Block retails for $39.95 and Myst
is priced at $59.95. A version of both titles for the IBM
compatible multimedia personal computer (MPC) is under
development, Broderbund added.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930929/Press Contact: Jessica Switzer,
Broderbund Software, tel [phone], fax [phone])


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

Delrina Intros 1st Mac Fax Software Product 09/30/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Delrina Corp.,
whose facsimile software has to date only run on IBM and
compatible PCs, now wants a piece of the Macintosh market too.
The company has launched Fax Pro for Macintosh to complement its
PC-based WinFax.

Like WinFax, Fax Pro sends and receives faxes, creates and stores
cover pages, and comes with optical character recognition (OCR)
software licensed from Caere Corp., to turn incoming faxes into
text files that users can edit with their word processors.

Delrina said the software will work with any Macintosh fax board,
and comes with an installation routine that automatically sets up
the software to work with the fax board installed in the machine.

Sending a fax with the software is essentially like printing a
document, since the Macintosh treats the fax software as a
standard printer. It can be invoked through the Macintosh
Chooser. According to Delrina, the faxed document retains all
fonts, formatting, and graphics in the original.

Users can just drag a file onto the Delrina FastFax icon for instant
transmission. The product also offers custom cover pages, and a
short text message can also be added.

Caere's AnyFax OCR technology, included in the program,
is designed to deal with fuzzy and broken characters that
sometimes show up in incoming faxes. It uses pattern
recognition and probability algorithms rather than
trying to recognize fully formed characters, officials said.

Delrina first licensed AnyFax from Caere in the fall of 1992, and
recently expanded its agreement with the company to include work
on integrated document management, fax, and forms processing
software.

Fax Pro for Macintosh is now shipping at a list price of C$159 or
US$129, with competitive upgrades from rival products available
at C$59 or US$49 for a limited time, Delrina said.

(Grant Buckler & Ian Stokell/19930930/Press Contact:
Josef Zankowicz or Shelly Sofer, Delrina, 416-441-3676;
Public Contact: Delrina, 800-268-6082)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00025)

Omnis 7 Upgrade And Port To AS/400 09/30/93
FOSTER CITY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Five
months after unveiling Version 2 of the Omnis 7 crossplatform
client/server development environment, Blyth Software has
introduced Version 2.1, an upgrade that adds support for Oracle 7
as well as greater support for Sybase.

In addition, the company recently announced a port of Omnis 7.2
to IBM's AS/400 midrange systems. IBM has agreed to market Omnis
7.2 for AS/400 in the US and 58 other countries worldwide, a
Blyth spokesperson told Newsbytes. The AS/400 version of Omnis
lets users access AS/400 data from Windows and Apple Computer
Macintosh client platforms.

Blyth's Omnis 7 product allows the development of database
applications that can run unchanged under either Windows or
Macintosh. Omnis contains its own native RDBMS (relational
database management system), but also provides a front end to
many outside databases, the spokesperson said.

The initial edition of Omnis 7.2, announced in May, brought a new
"meta tool" for applications cloning, a localization feature for
faster porting of applications among languages, and two major new
add-ons.

The VCS (Version Control System) add-on allows teams of
developers to work collaboratively, sharing source code stored in
either a central RDBMS or on a SQL (Standard Query Language)
database server. The CMS (Change Management System) add-on lets
the developer deploy and update native Omnis database
applications from a server to multiple clients.

The new Omnis 7.2.1 adds direct connectivity to Oracle 7 for
Windows, along with the ability to store code in Sybase under
VCS. Blyth also plans to directly support Oracle 7 for Macintosh
when that product is released by Oracle, the spokesperson told
Newsbytes.

Earlier editions of Omnis 7 have provided direct connectivity to
Oracle 5 and 6. As in the past, Omnis 7.2.1 also
supplies direct connectivity to Sybase, SQL Server, and RDB.
Databases that are directly supported can be accessed by the
developer without the use of middleware, the spokesperson noted.

Middleware that can be used with Omnis 7.2.1 includes DAL (Data
Access Language), TechGnosis Inc.'s SequeLink and EDA/SQL, a
product of Information Builders. DAL provides access to Ingres,
Informix, and DB2 servers, as well as to Oracle, SQL Server and
RDB. Blyth produces a Windows version of DAL, the spokesperson
told Newsbytes. An edition of DAL for Macintosh is available
from Apple.

SequeLink provides access to SQL/DS, Ingres, Informix, and DB2,
in addition to Oracle, Sybase, and RDB. EDA affords access to
Ingres, DB2 and SQL/DS, plus Oracle, Sybase and RDB.

Blyth's other new product, Omnis 7.2 for AS/400, uses Apple's DAL
to connect Macintosh users to AS/400, Microsoft's ODBC (Open
Database Connectivity) to connect Windows users to AS/400, and
SequeLink or EDA/SQL to connect Macintosh and Windows users alike
to AS/400.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930930/Reader contact: Blyth Software, tel
800-346-6647; Press contacts: Diane Edises, Blyth Software, tel
415-571-0222; Phyllis Grabot, Capital Relations, tel 818-889-
9100)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SYD)(00026)

Australia's Top-Selling Software 09/30/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- US computer products
distributor Merisel has held its 1993 black-tie awards night
for vendors. More than sixty of the vendors attended the event
at Sydney's museum of Modern Art and some went home wearing
the winner's smile.

The awards recognize top-selling products in a number of categories
for both PCs and Macs. As a broad-based distributor, in most
product categories Merisel sells a number of competing products.

This years winners are:

PC Hardware systems, printers, monitors: 1 - Epson LX400 printer,
2 - Epson LQ1070 printer.

Drives, modems, connectivity: 1 - Microsoft serial mouse, 2 -
Colorado Jumbo 250 internal tape drive.

PC Software business applications: 1 - Microsoft Access, 2 -
WordPerfect for Windows.

Communications, system utilities: 1 - Microsoft MS Dos 6.0, 2 -
Microsoft Windows.

Home, education, recreation: 1 - WordPerfect for Windows education
edition, 2 - Microsoft Golf for Windows.

Macintosh general software: 1 - ClarisWorks, 2 - Symantec SAM.

Macintosh Hardware: 1 - Kensington Turbo Mouse, 2 - Kensington
Powerbook Numeric Keypad.

(Paul Zucker/19930929)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TOR)(00027)

Andyne Ships Pablo Data Access Tool For Mac 09/30/93
KINGSTON, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Andyne Computing
Ltd. has begun volume shipments of Pablo, a data access and
reporting tool based on technology licensed from Apple Computer
Inc.

Pablo is meant to let Macintosh users extract multi-dimensional
summary information from databases and massage it into reports.
It is one of several software packages meant to work with
multidimensional information to appear in the past couple of
years. Lotus Development Corp.'s Improv spreadsheet for Next
workstations and Microsoft Windows is another. However, "Pablo is
not a spreadsheet," said Scott Rankine, director of marketing at
Andyne.

Pablo stores information in something called a HyperCube, which
can be created by information systems people and stored in a
relational database on a file server or desktop computer. End
users can then use the HyperCube to pull out the information they
want.

Pablo can provide links to remote databases through Apple's Data
Access Language (DAL) and other database connectivity standards.
According to Andyne, it can work with Oracle, IBM DB2, Ingres,
Sybase, AS/400, Tandem, Digital Equipment Rdb, SQL/DS, Teradata,
and Informix databases.

The single-copy list price is US$695. Andyne has distribution
arrangements in North America, Europe, and Japan, and a worldwide
distribution relationship with Ingres Corp., Rankine said.
Versions in several languages other than English are planned in
1994, he said, as is a Windows version of Pablo.

(Grant Buckler/19930930/Press Contact: Scott Rankine, Andyne
Computing, 613-548-4355)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00028)

Foreign Language Tutor Program Upgraded 09/30/93
HOLLIS, NEW HAMPSHIRE, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Transparent
Language Inc. has added new interactive capabilities to its DOS-
and Mac-based software for learning Spanish, French, German,
Italian or Latin.

New features in Transparent Language 2.0 include CheckWords,
Vocabulous!, and Personal Notes, according to Michael Quinlan,
company president.

CheckWords lets the user add words to a personal vocabulary
review list simply by "checking" a word while reading any of the
company's 75 foreign language titles. The titles include
literature as well as travel and other nonfiction content.

The user can review the CheckWords list at any time, go directly
to any word on the list, or export the list to a common word
processor for printout.

Vocabulous! is a context game designed to let users practice
spelling and word meaning in an entertaining way. The game can
be played on the user's personal CheckWords, or on any foreign
language title.

Personal Notes lets students and teachers add their own comments
to any word in a title. Teachers can opt to "lock" Personal
Notes so students cannot subsequently change them.

Version 2.0 lets users view linguist prefaces that have
started to appear in new foreign language titles from Transparent
Language.

A retail price of $139 covers the Transparent Language Master
Program, plus four titles in a chosen language, one sampler title
in each of four additional languages, and audio tapes for all the
titles.

Through November 15, current Transparent Users can upgrade free
of charge by purchasing $29 worth of extra titles, or for $19.95
otherwise. After November 15, the upgrade price will be $34.95.
When sold separately, titles typically cost $14.95, $19.95 or
$24.95. Accompanying audio cassettes are priced at $8.95 to
$11.95.

The PC version of the software operates on any IBM-compatible PC
with 300K of RAM running MS-DOS or PC-DOS, including PCs without
hard drives. The Mac version runs on almost any Macintosh
running System 6 or 7, except some early models with 400K drives.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930930/Reader contact: Transparent Language,
tel [phone]; Press contacts: Kathryn Joy or Yvonne Cekel,
Transparent Language, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00029)

Document Manager Handles Images, 200 File Formats 09/30/93
WESTBROOK, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Westbrook
Technologies, Inc., hopes to bring document image management to
mainstream personal computer users with a new $199 software
package.

Westbrook said its File Magic Vision will let personal computer
users store and retrieve scanned-in and faxed-in documents and
images plus computer-created files in more than 200 word
processor, spreadsheet, database, and other file formats.

A built-in file viewer will let users of the software look at
stored documents on their computer screens without having to run
the applications used to create the files in the first place,
explained Russ Barmmer, a spokesman for the company.

Optical character recognition (OCR) built into the software also
converts scanned documents to machine-readable text so they can
be indexed for later retrieval, company officials said.

The software can run on a computer with a 386SX processor,
Barmmer said, though a 486 chip is preferable. The machine also
needs to have at least a 14-inch color VGA monitor. The upgrade
most PC users will have to make to run File Magic Vision will be
to memory: some 50 to 60 megabytes are needed to use the
software, Barmmer said.

(Grant Buckler/19930930/Press Contact: Michael Graham, Westbrook
Technologies, 800-949-3453; Russ Barmmer, The Barmmer Group for
Westbrook, 203-399-7337)


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

 ****50,000 Newton Messagepads Sold In Under 2 Months 09/30/93
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 30 (NB) -- Apple
Computer says Newton Messagepad sales prove its success. The
company has released figures that 50,000 of the handheld pen-
based personal digital assistants (PDAs) have been sold in the
US and Europe since the unit's introduction just under two
months ago, which makes the Messagepad one of the fastest
selling products Apple has ever introduced.

These numbers are particularly impressive since Apple was
unable to supply more than limited quantities of the Messagepad
since its August 2 launch at the Macworld show in Boston, and
there have been four versions of the operating system for the
unit released to correct problems. Reports were that the
thousands of units available at Macworld were gobbled up by
hungry Newton fanciers the first day of the show. The latest
version of the Newton operating system is now at 1.04 and Apple
is upgrading users who bought the Messagepad to later versions
free of charge.

The Messagepad was only available in New York and Boston until
the beginning of September, when Apple released the units
nationwide. United Kingdom sales of the Newton just started
September 16.

Apple resellers told Newsbytes they don't expect to see much
profit in sales of the Messagepad itself, but expect to do well
on peripherals for the unit. Peripheral items include leather
cases, extra memory, the fax modem, and the new Connectivity
Connection Kit for the Macintosh. Connectivity, shipped earlier
in September, enables information to be synchronized and
updated automatically between the Macintosh and the Newton
Messagepad when the two are connected.

In addition, applications are springing up for the Messagepad.
Apple claims it has sold in excess of 1,500 Newton development
systems (NTKs) worldwide for application development for the
system. Newton developers can make use of the "Smart
Synchronization" technology employed by the Connectivity kit,
allowing third party Newton applications to have connectivity
with the Macintosh desktop environment as well. Apple added
that it intends to introduce the Newton Connection Kit for
Windows in the near future.

Newsbytes talked with Mike Descher, manager of Tarzana,
California-based retailer Mac Universe, who says the
Messagepads are moving well in his store. Descher said the
biggest problem with the unit is people are not used to
computer devices that are really "personal."

"Our customers buy a Newton, then give it to a friend,
but forget to switch it into guest mode," Descher said.
The Newton is designed to "learn" the user's handwriting,
so when a friend takes it without switching it to the
guest mode setting, it begins to learn that person's writing,
forgetting the writing of the unit's owner.

While Mac Universe has Messagepads in stock, Simi Valley,
California-based Candid Computers said they're sold out again
and are waiting for a new shipment to arrive. "Sales have been
great. Peripheral sales are good, too. Almost everyone who buys
a Messagepad buys some peripheral for it. Extra memory is
especially popular," said Jeff Billau training manager at
Candid.

German language Messagepads will be introduced in Germany this
fall, Apple representatives told Newsbytes. French and
Japanese versions are also in the works. The Messagepad is
manufactured for Apple by Sharp Electronics, which also has a
work-a-like version called the Expertpad also available in
retail outlets. Sharp officials were unavailable to talk about
sales figures of the Expertpad by press time.

Competition from Zoomer, another PDA from Casio and Tandy is
expected this month. However, reports are that while Zoomer
offers more functions, its handwriting recognition is slower
than the Messagepad.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930930/Press Contact: Emma Bufton, Regis
McKenna for Apple, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Mike
Descher, Mac Universe, 818-609-7012; Jeff Billau, Candid
Computers, 805-522-3823; Newton OS 1.04 Update, 800-242-3374)