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/nb930415

Text File | 1993-04-15 | 70KB | 1,550 lines

(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00001)

Fujitsu, AMD Create Joint Venture 04/15/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- Fujitsu has linked with US-
based Advanced Micro Device (AMD) to create a joint venture
concerning next generation memory chips in Japan.

The new firm of Fujitsu and AMD, called Fujitsu-AMD
Semiconductor, will be set up this week. It will start with
a capitalization of 100 million yen ($0.9 million), and expects
to raise total capital to 40 billion yen ($360 million) in the
future. Fujitsu will provide 50.05 percent of this capital, and
AMD will pay the rest, 49.95 percent.

Formerly of Fujitsu, Kimio Yanagida will assume the
presidency of this new firm, which will be located at Fujitsu's
Kawasaki plant.

The new firm will mainly develop and manufacture flash memory
chips, a technology seen as important to future electronic
devices. The firm is planning to start building a CMOS chip
plant in Fukushima Prefecture and it will be in operation
around the end of next year. About 200 to 300 people will be
hired at this plant.

Meanwhile, Fujitsu has developed a prototype superconducting
transistor. It is a bipolar-type transistor, and Fujitsu has
applied an oxygen-magnesium layer on the electrodes. With this layer,
it can create 1,000 ampere electric current in 5 volts. This
superconducting transistor has an extremely fast response speed,
and consumes little electricity, Fujitsu says.

Fujitsu has developed this transistor as part of the Japanese
Ministry's Next Generation Element Development Project. Fujitsu
wants to this product to be commercially available in the
future.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930415/Press Contact: Fujitsu, +81-
3-3215-5236, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00002)

Lapis' L-TV Pro Ships In April 04/15/93
ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- Lapis
Technologies reports that its L-TV Pro series of interface cards
will begin volume shipments next week.

The company claims that L-TV Pro is the lowest-cost way to
get high-quality flicker free video out of a Macintosh computer.
L-TV Pro LC has a suggested retail price of $449 and is
compatible with the Macintosh Color Classic, LC family, and
Performa 400 family. L-TV Pro NuBus has a suggested retail
price of $499 and is compatible with the Macintosh Performa 600,
II family, Centris 650, and Quadra family.

L-TV Pro supports both NTSC and PAL video standards, includes Lapis'
proprietary software to filter out all flicker on the television
or videotape, and comes with both composite video and S-Video
connections to offer users a choice of high quality video output.

The interface card supports a maximum of 16-bit video, optimized
for QuickTime movies and photographic quality pictures.
L-TV Pro offers four separate modes of operation, listed as:

Video Recording Mode: Use L-TV Pro to record the Macintosh screen to
videotape.

Presentation Mode: Everything displayed on the computer monitor
is duplicated on the television or onto videotape.

Dual Display Mode: The television and computer monitor act independently,
allowing for different windows or applications on each display.

Television Only Mode: If a computer monitor is not available, the
television can connect to the computer as the only display.

"L-TV Pro delivers a desktop video recording system at a price for
the masses. Now everyone can connect a Macintosh to a television
for presentations or record images to videotape for distribution,"
says James Harris, Lapis President and CEO. "L-TV Pro provides an
excellent presentation and recording system, replacing the need to
use more expensive and cumbersome solutions such as LCD panels,
projection systems, large screen computer displays, or expensive
scan converter boxes," adds Steve Beck, Lapis chief scientist and
lead developer of the L-TV product line.

L-TV Pro drives any television, video monitor, or VHS VCR in 4,
8, and 16-bit modes at a maximum of 640 x 480 resolution in NTSC
and 704 x 508 in PAL. The interface card provides both standard
RCA and S-Video connectors and requires no other special adapters.
There are four L-TV Pro models, offering support for all LC
and NuBus-based Macintosh systems as well as both NTSC and PAL
video standards.

(Wendy Woods/19930415)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00003)

Faster Drive Formatter For Macintosh 04/15/93
GREENBRAE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- Casa Blanca
Works, Inc., has released version 2.3.4 of Drive7, its universal
drive formatting software with faster fixed and removable drivers
to increase read/write performance.

The company has licensed System 7.1 and current Enablers in
order to allow all Macintoshes to be able to boot from a Drive7
disk. A System version 6.0.8 double-density disk is also
included for Mac Plus and SEs that will not accept a
high-density disk.

Other improvements include direct support for full SyQuest/SCSI
Probe compliance, SyQuest S105 Drives, Fujitsu 2511 Optical
Drives, and the Toshiba MK2224, 200MB 2.5" Powerbook drive.
The new release also clears up a conflict with Apple's new
32-bit System Enabler.

Included with Drive7 is Drive7rem, a driver for removable devices
that replaces multiple removable device drivers in the Macintosh
System Folder. Drive7rem supports most removable cartridge
SyQuest, Bernoulli, optical and CD-ROM drives.

Version 2.3.4 of Drive7rem also includes a unique "intelligence"
feature that avoids driver conflicts. At boot time, Drive7rem
checks the Macintosh memory and SCSI addresses for removable
drivers. If it finds a conflicting driver at any particular
SCSI ID, it does not load itself, avoiding a potential conflict.
Then it tells the user about the potential conflict with a
warning box.

The charge for the upgrade is $10, which includes US ground
shipping costs. For the System 7.1 boot disk, the company asks
that the original disks be returned to install the System and
enablers.

Additional information can be obtained by telephoning Casa
Blanca Works at 415-461-2227 or faxing 415-461-2249.

(Wendy Woods/19930415)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00004)

New Apple Laserwriter Printer Driver 04/15/93
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- The new Apple
LaserWriter printer driver, version 8.0, is designed to improve
the functionality and performance of PostScript-compatible
LaserWriter printers, especially those capable of supporting
PostScript Level 2.

The driver software combines all of the features of previous
LaserWriter printer drivers, including application compatibility,
support for TrueType fonts and PostScript Level 1 compatibility,
and it adds support for features that are specific to individual
printers, Apple says. "Specific PostScript Printer Description" files
(PPDs) offer fingertip control for printer features such as multiple
paper trays, printer resolution, PhotoGrade and optional envelope
trays.

The new driver is also designed to improve background printing
performance up to 30 percent for business graphics. It also
provides support for PostScript Level 2 features, including data
compression, real-time error reporting, patterns and pattern-caching
and color.

The new software is scheduled to begin shipping with Apple's
PostScript Level 2 LaserWriters -- currently the Personal LaserWriter
NTR and LaserWriter Pro 600 and 630 -- in late April. Apple
plans to replace previous versions of LaserWriter drivers with
this software.

(Wendy Woods/19930415/Press Contact: Pat Kinley of Apple Computer,
408-974-2589)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00005)

Add Japanese Characters To Non-Japanese Macs 04/15/93
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- Apple
Computer is offering its Japanese Language Kit, a new software
product that enables customers to use Japanese characters on their
non-Japanese systems.

With the Japanese Language Kit, customers can input, edit and
display Japanese characters without having to use a fully
localized Japanese version of the Macintosh operating system.

The Japanese Language Kit builds on WorldScript technology,
delivered in System 7.1 in October 1992. WorldScript provides
system-level support for most written languages, enabling
customers to take advantage of multilanguage computing.

Using the Japanese Language Kit, a Macintosh computer with System
7.1, and any application that supports Apple's WorldScript,
customers will be able to create documents that mix Japanese
characters with their native language, such as English or
Chinese.

The Japanese Language Kit is intended for customers who need to create
Japanese documents and presentations.

 The Japanese Language Kit includes the software extension,
the Kotoeri Japanese character input method, two Japanese
TrueType fonts (HonMincho and MaruGothic) and the Osaka screen font.
The Japanese Language Kit requires a Macintosh computer with at
least 4MB of RAM, System7.1, and a hard disk drive with at
least 20MB of storage available. The suggested retail price is
$249.

The Japanese Language Kit is also available through specially
authorized KanjiTalk dealers. Customers can call Apple's
reseller hotline at 800-732-3131 for information about KanjiTalk
dealers.

(Wendy Woods/19930415/Press Contact: Cindy McCaffrey of
Apple Computer, 408-974-1578)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00006)

AST Research UK - First Pen-Based Notebook 04/15/93
BRENTFORD, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- AST Research
has announced its first pen-driven portable computer, the
Penexec. The notebook PC is expected to ship in the UK within a
few weeks.

The Penexec is actually a hybrid computer -- not a true pen-
driven, nor a keyboard-driven notebook PC. The idea behind the
machine, according to the company, is to give users the best of
both worlds. The heart of the machine is a 25 megahertz (MHz)
80386SL chipset, driving 2 megabytes (MB) of memory, expandable
to 20MB internally.

Data storage is via a built-in 3.5-inch high density floppy
drive, as well as a choice of 120 or 200MB hard disk. Despite the
inclusion of the floppy drive as an integral feature of the case,
the machine tips the scales at 5.5 pounds.

Announcing UK plans for the machine, which was pre-announced
earlier this month in the US, Con Mallon, AST UK's product
marketing manager, said that AST is already a leader in the
portable marketplace with its Premium Exec and Powerexec
notebooks.

"We believe that the Penexec, which provides highly sophisticated
handwriting recognition capabilities, will deliver pen computing
to a whole new generation of computer users," he said.

In use, the Penexec's screen acts as both a display and a data
input device. The screen operates to VGA resolution and includes
a 400 dots-per-inch (dpi) digitizer as a standard feature. The
9.5-inch screen can display up to 64 grey scales, with the pen
(or similar instrument) controlling data input.

AST has opted to supply Windows for Pen Computing, the Microsoft
Windows package, with the Penexec. The Windows front-end package
interfaces with MS-DOS 6.0 and Windows 3.1, which are bundled
with the machine. Also bundled with the machine is Pen
Essentials, a suite of applications software developed by Slate
Corporation in the US.

Slate is developing several packages for use with pen-driven and
portable PCs. The suite of software supplied with the Penexec
includes: a loose-leaf notetaker, Delrina Winfax Pen, Daytimer
pen scheduler and Penbook business reference pages.

(Steve Gold/19930415/Press & Public Contact: AST Europe - Tel:
081-568-4350)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00007)

Amstrad's Penpad Gets PCMCIA RAM Cards 04/15/93
HATFIELD, HERTS, ENGLAND, 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- Mitsubishi has
revealed it has become the first supplier of PCMCIA random access
memory (RAM) cards to gain approval for use with the Amstrad
Penpad computerized personal organizer unveiled last month.

The Japanese company is supplying the PCMCIA RAM cards in a range
of storage capacities, ranging from 128 kilobytes to 4 megabytes.
Amstrad versions of the Mitsubishi cards are being supplied to
Amstrad for supply to its customers.

The move is highly strategic for Mitsubishi. At the Amstrad
Penpad's launch last month, company chairman, Alan Sugar, said that
he intended to work with a number of companies on the peripherals
front. Amstrad has a track record of being careful whom it
appoints as an official supplier of add-ins for its electronic
products.

Mitsubishi, meanwhile, has been looking for a "presence" in the
portable computing industry for some time. While the company is a
major original equipment manufacturer (OEM) supplier of PCMCIA
cards to the computing industry, it has not had a major tie-up
like the Amstrad deal before.

Newsbytes would like to point out that, contrary to much press
reporting, the Amstrad Penpad is not a true personal digital
assistant (PDA) in the vein of the Apple Newton or planned Sharp
and Citizen machines. The UKP 299 machine emulates most of the
functions of a personal organizer ("Filofax"), but is not DOS-
compatible. Instead, it relies on three eight-bit proprietary
processors to run a proprietary operating system.

(Steve Gold/19930415/Press & Public Contact: Mitsubishi - Tel:
0707-276100; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00008)

Zenith Data Pitches For UK Govt Sales 04/15/93
SLOUGH, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- Zenith Data
Systems (ZDS) has announced it is offering substantial discounts
-- some as high as UKP 2,000 -- on desktop and portable computers
supplied into the government sector. The idea behind the
discounting plan is to establish the company as a major
government supplier, just as ZDS has done in the US.

"The public sector is an expanding target market for ZDS and we
therefore place a high importance on servicing customers in this
area. We expect that these prices, specific to the public sector,
will encourage such organizations to buy ZDS equipment so that
they too can experience the state of the art PC technology and
first-class support provided by ZDS," explained John Lonergan,
the company's UK managing director.

Lonergan says that ZDS's range of portables offer a variety of
options to potential users, but he acknowledged that pricing is
an issue. This is why the company is offering discounts of up to
50 percent on machines sold into the government marketplace.

(Steve Gold/19930415/Press & Public Contact: Zenith Data Systems
- Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00009)

NEC Ships New Ultralites In UK 04/15/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- NEC UK has announced it is
shipping a new range of Ultralite portable PCs in the United
Kingdom. The Versa series of machines are available in a wide
variety of configurations.

According to NEC, the Versa range is available in both monochrome
and active matrix color screen editions, pricing from UKP 2,125
for the mono and UKP 3.195 for the color versions. All models are
based on the Intel 486SL processor and feature local bus video
for high-performance graphics. Newsbytes notes that the Versa
series is the first from the company to support local bus on a
portable.

The Versa series is one of the first notebooks of its type to
include twin PCMCIA card slots as a standard feature. Another
interesting feature is the facility to remove the floppy drive
and slot in a second battery pack. NEC calls this feature the
"Doubletime" facility, since it doubles working time on the
machine.

"NEC has carried out substantial research into the portable
computer market and the results have shown that the products
available at the moment do not meet the requirements of the
users," explained Steve Finnimore, NEC's PC divisional product
marketing manager.

According to Finnimore, the mobile user needs all the computing
power available on a desktop, but requires greater control over
his or her computing environment. "They don't want to send their
computer back to the dealer, or even buy a new one, every time
they need to upgrade the power or specification of their
machine," he said.

"The user-friendly modular design of the Ultralite Versa passes
power to the user giving them the ability to change their own
hard disk, upgrade memory, move from mono to color display and
introduce communications devices when they want and without
having to rely on third party assistance," he added.

UK versions of the Versa are supplied with a 120-megabyte (MB)
hard disk as standard. Upgrades to 180MB are available using the
same "slot in/slot out" technology that the Versa battery
displays. The heart of the machine is an Intel 25 megahertz (MHz)
80486SL processor, although Newsbytes notes that this is a 3.3
volt version, reducing the power requirements of the machine.

(Steve Gold/19930415/Press & Public Contact: NEC UK - Tel: 081-
993-8111; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00010)

IBM, CIC Work On OS/2 Handwriting Recognition 04/15/93
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- IBM and
Communication Intelligence Corp., of Redwood Shores, California,
have signed a joint development agreement to put a version of
CIC's Handwriter Recognition System (HRS) software on the OS/2
Pen operating system extension from IBM's Personal Software
Products division.

IBM Personal Software Products already distributes and
exclusively sublicenses CIC's PenDOS pen-based operating system,
which began shipping last July, and Handwriter Recognition System
for PenDOS to other pen hardware manufacturers around the world.

In March, the IBM Personal Computing Company announced the
availability of HRS and PenDOS on IBM's newly announced ThinkPad
710T pen-based tablet computer. On the ThinkPad 710T, IBM now
offers a choice of PenDOS or the rival PenPoint operating system
from Go Corp.

CIC's multilingual Handwriter Recognition System software is
designed for many different users with a various handwriting
styles, according to the vendor. It is available in English (both
US and UK versions), German, French, Italian, Spanish, and
Japanese.

Besides IBM, companies with licenses to use HRS in their products
include Fujitsu Ltd., NEC Corp., NCR Corp., Samsung, Acer Inc.,
Seiko Epson, and others. HRS for Windows for Pen Computing is
available to large end-user accounts and hardware manufacturers
from CIC.

The capabilities of the OS/2 Pen version of Handwriter
Recognition System will be the same as those of existing
versions, said Madeline Duva, director of business development at
CIC. "The operating system really is less important to the
individual than the application," she said, and CIC's goal is to
provide a common handwriting recognition engine across multiple
operating systems.

Founded in 1981 as a spinoff from the Stanford Research
Institute, CIC develops and sells products that use pen, voice,
and image for computer input.

(Grant Buckler/19930414/Press Contact: Germaine Gioia, CIC,
415-802-7754)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00011)

DEC Loses $30 Million In Quarter 04/15/93
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- Digital
Equipment Corp. has lost money again in its latest financial
quarter, but the loss is smaller than in the last quarter or in
the corresponding quarter last year.

DEC lost $30.12 million on total operating revenues of $3,453.68
million in its third quarter, which ended March 27, 1993.

Revenues in the quarter were up six percent from $3,252.51
million in the comparable quarter a year ago, and the loss is
substantially smaller than last year's third-quarter loss of
$311.31 million.

In the second quarter of this year, DEC lost $73.86 million on
revenues of $3,689.44 million.

"We are meeting the goals we have set for ourselves in returning
Digital to profitability and growth," said Robert B. Palmer,
president and chief executive of DEC, in a prepared statement.

For the nine months ended March 27, DEC reported total operating
revenues of $10,457.42 million, up four percent from $10,025.09
million in the comparable period a year ago. Digital lost $364.53
million in the first nine months of fiscal 1993, versus $940.38
million -- including a $485.5-million charge for a change in
accounting principles related to post-retirement health benefits
-- in the comparable period of 1992.

Digital is in the midst of ongoing cost-cutting efforts. The
company said it has cut its total worldwide staff by 4,000 in the
third quarter, to 98,100, making total cuts of about 16,000 since
the beginning of the fiscal year.

Earlier in April, DEC announced plans to move its head office out
of the historic woolen mill here that has been its home since the
company was founded in 1957. Employees will begin moving to other
office space in Maynard this summer, a company spokeswoman said.

Palmer, who succeeded founder Ken Olsen last fall, reorganized
the company into nine business units in December. The new
structure, comprising five industry-sector units and four built
around DEC product lines, is to be fully in place by the end of
the fiscal year, according to a company spokesman.

DEC is pinning much of its hope for recovery to the Alpha AXP
architecture, a high-powered reduced instruction set computing
(RISC) technology that will form the basis of DEC's next
generation of hardware as well as being licensed to other
companies.

(Grant Buckler/19930415/Press Contact: Bradley D. Allen, DEC,
508-493-7182; James Chiafery, DEC, 508-493-8009)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00012)

New Print Shop From Broderbund 04/15/93
NOVATO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- Broderbund
Software will release The Print Shop Deluxe 1.2 (MS-DOS), an
enhanced version of its best-selling title, in May. At the same
time, it will release a graphics collection for The Print Shop
Deluxe: The Print Shop Deluxe Comic Characters Graphics Collection.

Highlights of The Print Shop Deluxe 1.2 include increased speed.
Version 1.2 is 200% faster than the original version, the firm
says. Both screen rendering and printing speed have been
significantly improved; import capabilities -- users can import
graphics in EPS, PCX, and TIFF formats for use in the creation
of greeting cards, signs, banners, calendars and letterhead.

There are also enhanced export capabilities. With version 1.2,
users can export entire files in EPS, PCX, TIFF, and CGM formats.
In addition, users can export graphics in Adobe Illustrator format,
Broderbund says.

"Users told us they loved creating their own designs with 'The
Print Shop Deluxe,' but would like to import and export to other
programs," said Harry Wilker, Broderbund's vice president of
publishing. "We're happy to oblige with a new version that
further extends the program's capabilities."

Broderbund is also shipping "The Print Show Deluxe Comic Characters."
The collection features a unique selection of more than 300
graphics, numbers and letters with personality. (Each graphic
has its own humorous human features and expressions). The collection
is available for the suggested retail price of $44.95.

"The Print Shop Deluxe" is designed for IBM PC/Tandy and 100%
compatibles with an 80386SX, 80386 or greater microprocessor.
It requires MS-DOS 3.0 or higher, 1MB of RAM, a hard disk, a
high-density 1.2MB 5.25" or 720K 3.5" drive, a VGA monitor and
a keyboard or mouse. The product carries the suggested retail
price of $79.95.

(Wendy Woods/19930415/Press Contact: Broderbund Software, Novato
Karen Omholt, 415/382-4639)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00013)

Seybold - SuperMac's Latest 24-Bit Windows Accelerators 04/15/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- At Seybold,
SuperMac has announced Spectrum/24, a 24-bit color Windows
accelerator priced at under $1,000, along with the addition of
integral color calibration to Thunder/24, a 24-bit card for Windows
first released last fall.

EISA and ISA versions of the two new cards are shipping this month,
and editions for the new, high-speed VL bus architecture are
expected to become available in June. Spectrum/24 is priced at
$999, and Thunder/24 at $1,999, said Thomas B. Clarkson, Windows
product marketing director, during an interview with Newsbytes.

Clarkson told Newsbytes that the results of benchmark tests show
Spectrum/24 and Thunder/24 to be the fastest accelerators in their
class. Each card displays 16.7 million colors at up to 1152 x 910
resolution, for a 30% greater viewing area than the 1024 x 786 of
Super VGA. Resolution this high is hard to find in a card sold for
less than $1,000, he stated.

In addition, Spectrum/24 and Thunder/24 each offer a refresh rate
of 75 Hz. "On most PC boards, 72 Hz is the highest you get," he
commented. The high refresh rate is aimed a providing flicker-
free, easy-on-the eyes display.

The new color calibration capability in Thunder/24 is provided by
the SuperMatch Display Calibrator Pro, a cuplike device that
can be attached to the front of the screen.

In a demonstration on the show floor, Clarkson told Newsbytes that
the Calibrator Pro's electronic sensor and calibration software
makes sure that the color information from the card corresponds to
the colors actually seen on the display.

The calibration results can be automatically inserted into Adobe
Photoshop files, guaranteeing that users will get consistent color
results each time, regardless of changes in temperature or other
physical characteristics of the room.

The calibrator also provides point-and-click control over lighting
conditions, letting the user adjust for white points, or
brightness, and gamma, or the distribution of pixels over the RGB
(red/green/blue) color scale.

The new VL-Bus versions of Thunder/24 and Spectrum/24 are ideally
suited to professional work in prepress and digital photography,
Clarkson said.

By taking advantage of the VL architecture's second bus, the cards
obtain up to fourfold improvement over the performance achievable
on EISA. The second bus communicates with graphics applications at
the high speed of 132 MB/S.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930415/Press contact: Alexandrea Todd, McLean
Public Relations for SuperMac, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(BOS)(00014)

Seybold - Interleaf WorldView 2, SGML Express 04/15/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- At Seybold,
Interleaf is introducing WorldView 2 and SGML Express, a pair
of software programs that support the SGML (Standard Generic Markup
Language) specification for format-independent document
interchange.

WorldView 2 is a new, fully SGML-capable version of WorldView, an
electronic document viewing system for DOS, Macintosh, Windows,
OS/2, Unix, DEC VAX, and IBM mainframes.

SGML Express, an update of the Interleaf 5 SGML development tool,
adds the ability to create SGML documents without any programming.

WorldView, a system released last June, enables users to view files
as either WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) pages or formatted
dynamically to fit viewing windows.

Bill Freeland, product marketing manager, told Newsbytes that
WorldView 2 offers the ability to conduct a structured search
through a huge document base.

For example, the user might search for all subheads that contains
the words "rotor" and "valve," and which pertain to products
created after 1982. In SGML, structured searches like this are
made possible by defining various aspects of documents as
structural "elements," and then "tagging" these elements with
identifying information.

The new product also lets users output fully compliant SGML files
from within WorldView 2, so what started out as read-only text will
generate text that can be edited and reused.

According to Karen Warner, vice president of strategic marketing
and communications, the combination of these two capabilities has
not been present in any viewing product up to now.

WorldView 2 will also support an abundant variety of hardware and
software platforms, file formats, and printers, she emphasized.

The current version of WorldView provides support for PostScript,
PCL, dot matrix, and AFP printers, as well as the following file
formats: MS Word, WordPerfect, WordStar, PostScript, SGML,
Interleaf, FrameMaker, PICT, TIFF, MacDraw, MacPaint, CGM, IGES,
and HPGL.

WorldView 2 will consist of two components, based around those in
the first release. WorldView Press will take documents from major
word processors, desk processing programs, and other applications
and prepare them for online viewing -- compressing the documents
and adding hypertext and a full-text index.

WorldViewer will let end users view the documents, carry out
searches, attach electronic notes, zoom in, and print.

A few of the other new features in WorldView 2 include support for
color text and images, an outline navigator that lets the user
"click" through elements of a document to find information quickly,
and an "intuitive search" function that lets the user select a
paragraph or block of text and say, "Find me more like this."

Moira Meehan, SGML/CALS product marketing manager, told Newsbytes
that Interleaf's other new program, SGML Express, is designed to
reduce the time and expense it takes to produce SGML documents.

The word "Express" in the title has two meanings, she said. One
refers to self-expression, and the other to rapid performance.

Creating an SGML-compliant document involves two steps. First,
document type definitions (DTDs) are employed to define the
elements in a document. Then, once the DTDs are installed on the
user's SGML authoring software, the user can create SGML-compliant
documents based on those DTDs.

According to Meehan, SGML Express carries out both steps without
programming, and also allows easy customization of documents for
WYSIWYG presentation. The program is designed to provide guidance
to the user, while hiding the complicated syntax of SGML.

SGML Express will operate on most major Unix platforms, including
workstations from Sun Microsystems, IBM, DEC, and Data General.
Interleaf expects to release both SGML Express and WorldView 2 in
June.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930415/Press contact: Karen Warner, Interleaf,
tel [phone])


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

 ****The Sega Channel Debuts This Fall 04/15/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- A Time Warner
spokesman expressed confidence room will be found on many cable
systems for the Sega Channel, which will debut this fall.

"In the short run the cable systems are expanding pretty
rapidly," said spokesman Edward Adler. "We now have 77 channels
in Manhattan, and 150 in Queens. We're building an Orlando system
with unlimited channels. And other cable systems have announced
upgrades. I'm sure capacity will be there. The whole future of
cable is in expanded capacity."

TCI, the nation's largest cable operator, and Time Warner are
both joint-venturing with Sega on the Sega Channel, which will
offer a carousel of videogames on an as-needed basis. A special
decoder will be available for owners of Sega Genesis systems,
Adler said, but the games cannot be saved. Pricing will be at
about $8-10 per month, in the range of other pay cable services
like Home Box Office.

In addition to actual games, Sega Channel will offer game-playing
tips, news, contests and promotions. Tom Kalinske, Sega president
and chief executive officer, estimated there will be 12-14
million homes with Genesis systems, which retail for about $100,
when the system is rolled out. Sega Channel will compete most
closely with video stores, which after a legal battle with game
system makers now rent videogames. Time Warner and TCI serve a
combined 17 million homes.

Separately, Time Warner said that AT&T will supply the ATM
switches needed for the upgrade of its Orlando system. Time
Warner is creating an unlimited-channel, two-way network in
Orlando called the Full Service Network, which it hopes will
demonstrate the viability of a complete upgrade for all its
systems. AT&T will start delivery of the switches this fall.
The GCNS-2000 has a maximum data throughput of 20 billion bits
per second -- it takes about 45 million bits per second to
deliver a single TV channel without compression.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930415/Press Contact: Time Warner Cable,
Mike Luftman, 203/328-0613; AT&T Network Systems, Pat Stortz,
201/606-2478; Time Warner, Edward Adler, 212/484-6630)


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

BellSouth ISDN Plans 04/15/93
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- BellSouth said it
will roll out digital service under ISDN standards in its largest
urban markets in conjunction with a host of allies, including
computer system integrators, hardware makers and software
companies.

The IAS+ Initiative will be tried first in Nashville, Tennessee
and Huntsville, Alabama. The company said that 48 of its markets
will be access to ISDN services by the end of this year, about
48 percent of its total customer base. ISDN, which stands for
Integrated Services Digital Network, offers 2 digital channels at
64,000 bits/second, plus a 16,000 bit/second signaling channel,
on a single phone line. Prices are set about 30 percent higher
than regular business rates by most vendors, like Ameritech, but
BellSouth won't set its tariffed rates until later this year.

Among the vendors working in the Nashville roll-out are Apple,
AT&T, Cisco, Compression Labs, DigiBoard, Motorola, Novell,
Hayes, and Microcom, as well as 10 system integrators. A list of
Atlanta partners is being developed by TelAviso Inc., BellSouth,
which will also handle the partnership arrangements in other
BellSouth markets, including Miami, Charlotte, and New Orleans.

Phone companies have in the past been criticized for the slow
roll-out of ISDN, which they've been talking up as the future of
telecommunications since the early 1980s. A National standard for
ISDN was finally demonstrated last October, and since then most
regional Bell companies have been moving forward aggressively.
However many companies, including BellSouth, have also been
talking-up even faster data services like frame relay and ATM.
BellSouth announced this week it is buying a large number of ATM
switches from Fujitsu, so it can offer digital services faster
than the 1.5 million bits/second limit available under primary
rate ISDN.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930415/Press Contact: David Storey,
BellSouth, 205-321-3413)


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

Bell Company Update 04/15/93
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- The seven regional
Bell companies are busy finding new businesses, and fighting the
public image wars, nationwide.

US West said it would follow Ameritech into the credit card
business, by offering a private-label version of credit cards
from US Bancorp of Portland, Oregon. Like Ameritech's card,
which is handled by Household Finance, the US West card will
double as a telephone calling card. The most successful such card
is AT&T's Universal Card, which is now one of the most popular
credit cards in the nation.

Ameritech won praise from Illinois Governor Jim Edgar by funding
a $500,000 program to train teachers in the use of communication
technology for teaching. The Edtech program will be handled by 53
Illinois colleges that have teacher education programs, and will
help train teachers in the use of online resources and remote
learning. The money can also be used to link small schools with
videoconferencing-based classes.

Such grants are important for two reasons. First, teachers with
knowledge of advanced communications will use the services, and
that increases revenues directly. Second, grants can help build
goodwill which phone companies can use in their continuing
battles with state legislatures for deregulation, and with state
utility commissions for higher, more flexible rates.

Phone companies do tend to spend that goodwill whenever
legislatures are in session, as Southwestern Bell is doing now in
Texas. The company wants price caps it says will let it run more
fiber cable and digital services, and supports two bills which
failed to pass the recent session of the legislature. But its
tactics, including a rally by company employees and a media
blitz, have brought down the wrath of the state's lieutenant
governor, Bob Bulluck, who also presides over the State Senate.
The issue is complicated by the fact that Southwestern Bell is in
the process of moving its headquarters from St. Louis to San
Antonio. While the deregulation bill is dead, SW Bell is getting
another shot at deregulation through a "Sunset" bill aimed at the
Public Utility Commission.

Pacific Telesis announced it will take a $2 billion hit on 1994
earnings as it moves toward spinning-off its wireless operations.
Many of the company's top executives, including Chairman Sam
Ginn, will join the new company. Most of the charge is related to
an option businesses were given last year, to either capitalize
or immediately write-off health benefits of future retirees. The
company also said it will take a $210 write-off on real estate,
and take hits on restructuring its cable and equipment
businesses. The news did not impact the company's stock price,
which recently broke-out of a narrow trading range to the upside
and now trades at nearly $50 per share.

The company's PacTel Teletrac joint-venture, which will be part
of the spin-off, also announced an enhancement to its $18 per
month security service. Teletrac Roadside Assistance will let
drivers activate a vehicle location device in their cars when
they need service. Teletrac offers vehicle location services
through networks of ground antennas in major markets including
Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Miami.

Other enhancements to the service let parents learn where their kids
have taken the family car by calling the company and activating
the tracking service remotely. RoadAmerica, a service of Brickell
Financial Services Motor Club, will handle the auto service.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930415/Press Contact: PacTel Teletrac,
Ron May, 310/338-7187)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(MOW)(00018)

AT&T Offers Phone Service In Moscow 04/15/93
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- AT&T and Moscow phone monopoly
MGTS today announced that their Russian joint venture has officially
started offering local and international telephone services to
business and residential customers in Moscow.

The Telmos Company will be operating the 5ESS digital switch,
supplied by AT&T and installed in the building near the Olympic
Penta hotel in Moscow.

Telmos has installed a 5ESS digital phone switch with a capacity of
4000 subscriber lines; the capacity will be increased to 10,000
lines before the end of the year. With this switch Telmos can
offer services comparable to those available in Western Europe
or the United States, including simultaneous transmission of
voice and data (ISDN) and Centrex services.

During a demonstration of the new system, Newsbytes was able to
place a call to London several minutes ahead of the "first official
ISDN call in Moscow." The connection was clear but not immediate.
Newsbytes was told by the Telmos staff that new company utilizes
international satellite and land connection provided by InterTelecom,
the trunk line owner.

The signup fee will be US$1050 both for business and residential
lines.

Talks on the subject were held since 1989 but a joint venture
agreement was signed only on September 13, 1992. "After that
everything went fast," AT&T representatives said at the
press conference.

The Telmos company is an equal equity venture between Moscow City
Telephone Company (MGTS) and AT&T. According to Telmos President
Vladimir Lagutin the registered capital of the new company is 2
billion roubles (about US$2.6 millions at the current exchange
rate).

The Board of Directors of the operating company will comprise
three AT&T members, three MGTS members, and one member jointly
nominated by the two firms. President of the Telmos Management
Council is Vladimir Lagutin (MGTS), with Stan Krylow (AT&T
International) as vice-president.

According to MGTS Director Mr. Vasilyev, the revenues generated
by the services of the operating company will be used to finance
the expansion and further modernization of the Moscow telephone
network.

(Kirill Tchashchin & Eugene Peskin/19930415/Press Contact: Young &
Rubicam/Sovero, Natasha Radzetskaya, phone [phone]; Public
Contact: AT&T Network Systems International, Cees Steijer!
phone + 31-35-871212, fax + 31-35-875835)


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

 ****Microsoft Ships 2 Million DOS 6, Earnings Up 04/15/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- Microsoft
Corporation says it has shipped two million copies of its MS-DOS 6
to retail outlets already since the newest version of the operating
system was introduced two weeks ago. The company said the figure
does not include copies shipped to hardware manufacturers which
pre-install the operating system on their PCs.

Microsoft also announced its third quarter earnings, reporting per
share earnings of $0.80, which was slightly above what most
financial analysts had expected. The company reported earnings of
$243 million on revenues of $958 million for the fiscal year '93
third quarter. That's a 36 percent increase over the same period
last year. The results were released just minutes after the market
closed Wednesday, with Microsoft stock closing up 1/8 at $89 per
share. The stock rose slightly higher than that in after-hours
trading. The company attributed the gain to strong demand for
product.

Microsoft Windows, of which 25 million copies have been licensed
since it was introduced, contributed to the results also. "These
results reflect the continuing adoption of Microsoft Windows by
our customers around the world, as well as the on-going popularity
of the MS-DOS operating system," said Chief Financial Officer
Frank Gaudette. The company said about a dozen PC makers have
licensed more than one million copies to run on their systems
with Windows pre-installed on about 60 percent of the personal
computers shipping.

Microsoft is expected to start shipping Windows NT, the latest
version of Windows, a few weeks after it has its official debut
next month.

Microsoft is being cautious about the fourth quarter results,
telling analysts it will be satisfied if fourth quarter revenues
rise half of the approximately 20 percent the company has experienced
in recent years.

(Jim Mallory/19930415/Press contact: Microsoft Public Relations,
206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00020)

 ****Wrist, Hand Site Of Most Work-Related Injuries 04/15/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- The reported
incidence of repetitive stress injuries (RSI), the pain and
related weakness caused by constant small movements such as those
experienced by computer keyboard operators, have, according to
the latest PC World Magazine, tripled in the past ten years,
making RSI the number one cause of worker complaints to the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Although more progressive European companies have made an effort
to prevent such injuries through special regulations, outside San
Francisco and affluent Suffolk County, New York, few local
governments here in the US have given any serious attention
office regulations that might reduce RSI injuries.

Newsbytes recently interviewed a Pennsylvania-based expert in RSI
who told this bureau that her practice has also seen a great
increase in such injuries. According to Sherry G. Sabine, OTR/L
CHT (occupational therapist and certified hand therapist) RSI, or
"cumulative trauma disorders" can occur at any time in a worker's
career. Occasionally problems show up within days after a
particular job is begun. Often symptoms are vague and non-
specific and may not develop until the worker has performed the
same job over months or years. "There are no one-time incidents
that can be identified as a cause of RSI."

According to Ms. Sabine, because the worker does not have a
broken bone or cut, and there is no sign of bruising or visible
swelling, the individual who suffers from cumulative trauma will
probably not appear injured to a supervisor who therefore might
not recommend appropriate rest or changes in working conditions
until an injury becomes severe, perhaps causing permanent
disability.

"Some days the worker feels fine," she told Newsbytes, "and other
days discomfort may be severe. A history of generalized
complaints may develop in such a way that the employer and
sometimes even the worker become unsure of whether the symptoms
are job- or hobby-related, or even if they are real."

Carpal tunnel syndrome is probably one of the most widely
recognized diagnoses when considering cumulative trauma or
repetitive stress injuries. This is a soft-tissue injury which
occurs at the wrist. As soft tissue becomes irritated, internal
swelling occurs, she said. The extra fluid coming into the
tissue serves two basic functions. The fluid "splints" the
irritated tissue to prevent movement which could increase the
irritation, and it begins the healing process of the injured
tissue.

"Unfortunately, as motion continues with day-to-day activities,
the nerves enclosed in the tunnel become pinched as the pressure
from the swelling increases."

But CTS is far from the only RSI commonly seen according to Ms.
Sabine. The well-known "tennis-elbow" (actually lateral
epicondylitis), DeQuervain's Syndrome (a soft tissue injury to
the thumb), and thoracic outlet syndrome (which causes pain to
the entire arm), are also being seen more often.

Ms. Sabine recommends taking the following steps to avoid such
injuries:

Computer operators should be encouraged to stretch frequently,
moving head, neck, shoulders, and arms briefly to balance muscle
tension.

The worker should be seated properly with the chair providing
firm support for the back, with either adjustment capability or
shape that allows for the addition of a cushion. The seat height
should be adjustable so that, with the operator seated, the
keyboard can be used with the elbows in about 80- to 90 degrees
of flexion. A freely adjustable footrest should be used to
prevent fatigue.

The keyboard should be positioned so that the operator's wrists
are supported with an appropriate wrist rest, which maintains the
wrists in a neutral position with the fingers comfortably on the
keys.

Work should be placed slightly behind, and to the side of, the
keyboard at a comfortable reading distance and at the proper
height to prevent a stoop-shouldered position. The computer
screen should also be positioned at proper eye level, she says.

And, in some situations, specific keyboards or other adaptive
equipment may be suggested for individual workers.

Ms. Sabine is a registered occupational therapist and certified
hand therapist who has been practicing in the York, Pennsylvania,
area since 1972.

Much of the adaptive equipment needed for the work site is
commercially available and can be obtained through industrial
suppliers or rehabilitation equipment suppliers, such as
Susquehanna Rehab Products, in Wrightsville, Pennsylvania to
which Ms. Sabine is a consultant.

The locations of occupational therapists in other regions who are
skilled in evaluating upper extremity problems, can be obtained
from The American Society of Hand Therapists, 1002 Vandora
Springs Rd., Suite 101, Garner, NC 27529.

(John McCormick/19930415)


(NEWS)(IBM)(WAS)(00021)

Problems With DOS 6 Reported 04/15/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- As Microsoft's
earnings surge and the Redmond, Washington-based software giant
claims MS-DOS 6 sales in the millions only a week after its
debut, Computer Reseller News dated April 12 says that some users
are having difficulties with the DoubleSpace disk compression
utility and others are experiencing problems running under MS-DOS
6 on Artisoft's LANtastic local area network software.

MS-DOS 6 includes features of MS-DOS 5 bundled with a number of
enhancements like file compression; power management and file
transfer for portables, anti-virus capabilities, and other
utilities which many users already have purchased from third-
party suppliers.

Microsoft spokespersons say that there have not been an unusual
number of complaints considering the number of copies sold in the
first week.

It is difficult to gauge the number of complaints properly but
there have been a number of complaints about various MS-DOS 6
features, especially the DoubleSpace disk compression utility,
posted on various computer bulletin board systems.

Newsbytes has learned from a source close to the federal
marketplace that there have been reports of trouble but that they
were relatively minor so far.

(John McCormick/19930415/)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00022)

Administration Favors High-Tech Highways For Cars 04/15/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- Remember the time
President Bush was reported as being surprised to learn about the
use of bar code scanners in checkout lines? Whether that
incident was true or not, the Clinton Administration apparently
not only knows what retail scanners are, it intends to expand
their use by adding radio frequency tags to automobiles to create
smart sensors which would be used to automate toll collection.

Privacy advocates have expressed some concern as to possible
alternative uses that to which police agencies might put such
sensor systems, such as tracking when and where people drive as well
as how fast.

The Associated Press reports that besides the smart tags, Clinton
Administration high-tech aficionados are proposing spending
several hundred million dollars on the Intelligent Vehicle
Highway Systems concept put forward by Representative Bob Carr,
Democrat from Michigan.

Under Rep. Carr's plan, cars would be equipped with an on-board
computer linked to roadside stations via infrared sensors that
would provide road condition reports to the driver.

(John McCormick/19930415/)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00023)

 ****Viacom Buys ICOM Simulations 04/15/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- Viacom
International, a major cable channel operator whose holdings
include MTV, Nickelodeon, and Showtime, said it will buy ICOM
Simulations, a privately held video game producer based in
Wheeling, Illinois. No price was disclosed. ICOM will be
integrated into Viacom's New Media division, which was formed
last October.

ICOM is best-known for multimedia products like a CD-ROM
entitled "Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective," as well as
video games like the Super Nintendo hit "Roadrunner's Death
Valley Rally." Viacom President Frank Biondi said the move by his
company accelerates its timetable for introducing products in the
video game area, as well as multimedia. ICOM will become the
research arm of Viacom New Media, he added.

Like many other broadcast-related companies, Viacom is searching
for new markets for its properties. In addition to its ownership
of cable programming networks, Viacom is a major program
distributor, having re-run rights to shows such as The Cosby Show
and Roseanne. It also owns TV and radio stations. It's
controlled by National Amusements Inc., but it was originally a
spin-off of CBS.

The idea behind the acquisition is to combine Viacom's
trademarks and franchises in entertainment with ICOM's
ability to create multimedia and video game products.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930415/Press Contact: Hillary Condit, Viacom,
212-258-6354)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00024)

Entry Level Champion Bookkeeper 04/15/93
ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- Champion Business
Systems says it is now shipping its entry into the low-cost
accounting arena with the introduction of Champion Bookkeeper.

The PC-based system allows corrections to be made after-the-fact,
maintaining a full audit trail. That allows users to retrieve posted
transactions and make the necessary corrections without having to
make reversing entries. The audit trail recording the corrections
maintains the integrity of the data. Chief Software Engineer Rusty
Fraser says other software packages allow corrections after posting
but don't maintain an audit trail. "The real issue isn't just
accounting improprieties in other low-end programs, but the
multitude of problems users must face when trying to track changes
and corrections." Accountants says an accounting system that doesn't
provide an audit trail of all transactions and changes is unreliable
and meaningless, says Fraser.

Marketing Director Bill McCabe told Newsbytes Champion Bookkeeper
also includes a automatic data recovery system with what the company
calls an "internal auditor." If your computer crashes, the feature
detects if the books are out of balance then automatically balances
them by analyzing the journals, ledgers and files and reposting
where necessary. For example, if the data relating to a check were
lost, the system reverses the check entry and makes the necessary
adjustments. The user gets a list of all reversed and damaged items
to maintain the audit trail. "Usually (in the computer crashes) you
only use the current transaction in a real-time system, unlike a
batch processing, where you can lose a lot of data," says McCabe.

Champion Bookkeeper can open a new month without requiring the
previous month to be closed first, begin a new year without closing
the previous year, and keep two full years current. Retroactive
reporting and transaction analysis allows the user to recreate
reports from a previous period. In addition to the pre-defined
reports, a custom report writing feature allows the creation of
ad hoc reports. Laser and dot matrix printers are supported.

The company says Champion Bookkeeper's entry screens are
form-based, using a fill-in-the-blanks approach rather than
accounting terminology. Modules include General Ledger,
Accounts Receivable and Order Entry, Accounts Payable, Payroll,
Inventory Pricing, check writing, and the custom report writer.
According to Champion President Charlie Hager "Champion
Bookkeeper is targeted toward small businesses who don't
particularly like accounting, can't afford ongoing professional
help, and don't need the power, expense and complexity of a
high-end system."

The program has a suggested retail price of $195, but Champion is
offering an introductory trade-in deal that provides a $100
allowance for users of other accounting systems. The company
provides a 90-day, no questions money back guarantee, and says
Champion Bookkeeper can be upgraded to one of its more sophisticated
programs with full credit applied to the new purchase. McCabe told
Newsbytes the company expects to release a Windows version of
Champion Bookkeeper in late 1993, but presently has no plans to ship
a Macintosh version.

(Jim Mallory/19930415/Press contact: Bill McCabe, Champion Business
Systems, 303-792-3606 or 800-243-2626, X350; Reader contact:
Champion Business Systems, 303-792-3606 or 800-243-2626)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00025)

Dell To Offer NextStep-Based Systems 04/15/93
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- Dell Computer
Corporation says it will offer buyers of its Intel 486-based
personal computers and future products the option of equipping the
system with Next Computer's NextStep for Intel processors.

Dell is one of several personal computer manufacturers, including
Data General Corporation, Epson America, NEC, and Siemens
Nixdorf Information Systems, to announce they will pre-install
NextStep on 486 and Pentium-based PCs (see related Newsbytes
story today.) NextStep for Intel is the IBM-compatible
version of Next Computer's software development environment.
The stand-alone program reportedly will have a suggested
retail price of $795 when purchased from Next, with a programmer's
kit costing $1,995. A Dell spokesperson told Newsbytes the company
hasn't established the price it will sell the software for, but said
"we'll be competitive with Next." Dell does not charge an
installation fee for software pre-installed on its systems.

NextStep, while it wouldn't run on IBM-compatibles, has been better
received than Next's workstation itself. Developers of applications
such as word processing programs say they can produce programs in
less time using NextStep than can developers working in other
systems.

Dell declined to discuss specific terms of the relationship with
Next, nor were distribution details disclosed. However the company
did say it plans to sell NextStep-equipped systems directly into
select target markets. Newsbytes reported in February that Next
Computer planned to get out of the hardware business after a
poor showing in the marketplace, and thought it had a buyer for its
hardware arm in Canon. However, Canon backed out, and now could end
up with the company anyway, since it owns nearly 18 percent of Next
and has reportedly invested about $165 million in the company. Many
potential buyers apparently saw the Next computer as overpriced and
underpowered. The machines are not compatible with IBM-type systems.

In January 1992 founder Steve Jobs said Next would have to be
significantly better to get an advantage over entrenched systems
like Sun, and that never happened. Next reportedly shipped over
63,000 workstations last year, and sales reached $140 million.
According to figures compiled by market research firm International
Data Corporation, that compares with about 217,000 Sun Microsystems
workstations shipped last year.

Dell says its NextStep offerings will range from a small-chassis
L-series system, through the M and ME families of mid-sized systems,
to the company's high-end DGX mid-sized workstation, which
incorporates a 50 megahertz (MHz) processor, secondary processor
cache, and the company's processor-direct graphics technology. Dell
said it will offer the NextStep-based system to vertical markets as
well as through its direct sales force. Availability, pricing, and
specific distribution plans will be announced when Next begins
shipment. That's expected to happen next month.

(Jim Mallory/19930415/Press contact: Lisa Rohlf, Dell Computer,
512-343-3782; Reader contact: Dell Computer, 800-289-3355)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00026)

Borland UK Slashes Quattro Pro 4.0 To UKP 49-95 04/15/93
READING, BERKSHIRE, 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- Borland International has
announced it has slashed the price of Quattro Pro 4.0, its DOS
spreadsheet, down to UKP 49-95. The move represents a price cut
of around UKP 100 on "street prices" of the package.

According to Rikke Helms-Wienszczak, the company's managing
director, Quattro Pro has become a firm favorite in the
spreadsheet marketplace in recent years. The idea of the price
cut, she said, is to enhance the package's appeal still further.

"It's become evident that the software industry is undergoing
significant change, particularly in the level of software prices.
As more operating platforms appear, the established market must
alter, and software manufacturers must adapt to this," she said.

"We feel that it's now the time to respond to the changing
conditions of the DOS spreadsheet market, particularly since
spreadsheets have now become core software for almost every
business. Borland are confident that this will be greeted by
consumers as a fair and positive move, and, by providing a best-
of-breed spreadsheet for a great price, it supports Borland's
commitment to empower the user," she added.

(Steve Gold/19930415/Press & Public Contact: Borland UK - Tel:
0734-320022)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00027)

US Robotics Upgrades Worldport Portable Modem 04/15/93
SLOUGH, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- US Robotics has
released an upgraded version of its Worldport fax modem. The
previously 2,400 bits per second (bps) modem has been uprated to
support V32Bis (14,400 bps), as well having a fax modem facility
added.

As with earlier Worldport modems, the 14,400 V42Bis fax modem is
battery powered and comes with a USR-badged version of Delrina
Technology's Winfax Lite and DOS Fax Lite comms/fax software.
Pricing on the modem is now UKP 499.

According to US Robotics, the new modem fleshes out the company's
range of modems, which were recently enhanced with the arrival in
the UK of the high-speed Sportster modems, first shown at COMDEX
Fall in the US last November.

Newsbytes notes that there is still a PCMCIA version of the
Worldport to come from US Robotics, According to Dale Walsh,
USR's Dale Walsh, the company's vice president of advanced
development, the unit should be due out some time this fall.

Speaking with Newsbytes just prior to COMDEX Fall late last year,
Walsh said that the PCMCIA unit was still about a year off. The
company's acquisition of PNB, the French connectivity specialist
late last month is expected to bring this date forward, as PNB
has considerable experience in PCMCIA technology)

(Steve Gold/199304/Press & Public Contact: US Robotics - Tel:
0753-811180)


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

Seybold - Leaf's Caspe Explodes Color Processing Myths 04/15/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- If you believe,
like most people do, that high resolution means great image
quality, then you're mistaken, said Bob Caspe, president of Leaf
Systems.

In a keynote speech at Seybold this week, Caspe pointed to -- and
exploded -- this myth and three others commonly held about color
image processing.

Myth 1, "The greater the resolution, the greater the sharpness,"
leads to Myth 2: "Resolution is more important than sharpness,"
according to Caspe. In actual fact, the exact opposite is true,
he asserted.

Resolution refers to the number of pixels on the screen, he
explained. Resolution is theoretically restricted only by
the capabilities of computers, but there are limitations
on the number of pixels that the human eye can perceive at any
given distance. Extending beyond those limitations is of
no benefit to the viewer.

Sharpness, or the strong definition of edges around the pixels,
can be far better appreciated by the eye, he added. To illustrate
what he meant, Caspe drew an analogy between pixels and mosaic
tiles, and the edges of the pixels and the edges of the tiles.

To develop truly high quality images, the imaging industry needs to
follow the model of the radio business, Caspe stated. In devising
FM channels, radio professionals studied the relationship between
bandwidth and what the human ear can comfortably hear.

Myth 3, he continued, is that "It's important to select a uniform
color space." This, in term, is related to Myth 4: "24-bit color
isn't enough."

Today, all desktop software processes images in 24-bits, or 8 bits
per RGB (red/green/blue) channel. Available color spaces, such as
the color space for Photo CD, also provide 8 bits per channel.

However, the problem is not so much the number of bits, but the
degradation that the data experiences in making its way to final
processing, he said.

Some degradation in the original dynamic range occurs when the
color arrives at the 8-bit color space, since some of the data is
then thrown away. In addition, most desktop applications require
the user to make a separate pass for each function, such as unsharp
masking, sharpen, or color conversion. Each time a pass takes
place, more of the dynamic range is lost.

The answer, he said, is a new technology from Leaf called
HDR (High Dynamic Range). This technology will take color
data directly from a Leaf scanner to a Leaf Digital Studio
Camera, assuring accuracy and consistency. If designers are
using 8-bit color, they can select the 8 bits they want.

After the keynote, Michael R. Brunzell, a product specialist for
Leaf, explained that HDR will be featured in an upcoming product
from Leaf, which will probably be released in the third quarter.

HDR will start out with 48 bits of data, or three channels of 16
bits each, he said. The data will move from the digital camera to
the scanner in an automatic batch mode, assuring consistent
results. All functions will be executed in a single pass, so the
roundoff that takes place in using the 16-bit algorithms takes
place only once.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930415)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00029)

Mayo Clinic Family Health Book On CD-ROM 04/15/93
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- Interactive
Ventures Inc (IVI) is now offering the "Mayo Clinic Family Health
Book" on a CD-ROM disk that runs on Apple Computer's Macintosh
platform.

The program was originally introduced on CD-ROM for Windows-based
PCs in November. In addition to Interactive Ventures, joining with
the world-renowned Mayo Clinic to produce the CD-ROM disk is Sony
Electronic Publishing, which will distribute the disk. IVI says it
plans on publishing additional multimedia health care titles in
conjunction with the Mayo Clinic, an integrated health care practice
that treats over 300,000 patients annually and has facilities in
Rochester, MN; Jacksonville, FL; and Scottsdale, AZ.

The company says the Mac interface was developed by Clement Mok
Designs. Mok, formerly a creative director at Apple Computer, says
the Mac version of the program takes advantage of the best Macintosh
features. "It's graphically based, and the look and feel is very
dynamic."

Apple's hyperlink feature allows the user to browse the CD-ROM disk
by clicking on topic areas, key words, and illustrations to obtain
more detailed information and cross references to other sections.
There is also what the company calls a "hot spot" cursor that
changes colors when it passes over a portion of a graphic that has
more detailed information available elsewhere on the disk.

IVI says the electronic versions of the book contain all the
information found in the 1,378 page printed reference, which has
reportedly sold more than 500,000 copies since it first appeared in
1990. It has been rated as the best health book of its kind by US
News and World Report, and is the result of the combined efforts of
more than 200 physicians, scientists and allied health care
personnel at the clinic. It offers information on health care issues
such as nutrition, wellness, first aid, and the health care system in
general as well as information on more than 1,000 diseases and
disorders, including symptoms, prognosis, and treatment. Included
are 45 live video offerings that "look inside" the body, including
ultrasound video of a fetus, or animation showing how glaucoma robs
your eyesight, according to Ron Buck, IVI CEO.

IVI spokesperson Joy Solomon told Newsbytes the disk has a suggested
retail price of $99.95.

(Jim Mallory/19930415/Press contact: Joy Solomon, Interactive
Ventures, 612-686-0779)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00030)

Nextstep Bundled By PCs, Canon Deal Slow But Alive 04/15/93
REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 15 (NB) -- Next is
announcing a long list of major personal computer (PC)
manufacturers and national distributor to will sell the
Nextstep, its Intel-based version of the operating system
originally developed for the Nextstep computer. However,
reports are the company is fighting inertia from its slow
moving major investor Canon.

Next, started by former Apple computer founder Steve Jobs,
developed both the Nextstep, a cube-shaped black box computer
and a new graphical operating system to go with it. However, in
February Next suddenly decided to dump the hardware and port
the Nextstep operating system to the Intel platform. Next says
it hopes to compete with the Apple/IBM venture Taligent and
Microsoft's Windows NT with the Nextstep 486 operating system
which will be introduced at the Nextworld Expo, May 25-27 in
San Francisco. Nextstep will run both DOS and Windows
applications, the company said.

When Next dropped the hardware end, the company laid off half
of its staff of 400. But Canon, which owns 17.9 percent of Next
and has reportedly invested $165 million in the company,
announced it planned to take over the Fremont manufacturing
facility. Canon also had exclusive rights to Next hardware and
software distribution in Asia. While it is widely reported
Canon is backing out of the manufacturing facility deal with
Next, Next representatives insist no final decisions on any
part of Canon's arrangements with Next have been made.

Next representatives say the reports concerning Canon are based
on misunderstandings of the implications of the shut down of
the hardware end, which has required re-negotiation of the
company's deal with Canon as well as with other hardware and
software dealers. However, company representatives insist that
re-negotiation is continuing slowly with Canon and other
companies are looking into the Fremont manufacturing facility
as well.

The bright spot in Next's future appears to be the announced
support of Intel PC hardware vendors of the Nextstep 486
operating system. According to Next representatives, the
Nextstep 486 requires specific high-end video hardware, such as
that on the Epson Progression product, in order to run. Epson,
Dell, NEC, Siemens, and Data General have all said the Nextstep
486 will be available factory installed on the hard disks of
certain of their 486- and Pentium-based PCs.

In a separate announcement, Hewlett-Packard says it will market
Nextstep-certified PCs via its resellers, who will integrate
and deliver fully configured Nextstep systems.

Next claims the Nextstep will run on over 100 other PCs from
various manufacturers such as those from Altima Systems, AST
Research, Digital Equipment, Gateway 2000, Intel, Lucky-
Goldstar Information Systems, NCR, Toshiba America Information
Systems, and Zenith Data Systems.

Shrink-wrapped versions of Nextstep 486 will be available for
purchase. Nextconnection, a division of PC Connection,
headquartered in Marlow, New Hampshire, will distribute a
shrink-wrapped version of Nextstep for Intel processors through
its mail order operations. Next says its sales representatives
will concentrate on distributing Nextstep 486 to major
corporate and government accounts.

The Nextstep 486 user environment will retail for a US list
price of $795. The developer tools, named Nextstep Developer,
will have a list price of $1,995 in the United States. The
company says developers need both the user environment and
Nextstep Developer, for a combined price of $2,790.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930415/Press Contact: Allison Thomas for
Next, Allison Thomas Associates, tel [phone], fax 818-981-
4230)