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/nb930408

Text File | 1993-04-08 | 62KB | 1,443 lines

(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00001)

AST Enters Pen Computing Market 04/08/93
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- AST Research
has entered the pen computing market with the introduction
of the PenExec "PenTop" pen notebook computer.

The company says that the launch is a direct result of AST's
strategic alliance with TE Electronics of Tandy Corp.

The unit consists of a 11.6 by 9.4 by 1.6-inch, 5.5-pound
black magnesium box, and is a hybrid between a traditional
keyboard-driven notebook and a pen computer. The PenExec
is priced under $3,000.

In announcing the pen computer, Bret Berg, product marketing
manager, said the PenExec is based on pen technology from Grid
Systems but adds that AST added its own features, including an
extended life battery that provides up to three hours of
continuous computing time, support for PCMCIA, hard drives up
to 200 megabytes (MB), and RAM system expansion up to 20MB.

The PenExec comes standard with pre-installed programs for
both pen and keyboard computing. Pre-installed software
includes: DOS 6.0, Windows 3.1 and Windows for pen computing.

(Ian Stokell/19930407/Press Contact: Donna Kather,
714-727-7943, AST Research Inc.)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00002)

Acer Intros ACROS PCs 04/08/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Acer America
has introduced 25 new models into its family of ACROS Industry
Standard Architecture (ISA)-based PCs.

According to Acer, the computers feature accelerated video that
allows them to reach up to 10 million WinMarks, a 50 percent
increase in graphics performance over earlier Acer ACROS models.
The new systems come with either 170 megabyte (MB) or 240MB
hard drives.

Street prices start at $1,099 for a 25 megahertz (MHz) 486SX-
configured system with 4MB of RAM and 170MB hard drive.

In announcing the new PCs, Ashok Ramaswami, strategic
planning manager for Acer America, said that the accelerated
video provides the superior graphics performance required
for today's Windows-intensive environments. "Meanwhile
higher hard disk capacities give users more disk storage for
the same cost as earlier Acer ACROS models."

The Acer ACROS family is based on the ISA bus and features
25 systems based on Intel 486 CPUs (central processing units),
ranging from the 25MHz 486SX to the 66MHz 486DX2. All of
the PCs come with 4MB of main memory, expandable to 48MB;
128 kilobytes (KB) EPROM (erasable programmable read-only
memory) for system and video BIOS; 512KB video RAM,
expandable to 1MB; four ISA slots, a socket for up to 256KB
external cache, 3.5-inch floppy disk drive, DOS, and keyboard.
Additionally, configurations based on either the 50MHz or
66MHz 486DX2 come with 1MB of video RAM.

Bundled systems add a 5.25-inch floppy drive plus
PFS WindowWorks office productivity software from Spinnaker.
Some models also offer a built-in fax modem, Phoenix MicroFax
software, Prodigy communications package, and Micrografx
Graphics Works, Limited Edition.

All Acer ACROS come with a one-year on-site warranty, a free
year of Acer premium care toll-free telephone support for end
users, plus lifetime technical support via phone and on-line
bulletin board.

(Ian Stokell/19930407/Press Contact: Rebecca Hurst,
408-432-6200, Acer America Corp.)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00003)

Dublin European Community Directives In Question 04/08/93
DUBLIN, IRELAND, 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- A big question mark is hanging
over the legality of a number of European Community (EC) laws,
introduced in Ireland using a method known as a directive, rather than
through discussion in the Irish Government.

The Irish Government last week suffered the humiliation of seeing its
own High Court rule that the government had acted unconstitutionally
in rubber stamping a number of EC laws passed since the country joined
the EC in the early 1970s.

Now the Government is appealing the High Court decision, although
legal experts are divided as to whether the Government will be
successful in its appeal. If the appeal fails, the most of the
legislation on market liberalization, food and drink quotas and the
like will be declared null and void.

At the very least, the Government may have to enter emergency session
to pass the legislation in accordance with its own rules. At worst,
there could be several complications and legal claims from companies
who say that their businesses have been affected by the illegal
"legislation." There is even the remote possibility that the Irish
courts could revoke the country's membership of the EC, although
experts say they do not expect this to happen.

The Irish High Court ruled that an Irish cabinet minister does not
have the power under the Irish constitution to introduce new
legislation or even amend existing laws.

An appeal through the Irish Supreme Court -- the country's highest --
will be completed over the next few weeks.

(Steve Gold/19930408)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00004)

 ****Britain Investigates Online Svcs 04/08/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- The British Government has
announced it is making a formal investigation into possible abuse of
monopoly power by online service providers. At the heart of the
investigation is the legality of a print publisher to favor its own
online system when it comes to allowing online access to its print
publications.

Late last year, the Financial Times Profile online service announced
it was allowing same-day access to the London Financial Times. So, as
soon as the paper hit the streets, online subscribers could download
it or even keyword search the paper.

Most online services have to wait a few days to access the
information, as tapes of print publications are usually supplied in
several days in arrears. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT), apparently
acting on a complaint from persons unknown, is investigating the
world of online services, since it may be that the FT should allow
other online service providers same-day access to its printed edition.

The FT is saying nothing on the matter, with officials noting that
they wait the outcome of the OFT report with interest.

In an official statement, the OFT makes direct reference to the FT
Profile service, noting that the service "is a major participant in
the UK market with a market share sufficient to make it a monopolist
in terms of the Fair Trading Act."

The OFT has instructed the Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC) to
begin an investigation into the business online services industry.
Newsbytes notes that this would also include those non-UK online
service providers offering their services directly to subscribers in
the UK, although, as yet, the brief for the MMC report has yet to be
drawn up.

Sir Bryan Carsberg, the director general of fair trading, who, until
last year was the head of Oftel, the government-appointed telecoms
watchdog in the UK, said that information is fast becoming a valuable
business tool and, as such, merited controls.

"I am concerned that the restriction on copyright material may be
inhibiting effective competition in the market for historical on-line
databases and that it may be disadvantaging new market entrants. For
these reasons, I have decided that a full examination by the MMC is
warranted," he said.

Online service providers are privately aghast at the OFT's decision to
investigate their services. One representative of an online service
said privately and anonymously to Newsbytes that, of the MMC rules
that the FT should open up its files to the competition, then some
online services may find it more profitable to actually withdraw from
the UK.

"If I've got 100,000 subscribers in Europe wanting fast access to
services, and the UK bars that fast access, I'd have to look at
cutting the UK out of my plans. It's as simple as that," he told
Newsbytes.

(Steve Gold/19930408)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00005)

UK - Vodafone To Hit The High Street 04/08/93
NEWBURY, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Vodafone, the dominant
of the two cellular phone services providers in the UK, has announced
plans to set up a series of stores selling mobile phones. The company
says it hopes to have around 170 stores open by the summer of next
year.

Under the terms of its operating licence, issued in the early 1980s to
both itself and Cellnet, the other analog cellphone network operator
in the UK, Vodafone is forbidden to sell its services direct to the
public. Vodafone plans to get around this problem by offering its
dealers the opportunity to set up business in its shops, and so sell
phones directly to the public.

Cellnet, Newsbytes notes, has succeeded in doing this for some time,
by allowing its British Telecom Mobile Communications (BTMC)
subsidiary, itself an air time provider/dealer, to sell services in
BT's phone shops.

The planned shops will be known as Vodafone centers, Newsbytes
understands, with dealer's names having equal precedence with Vodafone
in the store branding.

Announcing the plans, Ken McGeorge, the director of Vodafone, said
that the next few years will see a considerable broadening of the
cellular phone market in the UK, as more and more business users
become aware of the benefits of mobile telephony.

"As this market develops, it's important that the retail distribution
keeps pace and we consider the high street to be very important. A
number of our service providers and dealers are already moving in this
direction and we hope hat our initiatives will act as a further
catalyst," he said.

McGeorge added that the introduction of the new stores will also allow
Vodafone to start selling its digital phone technology to the public.
Vodafone's digital mobile phone network, GSM (global system for mobile
communications) has been operational in the UK for more than a year,
but it is only recently, Newsbytes notes, that the service has been
actively promoted, since the network has achieved around 50 percent
coverage in the UK.

(Steve Gold/19930408/Press & Public Contact: Vodafone - Tel: 0635-
33251; fax: -635-45713)


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

 ****Japan's NTT To Build $390 Billion Digital Telecom Net 04/08/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- NTT has proposed a 45 trillion
yen ($390 billion) project, lasting for 25 years, to lay out a
national fiber optic network and to develop multimedia software
for it. This ambitious project will involve rate hikes for
ratepayers.

The plan calls for NTT to invest 2 trillion yen ($1.7 billion)
every year for 22 years, starting next year. 20 trillion yen ($17
billion) of the total 45 trillion yen investment will be spent for
the installation of optical fiber cables and creation of a digital
telecommunication network across Japan. Eight trillion yen ($70
billion) will be spent to develop software. Five trillion yen
($43 billion) will be allocated for research and development
of advanced telecommunication networks, and 12 trillion yen ($105
billion) will be spent for facilities and maintenance of current
services.

In order to raise the money, NTT may raise telephone fees for
local calls within Japanese cities. NTT claims such calls are
now unprofitable at current rates, unlike long distance calls.
NTT has already announced a plan to raise charges at public
telephone booths.

NTT plans to lay out the fiber optic cables first in the Tokyo
area by 1995, and in the major cities by the year 2000. Fiber
optic cables will be connected to each house, office, and
organization. NTT wants to digitize all the telecom equipment
including telephone switching devices.

Among the software projects NTT wants to develop are advanced
graphic systems for medicine and education. Also on the table
is a plan to develop technologies for interactive television
sets and multimedia libraries.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930408/Press Contact: NTT, +81-3-
3509-5035, [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00007)

Fujitsu, Sony, Canon In Joint CD-ROM Venture 04/08/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Fujitsu, Sony, Canon Sales,
and Japan Photo Research Center have set up a firm to develop
and sell CD-ROM-based software. The first product is due out
early next week.

The new firm is called Japan Image Library. It's capitalized
with 20 million yen ($174,000), divided equally among the four
firms. A member of the board of directors of Canon Sales,
Yukihide Ono, has assumed the presidency of this new firm,
and three other participants have each sent an executive to
assume a position on the board of directors of the new firm.

The new joint venture firm will release its first product,
an electronic photography series called "Image CD," next week.
The CD offers 150 photographs of landscapes and scenery
from around the world. It will cost 14,500 yen ($125). The firm
plans to release 12 other electronic books this year, all of
them produced by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony.
All four firms will sell the products.

The first CD-ROM software is based on the international
standard called "ISO9660" and the still-picture format "TIFF."

The joint venture continues to seek more outside investors,
despite its big-name players.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930408/Press Contact: Japan Image
Library, [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00008)

UK - Lotus Ships Improv For Windows 04/08/93
STAINES, MIDDLESEX, 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Lotus Development UK is
shipping Improv for Windows, which it claims is its first dynamic
spreadsheet for Microsoft Windows. At the same time, the company
has extended its planned intro offer price of UKP 95 for the
package until the end of May. After June 1, the price goes to
UKP 365.

"The package has earned rave reviews in computer publications
worldwide since it was formally unveiled last November," explained
Jeff Anderholm, Lotus' group product manager for Improv.

"We believe that this special promotion will build a critical mass of
early users who can most effectively demonstrate to their co-workers
what Improv can do that traditional spreadsheets can do," he added.

Lotus is billing Improv for Windows as the next major step forward in
the evolution of spreadsheets. Some sources in the company have been
noted as saying that the package is as significant as Visicalc was in
the early 1980s. Visicalc is generally acknowledged as the personal
computer industry's first spreadsheet.

In use, Improv for Windows allows "dynamic views" of data to be made.
This basically allows 3D graphical representations of the data on the
spreadsheet to be carried out. Lotus claims that, unlike the
competition, Improve for Windows allows up to 12 categories of data to
be viewed on a single dynamic view.

The package is fairly heavy on system resources. Improve for Windows
requires a minimum of a 20 megahertz (MHz) 80386-based PC with 4
megabytes (MB) of memory, a VGA monitor and a mouse. The program is
recommended for use with a 33MHz 386-based PC or better with 6
megabytes of more of memory.

(Steve Gold/19930408/Press & Public Contact: Lotus Development uK -
Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00009)

Australia - IBM Promotes Arts With Computers 04/08/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- The IBM Arts Management
Initiative for 1993 has been launched by IBM and the New
South Wales (NSW) state government.

Speaking at the launch function, the NSW Minister for the Arts
said "This is a great boon to directors and senior managers
of NSW arts organizations. I am confident it will mean strong
and lasting benefits to arts practice in NSW."

Five arts organizations will each receive a management package
of an IBM PS/1 PC and IBM laser printer, word processing,
database, and spreadsheet software, plus tutorials. The package
also includes MYOB accounting software. Recipients will receive
24-hour hotline support for the hardware, and training in the
use of the accounting software.

IBM Australia Director of Public Affairs and Corporate
Communications John Harvey said, "A further initiative of
the program is to expand the notion of promoting excellence in
arts management and will incorporate a series of intensive
2-day courses for arts managers on professional management
skills development. The application of the latest management
business skills are highly relevant for the administration and
management side of the arts. It is in this area that IBM can
make a substantial contribution to the arts."

The organizations supported in the first stage are:

Multicultural Arts Alliance - addresses the question of access
and equality for non-English-speaking members

Shopfront Youth Center - regional group for young people
and the community

The Jazz Coordination Association of NSW - wide-ranging support
of jazz groups and musicians

The Crafts Council of NSW - commissioning, retail and gallery
displays

Writers in the Park - public access to a performing forum set
in a suburban public setting

(Paul Zucker/19930408/Contact: NSW Ministry for the Arts, Kevin
Waddell on phone [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SYD)(00010)

1993 Weird Software Competition 04/08/93
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Feeling bored? Is that
copy of Visual Basic just itching to get off the shelf and into
use? Perhaps this is for you. The 1993 Weird Software Competition
is being held in conjunction with the 1993 San Diego Computer
Fair.

One winner of last year's competition helped people find out if
their neighbors were in fact, aliens from space. Another winner
was a screen saver that featured bungee-jumping cows. "We got
some pretty strange stuff last year," said Fair Coordinator Kevin
Leap "but we really just hit the tip of the iceberg. Our motto
for '93 is 'Just do it weird.'

"We have a feeling the people who are into out-of-the-ordinary
software will take the message to heart."

The Fair takes place on September 10, 11 and 12. Entries for the
competition must be in by July 30 to allow plenty of time for
the "weirdness" to be appreciated by the judges. Prizes
include $250 each for the best textual and visual "weird"
software and T-shirts and copies of the Computer Widows Handbook
for the second and third runners-up. All entrants will get the
coveted "Certificate of Weirdness."

Entries should be sent to: 1993 Weird Software Contest,
c/o ComputorEdge Magazine, 3655 Ruffin Road, Suite 100,
San Diego, CA 92123, phone [phone]

Entries must be in DOS or Macintosh format, on 3.5" disks.
Your name, address, phone number and an asking price for the
software must be clearly marked on the disk. Also include a
short descriptive paragraph of the software.

(Paul Zucker/19930408)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SYD)(00011)

WordPerfect Almost Develops New Color Printing System 04/08/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- April Fool's Day jokes
are legendary in this industry, but they sometimes have
repercussions the originator didn't envision. One example this
year was perpetrated by Sean Dent of WordPerfect Pacific in
Australia.

First, the text of the press release that Australian computer
journalists received on the fateful day:

"WordPerfect has announced ExtractionColor Technology will be
integrated into WordPerfect 6.0 when it is released mid-year.
ExtractionColor is a state-of-the-art patented new technology that
allows users to print color documents, even from black and
white printers.

"Wordperfect Special Project Manager Wayne Gates said that
ExtractionColor Technology has been four years in the making.
'It hasn't been easy, but now that we have it we are going to be
years ahead of the competition. No other company has this
technology and it will take a long time for them to figure
out how we did it,' said Gates.

"The concept is quite simple. Any first year physics student
knows that black is essentially a combination of every color.
We figured that if we could get the printer to print black
then we could get it to withhold some of those colors.

"The software is still in beta with just a few minor hiccups
left to sort out. Orange still comes out as dark pink and green
appears as white on certain printers. Yet WordPerfect turned
this bug into an advanced feature. The green/white printout
can be used for secure documents. The person sending the
document can tell the recipient to what printer he should send
the document to. Then only he will be able to read the
document. 'We call it the invisible ink feature,' said
Gates, the little known brother of Bill Gates."

That was the press release. It isn't known yet if any press
people took it seriously, but according to Sean Dent, the faxes
are still flying backwards and forwards between WordPerfect
offices as staff try to find out how such a new technology
got out on beta software and on a road show around the world
without anyone else knowing about it.

(Paul Zucker/19930408/Contact Sean Dent on phone [phone]
or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00012)

 ****Prodigy Going to Time Charges 04/08/93
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- After setting
a trend among online services of charging a monthly fee instead
of hourly rates, Prodigy is apparently moving toward hourly
rates.

In an online letter to the service's 2 million members from
President Ross Glatzer on April 2, and a subsequent "note from
Dear Prodigy" offered on April 5, company officials acknowledge
they're seriously discussing charging hourly rates on popular
services like bulletin boards, the Easy Sabre airline reservation
service, stock quotes and company news.

Despite attracting millions of users with heavy advertising,
Prodigy is not yet profitable, and it is reportedly facing heavy
pressure to become profitable due to financial troubles
experienced by its corporate parents, IBM and Sears. The company
announced it would lay off about one-quarter of its workers a few
months ago. In contrast its main rival, CompuServe, a division of
H&R Block, has for years said it turns a profit. The two
companies battling for third place among consumer online
services are GEnie and America Online, with both claiming the
spot. GEnie revenues are not broken out of its parent, General
Electric. America OnLine is a public company and has reported
profits.

Prodigy spokesman Steve Hein emphasized to Newsbytes that the new
fees have not yet been set, but Glatzer in his letters said, "It's
become clear we must introduce some timed charges for some
features in the second half of this year." He added that the new
prices will be competitive, and that the flat-rate option with
"as many features as possible" will be maintained. Tools designed
to help users manage their online time, bulk rates for heavy
users, and a special program for disabled members, are also being
considered, the letter added.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930408/Press Contact: Steve Hein, Prodigy,
914-993-8843)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00013)

Apple Cuts Powerbook Prices 04/08/93
CAMPBELL, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Apple Computer's
Apple USA division has cut prices on some PowerBook Duo units
sold in the US by 10 to 18 percent.

The company attributes the reduction in prices to a well-stocked
inventory on dealer's shelves: "The PowerBook Duo System has been
in high demand and short supply since introduction in October of
1992," said Bob Puette, president of Apple USA division. "We are
now catching up with the demand and the product is more readily
available at Apple resellers. These price reductions will
provide customers with excellent products at unmatched value."

Current and previous suggested retail prices for the Apple PowerBook
Duo products are: PowerBook Duo 210, 4 megs RAM, 80 MB hard disk,
was $2249, now is $1839; PowerBook Duo 230, 4/80, was $2609,
now $2299; PowerBook Duo 230, 4/120, was $2969, now is $2659;
PowerBook Duo 230, 4/120 w/modem, was $3219, now is $2899.

The PowerBook Duo system is designed to create a full-featured
desktop computer and a lightweight (4 lb) notebook computer in
a single system.

(Wendy Woods/19930408/Press Contact: Lisa Byrne of Apple
Computer, 408-862-5154)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00014)

Inmac Sells UK Retail Unit 04/08/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Inmac
Corporation is selling all of its outstanding shares of The
Business Superstore Ltd., its retail stores in England, to Globus
Office World Plc for an undisclosed sum. Just last month, Inmac
laid off 8% of its workforce and announced plans to close its
Japanese operations, as well.

The agreement with Globus, a UK-based company, will give
Globus 16 stores in 13 cities across the UK.

The Business Superstores are located at Park Royal, West London
at Colindale, Northwest London. They offer products from IBM,
Apple Computer, Compaq, Xerox, Acco/Rexel, Esselte, and
Hewlett-Packard.

Office World is said to be the largest operator of office supplies
discount superstores in the UK with 14 stores trading from
sites all over the South and North of England.

In March, Ray Nystrom, director of finance for Inmac, said
Inmac was restructuring and as a result, eight percent of
the workforce was being cut. He said the company had 1,300 people.

The company took a $14.9 million charge against second quarter
earnings to pay for the restructuring at that time.

(Wendy Woods/19930408/Press Contact: Inmac, M. Waide, 408/727-1970;
Office World S. Fox, 0734 560099)


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

Broadcasters Set "Multimedia Woodstock" 04/08/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Multimedia
technology will hit the big time April 19 as the National
Association of Broadcasters features the technology at its annual
convention.

The show will feature panels with multimedia experts, speeches
from computer industry leaders like John Sculley of Apple
Computer and Lucie Fjeldstad of IBM, and a trade show floor
featuring desktop video products like the NewTek Video Toaster
and Macintosh-based Avid editing suite. Spokesman Doug Wills told
Newsbytes that broadcasters will also take home a CD-ROM which
uses Microsoft Windows 3.1 to display highlights of the show.

NAB Multimedia World is described by the CD-ROM cover this
way: "This is just a convention like Woodstock was just a
concert." The CD-ROM was produced by the Interactive Multimedia
Association, Lotus Development, and 3M.

Wills said that broadcasters are looking to multiple benefits
from multimedia technology, and recognizing that cable companies,
computer companies, and telephone companies could all be
competitors and allies in the coming market battle. He said
desktop video tools can lower production costs while raising
quality, that multimedia could represent a new source of revenue
for broadcast producers, and that broadcasters themselves could
even use some of their frequency bandwidth to transmit multimedia
along with HDTV programming, using digital compression.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930408/Press Contact: Doug Wills, NAB, 202-
429-5350)


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

Pacific Bell Moves Toward Cable Alliance 04/08/93
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Pacific
Bell is considering an alliance with the California's cable
operators as it works to create a fast data network as part
of the Clinton Administration's "gigabit network" plan.

Speaking just a day after Tele-Communications Inc., the nation's
largest cable operator, disclosed plans to upgrade its systems,
including those in California, with fiber cable, Pacific Bell
President Phil Quigley acknowledged that discussions on
cooperation have begun with major cable companies in the state.
Pacific Bell has said it is committed to upgrading its networks
by the year 2015 to allow the delivery of video telephony,
entertainment and home shopping services, with half that network
in place within 10 years. Quigley said telephone-cable
cooperation is the best way to assure that everyone gets the
potential benefits of the technology, since replacing current
copper wiring with fiber could cost $30-40 billion. Changes in
regulations will be required before such alliances can be
formally announced, he acknowledged, urging that state and
federal regulators move forward on that.

Meanwhile, PacBell announced an alliance with Octus, which makes
a communications product called Subway. Subway will integrate a
wide variety of telephone and PC communications services,
including voice mail and data transfer functions, when it is
released in July. The alliance is with PacBell's Pacific Bell
Centrex offering. Octus' chairman is Nolan Bushnell.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930408/Press Contact: Octus, Tom Geldner,
619/452-9400; Pacific Bell, Dori Bailey, 415/542-4033)


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

MCI Wins Fed Data Contract 04/08/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Continuing its
policy of chipping away at the FTS-2000 contract the US
government signed a few years ago with AT&T and Sprint, MCI
announced that it has a 10-year contract to build a data network
for the Federal Reserve.

FTS-2000 was designed to combine all federal traffic onto a
single system with shared discounts, but not every agency was
covered. The US Congress, for instance, was not part of the
original contract, and MCI handles its long distance. The
Federal Reserve, like the Congress, is not covered by FTS-2000
because it's not a pure government agency. In the past, MCI
efforts to solicit agencies which are part of the contract has
led to a great deal of heat within the bureaucracy, since
defections by some agencies looking for good deals lowers the
total discounts offered by AT&T and Sprint to the government as a
whole.

The new FedNet network will combine the networks of the existing
12 Federal Reserve district banks and three new data processing
facilities into a single network, allowing the banks to
communicate with commercial banks at a moment's notice. The
network will also provide connections to a disaster recovery
center should something happen to the main facilities. FedNet
will consist of a variety of data services, ranging from 56,000
bit/second digital lines to T-3 trunk lines moving as fast as 45
million bits/second. The deal was announced in Chicago because
that's where the Fed's network management control center is
located. MCI will work with alternate carriers and regional Bell
companies to assure 100 percent reliability and the lowest
possible local service costs.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930408/Press Contact: MCI, 202-887-3000)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(ATL)(00018)

 ****JEDI - New Digital Effects Firm 04/08/93
SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- The rush by
computer vendors to sign multimedia alliances with entertainment
figures continued as Silicon Graphics signed with Industrial
Light and Magic (ILM) to create a joint venture dubbed JEDI, which
stands for Joint Environment for Digital Imaging.

The move follows by a few weeks the creation of Digital Domain,
headed by "Terminator" director James Cameron and former ILM
executive Scott Ross, as a joint venture with IBM. Like JEDI,
Digital Domain will concentrate first on creating effects for
movies, but it's intent on also offering multimedia tools and
intellectual property. Unlike Digital Domain, the new JEDI
venture is more of an alliance, since ILM has been using Silicon
Graphics equipment for six years, after dropping its own line of
custom hardware.

All this deal-making could hit overdrive during the National
Association of Broadcasters' show in a few weeks. Broadcasters
hold a lot of the valuable intellectual property which multimedia
producers are aiming to lock-up, and the show will feature the
latest in multimedia technology at a special exhibit and
conference. Silicon Graphics will exhibit its workstations at the
exhibit, and offer The Cave, a special multimedia exhibit
designed by DataDisplay Corp., of Elk Grove Village, Illinois.

ILM, however, has long been considered a leader in the
technology of entertainment, having created a lot of effects from
scratch for director George Lucas' "Star Wars" trilogy. More
recently, ILM created effects for "Roger Rabbit" and Cameron's
"Terminator 2," and "Death Becomes Her," among other films.
Recently the company has tried to enter the TV market with
"The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles," although its ratings have
been poor. Lucas is the head of the company.

Lucas said the formal alliance will enable ILM to increase its
digital film production, and allow Silicon Graphics to develop more
sophisticated graphics workstations at a lower price. Jedi will
act as a "media lab" for digital imagery, developing new hardware
and software products for both film and television production.

The top end of Silicon Graphics' line will now compete with IBM's
"Power Visualization" workstations, which will be used by Digital
Domain, both for the loyalty of Hollywood producers and in the
realm of desktop video tools. Apple is also a leader in the
production market.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930408/Press Contact: Silicon Graphics, Sandi
Weir, 415-960-1980)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(HKG)(00019)

 ****Taiwan's Computer Firms Unstable 04/08/93
TAIPEI, TAIWAN, 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Following the announcement
that leading Taiwanese computer manufacturer Copam Electronics
is facing severe financial problems, there is much concern
over the future of many Taiwanese computer firms.

According to Taiwan's Institute for Information Industry,
fierce competition has forced many small Taiwanese computer
firms to close.

Niall O'Reilly of Research Asia told Newsbytes, "The
Taiwanese companies put together teams to compete with the
Japanese in the European notebook market, at the same time the
European market, in the wake of a recession became very
sluggish," Mr O'Reilly told Newsbytes. "So they ended up just
competing against themselves."

He said last year 100 notebook manufacturers in Taiwan closed their
businesses.

"We expect more situations like Copam. Although Copam is
encountering financial crisis, it is still expected to
manufacture and sell stock well into the year," he said. "They
will probably cut prices to maintain the level of sales."

"We envisage widespread company takeovers and integration,"
O'Reilly said.

Andrew Lai, area manager at Novell Hong Kong, told Newsbytes that
from Novell's perspective, the shake-out is very exciting.
Networking in Taiwan is more widely available. Taiwan is an
upbeat market with 25% of Novell's Asian sales. Novell has
just appointed Mike Guo as country manager for the Taiwan
office. Lai expects that the weaker suppliers will be shaken
out, leaving the stronger, more reliable venders that are
willing to better support their products.

The Institute for Information Industry (III) reported that as the
economic climates in the US and in Europe improve and
Southeast Asia and China expand, stability will return to the
firms.

In Hong Kong and Northern Asia, the PC market is dominated by
well-known brands like AST and Compaq. Until a year ago the
price difference between these brands and the Taiwan clones was
significant. The difference is now only 10-15 percent.

"In Hong Kong, the Taiwanese brands have a poor reputation for
service, so it's very hard for them to compete," said O'Reilly.

In Taiwan, leading PC computers manufacturers like IBM,
Apple Computer, and Compaq entered recently and are having
difficulty breaking in because local manufacturers are
already addressing the over-saturated market.

(Brett Cameron/19930408)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00020)

Digital Names New President For Asia 04/08/93
TAIKOO SHING, HONG KONG, 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Edmund J.
Reilly has been appointed president and managing director of
the company's Asia region.

Reilly, who has been president of Digital Japan for the
last 12 years, oversaw Digital's dramatic growth of more than
10 times in revenue, to nearly $1 billion, and 10 times in
staff to approximately 4000 employees.

Bobby Choonavala, former president of Digital Asia and now
president of the company's General International Area (GIA),
said, "Ed Reilly is a senior member of the international
management structure. He brings to the Asia Region his
successful experience of management in an Asian cultural
environment as well as his personal contacts within and outside the
company. I am confident our success in Asia will be continued
under his leadership."

Reilly, 51, joined Digital in 1962 as an engineer in the US and
later transferred to corporate customer services. He managed
customer services for Latin America for eight years. He
became sales manager of Digital Japan in 1980 and president
of Digital Japan two years later.

A member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, Reilly
served as president in 1991 and 1992. He was previously
chairman of the Japan Chapter of the American Electronics
Association.

Commenting on his new appointment, Mr Reilly said, "Although
I feel sad to leave Japan, I am eager to explore new Asian
business opportunities and implement Digital's new strategies
to become the leading computer company in the fastest growing
region of the world."

"I am excited about the new Digital organization under Bob
Palmer," said Reilly. "Bob is providing dynamic leadership to
take the necessary steps to control costs and emphasize services,
software, networking, silicon and open systems, which will
lead Digital through the '90s and beyond.

"We are now a much more focused company in terms of target
business segments. As Bob has rightly pointed out, the
customer must be the primary focus of everything that we do.
A key area of my job will be to improve customer satisfaction
and provide the technology appropriate to customer needs in
the Asia region."

(Brett Cameron/19930408/Press Contact: Walter Cheung, Digital,
Tel: [phone];HK time is GMT + 8)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00021)

IBM Accounting Practices Questioned 04/08/93
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- IBM has
confirmed that it has changed some accounting practices since the
mid-1980s in ways that boosted the revenues, the company reported.
However, a company spokesman told Newsbytes the effect on
financial results was "not material" and IBM's accounting
practices remain reasonable and in line with industry practice.

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal raised questions
about several IBM practices, including: booking revenue for
equipment upon shipment to dealers, although dealers can return
unsold goods; recording revenue for goods shipped to an IBM
warehouse in transit to a customer if final delivery is expected
within 30 days; and using a special form of insurance to comply
with rules that let the company record leasing revenue in the
year the lease begins rather than spreading it over the life of
the lease.

IBM spokesman Rob Wilson said his company had no quarrel with the
facts stated in the Journal article, but maintained the article
cast the practices in an unfairly bad light. "Our accounting
practices have evolved over the years to reflect change in the
over-all industry and in IBM," he said.

Most of the policies highlighted in the article were introduced
in the mid-1980s, Wilson said. It was at about that time that
changes in the computer industry, such as the move away from
large mainframe computers running proprietary operating systems,
started to erode IBM's historic dominance -- an erosion that last
year led to the company's first operating loss and a massive
cost-cutting effort.

IBM's return on equity in 1984 was 26.5 percent. It fell to 9.6
percent in 1989, and has been negative in the past two years.

Wilson confirmed that IBM received a lengthy memo from its
auditors, Price Waterhouse, in November 1988 questioning some of
its accounting practices. He said some practices were changed in
response to the memo, others were not, and Price Waterhouse
ultimately signed an "unqualified opinion" on IBM's results,
meaning the auditors accepted IBM's practices. Wilson added that
memos of this sort between a large company and its auditors are
normal. "It's the auditor's job to raise questions," he said.

(Grant Buckler/19930408/Press Contact: Rob Wilson, IBM,
914-765-6565)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00022)

Delrina Creates Consumer Software Division 04/08/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Amaze Inc., the
Kirkland, Washington, company acquired last October, will form
the core of Delrina Technology's new consumer software
division. The new group will focus on "content publishing,"
company spokesman Josef Zankowicz said, through PC-based calendar
software, daily planners, and screen savers.

Amaze was the publisher of Gary Larson's The Far Side calendar,
Trivial Pursuit, and the Random House Dictionary in electronic
form. Along with creation of the new division, Delrina announced
it has licensed rights to Intermission 3.0, a screen-saver
program from Icom Simulations of Wheeling, Illinois, and
signed a marketing deal with Day Dream Publishing of
Indianapolis, a publisher of theme calendars in paper form.

Delrina will do electronic versions of Day Dream's calendars,
which include a world wildlife calendar, a Sports Illustrated
swimsuit issue calendar, and others, Zankowicz said.

Delrina would not reveal terms of either agreement.

The new division will have its development activities in
Kirkland, with sales handled through Delrina's San Jose,
California, office and administration in Toronto, Zankowicz said.

Delrina's business products -- facsimile and forms processing
software -- still account for the majority of its business, he
said. However, the company expects its consumer software business
to provide a growing share of its total revenues over the coming
year, he added.

Dan Elenbaas, former president of Amaze, has been appointed
vice-president of the new division.

(Grant Buckler/19930408/Press Contact: Josef Zankowicz, Delrina,
416-441-4658, fax [phone]; Public Contact: Delrina,
416-441-3676)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00023)

Cognos Loses On Year, But Quarter Shows Upturn 04/08/93
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Software vendor
Cognos Inc., has reported a loss for the fiscal year ended
February 28, but the company made money in the fourth quarter and
Ron Zambonini, who took over as president in January, contends
Cognos has turned the corner.

In the year ended February 28, Cognos lost C$7.9 million on
revenues of C$147.7 million. That compares to net income of C$5.2
million on revenues of C$145.2 million last year.

In the fourth quarter, the company made a C$100,000 profit on
revenues of C$38.7 million. The net income figure compares to
income of C$200,000 in the first quarter and losses of C$1.3
million and C$2.5 million in the second and third quarters.

Zambonini said he is "quite pleased" with the fourth-quarter
profit, which he admitted was "a small one, but at least it's in
the black."

The company has been going through a transition from selling
software for older proprietary minicomputer systems to three
areas it considers have potential for growth: Unix, desktop PCs,
and the IBM AS/400 minicomputer. Cognos' problem over the past
year has been that "the older ones have been going away faster
than the new ones were coming," Zambonini said. Now the new
product areas are "beginning to come for us."

Sales of Cognos' application development tools for Unix, PCs, and
the AS/400 accounted for 28 percent of its sales in the fourth
quarter, Zambonini said, up from about 16 percent last year.

In the meantime, Cognos has been cutting costs, reducing expenses
from C$40.1 million in the third quarter to C$37.2 million in the
fourth, excluding restructuring charges.

Some further cost-cutting may be needed, Zambonini said. "I'm
more interested in profit than growth this year," he said, and
"if that means further cost cutting, then I'm going to do it."

(Grant Buckler/19930408/Press Contact: Lyse Teasdale, Cognos,
613-738-1440; Michael Greeley, Cognos, 617-229-6600)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00024)

Federal Office Systems Expo Next Week 04/08/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- The annual Spring
Federal Office Systems Exposition (FOSE) will be held in downtown
Washington, DC, from April 12 through 15 at the Washington
Convention Center. Three keynote speakers, Microsoft's Bill
Gates, NCR's Gil Williamson, and Computer Associates' Charles
Wang will highlight this year's show.

In addition to product exhibitions from more than 500 of the
world's top computer and telecommunications companies, FOSE
features a world-class conference schedule with nearly 100
sessions.

Where will be the crowds be thickest this year? Bets around
Washington are almost all being placed on any booth actually
running Windows NT on any system, with Novell's booth being the
second best bet, especially if, as expected, the company has a
running version of the newly announced Novell DOS 7.0.

This is one of the two largest conferences and exhibitions which
target the important federal microcomputer marketplace.

(John McCormick/19930408/Press Contact: National Trade
Publications, 703-683-8500)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00025)

NCR Cuts Jobs 04/08/93
DAYTON, OHIO, U.S.A., 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- NCR will do away
with about 125 jobs in its US Group head office over the
next two months. The cuts results from a reorganization in
February that created worldwide industry marketing and
professional services groups.

That reshuffle made some positions redundant, company spokesman
Mark Feighery said. NCR hopes to find other jobs for some of the
affected workers either within NCR, in its parent AT&T Co., or in
other companies. An outplacement consulting firm has been hired
to help employees who are being laid off hunt for new jobs.

NCR will work with laid-off employees for at least 60 days to
help them find jobs, officials said. Those who do not have new
jobs after that period will be eligible for one week of pay for
every year of service, plus continued benefits for six months.

The positions to be cut are largely in administration,
management, and sales, Feighery said.

NCR has about 5,200 employees in Dayton -- it is the city's
second-largest employer. Of these, 2,900 work in the US Group,
which employs about 16,000 people overall, company officials
said.

NCR said the cuts are not related to its acquisition by AT&T.

(Grant Buckler/19930408/Press Contact: Mark Feighery, NCR,
513-445-5236)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00026)

Telesat Mobile Seeks Bankruptcy Protection 04/08/93
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Telesat Mobile Inc.,
a company formed to provide mobile satellite services in Canada,
has sought protection under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.

Company officials said the company, which is 80-percent owned by
domestic satellite carrier Telesat Canada, needs more money to
meet increased costs and has not been able to find the financing
it requires.

Robert Ferchat, chairman and chief executive of Telesat Mobile,
said he hopes the problems can be resolved quickly so the company
can proceed with plans to launch its own satellite this summer.

Telesat Mobile is already providing its service, used largely for
communications among trucks and other vehicles, using rented
satellite capacity. However, Ferchat admitted there have been
quality problems with the existing service. The satellite Telesat
Mobile plans to launch would have larger antennas than most
conventional satellites, which should improve service quality.

The difference in the satellite technology used may also be one
of the company's problems, however. Ferchat acknowledged that the
design, previously used only in military applications for which
performance data is not available, may contribute to potential
investors' nervousness. So may the unusual design of the ground
stations used. "Without a doubt we are pioneers," he said.

Last fall, a group of Canadian and foreign banks suspended a
financing package that would have brought Telesat Mobile C$270
million in funding. The company currently needs about C$300
million, some of which is already committed but is contingent on
the balance being found, Ferchat said.

Financing needs have increased beyond what the company originally
expected, partly because revenues from the existing service have
not met expectations, Ferchat said. More recently, two recent
accidents in satellite launches have driven up the cost of
insurance, he added.

Ferchat said Telesat Mobile's existing service should not be
affected by the proceedings. He said the launch of the satellite
being built for the company by Toronto-based Spar Aerospace could
be delayed from the originally planned May or June launch to
later in the summer. Spar officials said work is continuing on
the satellite being built for Telesat Mobile and on a similar one
being built for American Mobile Satellite Corp., a company
planning to provide similar services in the United States.

(Grant Buckler/19930408/Press Contact: Janis Millar, Telesat
Mobile, 613-736-6728)


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

Compaq Pre-Installs DOS 6.0 04/08/93
HOUSTON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Compaq Computer
Corporation says it is ready to start installing Microsoft's
recently announced operating system DOS 6.0 on its desktop and
portable computers at no charge to the buyer.

DOS 6.0 was first introduced to the public last week at a rollout
transmitted via satellite to what the company described as the
largest-ever PC users group. PC users gathered at 20 locations
nationwide to see Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and his executives
show off the features of the new operating system.

DOS 6.0, in addition to the usual copying, deleting, renaming and
other mundane file management tasks provided by an operating system,
adds features like virus detection, and data compression to double
the effective available disk space.

There's also a feature called Memmaker which determines the
optimum configuration of the device drivers in the computer's
upper memory blocks in order to free up low memory space for
use by applications.

Version 6 also has the ability to store multiple boot
configurations, and there's a utility called Interlink,
which allows file transfer between two computers similar to
third-party programs like Laplink. Additionally, files
can now be between directories or disks with a single command,
and entire directories, including subdirectories and their contents
can now be deleted.

Gates told the users that almost all of Microsoft's OEMs
(original equipment manufacturers) have already signed up to
distribute the new system.

The retail price of MS-DOS 6.0 is $130, but introductory pricing
is $50 until May 31, Microsoft said. For the first time, a
three-user retail package is also available. Like DOS 5.0, MS-DOS
6.0 is being distributed in two forms: as an upgrade to systems with
DOS already installed, and as a stand-alone product only offered for
sale with new computer systems through PC manufacturers and original
equipment manufacturers. Compaq said it is offering the upgrade
package for $50.

Microsoft has already announced that the next generation DOS,
version 7.0, will be released in about a year, calling the product
"the biggest change since the beginning of DOS." DOS 7, or
"Chicago" as it's called within Microsoft, reportedly will
offer users the ability to take advantage of the 32-bit
processing capability available in newer PCs.

(Jim Mallory/199304081/Press Contact: Collins Hemingway,
Microsoft, 206-882-8080, fax [phone]; Reader contact:
Microsoft, 800-426-9400)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00028)

BoCoEx Index 04/08/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Boston Computer
Exchange for the week ending  March 26, 1993

Machine                         Main  Closing   Price      Ask     Bid

                               Drive    Price  Change

IBM AT 339                    30 MgB      390              400     350

IBM PS/2 Model 30 286         20 MgB      400              450     300

IBM PS/2 Model 50Z            30 MgB      450              500     400

IBM PS/2 Model 55SX           60 MgB      875              900     800

IBM PS/2 Model 60             40 MgB      450              500     325

IBM ThinkPad 300             120 MgB     1550             1600    1400

IBM ThinkPad 700C            120 MgB     3200             3400    3200

IBM V\P 3/25T MOD. 80         80 MgB     1500             1600    1500

IBM PS/2 Model 95-OKF        400 MgB     3300             3500    3000

IBM PS/2 Model 95-OJF        400 MgB     3000             3300    2700

Compaq Portable II            20 MgB      225              500     200

Compaq Portable III           20 MgB      350              400     200

Compaq Portable 386          100 MgB      750              800     700

Compaq SLT-286                40 MgB      650              700     600

Compaq LTE-286                 40MgB      700              700     600

Compaq LTE-386                 30MgB      750              850     700

Compaq LTE-LITE\25C            120MB     2400             2600    2300

Compaq Systempro LT-486      510 MgB     2200             2400    2100

Compaq Syspro 386/25LT       340 MgB     2100             2300    1950

Compaq Deskpro 486 /33I      120 MgB     1850             1900    1750

Compaq SysPro 486/33        2040 MgB     6800             7000    6300

Compaq DeskP 486DX2/66i      240 MgB     2100             2400    1900

AST Prem Exec 386SX20         40 MgB      900             1000     800

NEC UltraLite 286             20 MgB      550              600     500

NEC UltraLite 386SX/20        40 MgB      900              950     800

Zenith Mastersprt-386SX       60 MgB      950             1100     900

Zenith SuperSport 386SX       40 MgB      750              900     650

Macintosh Classic             40 MgB      650              700     600

Macintosh Classic II          40 MgB      800              850     750

Macintosh SE                  20 MgB      575              650     550

Macintosh SE-30               80 MgB     1150             1250    1100

Macintosh LC                  40 MgB     1000             1300     800

Macintosh II                  40 MgB     1400             1500    1300

Macintosh II SI               80 MgB     1600             1700    1500

Macintosh II CX               80 MgB     1600             1700    1600

Macintosh II CI               80 MgB     2250             2350    2200

Macintosh II FX               80 MgB     2800             3000    2800

Macintosh Quadra 700         160 MgB     3250             3500    3200

Macintosh Quadra 900         160 MgB     4000             4300    3900

Macintosh Powerbk 160        120 MgB     2600             2700    2500

Macintosh Powerbk  140        40 MgB     1350             1400    1250

Macintosh Powerbk 170         80 MgB     2200             2300    2100

Apple Imagewriter 2                       200              225     175

Apple Laserwriter LS                      550              600     500

HP Laserjet II                            750              800     750

HP Laserjet III                          1050             1100    1000

Toshiba T-1200 XE             20 MgB      575              650     550

Toshiba T-1600                40 MgB      625              700     600

Toshiba T-2000 SX             40 MgB      900             1000     900

Toshiba T-2000 SXE            40 MgB      950             1050     900

Toshiba T-2200 SX              80MgB     1250             1300    1200

Toshiba T-3100 SX             80 MgB     1000             1300     900

Toshiba T-3200                40 MgB      650              800     600

Toshiba T-3200 SX             40 MgB      850              900     800

Toshiba T-3200 SXC           120 MgB     2250             2400    2100

Toshiba T-6400SX             120 MgB     2400             2700    2200

Toshiba T-4400SX             120 MgB     1900             2100    1800

Toshiba T-5200               100 MgB     1400             1500    1400

BoCoEx Index data is compiled by Market Analyst, Gary M. Guhman

Here are some current retail-oriented Seats on the Exchange,
presented in a cyclic basis.

Dallas - Ft. Worth, TX - DFW Computer Exchange - M.B. Lee - 817-244-7833

Escondido, Ca. - Affordable Computer Solutions - Dean Jacobus - 619-738-
4980

New Orleans, Louisiana - Audubon Computer Rental - Mike Barry - 504-522-
0348

Detroit, Michigan - CompuCycle - Walt Hogan - 313-887-2600

Computer Exchange\\NorthWest - Dye Hawley - 206-820-1181

Albuquerque, NM, Western Computer Exchange - David Levin - 505-265-1330

Fresno, California - MacSource Computers - Mike Kurtz - 209-438-6227

BoCoEx Index prices are based on complete systems with keyboard, VGA
monitor and adapter, less the value of any software or peripherals.
Boston Computer Exchange is available at: 617-542-4414, Buyer's HotLine: 1-
800-262-6399, In Alaska and Canada 1-800-437-2470, FAX: [phone].

(BOCOEX/19930408)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00029)

Symantec Executive Joins Knowledge Adventure 04/08/93
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Symantec
Executive Vice President Rod Turner is leaving the company to
join La Cresenta, California-based educational software company
Knowledge Adventure as president and chief executive officer.
But Symantec isn't mourning the loss, instead it's taking an
equity investment in Knowledge Adventure.

Symantec has been facing hard times lately, but not just
because its executives will stand trial on charges of theft of
trade secrets from competing software developer Borland
International. Symantec President and Chief Executive Officer
Gordon Eubanks and Executive Vice President Gene Wang have been
indicted by a California grand jury to stand trial in a case
the Santa Cruz district attorney's office says will set
landmark legal precedents in defining what constitutes
"technical and trade secrets."

A portion of Symantec's hard times has to do with the release
of Microsoft's MS-DOS 6.0. The new version of DOS includes
utilities, some licensed by Microsoft from Symantec, that have
been the company's bread and butter in the IBM and compatible
personal computer (PC) market for years. While Symantec is
releasing new utilities for MS-DOS 6.0, the handwriting appears
to be on the wall for the DOS utilities market.

Executive Rod Turner was the twelfth employee at Ashton-Tate
when he left it eight years ago to join Symantec. Now
Turner is joining Knowledge Adventure, a young company
pioneering multimedia software products for the educational
market.

Analysts are predicting the educational software market is
where the next opportunities for software developers are and
Prodigy recently released a survey that said nearly half of all
computer owners are parents. Knowledge Adventure just announced
two educational virtual reality software titles, Animal
Adventure and Issac Asimov's Science Adventure 2.0. The company
was also recently honored with the Best Elementary Education
Program and Best Secondary Education Program by the Software
Publishers Association for its Dinosaur Adventure and Science
Adventure titles.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930408/Press Contact: Lynda Orban, Knowledge
Adventure, tel [phone] ext 122, fax [phone]; Brian
Fox, Symantec, 408-446-8886)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LAX)(00030)

 ****Canon/Next Loses Hardware Developers 04/08/93
REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 8 (NB) -- Next is
reporting the majority of developers in its hardware division
have left the company for greener pastures. While Next
cut its workforce by half, it had hoped its hardware developers
could wait until a deal with Canon to take over the hardware
division, was finalized, Next representatives said.

Steve Jobs, inventor of the Apple Computer, started Next
Computer, which developed a proprietary workstation computer and
operating system to attract the high-end scientific and
engineering computing market. Next reported in January of 1992
over 400 percent growth in its 1991 revenue and announced a new
operating system based on the Nextstep operating system, but for
the Intel 486-based personal computer market. However, in
February of this year the company announced it was abandoning
the Nextstep hardware and concentrating solely on the
development of the Nextstep 486 operating system product.

While the loss of its developers could make the sale of the
Nextstep hardware manufacturing facility in Fremont, California
more difficult, Canon is still the most likely buyer, according
to a Next spokeswoman. Canon is the largest investor in Next,
and despite published reports to the contrary, Next and Canon
have not abandoned talks concerning Canon's acquisition of the
factory and hardware design center, the Next representative said.

However, the hardware end of the Next operation is only ten to
fifteen percent of a much larger deal between Next and Canon,
and that concerns the operating system Nextstep. Scheduled for
release on May 25, 1993, the Nextstep 486 operating system is
the main subject of negotiations between Canon and Next. Talks
include a broader distribution of the Nextstep 486 and possible
distribution of the operating system in Asia with Canon
hardware.

Next is denying reports that the resignation of president and
chief operating officer Peter van Cuylenburg left the company
in disarray. Van Cuylenburg left last month. The British
national and former telecommunications executive was at Next
for one year.

However, once the hardware end was abandoned, there was need to
reorganize all the company's relationships both internally and
externally. With half the staff, Next no longer needed Van
Cuylenburg, according to Next officials. Company
representatives said a new tier of second level management is
being put into place and Next is planning to announce new
appointments from its current staff, including that of vice
president of sales, in the near future.

While the release of Nextstep 486 is on track, other plans for
Next still remain up in the air, company officials told
Newsbytes. Negotiations between Next and Canon are still
in progress and meetings are planned for the immediate future,
according to the Next spokeswoman.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930408/Press Contact: Allison Thomas for
Next, Allison Thomas Associates, tel [phone], fax 818-981-
4230)