ftp.wwiv.com/ftp.wwiv.com.zip/ftp.wwiv.com/pub/HATCH/WWIVNEWS.ZIP/9407_6.NWS

Text File | 1994-07-24 | 31KB | 501 lines

serious object imbedding above release 1.0.

...From the "Simon Legree" department: American Express reports that home-
based workers handle an average of 26 percent more calls than office-based
workers, resulting in a 46 percent average increase in revenue from travel
bookings. AmEx, which began looking into telecommuting for employees over
two years ago, expects to have 10 to 20 percent of its telephone order-entry
employees working from home.

...On a related note, however, it was revealed that at least 10 of that 46
percent increase in revenue was attributed to the fact that the AmEx order
takers were paying for their own phone bills! However, for working parents
with seriously dependent children, this move in telecommuting was rather
well recepted. AmEx's personel department was forced to establish a waiting
list because the demand for this program was so high!

...From the "I Got Da Power" department: IBM spokespersons are talking now
about yet another version of the PowerPC microprocessor. This processor, which
some are calling the PowerPC 630 chip and which IBM has referred to as the
Power3 architecture in the past, is reportedly under development *without*
any assistance from either Apple or Motorola!

...According to IBM insiders, the new PowerPC chip will be used in IBM's RISC
System/6000 workstations and servers, and quite possibly in a proposed new
version of the AS/400 line of midrange computers, rumored to be internally
called "The Borg". Other plans call for its use in a future line of parallel
processing systems. However, IBM has publicly stated that PowerPC chips,
though not necessarily the 630 itself, will be incorporated in the AS/400
line, which currently uses some rather archaic, proprietary processors.

...For those keeping score, there are three existing versions of the PowerPC
chip, and another two due to begin production this year. The first, and
most widely used PowerPC chip today is the 601. The 601 is used in the PowerPC
computers currently available from IBM and Apple, and is currently the only
version readily available on the market. The second version, the PowerPC 603,
is a power-saving version of the 601, while the more powerful 604 version is
due for volume production by the end of this year. On the way is the PowerPC
620, which is due to begin limited production late this year and will be
designed for high-performance workstations and servers, and the 615, which
will feature the 80486 instruction set on the chip as well as the native
PowerPC code.

...By comparison, the 630 chip is expected to offer roughly double the
performance of the 620, and might become available around 1996, according
to some industry analysts.

...Speaking of IBM-produced chips, IBM has also announced that it has placed
a complete digital signal processor (DSP) subsystem on a single microprocessor.
The new chip is part of IBM's Mwave line of products, and includes 32-voice
wave table synthesis and Sound Blaster hardware registers.

...Known as the MDSP2780, the new processor has a 16-bit central processing
unit (CPU) that IBM said can process signals at 33 MIPS. It also has high-speed
fax and data communications capabilities, including support for the new 28.8
V.34 modem "standard". Power management features, including a sleep
mode and the ability to control attached peripherals, are also built in.

...By effectively combining a sound card and fax/modem on a single chip, which
IBM claims is an industry first, costs are cut and board space is saved. This
in turn will give OEMs more flexibility in designing the IBM chip into their
products, which in turn will allow VARs to cut their own costs while adding
versatility to their basic systems.

...Lessee, they combined the sound card and the modem. All they need to do
now is to throw in the Multi I/O, IDE and SCSI interfaces, and a 2MB SVGA
adaptor. And we thought the long card format was dead!

...From the "What? Me Worry?" department: As expected, Microsoft has released
a version of DOS that includes a new disk compression technology. Version 6.22
includes Drivespace, a technology that replaces the company's biggest gaffe
to date, Doublespace. Microsoft, as we all know, was forced by a court verdict
to remove Doublespace after it had determined that Microsoft had violated the
data compression patent of Stac Electronics, the publisher of Stacker, which
is now the defacto standard data compression program.

...MS-DOS 6.22 is essentially the last gasp of the mortally wounded following
a 16-month battle between Microsoft and Stac. In January 1993, Stac sued
Microsoft, alleging violation of its patents following a failed partnership -
viewed by most as a botched attempt by Microsoft as a merger-takeover of
Stac - and a month later Microsoft countersued, charging patent infringement
by Stac because of Stacker's compatibility with Doublespace. Stac won their
end of the suit, and the court awarded them $120 million in damages. However,
the same court gave Microsoft $13.7 million based on Stacker's illegal
compatibility with Doublespace.

...Almost immediately, Microsoft started shipping MS-DOS 6.21 without any
form of data compression. To add salt to the wound, a federal judge denied
Microsoft's attempt to have Stacker pulled from retail shelves over the
Doublespace compatibility issue, and ordered Microsoft to withdraw or destroy
any versions of MS-DOS 6.0 or 6.2 that hadn't already been sold.

...Now, as for just exactly *what* replaced Doublespace, Microsoft is calling
this new form of data compression "Drivespace". Those who've worked with the
beta testing have informed TechNOTEs that "the technology included in the
latest release offers similar features to those in Doublespace, and also
includes a revised ScanDisk, the utility that detects, diagnoses, and repairs
disk errors on uncompressed drives, that supports Drivespace." A feature
called Doubleguard has been added that provides an extra layer of protection
for data by checking data integrity on the fly.

...However, the hot inside tip is that Drivespace is reportedly nothing more
than XtraDrive in Bill Gates' old clothes! While this hasn't been confirmed
- and in fact, has been vehemently denied by Microsoft spokespersons - beta
testers have been reporting on several computer networks about how the
volume format of Drivespace is almost identical to that used by XtraDrive.
Those following the history of this mess will remember that Microsoft *and*
IBM both courted XtraDrive's creators prior to setting their sights on
Stac and Stacker, and probabl are the least surprised at the surfacing of
this particular rumor.

...DOS 6.22 is starting to ship to OEMs, and is expected to be available to
end users later in July. Microsoft will make available an upgrade for users
of MS-DOS 2.11 - as if there's really any of them left! - or higher, and a
Step-Up that allows licensed users of MS-DOS 6.0 and 6.2 to upgrade to this
legal, Stac-free version. The complete MS-DOS 6.22 has an MSRP of $77.95,
while the upgrade and Step-up versions are expected to ship for $49.95 and
$9.95, respectively.

...From the "Michael Crichton" department: Another new super-virus has reared
its ugly head, in all places good old Ann Arbor, Michigan. This virus, called
"Junkie," was discovered accidentally while a sales representative for Reflex
was demonstrating an anti-virus program for a customer. Ironically, the rep
was in the process of demonstrating the merits of that company's Disknet
anti-virus software.

..."Junkie", according to McAffe & Associates, reportedly has most software
engineers concerned for several reasons: It is encrypted, making it difficult
to be spotted; it is polymorphic, meaning it changes each time it replicates;
and it infects both the drive's boot sector and executable files on the disk.
The latter characteristic is called multi-partite by engineers.

...Reflex engineers, concerned because the virus was first discovered on their
own home turf, are studying the characteristics of "Junkie" in an effort to
see what other effects it may have on a computer. The source of the virus is
still uncertain, but it was discovered on pre-installed, shrink-wrapped
software.

...Those same Reflex engineers say 'From what we've observed, "Junkie" is
spread by infecting the boot sector, the portion of the hard disk that
contains the startup instructions for a computer. It can reportedly also
infect the boot sector of a floppy drive and even make an anti-virus program
a carrier, and in turn spread the very viruses its supposed to detect and
eradicate. Scanners open files to search for viruses, in turn opening the door
for Junkie to use the scanner itself as a means of spreading the virus!"

...As of press time, the so-called "Ann Arbor incident" is the only time so
far "Junkie" is known to have surfaced. Both McAffe and Reflex engineers
warn that there are no visible warnings of the virus, and stress the need for
having a current backup of your computer data. "The only known cure for this
virus is re-formatting the hard disk," said one Reflex spokesperson. "That
gets rid of "Junkie" better than anything else!" Users are cautioned not to
make a backup copy of a drive that is suspect, since the backup will also be
contaminated.

...From the "Obscure Blondie Album Title Reference" department: Parallel
computing is no longer the private playtoy of the Cray Busters. Adaptive
Solutions has announced it will ship a parallel coprocessor board for
the PC in July. The company says the board - called the CNAPS/PC - can
speed up performance of a Pentium-based system by as much as 1,000 times.
According to ASI spokespersons, the board also works with 386 and 486-based
systems.

...The board complements the PC's microprocessor by accelerating high-volume
pattern recognition applications such as real-time optical character
recognition (OCR), forms processing, image processing, signal processing and
neural networks. This allows the PC to perform those tasks which humans
traditionally perform but which have been difficult for even the most powerful
computers, such as reading handwritten text, recognizing an individual's face,
or quickly understanding patterns within complex data such as a manufacturing
process.

...This step towards HAl doesn't come cheap, either. CNAPS/PC is priced at
$2,995 to $6,695 in OEM quantities and is scheduled to ship in July. Also,
as with most parallel systems, the board requires some application software
and some code optimization to fully utilize the capabilities provided by
parallel processing. The company is working on plans, yet unannounced, to
release the board and an operating system enhancer as an after-market item.

...From the "IDE Didn't Know That!" department: IBM's Storage Systems
Division - don't you just *love* those official sounding department names? -
is now offering a 3.5-inch, one gigabyte (GB) AT Hard Disk Drive for sale to
individual users as well as OEMs. This drive is another version of the same
1GB drive that IBM has been selling for some time with a SCSI interface.

...A key feature of the drive is that it can work in duplex mode, making it
compatible with existing AT basic input-output systems (BIOS) by having the
drive appear as two logical 500 megabyte (MB) drives. Thus the drive would
appear as volumes C and D, each of 500MB, getting around the inability of
older AT BIOS systems to deal with drives of more than 528MB. No additional
device drivers are needed, IBM said.

...The 1GB AT Hard Disk Drive is one inch high, runs at 5,400 rpm, and has an
8.5ms access time, according to IBM. The company promises a mean-time-between-
failures of 800,000 hours, and sells the drive with a five-year warranty.
Available now, the 1GB AT Hard Disk Drive has a list price of $785.

...On a related note, According to market research group Frost & Sullivan,
the average size of your hard disk will rise to 1GB by 1996! Surveys have
indicated that increased demand for storage space will push computer users
to seek five to 15 times more hard disk space within the next two years,
pushing the average hard disk on a stand-alone desktop PC to a Gigabyte in
size, the market research group said.

...From the "All Eggs in One Basket" department: On May 10, Novell secured
federal regulatory antitrust clearance for its $1.4 billion acquisition of
WordPerfect and its $145 million buyout of all rights to Borland's Quattro
Pro spreadsheet program.

...By setting in motion the processes necessary to buy both WordPerfect and
Borland's spreadsheet business, as well as the release of Novell DOS v7.0,
Novell has in effect declared war on market dominator Microsoft. In fact, the
two deals should enable Novell to become a potent challenger to Microsoft on
virtually all fronts.

...Novell's head honchos haven't skipped over this fact, obviously. The
company has has already announced several plans to use the new product lines
to develop an integrated suite of products. This suite will be aimed at both
office and stand-alone environments, and will include the normal features of
word processing, spreadsheet operations and communications. All products will
also be cross-platform compatible, and will take complete advantage of both
Novell's Netware and Unixware software.

...However, as with any war, casualties tend to accumulate. Novell's stock
lost more than a quarter of its value over concerns by Wall Street that
Novell has paid too much for the assets. Shares of Novell were down from
$62.5, to as low as $17.625 a share in mid-May on the NASDAQ. Numerous
financial analysts, such as Dean Witter Reynolds, Alex. Brown & Sons and
Merrill Lynch have all dowgraded the stock since the deal was announced.

...Novell, of course, has been on a merger trail for several years, with
eyes on WordPerfect, Lotus and Borland. The trail got hotter late last year
when Ray Noorda, Novell's 69-year-old CEO, announced that a search was
underway for his successor - one who reportedly would be more experienced
in corporate takeovers.

...Novell, of Provo, Utah, reported annual revenues of $1.1 billion, and is
considered the leading manufacturer of computer networking software.
WordPerfect, of Orem, Utah, still managed to garner 1993 sales of $700 million
despite severe competition from Microsoft Word, and is arguably the leading
producer of word processing programs PCs.

...While we're still looking in the egg basket, Adobe announced in March plans
to buy Aldus for $525 million, although in mid-June the FTC had issued a
preliminary denial of approval, and had requested that some undisclosed
documents be released to stockholders before said approval could be considered.
Meanwhile, entertainment software leader Electronic Arts announced it would
buy rival Broderbund for $400 million. However, Broderbund axed that deal in
late May, citing "irreconcileable differences".

...From the "Motel 666" department: IBM has announced that its UK operation
has teamed up with Rob Payton, a US hotelier to create an IBM-themed bedroom
at Stapleford Park, his luxury country hotel in Leicestershire. The IBM
bedroom - rumored to be called "The Blue Suite" - will be part of a new
venture involving the redesign of a 16th century cottage next to the hotel
and its 500 acres of parkland.

...Guests in the IBM bedroom will be able to stay in what's being described
as "a stylish, cosmopolitan room, which not only comes complete with a
fully-equipped home office and a 24 hour hotline to IBM helpware, but also
offers tutorials to those who want to learn the basics of computing." The
decor is, as one would expect, somewhat blue in nature, and subtle
interpretations of the IBM corporate logo can be found on everything from
the carpet to the bathtowels to - you guessed it - the toilet lid.

...Now, before all you Mac geeks go rushing off for the opportunity to take
a tinkle on Big Blue, you'd better start asking how much a night in the IBM
room costs. Right now, nobody's willing to make an official statement, but
one IBM spokesperson who asked to remain nameless *and* genderless said that
the internal word was $295 a night, with group rates available! The actual
price will reportedly be decided nearer to opening day in August.

...From the "HAl meets Jurassic Park" department: In a move that surprised
most industry experts, IBM has completely revamped, renovated, recycled,
replaced and regurgitated its AS/400 line of midrange computers. Major changes
were brought on the aging line of minicomputers, starting with reducing the
number of models from 19 to four, updating the OS/400 operating system, and
even changing the color and shape of the boxes.

...IBM intends for the new designs to help IBM sell AS/400s to buyers who are
interested in client/server computing, and to "blow away the concept of the
AS/400 not being an open system," said David Thomas, general manager of IBM's
AS/400 division, in a New York press conference. This blowing is reportedly
accomplished by an updated OS/400 operating system, whose POSIX environment
now incorporates about 80 percent of the APIs used by the top 60 Unix
applications. At the same time, tighter support for client integration was
added with Client Access/400, which now allows any client computer - including
IBM and compatible machines running DOS, OS/2, or Microsoft Windows, as well
as Apple Macintoshes - to be able to 100% with the new AS/400 line.

...The idea is to remold the aging AS/400 line into the super-servers for
the remainder of the decade. Old AS/400 models can be upgraded to the new
models, with upgrades ranging from a simple performance upgrade using a
processor and network accellerator combo, to a complete motherboard swapout.
Other hardware changes also include the introduction of a new File Server
Input Output Processor (FSIOP) that uses a 66 megahertz (MHz) Intel 486
processor that IBM said results in an eight-fold boost in performance when
using the AS/400 as a file server to personal computers.

...Still to come is a change in the processor chips at the heart of the
AS/400 itself. IBM plans to replace the current chips with a variant of the
64-bit PowerPC 620 chip, and a possible "low-budget" version using the 615
chip is also reportedly in the works. IBM spokespersons have stressed
repeatedly, however, that the change in processors will not require any
changes in applications currently written for the AS/400, and that the
AS/400 version of the PowerPC 620 may actually contain true AS/400 code
imbedded in the chip in the same fashion as 80486 microcode will be added
to the 615 version.

...The new AS/400's are expected to ship in early July, except for the new
input/output processor and a wireless local area network (LAN) adapter which
are due in September. Initial shipments of OS/400 Version 3 release 1 and
most software is planned for mid-August, with general availability midway
through the fourth quarter, according to IBM spokespersons. Client Access/400
will be available for OS/2 1.3 and for DOS with extended memory in June, for
Windows 3.1 in the fourth quarter, and for OS/2 2.1 in March of 1995.

...From the "Billie Gatesenfurghen Bork Bork Bork!" department: After
years of ignoring the critics over flaws in usability, Microsoft has signed
an agreement with a Swedish company to provide testing of Windows-compatible
applications. Microsoft spokespersons say the testing, which will be based on
an established usability standard, will be done by Nomos Management AB, a
Stockholm company. Nomos will evaluate the usability of Windows-based
applications from independent software developers, consultants, and other
sources, as well as those produced in-house by Microsoft itself.

...Microsoft already operates its own usability lab on its Redmond, Washington
campus. That lab was established in 1988, and puts Microsoft products through
usability testing throughout the entire development phase. However, most
critics of this process cite the reluctance of Microsoft to drop the
cumbersome Program Manager/File Manager separatism - which is further
compounded by the vehement support of Bill Gates himself - as the prime
example of just how ineffective this lab is perceived to be. Other sources
claim that this lab was established not to test for compatibility, but to
test *intentional incompatibilities* between Microsoft Windows and certain
third-party programs. These same sources also claim that these accusations
do appear in certain documents filed by IBM, Lotus and WordPerfect with
the FTC during the investigations against Microsoft on violation of
Federal Anti-Trust regulations.

...Of course, there's other Microsoft shenannigans for the FTC to take note of.
For example, insiders report that when you install the latest beta version of
Windows 4.0 on a machine that has OS/2 installed, you'll get the following
warning message: "Setup has detected OS/2 files on your system. Although you
can install this version of Windows, these OS/2 files use considerable disk
space. Exit Setup or Continue?' Many of you may recall that a similar message
in a beta version of Windows 3.1 complained if you were running DR DOS instead
of MS-DOS, and that one *was* cited by FTC insiders as one of the primary
triggers of that agency's antitrust probe of Microsoft!

...From both the "May the Pakistani Brothers Rot In Hell!" and the "Look
at My Thumb <POW!> Gee, You're Dumb..." departments: A new "Trojan Horse"
computer virus has gotten loose on the Internet, and is considered one of
the most devious viruses identified to date.

...Disguised as a - are you sitting down? - "utility to turn certain Chinon
CD-ROM drives in to *writeable* CD-ROM burners", the trojan called CD-IT is
in fact causes the computer to lock up, forcing a reboot. Thanks to some
boot-sector tricks, the trojan then reloads itself into memory after the
reboot, and then corrupts critical system files on the hard disk. After this,
nothing but a high-level reformat of the hard disk drive will eradicate the
virus at this point, and we all know just what *that* means.

...Network admins are reportedly scared turdless over this trojan, as it
will also corrupt any network volumes available. As of this writing, -none-
of the current releases of any antiviral software are equipped to detect,
eradicate, and/or repair damage caused by this trojan. Some are even calling
this "the Computer AIDS they warned us about!".

...Chinon, whose name has been associated with this mess simply because the
trojan designer(s) decided to pick *them* as the victim, is encouraging anyone
who might have information that could lead to the arrest and prosecution of
the parties responsible for CD-IT to call the company at 310-533-0274. No
word of a reward was mentioned, but if someone *does* read this and happens
to finger those responsible, be sure to suggest that they send the WWIVNews
editor a 6-drive CD-ROM array as a show of thanks :-)

...From the "Wayne Bell Memorial Award" department: After much talk, promises,
threats, begging, cajoling, and prayers to Roddenberry, Telix, the popular DOS
PC communications package, is about to be released in a Windows version.
According to the company, Telix For Windows has several features which are
unique to the world of Windows communications products. The package includes
the RIPscrip graphics terminal emulation which allows users of many online
systems to interact graphically, using icons, images, and graphics-based text.
Also included in the package's feature list are a graphics file (GIF) viewer,
a phone book manager, support for network communications, upgraded versions of
SALT and SIMPLE, the two Telix script languages, as well as an integrated
sound capacity to link Windows .WAV files with system events.

...Existing users of Telix are being invited to order their Windows version
now, although shipment won't be until June 15. In return they will be provided
with a beta version of the software immediately, making them part of a very
widespread evaluation team for the package.

...From the "Looks like SCSI. Smells like SCSI. Must be SCSI. Burn it!"
department:  A new intelligent IDE controller for IBM-compatible PCs has been
announced by GSI. According to the company, the new controller will support
up to eight devices and has its own onboard BIOS to support not only the
additional drives, but the new IDE-2 (also called "Enhanced IDE") standard
as well.

...GSI claims that the Model 4C-V controller is designed as a direct
competitor with SCSI market, and has four channels, adding "multi-channeling"
capability with each channel supporting one pair of devices (one master,
one slave). This multi-channel operation, GSI says, will allow network users
under Novell Netware 4.01 to increase concurrent operations, making for faster
performance on both file servers and on desktop systems. Drive setup during
installation is also automated, so users no longer need to know the number of
heads, cylinders, and tracks a drive has in order to install it. Also, since
the Model 4C-V has its own Flash BIOS it can support partitions larger than
the 528MB limit imposed by the BIOS built into some computers.

...The Model 4C-V comes with four IDE cables and a power supply cable for
additional drive-power outlets. Retail price has been set at $179, but street
prices from mail order companies have been closer to $139.

...From the "Up the Intelligencia!" department: Cyrix has signed a deal that
gives IBM the right to manufacture Cyrix chips for its own use and to sell to
other personal computer makers, as well as supplying them to Cyrix. IBM has
been building 486 chips for Cyrix, of Richardson, Texas, since last September,
and the new deal covers not only Cyrix's 486-class processors but its upcoming
M1 Pentium-class processor, a competitor to Intel's P-5...er.. Pentium that
is expected to be released at Comdex/Fall '94.

...The inclusion of the M1 is especially significant in light of the fact that
IBM recently announced it would not exercise its option to extend an existing
chip-making agreement with Intel to include the Pentium. Under the existing
deal with Intel, IBM has the right to make Intel's chip designs for use in its
own hardware, and to create its own variations on Intel chip designs both for
its own use and for sale as part of board level products. However, they may
not sell individual chips, which is believed to be a key lynchpin behind
just exactly why IBM chose to sign a deal to manufacture Cyrix's M1 instead
of Intel's Pentium.

...There has also been quite a bit of speculation in the industry that the
decision not to extend the agreement with Intel was really centered on IBM's
promotion of the PowerPC processor that it has co-developed with Motorola and
Apple as a competitor to the Pentium. However, IBM insiders say there were
technical concerns involved. Besides the desire to secure the right to sell
individual chips on the open market, the Pentium uses a bipolar complementary
metal oxide semiconductor (BiCMOS) design that can't be manufactured with ease
or in quantity under IBM's current manufacturing facilities. In addition,
Cyrix had chosen IBM's half-micron CMOS technology for use in the M1, and
one that was decided upon the agreement seemed to be the logical next step.

...Whatever the reason, in late June Intel filed a breach of contract suit
against IBM over their decision to use the Cyrix chips instead of the
Pentiums. Intel claims that not only did the agreement that allows IBM to
use Intel's 486 design prevent them from selling individual chips, it also
prevents them from going anywhere else for compatible designs! IBM, naturally,
says this is a) a load of crap, and b) probably illegal infringment of free
trade. Industry insiders say that if Intel loses this one, it could possibly
put the final nail in the coffin for the company that was responsible for
the x86 architecture.

...From the "Plesalio" department: Meanwhile, IBM Japan is preparing to
release a hybrid personal computer which has the proverbial "kitchen sink"
array of functions and combines a personal computer and various multimedia
devices. An IBM Japan spokesman claimed that this "computer appliance" will
be officially announced in July, and will be marketed in the US prior to
Comdex/Fall '95.

...IBM Japan's hybrid personal computer will be based around its multimedia
personal computer, the PS/V Vision. It is expected to include a regular TV
tuner, a CD player, a telephone, a fax machine, and a game machine. The
unit price of this new PC is the source of speculation but it is likely that
it will be about the same as the PS/V Vision, which is 300,000 yen, or
$3,000, depending on how far the dollar drops by the time Wayne sends this
issue over the network!

...From the "Cheap-Deal ROM" department: TEAC America is shipping a quadruple
speed (4X) CD-ROM drive for only $399 in July. NEC, one of the few vendors
that has offered a 4X drive, has followed suit by dropping their prices to
$399 as well. Previously, NEC had charged a whopping $995 for its product.
The TEAC drive will have the same 600-kilobytes-per-second (K/sec) 4X
transfer rate as the NEC drives, plus a faster access time of 195ms. Industry
experts now expect the 3X standard to die a quick death, and that consumers
will see a wave of 4X products in the fall. Plextor has already announced
plans offer a 4X product in late July, although pricing was not mentioned.

...From the "Final Frontier" department: Spectrum HoloByte has signed an
agreement with Paramount Pictures to produce a new line of interactive
software products based "Star Trek", including the upcoming release of the
movie "Star Trek - Generations."

...This agreement is in addition to Spectrum's original licensing contract to
develop titles on certain platforms for all the "Star Trek" television series
and is applicable through 1998. The agreement outlines a multiplatform deal
which will authorize Spectrum HoloByte to develop games for all significant
16- and 32-bit platforms, to include 16-bit video game platforms, 32- and
64-bit game consoles, 3DO, IBM and Macintosh CD-ROM and disk-based products.

...Insiders at SHB report that in addition to the "Generations" games, a
"Deep Space Nine" game, as well as a "real-time warp flight simulator" game
are in development for release in 1995. Pricing was not available at press
time, but is expected to be the same as that for SHB's previous "Trek"
games.

...From the "More Eggs, Different Basket" department: At Systems Support Expo
in Boston, Microsoft unveiled a CD-ROM disk that includes drivers for the
entire line of Microsoft software products, code samples, articles, and