ST Report: 4-Feb-94 #1006

From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 02/05/94-02:46:04 PM Z


From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 4-Feb-94 #1006
Date: Sat Feb  5 14:46:04 1994


                            SILICON TIMES REPORT
                            ====================
                       INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
                       =============================

                                    from
                       STR Electronic Publishing Inc.


   February 04, 1994                                             No. 1006
   ======================================================================

                            Silicon Times Report
                       International Online Magazine
                            Post Office Box 6672
                     Jacksonville, Florida  32221-6155

                                R.F. Mariano
                              Publisher-Editor
                 -----------------------------------------
                    Voice: 904-783-3319  10 AM-4 PM EST

                 STR Publishing Support BBS Network System
                             * THE BOUNTY BBS *
       FIDO 1:112/35 ~ ITCNet 85:881/253 ~ FNET 350 ~ Nest 90:21/350
                     904-786-4176  USR/HST 24hrs-7 days
               2400 -38.4 bps V.32-42 bis 16.8 Dual Standard
                      FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM-6 AM EST
                 -----------------------------------------
        Fido 1:112/35 The Bounty STR Support Central 1-904-786-4176
          FNET. 620 : Leif's World ................1-904-573-0734
          FNET. 690 : PASTE BBS....................1-206-284-8493
          FNET. 489 : Steal Your Face BBS..........1-908-920-7981
          MNET - Toad Hall BBS.....................1-617-567-8642
   ______________________________________________________________________

 > 02/04/94 STR 1006  "The Original * Independent * Online Magazine!"
   """""""""""""""""
 - CPU INDUSTRY REPORT    - People Talking    - HP upgrade Palmtop
 - NEC, Toshiba CUT $$$   - Chicago Q&A       - Novell DOS 7
 - WORKS 3.0 Now 139.00   - GEnie Contest!    - ALDUS buys Digital FX
 - Yearn2Learn a Review   - Kodak & Apple     - The Old Fishin' Hole

                  -* ONLINE SUBSCRIBERS TOP 4.5 MILLION *-
                      -* IBM DROPS PENTIUM RIGHTS! *-
                      -* INTEL LOSES SUIT TO CYRIX! *-

   ======================================================================
                   STReport International Online Magazine
                The Original * Independent * Online Magazine
                           -* FEATURING WEEKLY *-
                 "Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
      Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information
             Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports
   ======================================================================
 STReport's BBS -  The Bounty BBS,  invites all BBS systems,  worldwide, to
 participate in the  Fido/PROWL/ITC/USENET/NEST/F-Net Mail  Networks.   You
 may  also call The Bounty BBS direct @ 904-786-4176.  Enjoy the wonder and
 excitement  of exchanging  all  types of  useful  information relative  to
 computers,   worldwide,  through   the  use   of  excellent  International
 Networking Systems. SysOps, worldwide,  are welcome  to join the  STReport
 International  Conferences.   The  Fido  Node  is  1:112/35,  ITC Node  is
 85:881/253 Crossnet Code  is #34813,  and the "Lead  Node" is  #620.   All
 computer platforms BBS systems are welcome and invited to participate.
   ======================================================================
      CIS ~ GENIE ~ DELPHI ~ BIX ~ FIDO ~ PROWL ~ ITC ~ NEST ~ EURONET
         USENET ~ CIX ~ CLEVELAND FREE-NET ~ INTERNET ~ FNET ~ AOL
   ======================================================================

     COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME
                             to the Readers of;

                   STREPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
                   """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
                  "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"

                         NEW USERS; SIGN UP TODAY!

                CALL: 1-800-848-8199 .. Ask for operator 198

                  You will receive your complimentary time
                                    and
                        be online in no time at all!

     "Enjoy CompuServe's forums; where information is at its very best!

  """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


 > From the Editor's Desk             "Saying it like it is!"
   """"""""""""""""""""""

      The "Information Highway" is blossoming along at full speed.  In the
 weeks to come, STReport will be doing a comprehensive overview of the
 various online services.  We'll be taking a look at the good the bad and
 the ugly of each of the major services.  The online community is a
 thriving area of telecommunications that is just "coming of age".  Until
 a short while ago, many of the whigs in the computing community felt that
 a mere ten to fifteen percent of the computer owners owned and used a
 modem on a daily basis.  That is all changing rapidly now as they and
 many others are realizing there are many more modems in use then they
 were informed of.  We coulda told 'em eh?

      The Jaguar... its becoming a very well known name throughout the
 southeastern portion of the country.  Why?  The Jacksonville Jaguars!
 That's why.  Its wonderful to hear how many folks have mentioned "Gee
 wouldn't it be pretty neat if Atari and The Jaguars did something
 together?  The Jaguar from Atari is new, and the Jax Jaguars are new too.
 Hmmm, you never know.  Both show big potential and both have the support
 of many fine people.

      On the software front, Word Perfect is getting set to release an
 update to its Windows version.  Its reported to have some very nice
 "tweaks" added to it to make the user's life a lot easier.

      My my, but Dallas sure silenced many with their stunning victory
 over the Bills.  Oh well there's always next year.  (I'm a Jaguar Fan)

                                         Ralph....



   """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""



  STReport's Staff                      DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU!
  """"""""""""""""

                             Publisher -Editor
                             """""""""""""""""
                              Ralph F. Mariano

                  Lloyd E. Pulley, Editor, Current Affairs


 Section Editors
 """""""""""""""
      PC SECTION     AMIGA SECTION       MAC SECTION    ATARI SECTION
      ----------     -------------       -----------    -------------
      R.D. Stevens     R. Glover          R. Noak       D. P. Jacobson


 STReport Staff Editors:
 """""""""""""""""""""""

           Dana P. Jacobson         Michael Arthur      John Deegan
           Lucien Oppler            Brad Martin         Judith Hamner
           John Szczepanik          Dan Stidham         Joseph Mirando
           Doyle Helms              Frank Sereno        John Duckworth
           Jeff Coe                 Steve Keipe         Guillaume Brasseur
           Melanie Bell                                 John Donohue

 Contributing Correspondents:
 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""
           Tim Holt            Norman Boucher           Harry Steele
           Clemens Chin        Neil Bradley             Eric Jerue
           Ron Deal            Robert Dean              Ed Westhusing
           James Nolan         Vernon W. Smith          Bruno Puglia
                               Glenwood Drake

                              IMPORTANT NOTICE

                              """"""""""""""""
      Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc...
                               via E-Mail to:

                  Compuserve................... 70007,4454
                  America Online..................STReport
                  Delphi......................... RMARIANO
                  BIX............................ RMARIANO
                  FIDONET........................ 1:112/35
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                  ITC NET...................... 85:881/253
                  NEST........................ 90:21/350.0
                  GEnie......................... ST-REPORT
                  Internet.............RMARIANO@DELPHI.COM

   """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""



 > CPU STATUS REPORT                 LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
   """""""""""""""""



                        IBM/POWER-PC/PC SECTION (I)
                        ===========================



                   Computer Products Update - CPU Report
                   ------------------------   ----------
                  Weekly Happenings in the Computer World

                                Issue #06

                         By: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.



                  ******* General Computer News *******



       ** Japanese Chip Makers Expect Move From 4Mb To 16Mb DRAM **

    Anticipating an increased demand for 16Mb dynamic random access mem-
 ory (dram), Japanese memory chip makers are expected to gradually dec-
 rease production of 4Mb drams by the end of the year.

    Since the current demand for 4Mb dram is still strong, chip makers
 are hoping for a smooth transition from 4Mb to 16Mb drams. Currently,
 each maker ships a monthly average of about 500,000 to one million units
 of the 16Mb chip.


                     ** Intel Loses Suit to Cyrix **

    After two previous favorable court actions concerning microprocessor
 patents and licensing agreements, Cyrix  this week received a settle-
 ment from  rival Intel Corp. that could result in payments of up to $10
 million. The ruling meant Cyrix was protected from Intel patent infrin-
 gement claims and that Intel could not charge licensing fees to PC
 makers using chips designed by Cyrix.


                       ** dBase Magazine Planned **

    The premiere issue of a new magazine, dBASE Advisor, is scheduled for
 release this summer.  The publication will be bimonthly and targeted at
 dBASE users and developers.

    The publication will be produced by Advisor Communications Interna-
 tional, Inc., a subsidiary of Data Based Advisor magazine.

    The full-color magazine, featuring at least 52 pages, will include
 technical articles and product-related information. An annual subscrip-
 tion for U.S. readers will cost $24.



                      ** IBM Drops Pentium Rights **

    Reports say that IBM has agreed to give up its rights to fabricate
 Intel Corp.'s Pentium and successor chips for its own use, in exchange
 for an undisclosed cash sum, "other considerations", and the right to
 make 80486 variants in larger numbers than was previously permitted.

    Sources say that the latter right "could prove extremely valuable,
 since presumably IBM is entitled to develop ever more powerful and
 functional variants provided that they do not infringe on anything that
 is specific to Pentium -- and the need for the complexity of Pentium for
 the average user is still far from proven."

    Analysts say this move demonstrates the firm's confidence in the
 PowerPC chip it is developing with Apple Computer Co. and Motorola Inc.
 Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, IBM strategist James Cannavino
 said, "We've made a commitment to PowerPC. We just didn't think it was
 productive for us to make Pentiums."


                   ** Canon Releases Bubble Jet Unit **

    Canon Computer Systems Inc.'s $399 BJ-200e bubble jet printer has
 been released. Canon is quoted as saying the new printer offers
 improvements to ink jet graphics printing quality and is the same price
 as the original BJ-200 model.


                    ** Microcom Enhances Modem Line **

    Two new 28.8 kilobits per second modems have been added to Microcom
 Inc.'s DeskPorte FAST product line, entering at $299 and $399. They are
 to begin shipping this month.  In addition, the company is offering a
 14.4 kilobit modem for $239, available immediately. A laptop version is
 to come to market later this year.


                         ** TI to Cut 700 Jobs **

    While boosting research and development spending, Texas Instruments
 officials say the firm will cut 500 jobs from defense electronics unit
 and 200 in its consumer and peripheral products businesses.


                        ** Apple Ends Up Ahead **

    Even though IBM traditionally has a strong fourth quarter, which lead
 many observers to believe that IBM would end the year as the industry
 leader, Apple Computer held onto its lead and emerge the winner for 1993
 PC shipments.  The computer maker shipped 2.08 million PCs last year.
 That's about 23,000 more than IBM. Despite supply constraints on several
 products, IBM sold 130,000 more units than Apple in the fourth quarter.

    Meanwhile, Compaq Computer, which has been at the forefront of the PC
 price wars for the past two years, fell to third last year with 1.54
 million unit.

    Dataquest researchers say the top three PC companies increased their
 collective share of the U.S. market from 29% in 1992 to 38.5% in 1993.


                 ** Intel To Sponsor Chess Tournaments **

    Intel Corp. announced this week that it has become the sole title
 sponsor for Professional Chess Association events.

    A series of four Intel World Chess Grand Prix Tournaments to be held
 throughout the year. Two qualifying tournaments will identify a chal-
 lenger for the 1995 World Chess Championship match against Garry
 Kasparov, the reigning world champion.

    The school chess program will be implemented by Intel with the assis-
 tance of the American Chess Foundation.


                   ** AOL's Numbers Continue to Grow **

    America Online's revenues doubled for the quarter ending in December,
 while its earnings were flat.  But according to chief financial officer,
 Lennert Leader, these figures only tell just part of the story.  Leader
 said the comparisons were heavily influenced by tax benefits taken in
 the previous year.


    The company had about 531,000 subscribers at the end of the year, but
 that number is now at about 600,000. The company had 219,000 subscribers
 at the end of 1992.  Leader said that the company is conservative in how
 it calculates that number.  "If we have a household with one account and
 three people accessing it, it is not three subscribers. They cease to be
 a customer when they cancel their service."

    America Online recently said it would have to limit use of its ser-
 vice as it seeks to upgrade its systems to handle the growth.


                ** CompuServe Offers IRS Forms On-line **

    Do you need this year's IRS forms and don't want to go running around
 trying to locate them?  Don't despair!  CompuServe and Adobe have teamed
 up to let you download 450 forms or instruction sheets along with a Mac,
 DOS, or Windows compatible copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader, so you can
 print out the forms in IRS acceptable form.

    This is not a tax preparation program which will compute your taxes
 and then print completed IRS 1040 and other tax forms ready for your
 signature, but it does provide a way for CIS subscribers to get blank
 forms electronically - forms which they can then print out as many times
 as they want on their own printers.

    To find the files and locate the one you want to download type GO
 TAXFORMS at the CIS prompt. A search feature lets you quickly locate all
 forms which contain key words such as "charity." Callers can also locate
 particular forms using the form number if they already know what forms
 they need.

    You will also need to download a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader to
 print out the blank forms. Mac and Windows versions of Acrobat Reader
 are now on-line and the DOS version is scheduled to be posted by mid-
 February.

    However, you will have to pay normal connect time charges to download
 the forms and the Adobe software.


               ** Online Subscribers Now Top 4.5 Million **

    Analyst Gary H. Arlen says the number of subscribers to online ser-
 vices jumped 31% last year to 4.5 million, with more than 700,000 new
 users signing up during the holiday season alone.

    Writing in the Washington-based Information and Interactive Services
 Report newsletter, Arlen called this the "biggest growth in several
 years ... an unprecedented 18.4%" quarterly increase. As causes, Arlen
 cited "a holiday season selling binge and the much-hyped Internet
 frenzy."


                     ******* General PC News *******


            ** Microsoft Cuts Price of 'Works For Windows' **

    In a number of announcements, Microsoft has cut the price of Micro-
 soft Works for Windows, reported better than expected shipments of
 Microsoft Access in Japan, and announced strong sales of a book about
 Microsoft's object linking and embedding (OLE) technology.

    The company has reduced the suggested retail price of its Works 3.0
 for Windows program from $199 to $139. Works for Windows, which includes
 word processing, spreadsheet, database and communications capabilities,
 has been shipping since November.

    At an initial special introductory price of $89, Microsoft said sales
 have far exceeded expectations, with nearly four times the number of
 packages shipping than in the comparable period last year. Works is
 available for DOS, Windows, multimedia PCs, and Macintosh platforms.


                  ** NEC and Toshiba Plan Price Cuts **

    Word has it that electronics makers NEC Corp. and Toshiba Corp. are
 planning major cost-cutting program in April to buoy profitability. NEC
 plans to halve production costs for PCs, telecommunications equipment
 and other mainstay products by the end of 1995.  Meanwhile, Toshiba says
 it will double per-head productivity in its semiconductor division in a
 three-year program ending March 1997.


          ** Lotus 1-2-3 For Windows Multimedia Edition Ships **

    Lotus Development Corp. says it has begun shipping the CD-ROM-based
 Lotus 1-2-3 Release 4 for Windows: Multimedia Edition, the newest
 version of its Windows spreadsheet.

    Lotus 1-2-3 Release 4 for Windows: Multimedia Edition combines 1-2-3
 Release 4 for Windows with 28 animated learning and educational movies,
 proofreading technologies and tools for developing customized help
 sessions.

    Lotus 1-2-3 Release 4 for Windows: Multimedia Edition costs $495. Up-
 grades from all other releases of 1-2-3 and from competitive spread-
 sheets are available for $129.


                   ** HP Offers Upgraded Palmtop PC **

    Hewlett-Packard Co. this week announced that it has doubled the mem-
 ory of its popular HP 100LX palmtop PC and lowered the price of its 1MB
 version to $549.

    The enhanced palmtop, the HP 100LX-2MB, features 2MB of RAM to accom-
 modate larger data files and lengthy electronic-mail correspondence. It
 is priced at $799 and scheduled for release in mid-February.

    From Feb. 1 through July 1, HP 100LX users can upgrade their units to
 2MB of RAM for $297.


                    ** Novell Releases Novell DOS 7 **

    Novell Inc. says it's now shipping Novell DOS 7, a new version of its
 PC operating system.

    The software publisher says its product enhances the core functional-
 ity of DOS by providing fully integrated NetWare client support, peer-
 to-peer networking, desktop network management, network installation,
 Stacker disk compression, pre-emptive DOS multitasking, enhanced memory
 management and desktop security. Novell DOS 7 is a major upgrade to DR
 DOS 6.0.

    According to Novell, Novell DOS 7 is fully compatible with Windows
 3.x and Windows for Workgroups (WFW) 3.1 and 3.11.

    Novell DOS 7 is available now for $99. Novell customers using DR DOS
 or the NetWare Lite/DR DOS bundle can take advantage of a 90-day upgrade
 price of $39.95.


                     ** Toshiba Ships New Notebook **

    Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. has begun shipping its
 Satellite T1910 series of notebook computers. The T1910 has an estimated
 street range of $1,599 to $1,699, depending upon configuration and
 bundle purchased.


                     ******* General Mac News *******


     ** Microsoft Offers Upgrades to Microsoft Mail for Appletalk **

    Microsoft this week announced its shipping a set of administrative
 utilities with Microsoft Mail version 3.1 for Appletalk networks. Micro-
 soft says the utilities provide administrators with new methods of main-
 taining user directories and monitoring the electronic mail (e-mail)
 system.

    The upgrade is available at no cost to all current users of Microsoft
 Mail 3.1 for Appletalk and will also be included in the new retail ver-
 sion of the product. Version 3.1 allows an e-mail administrator to run
 an out of office server that will automatically reply to or forward any
 mail sent to a user who is away from the office. Better prediction of
 the minimum amount of memory required by the server, one-command reset
 and tracking of server statistics, on-command network scanning, viewing
 of queued messages by date or size, and return of queued messages to

 their senders is also provided.


                   ** Apple to Seek Mac Clone Makers **

    According to press reports, Apple Corp., is seeking to sign up PC
 manufacturers to produce clones of the Macintosh computer line.

    If true, it would not be the first time that a hardware manufacturer
 has abandoned, at least partially, the production of hardware in favor
 of the software. Next did it not too recently with the divestment of its
 Next hardware platform in order to concentrate on the more cost-
 effective production and marketing of the NextStep object-oriented
 operating system and development environment.

    Many hardware vendors are abandoning the manufacturing of PCs in
 favor of setting up original equipment manufacturing (OEM) agreements
 with individual peripheral suppliers in order to cut production costs.

    A report today quoted an Apple source as saying an agreement with at
 least one PC clone maker involving the manufacture of Macintosh
 computers was expected by the end of the year.

    If true, the decision to get, even partly, out of direct manufactur-
 ing is simply a reflection of a larger trend that has been occurring
 over the last few years that involves the price reductions of hardware
 and the reduction of the PC platform to a commodity market. As a result,
 profit-margins for PC manufacturers have been stripped to the bone,
 forcing them to seek add value-added services such as free technical
 support in order to win sales.

    Some observers contend that, Apple too, may finally be realizing the
 benefits of having companies clone the Macintosh, which would free
 company resources up to concentrate on the development of new products
 and the marketing of software and operating systems.


               ** Apple Produces One-Millionth Powerbook **

    Apple Computer's one-millionth Powerbook computer rolled off the
 assembly line recently, but don't rush to your local retailer to buy it.

    Apple spokesperson Jeanne Brown said that the Powerbook 165 won't be
 shipped, although initially it was packed and ready to go. "We've
 decided to keep it here," said Brown.

    Apple began manufacturing PC boards at the former Data General plant
 near Colorado Springs, Colorado in October 1991 and the first completed
 system was built in January 1992. The facility employs about 1,000
 employees.  The plant, which runs three shifts each work day, averages
 about 3,000 finished computers daily. That's mixed equally between
 Powerbooks and Quadra 610 and 650 desktop models.


            ** Kodak Adopts Apple Color Management Standard **

    Apple Computer Inc. reports that Eastman Kodak Co. has adopted
 Apple's ColorSync Device Profile Format as a standard for Kodak's color
 management products.

    The ColorSync Device Profile Format is a multi-platform, device-
 independent description of any color peripheral, such as a scanner,
 monitor or printer. It allows the peripheral's color capabilities to be
 accessed by Macintosh, UNIX and Windows-based systems.

    Apple adds that it has joined with Kodak to form a ColorSync Profile
 Format steering committee comprised of major operating systems vendors
 and color matching modules suppliers.

    "This agreement between Apple and Kodak lays the groundwork for
 building a standard for an industry-wide color management," says Jerry
 Murch, director of imaging software for Apple's imaging and publishing
 division.

    Apple introduced ColorSync in May 1992. The company says it's curren-
 tly working with industry members to develop the specifications for
 ColorSync 2.0. The new release is due out this fall.


                   ** PowerPC Chip Upgrades Planned **

    Apple Computer Inc. plans to offer upgrades based on the PowerPC
 microprocessor for many of its entry-level PCs. Reports say the upgrades
 will be available for systems such as the Macintosh LC 520, 550, 575 and
 the Performa 550.  Apple officials also said the firm plans to make fut-
 ure upgrades available for LC 475, Quadra 605 and Performa 475/76
 product lines.

    The PowerPC chip was developed by Apple working with IBM and
 Motorola.


                   ** Aldus Buys Desktop Video Line **

    For undisclosed terms, software publisher Aldus Corp. has bought a
 line of desktop video software products from the former desktop division
 of Digital F/X, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif.

    In a statement from Seattle, Aldus said that among the acquired
 products were a program code-named Hitchcock, a yet-unreleased non-
 linear video editing software solution for the Apple Macintosh, and
 TitleSoft (also unreleased) a Macintosh-based PostScript rendering and
 video title generation software program.


                ** Clarisworks 2.1 For Macintosh Ships **

    Claris Corp. reports that ClarisWorks 2.1 for Macintosh is shipping
 and now available at its authorized resellers.

    The updated version of the integrated application supports PowerTalk,
 the new collaboration software built into Apple Computer Inc.'s System 7
 Pro software. By sending and receiving documents electronically from
 directly within ClarisWorks, business workgroups and individuals in home
 office settings can consolidate and share information.

    ClarisWorks 2.1 for Macintosh costs $299.


                      ** New Macintosh is Shipped **

    A new Macintosh -- the $1,699 Mac LC 575, intended for schools, homes
 and businesses -- has been unveiled by Apple Computer Inc.

    Reports say the new Mac uses a 33MHz Motorola 68040 microprocessor,
 an internal, double-speed, tray-loading CD-ROM drive, has a built-in
 Trinitron color display and stereo speakers.


           _____________________________________________________



 > What is Chicago? STR Feature
   """"""""""""""""""""""""""""



                       Chicago Questions and Answers
                       =============================


      Microsoft is continually enhancing its Windows operating system
 product line to deliver easy to use yet powerful products that exploit
 the latest advances in microcomputer hardware technology.  There is a
 great deal of interest in and speculation about the Chicago project, the
 technology development effort which will deliver the next major release
 of Windows for the mainstream desktop and portable PC.  The purpose of
 this document is to answer the most common questions that customers have
 voiced about Chicago.

      What is Chicago and how does it compare to the Microsoft Windows
 3.1, Windows for Workgroups and Windows NT operating systems?

      Microsoft has a family of operating system products designed to
 fully utilize the range of PC hardware available in the market today,
 while providing a consistent user interface for end users and a
 programming environment for developers.  Windows 3.x and Windows for
 Workgroups 3.x on MS-DOS are designed for mainstream portable and desktop
 PC platforms.  Windows NT is designed for the high-end business and
 technical workstation platforms and Windows NT Advanced Server is
 designed as a server platform.

      Chicago is the code name for a development project that will produce
 the successor to Windows 3.x and Windows for Workgroups 3.x.  The Chicago
 project encompasses a variety of important new technologies that will
 make personal computers running Windows easy to use, and that will
 provide a more powerful multitasking system and a great platform for
 communications.  Decisions about how those technologies will be packaged
 will be made later in the development cycle and will be based on customer
 and business needs.

      What is Cairo?  How does Chicago compare to Cairo?

 Cairo is the code name for a development project that will produce the
 successor to Windows NT.  Chicago and Cairo will produce complementary
 products that will continue to provide a consistent user interface and
 programming environment across the entire range of PC hardware platforms.

      Why does Microsoft have multiple Windows operating system products?

      Wouldn't it be simpler to just have one product?  Does that mean
 ISVs have to decide between different operating system products when
 writing applications? There are two distinct design points for operating
 systems platforms.  One is centered on the mainstream system, and the
 other is centered on the high-end system.  It is not possible to have one
 operating system implementation that fully exploits the broad range of
 hardware available today.  At the low end (currently represented by
 products such as the HP Omnibook and entry-level desktop machines), the
 primary design goal is to keep the operating system small and fast and to
 keep usage of machine resources to a minimum.  At the high end (for
 example, a dual-processor technical workstation), the product would need
 to fully support multiprocessing and advanced 3-D graphics as well as be
 capable of running technical applications that use maximum machine and
 system resources.

      Over time, low-end machines will become more powerful, and over
 time, some of today's high-end features will migrate to the low end.  In
 addition, some technical innovations will appear on the mainstream
 Windows system first, largely because of the timing of product releases,
 and because some features are focused on end users and ease of use.  The
 Win32 API assures developers that, whichever system they target today,
 their applications will be able to run in the future as the platform
 evolves.   Thus, while Chicago and Cairo may leapfrog one another with
 some features, depending on release cycles e.g., Chicago will sport the
 next major advance in the user interface, with Cairo inheriting it in its
 release a few months later the general principle over time is that the
 high-end product will be a superset of the functionality offered in the
 mainstream product.  Any deviations from this principle are temporary,
 due to variations in the product release schedules. For ISVs and for
 development purposes, however, Microsoft has just one Windows platform,
 defined by the Windows-based 32-bit API, Win32.  By following a few
 simple guidelines, ISVs can write a single application (executable) that
 runs on the Windows operating system product family.  If they wish, ISVs
 can target specific operating system products because the functionality
 they provide is important to their particular application, but that is
 not a requirement.

      This situation is very much like the Intel microprocessor product
 line. At any point in time, the Intel product line offers multiple
 products targeted toward different PC products, ranging from the 80386SL
 for low-end portable products to the Pentium microprocessor for high-end
 workstations and application servers.  What defines those products is the
 Intel instruction set, which enables applications to run on all Intel
 chips, even though the underlying implementation at the transistor level
 may be very different across the Intel product line.  There are also some
 instructions offered on the Pentium chip that are not on the 80386SL, but
 ISVs would have to go out of their way to make their products run on only
 Pentium.  And over time, Pentium will become more mainstream, just as the
 80486 has become the mainstream microprocessor today, and technologies
 developed at the low end, such as System Management Mode, will be
 implemented on the high end as well.

      When will Chicago ship?  When will Cairo ship?

 Chicago is scheduled to ship in the second half of 1994.  Cairo is
 scheduled to be released in the first half of 1995.

      What is Daytona?  When will it ship?

 Daytona is an interim release of Windows NT that is scheduled to ship
 this spring.

      Major new releases of operating system products have in the past
 been significantly delayed.  How will you make your projected shipment
 date for Chicago? Chicago will be released when customers tell us it is
 ready.  The way to make shipment dates is to hit your intermediate
 milestones.  To date, Chicago has been making its milestones with the
 release of the first Preliminary Developer's Kit (PDK) in August and the
 second PDK in December.  Feedback from beta releases beginning in March
 will tell us more precisely when in the second half of 1994 Chicago will
 ship.

      If Chicago ships before Cairo, how will users of Windows NT obtain
 the new functionality in Chicago?

      Any new functionality offered in Chicago will be made available to
 customers of Windows NT through the release of the Cairo product.

      What are the key benefits and features of Chicago?  What features
 will Chicago not have?

      For customers, Chicago will present a major step forward in
 functionality on mainstream desktop platforms by providing a system that
 is easy to use, offers responsive multitasking performance, and provides
 a great platform for communications.  Ease of use will be delivered
 through the Plug and Play architecture and an improved, intuitive user
 interface.  Chicago will be a complete, integrated protect-mode operating
 system that does not require or use a separate version of MS-DOS,
 implements the Win32 API, and provides pre-emptive multitasking and
 multiple threads of execution for 32-bit applications.  The
 communications capabilities of Windows will be enhanced with integrated,
 high-performance networking, built-in messaging, and features such as
 Remote Network Access and File Synchronization designed for mobile and
 remote computer users.

      Chicago will also be a hassle-free upgrade for the current installed
 base of Windows-based users.  Chicago will be compatible with most
 current applications and drivers for MS-DOS and Windows, and will provide
 an easy transition to the new user interface features.  The applications
 performance of Chicago will meet or exceed the performance of Windows 3.1
 on 80386 systems with 4MB of RAM running the same applications.  For
 systems with more memory, performance will be significantly improved over
 Windows 3.1.  The setup program will enable customers to uninstall
 Chicago, assuring customers a way to remove it if they are in any way
 unhappy with it, and will provide tools for system administrators to
 customize the configuration of Chicago.

      Chicago will not be processor independent, nor will it support
 symmetric multiprocessing systems, provide C2-level security, or provide
 full Unicode support.  These features cannot be delivered on the
 mainstream platform in the near future while still meeting the
 performance and resource targets necessary to create a compelling upgrade
 for the huge installed base of users of the Windows operating system.  If
 these features are important to a customer, Windows NT is the product to
 deploy.

      What different packages will you have for Chicago?

      Decisions about packaging the different technologies being developed
 as part of the Chicago project will be made later in the development
 cycle and will be based on customer and business needs.  One option is to
 provide a base Chicago package with some add-on packages that deliver
 functionality required by specific market segments.  This is much like
 the situation today in which the user of Windows 3.1 can upgrade to
 Windows for Workgroups by acquiring the add-on package that adds the
 32-bit file system and 32-bit networking enhancements to Windows.

      Since the term Chicago is a code name, what will you call the
 product(s) that you will eventually release?

      Decisions about names will be made after we decide on a packaging
 plan.

      What will happen to the MS-DOS product line?

      Microsoft will continue to enhance MS-DOS as long as customers
 require it.  Future versions will be derived from the protected-mode
 technology developed in the Chicago project.  Current MS-DOS based
 applications and drivers will continue to be compatible with new versions
 of MS-DOS.

      Your performance goals on 4MB platforms sound very ambitious,
 considering all the functionality you're adding to Chicago.  How will you
 achieve those goals?

      Chicago will implement new working set management technologies that
 will optimize the use of memory on low-configuration systems.  The
 networking, disk and paging caches will be fully integrated.
 Protect-mode device drivers will be dynamically loadable, to ensure that
 only the drivers that are immediately needed are consuming memory.  More
 components of the base operating system will be pageable.  Great
 attention will be paid to effective page tuning, including hand-tuning
 source code.

      Will Chicago run my current Windows-based applications?  How about
 MS-DOS based applications?

      Chicago will run most of the current applications for Windows and
 MS-DOS, as well as new applications written to the Win32 API.  Some
 classes of applications will need to be revised to be compatible with
 Chicago, such as shell-replacement utilities and file-management
 utilities.  Chicago's new shell provides a complete set of services that
 is tightly integrated with the operating system components.  Shell
 programs will need to do more than simply replace components such as
 Program Manager or File Manager.  And file-management utility vendors
 will want to revise their applications to take advantage of the Long File
 Name feature that Chicago offers.  Microsoft is working closely with
 shell-replacement and file-utility vendors to enable them to revise their
 products to add value to and be compatible with Chicago.

      Will I have to get new device drivers to use my current devices with
 Chicago?


 Chicago supports current real-mode device drivers as well as new 32-bit
 protected mode device drivers.  As a result, customers will be able to
 use their current devices either with their current device drivers, or
 with new device drivers made available with Chicago.  Performance and
 functionality can be improved if the user installs the new Chicago
 drivers.  Microsoft is making it easier for device manufacturers to
 deliver new drivers for common devices by defining a more layered,
 modular device driver architecture.  For displays, printers and modems,
 Microsoft will deliver universal drivers.  These drivers will implement
 common device functionality and expose an interface for device
 manufacturers to create minidrivers that implement the features specific
 to their devices.  This approach was very successful with printers for
 Windows 3.1, resulting in rapid availability of fast, high-quality
 drivers for a wide range of printers.

      Will my current applications perform as well on Chicago as they do
 on Windows 3.1 today?

      For Chicago to be a compelling upgrade, Windows-based users must
 experience a level of performance after installing Chicago that meets or
 exceeds the performance they currently experience running an identical
 set of tasks on Windows 3.1.  Because a large portion of the installed
 base of users of Windows today have 4MB systems, Chicago must meet its
 performance goals on 4MB systems.  On systems with more than 4MB of RAM,
 Chicago will offer significantly improved performance.  Understand,
 however, that there are user and application scenarios today that already
 use more than 4MB.  Users who already require more than 4MB will continue
 to require more than 4MB with Chicago and if they are using more than
 4MB, they should see improved performance.  But they won't get away with
 using less memory in the future than they do today.  It's an important
 distinction to maintain.

      You say Chicago will have a different user interface than Windows
 and Windows NT.  When will that user interface be reflected in the beta
 versions of Chicago?

 The new user interface will be delivered with the first beta of Chicago,
 scheduled for March 1994.

      Won't a new user interface mean a lot of retraining for current
 Windows-based users?  Will the advantages of the new user interface be
 worth the retraining costs? The user interface being developed for
 Chicago will offer dramatic gains in ease of learning and ease of use for
 the broad range of people using PCs today.  Instead of mastering
 different kinds of tools to work with different resources on their
 computers, users of Chicago will be able to browse for and access all
 resources in a consistent fashion with a single tool.  This will be much
 easier than learning separate applications such as Program Manager, File
 Manager, Print Manager, Control Panel, etc. as users of Windows must do
 today.  A system toolbar that is always accessible will make it much
 easier to start and switch between full-screen tasks.  The implementation
 of OLE 2.0, with its focus on the user's document rather than on the tool
 used to create it, and the direct manipulation of data through drag and
 drop in the user interface, will make working with documents easier and
 more intuitive.

      Current users of Windows will be immediately productive with Chicago
 and be able to learn the new features of the user interface as they work.
 Chicago's smart setup technology will use the current system settings to
 present an initial configuration that is familiar for the current
 Windows-based user.  And for corporate customers and individuals who may
 not want to make any user interface changes initially, Chicago will
 enable them to continue running their current Program Manager and File
 Manager configurations.

      What is Plug and Play?  What benefits does Plug and Play provide?

      Plug and Play is a technology jointly developed by PC product
 vendors that will dramatically improve the integration of PC hardware and
 software.  It allows a PC to adapt itself dynamically to its environment;
 devices can be plugged into or unplugged from a machine, without the user
 having to do anything special the machine just works.  Plug and Play is a
 general framework that advances that state of the PC architecture by
 defining how the software communicates with any device connected to the
 PC.  Plug and Play technology enables installation and configuration of
 add-on devices without user intervention.  Plug and Play will make it
 possible for a consumer to turn a standard desktop system into a great
 multimedia machine by just plugging in a Plug and Play sound card and
 CD-ROM, turning on the system, and playing a  video clip. Plug and Play
 can enable new system designs that can be dynamically reconfigured.

      For example, imagine a docking station that enables you to remove
 the portable system while it is still running so that you can take it to
 a meeting, and the system automatically reconfigures to work with a
 lower-resolution display and adjusts for the absence of the network card
 and large disk drive.  Or imagine an IR-enabled subnotebook that
 automatically recognizes, installs and configures an IR-enabled printer
 when you walk into the room, so your applications are ready to print to
 that printer. Plug and Play can also save development and support costs
 for the product manufacturer.

      Today, as many as 50 percent of support calls received by operating
 system and device manufacturers are related to installation and
 configuration of devices.  With Plug and Play, device driver development
 is simplified because device manufacturers can write one driver that
 works across multiple bus types using the Universal Driver Model
 specified by the Plug and Play architecture.  Today, device manufacturers
 have to include bus-specific code in each of their drivers.  With Plug
 and Play, specific bus configuration data is contained in bus drivers.
 Also, operating system pre-installation and configuration are simplified
 for OEMs because Plug and Play devices will automatically install and
 configure during setup.

      What changes to current hardware and software are required to make
 Plug and Play a reality?  How will vendors figure out how to develop new
 devices with Plug and Play capability?

      First, Plug and Play is compatible with existing systems, so nothing
 breaks because of Plug and Play.  Plug and Play devices can be brought
 out over time in fact, this is already occurring and will work with
 existing systems.   To deliver all of the above benefits requires changes
 to devices and drivers, the BIOS, and the operating system.  Three
 fundamental capabilities are required for a system to provide
 Plug and Play functionality:

      A unique identifier for every device on the system

      A procedure for the BIOS and operating system to install and
 configure that device

      A mechanism for the system and applications to recognize that a
 configuration change has occurred while the system is running All the
 changes to devices and drivers, the BIOS and the operating system are
 defined by a series of specifications for Plug and Play architecture.
 The Plug and Play architecture is an open, flexible and cost-effective
 framework for designing Plug and Play products.

      The Plug and Play architecture was jointly developed by a working
 group of leading vendors, who reviewed design proposals with hundreds of
 companies in the industry at conferences and through online forums.  Plug
 and Play can be implemented by any operating system vendor and any
 hardware manufacturer.  In addition to Microsoft, IBM has announced
 support for Plug and Play in OS/2. The Plug and Play architecture is

 flexible, because it provides a framework that works on multiple types of
 bus architectures (ISA, SCSI, PCMCIA, VL, PCI, etc.), and it is
 extensible to future bus designs.

      The Plug and Play architecture is also cost-effective, because it
 requires little or no incremental cost for vendors to implement in their
 products.

      Won't it take a long time for these changes to be reflected in
 products?

      Acceptance of the Plug and Play architecture is widespread, as seen
 by the rapid progress the industry is making in delivering Plug and Play
 specifications and products.  Specifications have already been released
 for ISA, SCSI and PCMCIA devices, and the Plug and Play BIOS.  Additional
 specifications are in process, including PCI, ECP, VL, EISA, Micro
 Channel, and Access.  The first Plug and Play devices were demonstrated
 at COMDEX/Fall 1993, representing a wide range of companies and products.
 Intel has released development kits that enable device and system vendors
 to deliver improved configuration capabilities for ISA and PCI systems
 running with Windows 3.1 in a manner that will provide compatibility with
 future Windows operating systems.  Fully Plug and Play-capable systems
 (including all Plug and Play devices and a Plug and Play BIOS) will be
 available in the first half of 1994.  These systems will be able to offer
 complete Plug and Play functionality when combined with Chicago.

      I've heard that Chicago implements a 32-bit API.  Is that API
 different from the 32-bit API implemented on Windows NT?

      There is only one 32-bit Windows API, called Win32, with ISVs able
 to use the API set to provide different levels of functionality for
 Windows 3.1, Chicago and Windows NT.  Chicago implements a large subset
 of the functionality of the Win32 API offered on Windows NT, and extends
 the Win32 API in some areas.  These extensions will be delivered on
 Windows NT as soon as possible after the release of Chicago.

      If there are different implementations of the Win32 API available on
 different products in the Microsoft operating system product line, does
 that mean ISVs will have to have separate versions of their applications
 for Windows and Windows NT?

      No.  By following some simple guidelines, ISVs can develop a single
 executable file that runs on Windows 3.x, Chicago and Windows NT.  At the
 recent Professional Developers' Conference, we provided in-depth
 technical sessions on the proper way to design applications to do so,
 supplied tools in the SDK to help make such development easier, and
 showed several applications that ran across the entire Windows family.

      When will applications be available that exploit Chicago?  Won't
 that take a long time?

      ISVs who are developing 32-bit applications for Windows 3.1 and
 Windows NT using the Win32 API and the guidelines we have provided will
 have applications that are able to run on  Chicago immediately.  There 
 are already more than 250 Win32 applications available today,  and more
 coming quickly.  Other ISVs will wait until Chicago ships to provide 
 their 32-bit applications; usually those applications start coming 
 on-line about 90 days after the operating system ships.  Chicago
 also will support today's 16-bit applications, so users can move to
 Chicago immediately and upgrade their applications as they become
 available.  Chicago represents a major market opportunity for ISVs.
 Chicago will ship on almost all OEM systems soon after it is released,
 and it will be acquired as an upgrade by a substantial portion of the
 Windows installed base (the installed base will probably number more than
 50 million by mid-1994).  Customers who purchase new systems and upgrade
 their operating systems are the most active purchasers of new software
 applications.  As a result, ISVs have a very significant business
 incentive to release versions of their applications that exploit Chicago.

      I've heard Chicago described as a 32-bit operating system, yet I've
 also heard that portions of Chicago are implemented with 16-bit code.
 Are both these statements correct?

      Chicago will provide a 32-bit platform for applications by
 implementing the Win32 API on a complete, protect-mode operating system.
 Chicago will also run well on mainstream Windows platforms (which for a
 large portion of the Windows installed base is a 4MB 80386 system), and
 Chicago will be compatible with applications and drivers for MS-DOS and
 Windows.  These requirements must be met if Chicago is to meet customer
 needs and provide the volume to make ISVs successful.

      These requirements have driven all the design decisions for Chicago.
 The resulting design deploys 32-bit code wherever it improves performance
 without sacrificing application compatibility.  The design retains
 existing 16-bit code where it is required to maintain compatibility or
 where size is a critical issue but has minimal impact on performance.
 All of the I/O subsystems and device drivers in Chicago, such as
 networking and file systems, are fully 32-bit as are all the memory
 management and scheduling components (the kernel and virtual memory
 manager).  Many functions provided by the Graphics Device Interface (GDI)
 have been moved to 32-bit code, including the spooler and printing
 subsystem, the rasterizer, and the drawing operations performed by the
 graphics engine.  Much of the window management code (user) remains
 16-bit to retain application compatibility.

      If portions of Chicago still remain 16-bit, what happens when a
 32-bit application makes a function call that is implemented by the
 16-bit Chicago component?  Doesn't this slow down 32-bit applications on
 Chicago relative to 16-bit applications? When Win32-based applications
 call a 32-bit API that is implemented by a 16-bit component of the
 system, the function call is translated to its 16-bit equivalent for
 processing by the system.  This translation process is referred to as
 thunking.  Although there is some overhead associated with a thunking
 operation, the Chicago thunk layer is very efficient.

      That overhead will be more than offset by the improved efficiency of
 the linear memory addressing scheme used by Win32-based applications.
 The overall impact of some thunking code is quite modest vs. all the
 other work the application and operating system have to do.

      For end users, perceptions of application performance are based on a
 combination of the efficiency of the application when executing its own
 code and the efficiency of the operating system code when the application
 has called an operating system service.  On Chicago systems with adequate
 memory, end users will experience gains in system efficiency when running
 16-bit applications, and they will experience gains in both system and
 application efficiency when running 32-bit applications.

      Will I need new networking software to connect Chicago to my network
 server?

      Customers will require Chicago to connect to their network servers
 when Chicago is installed, and to offer high-performance, reliable
 networking functionality.  To meet this requirement, Chicago will
 continue to run existing real-mode networking components.  However, we
 expect customers to want to upgrade to the new 32-bit networking
 components provided by Chicago.  Chicago will enhance the open, flexible,
 high-performance 32-bit networking architecture offered today with
 Windows for Workgroups 3.11 that enables customers to mix and match
 networking components.  Chicago will support NDIS 2.0, NDIS 3.0 and ODI
 drivers, and will provide 32-bit NetBEUI, IPX/SPX and TCP/IP protocols.
 Redirectors for SMB and NCP-based networks will be included.  In
 addition, Chicago's new multiple-provider interface will make it possible
 for the user to view, browse and connect to multiple networks in a
 consistent fashion.

      What about NetWare?  Are you working with Novell on NetWare support?

      Customers will require high-performance, reliable NetWare support
 the day Chicago is released.  To meet that requirement, Microsoft is
 developing a 32-bit NCP Redirector that is seamlessly integrated with the
 Chicago user interface, and is encouraging Novell to do the same.
 Microsoft will offer Novell access to information and assistance to write
 a Chicago redirector.  Novell engineers attended the Win32 Professional
 Developers' Conference and have been provided access to the Preliminary
 Developer's Kit for Chicago.  With this approach, customers should be
 able to choose from multiple sources for reliable, high-performance
 NetWare connectivity software when Chicago is released.

      Will there be a Chicago server?

      No, not in the sense of a server product such as Windows NT Advanced
 Server.  Chicago will continue to improve upon the peer server
 capabilities offered in Windows for Workgroups by offering additional
 features for remote installation, control and administration.  These
 features will make Chicago an even better product for an easy-to-use file
 and print-sharing LAN that is ideally suited as a small-business,
 small-department or remote office network.  Similarly, Windows NT offers
 peer services as well for the high-end desktop.  But for most  server
 applications, and in the sense that most people ask about a server
 product, Windows NT Advanced Server is the Microsoft server product.

      I keep hearing rumors that you are working on a portable version of
 Chicago.  Is this true?

      No, we are not working on a portable version of Chicago.  Windows NT
 is our portable operating system, and it's already available on high-end
 Intel, MIPS, Alpha and Clipper machines; it will be available on the
 PowerPC by mid-1994 and on other high-end platforms over time.  There is
 no reason to make Chicago portable.  Chicago is optimized for Intel
 processors, and much of its internal code is Intel assembler, which puts
 Chicago at the heart of today's low-end and mainstream line.  Portability
 is important for the new generation of high-powered Intel and RISC
 machines, on which Windows NT runs and for which Windows NT has been
 optimized.  As these new high-end machines become more mainstream, which
 will happen over time, Windows NT will already offer the power, security,
 and reliability that users will demand to exploit these new machines.

      What will Chicago do to make the client operating system more
 manageable?

      A primary goal for the Chicago project is to make Windows less
 expensive to deploy in a corporation.  Chicago will include some specific
 features and enabling technologies that will make it easier for system
 administrators to install, configure, monitor, maintain and troubleshoot
 their Windows-based desktops.

      Chicago can be set up from a network server and at the desktop can
 be configured at the desktop to run locally or across the network.  In
 each case, the administrator can establish a specific configuration for
 the installation, selecting from a flexible array of setup configuration
 options.  Chicago desktops require only a floppy drive to start up, and
 paging of components to a swapfile on the network can be disabled to
 minimize network traffic.

      Once Chicago is installed, administrators will be able to centrally
 configure desktop settings such as file and printer sharing, network
 access, and passwords.  They can remotely monitor Chicago desktops with
 peer services running to determine what resources are shared, what
 connections have been made, and what files are being used.  Chicago
 enhances the security provided by Windows for Workgroups to include
 user-level security.  To enable users to access their personal groups,
 applications, and data from any system on the network, Chicago will
 provide user profiles.  Chicago will also provide the infrastructure for
 the delivery of enhanced desktop management services by third parties. A
 backup agent will be included with Chicago to enable administrators to
 back up desktop data to a network server. To integrate the desktop
 into SNMP-based enterprise management systems, Chicago will also include
 a Systems Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agent and a Management
 Information Base (MIB) for a number of system resources. The system
 registry and Plug and Play architecture provide a rich store of data
 about the software and hardware configuration on the desktop, and this
 information can be accessed by system management software using a
 DCE-compliant Remote Procedure Call (RPC) mechanism.

      What improvements will Chicago offer for people who use a mobile or
 remote computer?

      Chicago will provide great support for mobile form-factor devices
 and will make it easy for end users to access the resources of their
 desktop systems when they are away from their offices.  The
 implementation of Plug and Play in Chicago will support insertion and
 removal of devices such as PCMCIA cards while the operating system is
 running.  It will also support automatic reconfiguration of dockable
 computers when they are inserted or removed from the docking station,
 without rebooting the system.  An enhanced version of Advanced Power
 Management will further extend battery life.  The services provided by
 Windows for Pen Computing will be enhanced and incorporated into Chicago,
 including basic inking and rendering support.

      A special focus will be on remote connectivity.  Any Chicago-based
 machine will be able to serve as a Remote Access dial-up server or a
 remote client for Windows NT Advanced Server, Novell NetWare servers or
 Chicago peer servers.  The same technology will be used for serial cable
 and infrared connections between PCs. The Remote Access architecture will
 be integrated with the Chicago networking architecture by using the same
 network protocols and advanced security features.  Remote Access will
 support wireless devices and allow application developers to make their
 applications slow-link aware to improve the user experience when working
 on a remote system via modem rather than on a high-bandwidth network.
 Furthermore, Chicago will provide a simple form of file synchronization
 and APIs for applications to access the file synchronization services to
 merge changes when both the source document and copy have been modified.
 Remote e-mail and Microsoft at Work fax capability will be included, as
 in Windows for Workgroups 3.11 today.

      Will the file synchronization feature in Chicago provide document
 management capabilities?

      Chicago's file synchronization services are optimized for the needs
 of the mobile computer user who wants to take copies of documents to a
 remote location and have them be automatically synchronized with the
 source documents.  It is not intended as a replacement for sophisticated
 document management systems.

      Chicago's file synchronization allows customers to identify files
 that they want to stay up to date, to change those files, and to have the
 files automatically updated when the source file is available to the
 system.  The update is performed by replacing the source file with the
 modified copy at the discretion of the user.  If an application writes a
 merge-handler, then specific data within the modified and source copies
 of a file can be merged, to create a new updated copy.

      You say you have one API with Win32.  Does that mean there will also
 be just one Windows SDK?

      Yes, there will be one Win32 SDK that developers can use to develop
 32-bit applications for Windows 3.1, Chicago and Windows NT.  In fact, we
 recently announced a new subscription service, the Microsoft Developer
 Network Level II that provides developers with not only the Win32
 toolkit, but every system toolkit we offer, on a single CD, updated
 quarterly.

      What benefits does Chicago offer to developers?  What are you doing
 to make developing Windows-based applications easier?

      The Microsoft Visual Basic programming system has dramatically
 streamlined and simplified the development of Windows-based applications,
 and it will be enhanced to support the development of 32-bit applications
 for Chicago.  Microsoft also is enhancing its Visual C++ development
 system and Microsoft Foundation Class tools.

      Will Chicago include Visual Basic for Applications?

 Visual Basic for Applications will be offered as a separate product.

      Will Chicago and Windows NT share the same device drivers?

      Generally not, since Chicago and Windows NT have different device
 driver models.  However, since both products support a modular, layered
 device driver architecture, there are areas of substantial synergy.  For
 example, SCSI miniport adapters for Windows NT will be binary-compatible
 with Chicago, as will printer drivers and NDIS drivers for Windows NT.

      Will WOSA services be included with Chicago?

      WOSA is a general, open framework for implementing multiple back-end
 services in Windows while providing a single front-end interface for end
 users.  Services in Chicago such as messaging and remote network access
 are designed according to the WOSA framework.  Whether or not support for
 additional WOSA services, such as ODBC support, will be shipped with
 Chicago is a packaging decision that will be made later in the
 development cycle and will be based on customer and business needs.  All
 the WOSA-related toolkits are available today to developers through the
 Microsoft Developer Network Level II subscription service.

                                 #########
             1993 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.
  Microsoft, MS-DOS, Visual Basic and Win32 are registered trademarks and
     Microsoft at Work, Visual C++, Win32s, Windows and Windows NT are
   trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. HP is a registered trademark and
 Omnibook is a trademark of Hewlett-Packard Company. Intel is a registered
        trademark and Pentium is a trademark of Intel Corporation.
        OS/2 is a registered trademark and PowerPC is a trademark of
               International Business Machines Corporation.
       Novell and NetWare are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc.
       MIPS is a registered trademark of MIPS Computer Systems, Inc.
     Clipper is a trademark of Computer Associates International, Inc.

 The information contained in this document represents the current view of
      Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed as of the date of
      publication.  Because Microsoft must respond to changing market
  conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part
      of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any

           information presented after the date of publication.

             This document is for informational purposes only.
   MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS DOCUMENT.

                ___________________________________________




 > PEANUTS! STR Review
   """""""""""""""""""


                           KIDS' COMPUTING CORNER
                            YEARN2LEARN PEANUTS



 by Frank Sereno

      Yearn2Learn Peanuts by Image Smith is an educational game intended
 for children ages 3 to 10 years.  It is available for 256 color
 Macintosh computers with 4 megs of RAM and 11 megs of free hard disk
 space, and for IBM compatible computers with a 386 or higher CPU running
 Windows 3.1, 4 megs of RAM, a 640 by 480 display, a Windows compatible
 sound card and 12 megs of free of hard disk space.

      Installation is very simple on both machines.  On the Mac, insert
 DISK 1 in the disk drive and click on the displayed install icon.  For
 Windows, insert Disk 1 in the drive and use either the File Manager or
 Progman to run SETUP.EXE, then the installation will prompt for the other
 disks as needed.  To start Yearn2Learn Peanuts, double-click on the
 Snoopy icon.  The program will start with a screen featuring all the
 lovable Peanuts characters with the bouncy "Linus and Lucy Theme" playing
 in the background.  Then the home screen will appear featuring 5
 different pictures of Snoopy representing 5 different activities.  The
 activities are Comic Strips, Flying Ace Games, Coloring Book, Geography
 Games and Math Games.

      Comic Strips is an activity teaching basic reading skills.  Each
 strip consists of several connected frames.  Many of the frames have
 narrated text that is highlighted as each word is spoken.  Individual
 words can be heard again by clicking on them.  For fun, each frame has
 hidden "hot spots" that the child may find by clicking the mouse on
 various objects.  If the child finds a hot spot,  then a small and
 humorous animation sequence will be shown.  At the end of the strip, the
 child will be shown a graph showing the percentage of hot spots found in
 that strip.  This game is intended for younger users.

      Flying Ace Games provides two different games to build hand-eye
 coordination, memory and mouse skills.  The first game is the Sound Game
 which allows the child to click on different objects and to learn the
 sounds associated with them.  The second game is Ace I in which the child
 is to guide Snoopy and his doghouse through a sky filled with various
 obstacles.  The child is to place the mouse pointer on Snoopy and by
 holding the mouse button down and then moving the mouse to guide Snoopy.
 The program manual states that Snoopy can crash if he runs into other
 objects but on my system he floats on to the finish line to a rousing
 chorus of cheers every time.  These two games are suitable for younger
 children.

      The Coloring Book allows the child to color 10 different black and
 white Peanuts comics plus there is a blank "page" so a personal
 masterpiece can be created.  Camera buttons allow 4 pictures of each
 comic to be saved for later editing or viewing.  The program has 5
 crayons and 5 erasers of varying sizes.  The smaller crayons and erasers
 are used for the finer, detailed work.  The outlines of the original
 comics cannot be erased.  They may disappear when an eraser is passed
 over them but they will reappear momentarily.  The child has a choice of
 13 different colors, which is very limiting.  I also found that it takes
 a great deal of hand-eye coordination to color in all the pixels on the
 comics.  It also takes a great deal of time to get a comic colored
 properly.  A younger child may become frustrated with this interface and
 in these cases I recommend the click and fill paint packages for them.

      Geography Games break the Continental United States into 4 regions
 for the purpose of making puzzles.  In the Easy game, the child simply
 clicks and drags the jumbled states to their proper position on the
 regional map.  In the Hard game, once the state has been properly
 positioned the child will then have to click on its name.  If the wrong
 name is chosen, he will hear, "Uh huh," and have to chose until he finds
 the correct name which will then be pronounced.  When the map is
 finished, the player will get a cheer and see Snoopy flying Old Glory.
 Now the gameplay is fine as it teaches mouse skills and  the states of
 our nation, but I do not believe slang belongs in educational software.
 It would have been just as easy to have digitized someone saying "That is
 incorrect, please try again."

      The last set of activities is the three Math Games.  The Easy game
 asks the child to do simple counting, addition and subtraction of
 Woodstock and his feathered friends.  The game itself seems quite good
 but I feel the audio feedback for a wrong answer is terrible.  Upon
 giving an incorrect answer, the child is greeted with "Awww, too bad.
 Bummer, man."  These slang expressions are not positive feedback and are
 not conducive to a good learning experience.  The Medium game involves
 Snoopy and Woodstock bowling.  The child must type in how many pins have
 been knocked down from the number of pins remaining upright and then
 adding the totals of Snoopy's and Woodstock's rolls.  This is an
 excellent concept but once again the audio feedback disappoints me.
 Again wrong answers are greeted with "Awww, too bad.  Bummer, man" and
 now correct answers to the Woodstock's rolls beget "Way cool!"  Gag me
 with a spoon!  The final Math Game is the Hard Game and it features Linus
 stacking pumpkins on a scale.  There are three different sizes of
 pumpkins and the weights are shown on a chart.  The player must assign
 the proper weight to each pumpkin and then add the weight of the pumpkins
 to give the correct answer.  The weights of the different sizes of
 pumpkins varies from question to question.  This is an excellent learning
 concept.

      Technical support from Image Smith appears to be quite excellent.  I
 had difficulty getting Peanuts to run on my 386-40 with a Stealth Vram
 video card so I installed it on my 486DX2-66 machine with a Cirrus VLB
 video card.  It worked fine on the second system so I fired off a fax to
 the support team.  It took them about 6 working days to get back to me
 with a solution to get the program running on my children's computer.
 Support is via a toll-call to the west coast.

      I feel that most of the activities in the Peanuts package are very
 good except for the poor choices of slang expressions for audio feedback.
 This may not bother older children, but I think it would tend to
 discourage many of the younger children for whom this product was
 intended.  I know that my five year-old son Jeremy had little enthusiasm
 for the Easy Math Game after hearing "Awww, too bad.  Bummer, man"
 several times.  Maybe if other phrases were used instead of hearing the
 same one over and over it would be less of an annoyance to me.  Parents,
 if you are not concerned with the use of slang then this product is a
 good buy.

      You can reach Image Smith by phone at 415-292-3542 or via fax at
 415-346-0124.  Of if you wish to write them:

                             Image Smith, Inc.
                       1313 West Sepulveda Boulevard
                             Torrance, CA 90501

      In last week's article, I mentioned that I had purchased some
 software from the Club Kidsoft CD-rom.  The program I downloaded from the
 disc was Kid Desk.  I received my documentation in this week's mail.  I
 sent off my registration card today so look for a review of this
 children's Graphical User Interface in the near future.  So far I have
 been quite pleased with the program.

      I'd like to close by thanking everyone for reading.  If you have any
 questions or comments, feel free to send e-mail to me at:

                   FIDOnet:     Frank Sereno at 1:2235/10
                   Internet:    frank.sereno@utibbs.chigate.org


               _____________________________________________



 > WORDPERFECT FORGING AHEAD! STR FOCUS!
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""




                             WORDPERFECT CANADA
                                 ANNOUNCES

                          KEY BUSINESS INITIATIVES

 Canadian Commitment Underscored

 TORONTO * Jan 31, 1994 * WordPerfect Canada today announced key business
 initiatives to support its commitment to the Canadian marketplace.

      WordPerfect Canada recently became an active member of the Canadian
 Alliance Against Software Theft (CAAST), an organization devoted to the
 control of illegal use of software and to protect the intellectual
 property rights of Canadian software companies.

      WordPerfect Canada is participating on the A.C. Nielsen Canadian
 Computer Index committee, a group committed to providing the Canadian
 computer industry with comprehensive tracking and diagnostic market
 research.

      WordPerfect Canada has become a three-year sponsor of Athletics
 Canada, the Canadian Olympic Track & Field team.  The sponsorship will
 assist the team through the 1996 Olympic Summer Games.

      WordPerfect Canada has become the first major software manufacturer
 to obtain Economic Partnership with the Government of Quebec.  This
 mutually beneficial partnership requires that WordPerfect Corporation
 reinvests a portion of the company's revenues from Quebec back into the
 province and ensures that WordPerfect Corporation software will be given
 priority consideration when government agencies purchase software.

      WordPerfect Canada is today introducing its plans to open a
 Quebec-based customer support, testing and translation office in 1994.
 WordPerfect Corporation has always set the industry standard in the
 customer service arena.  WordPerfect Canada is committed to meeting the
 customer service needs of the French-speaking Canadian customers from a
 Quebec-based customer service center.




                     WORDPERFECT CORPORATION BECOMES AN
                              ECONOMIC PARTNER
                       WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF QUEBEC



 WordPerfect Corporation Markets and Distributes
 Quebec-originated Products


 Toronto * Jan. 31, 1994 * WordPerfect Corporation today announced it has
 obtained Economic Partnership with the Government of Quebec. This
 mutually beneficial partnership requires that WordPerfect Corporation
 reinvest a portion of the company's revenues from Quebec back into the
 province and ensures that WordPerfect Corporation products will be given
 priority consideration when government agencies purchase software.

      "WordPerfect Corporation is very pleased to be the first major
 software vendor to become an Economic Partner with the Government of
 Quebec," said Stan Weiss, general manager, WordPerfect Canada. "This
 partnership will benefit the Province of Quebec, WordPerfect Corporation
 and users of WordPerfect Corporation products."

      "Economic partnership with the Government of Quebec means
 development of an ongoing relationship," said Micheline Fortin, director
 of information technology at Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Science and
 Technology. "Government and industry must cultivate a constructive
 dialogue for mutual benefit. WordPerfect Corporation's aggressive actions
 are exemplary and demonstrate the corporation's high commitment to the
 Quebec market."

      WordPerfect Corporation's licensing of products created by
 Quebec-based Tune 1000 is one example of how the Utah-based company is
 benefiting the Quebec market. This relationship combines Tune 1000's
 creative development with WordPerfect Corporation's worldwide
 strengths in marketing and distribution.

      "WordPerfect Corporation realized the great technologies and
 products offered by Tune 1000," said Tom Rhoton, director of Canadian
 government sales. "By licensing Tune 1000's products, we'll keep the
 technology in Quebec, but we'll market their products throughout the
 world."

      WordPerfect Corporation serves as Tune 1000's publisher, providing
 worldwide marketing, distribution and sales. The products created by Tune
 1000 to be licensed by WordPerfect Corporation are Kap'n Karaoke, a
 computerized sing-a-long product for children, and the Wallobee Jack
 series, interactive educational cartoons on CD-ROM. Both products are
 marketed under the WordPerfect Main Street consumer products line.

      WordPerfect Corporation has also announced the establishment of a
 Quebec-based customer service center.

      "WordPerfect Corporation has always provided its customers with the
 industry's best customer service," said Weiss. "We are committed to
 providing outstanding support offerings to our French-speaking Canadian
 customers. We realize this support must be offered from a Quebec-based
 customer service center."  The service center, to be located in the
 Province of Quebec, will be established as quickly as possible during
 1994.  WordPerfect Corporation is currently conducting an analysis to
 determine the best location for the service center.

      WordPerfect Corporation develops best-of-class software in three
 primary categories:  business applications, workgroup applications and
 consumer products. Among the company's award-winning products are the
 world's all-time best-selling word processor, WordPerfect, as well as
 WordPerfect Office, WordPerfect InForms, WordPerfect Presentations and
 Grammatik.

      Headquartered in Orem, Utah, WordPerfect Corporation is represented
 throughout the world by 58 international affiliates serving 117 countries
 with products in 28 languages.  The company is widely recognized for its
 multilingual and cross-platform software solutions, and is the industry's
 premier provider of customer support.




                    WORDPERFECT CORPORATION ESTABLISHES
                             WORDPERFECT CANADA


 Canada Is WordPerfect Corporation's Second
 Largest International Market by Sales Volume

 TORONTO * Jan. 31, 1994 * WordPerfect Corporation today announced the
 establishment of WordPerfect Canada, an independent profit center. Canada
 is WordPerfect Corporation's second largest international market by sales
 volume, and WordPerfect Corporation is the second largest PC software
 manufacturer in Canada.

      "The creation of WordPerfect Canada will help the company better
 serve the Canadian marketplace through a Canadian-dedicated work force,"
 said Ad Rietveld, president and CEO of WordPerfect Corporation.

      Rietveld said WordPerfect Canada's mandate is to be responsive to
 the specific needs and opportunities of the Canadian marketplace and to
 become integrated into the Canadian business community.

      As an independent profit center, WordPerfect Canada will make
 business decisions based on the financial indicators unique to Canada.
 The organization will be headed by Stanley G. Weiss, general manager of
 WordPerfect Canada at WordPerfect Corporation.  In his former role as
 director of Canadian business development, Weiss and his team analyzed
 WordPerfect Corporation's Canadian operations and created an
 organizational structure to better serve the Canadian market.

      "WordPerfect Canada is well positioned to build upon the company's
 existing market share dominance," said Weiss.  "We are committed to
 developing, marketing and supporting world-class applications software
 that meets the communications needs of our customers. We are also
 committed to aggressively participate in the Canadian business
 community."

      Weiss will be assisted in the direction of WordPerfect Canada by
 Erick Mosteller, director of Canadian channel sales and marketing, and
 Thomas A. Rhoton, director of Canadian sales.

      WordPerfect Corporation, headquartered in Orem, Utah, is a privately
 held company that develops business software to help people process,
 share and present information across a wide variety of computer operating
 systems. Among the company's key products are the world's best-selling
 word processor, WordPerfect, as well as WordPerfect Office, WordPerfect
 InForms and WordPerfect Presentations.

      Recognized for its leadership in providing outstanding customer
 support, WordPerfect Corporation is represented throughout the world by
 57 international affiliates serving 117 countries with products in 28
 languages.




                          WORDPERFECT CORPORATION
                                    AND
                               ADDISON-WESLEY
                                  ANNOUNCE
                           NEW PUBLISHING VENTURE


 WordPerfect Corporation Expands Electronic Publishing Division

 OREM, Utah - January 31, 1994 - WordPerfect Corporation today announced
 that Addison-Wesley Publishing Company will publish a new line of print
 and electronic media products under the imprint WordPerfect Press. These
 task-oriented books will focus on helping business and home users
 discover new ways to use WordPerfect Corporation products.

      Company executives view WordPerfect Press as an integral part of the
 overall business strategy. The Press will allow WordPerfect to educate
 its new and existing customer base about its products while
 simultaneously supporting marketing and sales efforts. The WordPerfect
 Press label will assure buyers that the material is accurate and from the
 source.

      *We are very excited to be working with WordPerfect Corporation to
 develop this new publishing program,* said Steve Stansel, general manager
 of Addison-Wesley*s Trade Computer Books program. *Our mutual goal is to
 bring to market a series of books and electronic products that will take
 a fresh look at how people use WordPerfect Corporation applications at
 work and at home.*

      Titles will include the text in electronic form, allowing readers to
 use the books online. The disks will also contain software, such as
 macros and templates, giving readers the tools needed to accomplish the
 tasks described in the text.

      *WordPerfect Press is moving beyond traditional publishing by
 including an electronic version in addition to the printed text,* said
 Don Emery, vice president of Electronic Publishing at WordPerfect
 Corporation. *Combining text with software turns a static book into a
 dynamic learning tool.*

      Addison-Wesley officials say this is the first time a publisher will
 consistently include an electronic version of the book with the printed
 version. *This allows WordPerfect Press to provide readers with
 supplementary materials that will add a lot of value to the book,* said
 Stansel.

      WordPerfect Press, part of WordPerfect Corporation*s Electronic
 Publishing division, will expand both companies* product lines of
 electronic reference works. The Press will also assist in WordPerfect
 Corporation*s commitment to supporting its customers by offering users
 specialized books on all the companies* products.

      *Not only will these books teach users about new features in our
 products and innovative ways to use existing features but they will also
 serve as an additional reference source,* added Emery.

      Book titles have not yet been released but plans call for eight
 books to be ready for customers by the end of the year with some titles
 ready by mid-year. WordPerfect Corporation is emphasizing that it will
 continue to work with outside authors and publishers as it has in the
 past.

      Addison-Wesley is a worldwide publisher of professional,
 educational, and general interest books and materials based in Reading,
 Massachusetts, and is a recognized leader in the fields of computer
 science, engineering, mathematics, science and physics.

      WordPerfect Corporation, founded in 1979, is headquartered in Orem,
 Utah. The privately held company manufactures business software to help
 people process, share and present information across a wide variety of
 computer operating systems. Among the company*s key products are the
 world*s most popular word processor, WordPerfect, as well as WordPerfect
 Office, WordPerfect InForms and WordPerfect Presentations.

      Recognized for its leadership in providing outstanding customer
 support, WordPerfect Corporation is represented throughout the world by
 57 international affiliates serving 117 countries with products in 28
 languages.






   """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

                    :HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT:
                     _________________________________

      Set your communications software to Half Duplex (or Local Echo)
                      Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369.
               Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that).
                          Wait for the U#= prompt.

                  Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then, hit RETURN.

      Are your  friends "busy"  buddies?  Are  they being  left out in  the
 cold because their online  service doesn't have room for them?  Is "Almost
 OnLine" as close as they're getting to BEING online?   Are they faced with
 busy signals, "come back later" messages and slow response?

      Well, we know how  frustrated they  must feel.   We've been there  --
 done  that!  But, that's no longer the Case on GEnie.  We've got the room,
 we've got  the fun and  we've got the  greatest users....people just  like
 you!  So why not invite your buddies to join you on GEnie?

      We've  designed  a  slick  promotion   in  order  to  give   you  the
 opportunity  to be a hero  to your friends.  To  get them back online, get
 them some  free time,  and introduce  them to  GEnie Services.   What  you
 don't have to tell them is that you get something out of the deal, too!

      For  each new  user  you  bring to  GEnie,  we'll  waive their  first
 month's subscription  fee, and  give them  a total  of TEN  free hours  of
 standard  connect time --  that's a  $38.95 (C$50.95)  value!  If  you and
 your buddy are still  active GEnie subscribers three months from  the date
 your buddy signs up, YOU  get five hours of FREE standard  connect time --
 a $15.00 (C$20.00) value for each buddy you sponsor!

    And, for a limited time, you can even qualify for SPECIAL PRIZES!!!

      In addition to the  five hours of standard connect time,  prizes will
 be awarded to the  three sponsors who bring in the most qualifying buddies
 between  February  3, 1994  and  March 31,  1994.   The  third-place Buddy
 sponsor  will  receive a  GEnie  satin  jacket.    The second-place  Buddy
 sponsor will receive a  9600 bps modem.  And the first-place buddy sponsor
 will receive  a  $500 gift  certificate  good  at your  favorite  computer
 store.

      Like  everything good,  there are  a  few rules  for the  GEnie Buddy
 Bonus Program.   You'll find  the complete  promotion rules  on the  GEnie
 Services Buddy  Bonus page (type BUDDY or M1111).   Be sure you review the
 complete rules before you contact your friends.

      So, if  your  buddies have  been  bragging  about that  other  online
 service, just remind them that a pretty interface ain't worth squat if  it
 doesn't log  on! Bring  them over to  GEnie....we may  not be pretty  just
 yet, but we're definitely more  fun!  And, if  a GUI is that important  to
 them, tell them that  we'll have  both Mac and  Windows front ends  before
 the other guys get more computers!


          GEnie Information copyright (C) 1994 by General Electric
            Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission



  """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

        ___   ___    _____     _______
       /___| /___|  /_____|  /_______/           The Macintosh RoundTable
      /____|/____| /__/|__| /__/                 ________________________
     /_____|_____|/__/_|__|/__/
    /__/|____/|__|________|__/
   /__/ |___/ |__|_/   |__|_/____                  Managed by SyndiComm
  /__/  |__/  |__|/    |__|______/

          An Official Forum of the International Computer Users Group

                        STReport available in MAC RT
                                 ASCII TEXT
                            for ALL GEnie users!



                           MAC/APPLE SECTION (II)
                           ======================
                             Randy Noak, Editor



      Last week I told you all about a special announcement this week, so
 here it is!

 For Immediate Release
 February 4, 1994

      Southlake, Inc. in conjunction with Silicon Times Report is pleased
 to announce MAC REPORT MONTHLY.  MAC REPORT MONTHLY (MRM) is an on-line,
 monthly electronic newsletter dealing exclusively with the Macintosh.
 Using RTF technology, MRM will offer many features not available in other
 electronic newsletters.  Randy Noak, Southlake, Inc. President and MAC
 REPORT MONTHLY Publisher and Editor stated, "By combining both text and
 graphics, MRM will be attractive and easy to read as well as being
 informative."

      MRM will be uploaded to America On Line, CompuServe, GEnie and
 Delphi around the second week of every month. Randy Noak says, " We feel
 that combining the immediacy of the weekly Silicon Times Report and the
 expanded Mac information of MAC REPORT MONTHLY is a move that will
 benefit the entire Mac community."

      The MAC REPORT MONTHLY staff will consist of:

 Randy Noak - Editor

      Randy Noak, Mac Report Editor, has published, edited and written for
 hard copy publications and has been involved with computers since he got
 his state-of-the-art Atari 400. Randy has also toiled as a beta-tester
 for system and application software for various platforms. Besides
 Editing Mac Report, Randy is a Quality Assurance Lab Technician at one of
 Northwest Indiana's famous steel mills and is President of Southlake,
 Incorporated.

      Randy lives in the cornfields of Northwest Indiana with his patient,
 understanding wife, Nikki, and his  children, Valerie and Andrew. His
 older daughter Megan runs a comic book store and his daughter Anna is in
 the U.S. Air Force.

 Jeff Coe - Senior Associate Editor

      Jeff Coe has been an avid computer hobbyist since the early 80s,
 when he purchased his first computer for the sole purpose of playing
 ZORK, and other text adventure games from Infocom. That first system, an
 Atari 800XL, has since been replaced by an Atari 1040ST, a Tandy MS-DOS
 system (which didn t stick around too long), and ultimately, a Macintosh
 LCII. Jeff has been involved in several Users Groups over the years as,
 at various times, newsletter editor, software librarian, and president.
 He is also currently a parent volunteer for tech support in a program
 that has put Macintosh computers in the home of every 4th grade student
 in the local school district (although that s the subject of a future
 article!).

      Jeff is married to a very loving and patient woman named Debbie, and
 they have two children whose talents he uses extensively to get into the
 higher levels on the game software he reviews for STReport. He lives in
 northwest Indiana, where he makes his living as an automotive service
 technician (a mechanic). Jeff welcomes your comments and suggestions
 about his reviews. He can be reached on-line at the following addresses:
 on America Online, send mail to "STReportJC", and on the GEnie network he
 can be contacted as "J.COE1".

 Guillaume Brasseur - Associate Editor, Games

      Guillaume Brasseur is a French student living in San Francisco.  He
 has been living in San Francisco for over ten years and looks forward to
 going to college in the fall. He has been using Macintosh computers since
 the age of twelve and has recently bought a new Mac, the Performa 550.
 He enjoys snow boarding, when he has the chance to head to the mountains,
 reading and talking with others. Guillaume is 17 and single and loves to
 have fun.

 Steven Kiepe - Associate Editor, Applications

      Steven Kiepe has been a writer and editor for several computer
 publications including Current Notes magazine. In addition to his current
 use of Macintosh computers, his computing experience included mainframe
 programming in Fortran in the 1970's and stints as an owner of  Commodore
 64, Atari ST and various MS DOS/CPM computers.  Steve is a Naval Officer
 and helicopter pilot serving in San Diego, Ca.

 John Donohue - Associate Editor, DTP & Graphics

      Born and raised in Pennsylvania (suburbs of Harrisburg). Started
 playing golf at the age of 10, turned professional at the age of 23 and
 moved to Florida. Became head professional at a country club in May of
 1976 in Orlando, Florida and remained there until January 1988.

      First computer purchase was a Tandy Model III with a whopping 24k of
 ram and 2 internal disk drives. Soon moved on to the Model IV to increase
 the ram up to 64k. Less than a year later it was on to the Model 1000 and
 PC  compatibility. I soon realized 1 computer wasn t enough for business
 AND pleasure and purchased a PC XT with a  huge  20 meg hard drive. I was
 in heaven.

      In October of 1987 I saw an Atari 1040 ST and thought (because of
 the GUI)  this is computing!  I was hooked on the graphics capabilities
 (Publishing Partner) and soon sold my Tandy 1000 and XT to purchase a
 1040 ST. I gradually increased both power and productivity with purchases
 of a Mega 4, a Mega STe and finally a TT Atari computer. Along with an
 extensive library of clipart and Adobe Typefaces I soon found myself
 completely immersed in  how to  layout a page of text and or graphics.
 There weren t enough hours in the day.

      In April of  93 I made the decision to switch platforms and pur-
 chased my present hardware set-up. Finally made it to the  rest of the
 world . Currently my clients include 3 of the 5 major print shops in
 Highlands County, Florida, and an advertising agency based in Washington
 DC.

 Melanie Bell - Associate Editor, Education

      Melanie Bell, a Mac admirer, fell in love with the ease of use doing
 work study at college.  She is a first grade teacher and taught third
 grade for two years.  She is currently working toward her masters, in
 Early Childhood Education.  Besides teaching she also enjoys reading, and
 meeting new people.



      For further information contact:

 Randy Noak, President
 Southlake, Inc.
 1-219-663-6912
 AOL: STReportRN
 CIS: 70323,1031
 GEnie: R.NOAK


      There you have it. The best of both worlds. I will continue to edit
 Mac Report each week in Silicon Times Report and will also publish Mac
 Report Monthly. The same staff, consisting of Jeff Coe, Guillaume
 Brasseur, John Donohue, Steve Kiepe, and Melanie Bell, will work for both
 publications.

             _________________________________________________



 > Apple PR Notices STR InfoFile
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""

 Apple Licenses Bedrock From Symantec

 Apple Computer Licenses Bedrock Development Rights From Symantec

 Cross-platform Technology to be Foundation for an OpenDoc Parts Framework

   CUPERTINO, California--January 24, 1994--Apple Computer, Inc. and
 Symantec Corporation today announced that Apple has licensed rights
 to Bedrock, a cross-platform application framework technology under
 development by the two companies.

       According to Ike Nassi, vice president of the Development Products
 Group within AppleSoft, Apple intends to enhance Bedrock to provide
 developers with a framework to build OpenDoc  parts.  OpenDoc is an open,
 cross platform compound document architecture designed by Apple.  Several
 industry leaders including Apple, IBM, Novell, Sun, Taligent and WordPer-
 fect are currently planning on forming an organization called CILabs
 which will foster co-development activities related to OpenDoc.

       Bedrock is a cross-platform application framework technology
 currently under development, that is designed to speed application
 development for Macintosh  personal computers and Windows-based
 systems.  It includes a low-level, high-performance set of class
 libraries for C++ programmers developing cross-platform applications.
 The OpenDoc parts framework will be derived from the Bedrock
 technology.

       Symantec Corporation and Apple Computer, Inc. announced a strategic
 alliance to jointly develop Bedrock in June of 1992.  In May 1993,
 Symantec released the Bedrock Architecture CD, a CD-ROM disk that provid-
 ed developers with a technical overview of the application
 framework.

       "System software technology is evolving from the monolithic,
 standalone application approach to the more flexible and powerful
 compound document approach, where computing is centered around
 documents using many applications, or parts, interacting in concert
 with each other," Nassi said.

       "OpenDoc is the path to this new way of computing and Apple's
 enhancements to Bedrock will be the ideal way to ensure developers
 can migrate their code to this exciting new technology.

       "It's also in keeping with Apple goal of providing developers with
 the most appropriate choice of tools and frameworks to do cross
 platform development."

       "Apple's plan to base the OpenDoc parts framework on Bedrock will
 ensure that developers have access to one of the most extensive sets of
 C++ class libraries for cross-platform development," said Gene
 Wang, Symantec's executive vice president for applications and
 development tools.  "We are pleased that Bedrock will be used as a
 ,foundation for OpenDoc parts."

       Under the terms of the agreement, Symantec grants Apple a world-
 wide, perpetual license to distribute and further develop Bedrock.
 Additionally, Apple grants Symantec a worldwide perpetual license to
 use specific Apple technology in future Symantec products.

       Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ: SYMC) develops, markets and supports
 a complete line of application and system software products for IBM
 personal computers and compatibles, and Apple Macintosh computers.



 THIS RELEASE MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE AT 8:40 AM, EST ON TUESDAY,
 FEBRUARY 1, 1994

 Apple Elects Jergen Hintz To Its Board Of Directors

 CUPERTINO, California February 1, 1994 B. Jergen Hintz, chief
 executive officer of $4.5 billion Anglo-French packaging company
 Carnaud Metalbox, has been elected to the board of Apple
 Computer,Inc.

      Mr. Hintz, a German-born American, has also been executive vice
 president and director at the Procter & Gamble Company.  Announcing
 his election, Mike Markkula, Apple chairman, said, " Jergen Hintz is
 a truly global marketeer.  His wide experience as head of a
 multinational corporation based in France, combined with this earlier
 experience at Procter & Gamble will bring new perspectives to our
 board."

      Mr. Hintz joins the Apple board as a Class 1 director, effective
 immediately.  He will be eligible for re-election in January 1995.




  THIS RELEASE MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1994 AT
 8:35AM, EDT.

      Apple Unveils Two New All-In-One Macintosh Computers for Education
 at the Florida Educational Technology Conference Apple Continues to Raise
 the Standard for Affordable, Easy-to-use Desktop Computing Solutions with
 the New Macintosh LC 575 and LC 550

      TAMPA, Florida--February 2, 1994--Apple Computer, Inc. has broadened
 its product line offering for educators with the announcement today of
 two new powerful, low-cost Macintosh  LC computers: the Macintosh LC 575
 and LC 550.  Building on the success of the Macintosh LC 520 and it's
 unique all-in-one system ideally suited for schools, these two new
 computers support Apple's commitment to provide technology solutions that
 meet the needs of the K-12 and higher education market.

      "The LC 575 and the LC 550 represent easy-to-use, versatile comput-
 ing solutions that combine media features that greatly enhance the
 teaching and learning process in classrooms and labs," said Cheryl Vedoe,
 vice president and general manager of Apple USA's K-12 Education Divi-
 sion.  "These two new additions to the LC product family underscore
 Apple's commitment to bring powerful, yet affordable solutions to the
 education marketplace."

       The new Macintosh LC 575 provides power, convenience and versatili-
 ty in one workstation.  The integrated multimedia features of the
 Macintosh LC 575 make it an ideal solution for classrooms, labs and
 teacher desktops.  For educators looking to bring the advantages of
 Macintosh technology to more students, the Macintosh LC 550 is the
 lowest-cost all-in-one computer, making it a great choice for entry-
 level student computing needs.

      The Macintosh LC 575--A Powerful All-in-One Education Workstation
 The Macintosh LC 575 combines the power of the high-performance
 68040LC microprocessor and the convenience of the all-in-one design
 to create the ideal education workstation for students and teachers.
 This computer is an excellent choice for classrooms, labs and teacher
 desktops.  It can handle a wide range of tasks--from word processing to
 science projects to multimedia presentations--at speeds up to three times
 faster than the Macintosh LC 520, which is comparable to the Macintosh
 Quadra  800.

       The Macintosh LC 575 allows students and teachers to easily take
 advantage of today's multimedia applications because everything is
 built-in: a brilliant, high-resolution 14-inch Sony Trinitron color
 display capable of displaying more than 32,000 colors; stereo
 speakers; a microphone; and a new internal tray-loading CD-ROM drive, The
 AppleCD  300i Plus.  This double-speed CD-ROM drive also supports multi
 session Kodak PhotoCDs and plays standard audio CDs.  These integrated
 multimedia features let students take advantage of the growing number of
 CD-based educational software applications and multimedia technologies
 that enhance teaching and learning.

       The Macintosh LC 575 also features a new enhanced, flexible
 communications slot, providing educators with additional flexibility.
 For example, educators can now take advantage of new low-cost, high-
 speed networking cards.  The new communications slot can be
 configured with any one of three Ethernet cards (supporting Twisted
 Pair, Thin Coax and AAUI) or a high-speed 14400 fax/modem based on
 the PowerBook  Express Modem.  The cards are easy to remove and
 replace, making the LC 575 easy to integrate into diverse school
 environments.

       "The LC 575 communications slot addresses the customer need for
 built-in, flexible high-performance communications capabilities,"
 commented Vedoe.  "As computers continue to become an integral
 component of collaborative workgroup settings, easy-to-use networking
 capabilities are critical."

      The Macintosh LC 550--an Affordable All-in-one Student Workstation
 With its built-in features and all-in-one design, the Macintosh LC
 550 student workstation provides powerful and versatile computing at an
 extremely attractive price.  Featuring a 33-megahertz 68030
 microprocessor and an optional 68882 math coprocessor, the Macintosh LC
 550 is an excellent general-purpose student workstation that can run
 applications up to 25 percent faster than the Macintosh LC III.

      The Macintosh LC 550 comes with everything students need to handle
 tasks from writing reports to analyzing data.  With its built-in
 high-resolution 14-inch Sony Trinitron color display, stereo speakers
 and microphone, this computer makes it easy for students to explore,
 compose and express themselves in more creative and effective ways than
 ever before.  And with its built-in slot for an internal CD-ROM drive,
 the Macintosh LC 550 can be easily upgraded to the new tray- loading
 AppleCD 300i Plus CD-ROM drive at a later date.

 Powerful Built-In Macintosh Technology

      The new communications slot is unique to the Macintosh LC 575,
 however, both new systems have incorporated the expansion capabilities of
 the LC family with an LC processor direct slot (LC-PDS). This slot will
 allow users to immediately take advantage of most expansion cards avail-
 able for the Macintosh LC line such as NTSC video-out, video capture, and
 Apple IIe emulation cards.

       Both new Macintosh LC models can support up to 33 megabytes of RAM,
 allowing teachers and students to work with memory-intensive applica-
 tions, as well as multiple programs simultaneously. The LC 575 comes
 standard with a minimum of 5 megabytes of RAM and a 160 megabyte hard
 disk drive, and the 550 comes standard with 4 megabytes of RAM and a 160
 megabyte hard disk drive.

       The Macintosh LC 575 and the LC 550 are equipped with Apple's
 System 7.1  operating system. System 7.1 includes multitasking and file-
 sharing capabilities, as well as CloseView, Easy Access and visible- beep
 software solutions for students with disabilities.

       The Macintosh LC 575 and the LC 550 also include all the tradition-
 al Macintosh features such as built-in AppleTalk  networking, and serial
 and high-speed SCSI ports, enabling users to connect to a variety of
 peripheral devices like scanners, cameras and modems.  Both models
 come standard with a built-in, 1.4-megabyte Apple SuperDrive floppy
 disk drive that reads, writes and formats Macintosh, MS-DOS, OS/2,
 and Windows disks.  In addition, they both include the Apple Desktop
 Bus  (ADB), which supports a keyboard, mouse or other input device.

  PowerPC Upgrade Option

      To provide educators the flexibility to add new capabilities while
 protecting their technology investments, Apple plans to provide PowerPC
 processor upgrades for both the Macintosh LC 575 and LC 550.  Additional-
 ly, Apple plans to provide PowerPC chip upgrades for all the Macintosh
 LC/Performa 500 series (including the LC 520) and the LC 475.  (See
 today's related release on PowerPC upgrades for LC products.)  The new
 PowerPC microprocessor, developed by Apple, IBM and Motorola, will fuel
 Apple's next generation of computers and will provide customers with
 significant price/performance gains.

 Compliant with EPA Energy Star Program

      The LC 575 and the LC 550 continue to demonstrate Apple's commitment
 to the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Program.  Like the
 LC 520 and other Macintosh products, the new computers automatically
 reduce power consumption to less than 30 watts when idle, a feature that
 could cut the electricity used by the system by more than 50 percent.
 Through the screen control panel, users simply define the period of time
 the computer can be inactive before the power-down feature starts.

 Availability and Pricing

      Available immediately, the Macintosh LC 575, LC 550 and upgrade
 options will be offered to any qualified K-12 and higher education
 institutions in the United States in the configuration and prices
 stated below.  Distribution, pricing and configurations will vary
 outside the United States.

 U.S. Configuration                      U.S. K-12 Price

 Macintosh LC 575 5MB RAM/                    $1,699
 160MB hard drive, internal
 tray-loading CD-ROM,
 512/1MB VRAM with Keyboard II

 Macintosh LC 550 4MB RAM/                    $1,199
 160MB hard drive, 512/1MB VRAM
 with Keyboard II

 Apple Ethernet LC Cards (for the LC 575)     $84
 Twisted pair
 AAUI
 Thin Coax

 Apple IIe Emulation Card                    $123.30

 For additional information regarding pricing for higher education
 institutions, please call: 1-800-793-3389.  For additional pricing
 information for the K-12 market, please call: 1-800-800-2775.

 EDITOR'S NOTE:
 Availability Outside the U.S.
 Outside the U.S., the LC 575 and 550 models will be available to the
 Pacific region and targeted at all of Apple's market segments--
 education, home or business.  In the U.S., they will be sold into the
 K-12 and higher education markets only initially.  For more
 information regarding availability outside the U.S. see the
 accompanying release entitled, "Apple Unveils its Most Powerful, All-
 in-one Low-Cost Computer Yet."

 THIS RELEASE MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1994 AT
 8:34AM, EDT.

      Apple Unveils its Most Powerful, All-in-one Low-Cost Computer Yet
 The Macintosh LC 575 Continues to Raise the Standard for Affordable,
 Easy-to-Use, All-in-one Desktop Computing

 CUPERTINO, California--February 2, 1994--Apple Computer, Inc.
 today has added the new Macintosh  LC 575 to its industry-leading
 all-in-one LC product line.  The LC 575 makes it easy for people to
 integrate a multimedia and communications solution for a range of
 worldwide users in school, home and business environments.

       With a 33-megahertz Motorola 68040 microprocessor, the Macintosh LC
 575 offers performance comparable to the Macintosh Quadra  800, or three
 times that of today's popular Macintosh LC 520.  It also has an internal
 double-speed tray-loading CD-ROM drive, built-in Trinitron color display
 and stereo speakers.

       "The award-winning, all-in-one Macintosh LC series has fast become
 one of Apple's most popular offerings.  The new Macintosh LC 575 breaks
 price barriers for powerful entry-level systems while reinforcing Apple's
 business strategy to provide productivity and multimedia technology
 solutions to customers in homes, schools and small businesses," said Ian
 Diery, executive vice president and general manager of Apple's Personal
 Computer Division.

       Apple  also announced it plans to provide PowerPC  processor
 upgrades for all the Macintosh LC/Performa 500 series of computers,
 including the Macintosh LC 575, 550, 520 and Performa  550.  In addition,
 Apple plans to make upgrades available for the Macintosh LC 475.  (See
 today's related release on PowerPC processor upgrades for Macintosh LC
 products.)  The new PowerPC microprocessor, developed by Apple, IBM and
 Motorola, will fuel Apple's next generation of computers and will provide
 customers with significant price/performance gains.

 Integrated, Media-Rich Features

      Like all Macintosh computers, the Macintosh LC 575 is easy to set
 up,learn, use and expand.  It comes complete with many built-in features
 such as enhanced color support, double-speed CD-ROM, networking, one
 expansion slot, one communications slot, a SCSI interface, microphone and
 stereo sound.  These sophisticated features give users a media- rich
 environment, which will help redefine the way they learn and work.

      The Macintosh LC 575 blends plug-and-play simplicity and the
 convenience of an all-in-one design with a powerful 68040
 microprocessor.  The 575 has an integrated high-quality 14-inch Sony
 Trinitron color display that delivers a screen resolution of 640
 pixels x480 pixels using more than 32,000 colors (16-bit).  In
 addition to its built-in stereo speakers and microphone, the
 Macintosh LC 575 includes a new internal tray-loading double-speed
 CD-ROM drive, The AppleCD  300i Plus.  This drive also supports multi
 session Kodak PhotoCDs and provides 16-bit sound out from audio CDs.

      The Macintosh LC 575 also comes standard with a minimum of 4
 megabytes of RAM and a hard disk as large as 320 megabytes.  The
 computer can support up to 36 megabytes of RAM, allowing users to
 work with powerful multimedia applications and use multiple
 applications simultaneously.  It also comes standard with a built-in,
 1.4-megabyte Apple SuperDrive  floppy-disk drive that reads, writes
 and formats Macintosh, MS-DOS, OS/2 and Windows disks.

 Built-In Communications Flexibility and Expansion

      The Macintosh LC 575 features a new enhanced, flexible communi-
 cations slot.  The communications slot can easily be configured by the
 user to accept any one of three Ethernet cards (Twisted Pair, Thin Coax
 or Apple's AAUI) or a high-speed 14400 fax/modem card based on the
 PowerBook Express Modem.  These small (pocket-comb size) low-cost cards
 offer users the latest in high-speed networking and telecommunications
 capabilities.  They can be easily removed and replaced if a user's needs
 change.  The dedicated communication slot enables the Macintosh LC 575 to
 easily fit into any computing environment, because the computer's other
 slot, the Macintosh LC processor direct slot (LC-PDS), remains open to
 support other future user needs.

       The LC-PDS will allow users to immediately take advantage of all
 expansion cards available for the Macintosh LC line such as NTSC
 video-out, video capture, and Apple IIe emulation cards.

       The Macintosh LC 575 is also equipped with all the "traditional"
 Macintosh features such as built-in AppleTalk  networking, as well as
 serial and high-speed SCSI ports, which enable users to connect to a
 variety of peripheral devices like scanners, cameras and modems. In
 addition, the computer includes an Apple Desktop Bus  (ADB) port,
 which supports a keyboard or other input device.

  Pre-Installed System Software

       The Macintosh LC 575 comes pre-configured with Apple's System 7.1
 operating system.  System 7.1 includes multitasking and file-sharing
 capabilities, as well as CloseView, Easy Access and visible-beep
 software solutions for users with disabilities.

 Compliant with EPA Energy Star Program

      Like the Macintosh LC 520, the Macintosh LC 575 continues to
 demonstrate Apple's commitment to the Environmental Protection
 Agency's Energy Star Program.  The Macintosh LC 575 automatically
 reduces power consumption to less than 30 watts when idle, a feature that
 could cut the electricity used by the system by more than 50 percent.
 Through an on-screen control panel, users simply define the period of
 time the computer can be inactive before the power-down feature starts.

 Availability and Pricing

 Available immediately, the Macintosh LC 575's distribution, pricing
 and configurations will vary.

 U.S. Configuration                        U.S. Price
 Macintosh LC 575/160MB HD,            $1,699 / U.S.
 Education Channel
 Internal tray-loading CD-ROM
 5MB RAM/1MB VRAM with Keyboard II

 Apple Ethernet LC Cards:                  $84.00
 Twisted Pair
 AAUI
 Thin Coax
 Apple IIe Emulation Card                 $123.30


 EDITOR'S NOTE:
      Lowest-Cost, All-in-one Macintosh Apple also announced today the
 Macintosh LC 550.  The Macintosh LC 550 shares the same integrated design
 and multimedia features of the 575, but is based on 33 megahertz 68030
 microprocessor technology.  The U.S. Education Channel price will be
 $1,199, making the Macintosh LC 550 Apple's lowest-cost all-in-one design
 available.  This new computer offers a single configuration and can be
 upgraded to Apple's new tray-loading CD-ROM drive.

      Outside the United States, the Macintosh LC 575 and 550 models are
 targeted at all of Apple's market segments: education, home and
 business.  Within the United States, they will initially be sold into
 the K-12 and higher education markets only.


  THIS RELEASE MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1994 AT
 12:18PM, PST.

      Apple Announces PowerPC Technology Upgrade Options for Quadra 605,
 Selected LC and Performa Models

 CUPERTINO, California--February 2, 1994--Apple Computer, Inc., today
 further detailed its extensive plans to provide current Macintosh
 customers with an easy upgrade path to Macintosh with PowerPC .
 Apple announced it plans to offer upgrades based on the PowerPC
 microprocessor for many of its best selling entry-level business,
 education and consumer products.

      Apple plans to provide upgrades for its current line of all-in-one
 personal computers including the LC 520, 550, 575, as well as the
 Performa  550.  In addition, Apple plans to make future PowerPC
 upgrades available for LC 475, Quadra  605, and Performa 475/76
 product lines.  The upgrades will boost performance up to two to four
 times on existing Macintosh models when running native applications.

      PowerPC is a family of RISC (Reduced Instruction Set)
 microprocessors, developed jointly by Apple, IBM and Motorola.  The
 new chip will fuel the next generation of Macintosh computers.  The
 first computers based on the chip are slated to be introduced in the
 first half of 1994 and join the Macintosh family of computers in mid-
 range and high-end systems.

      "Virtually all of our current Macintosh systems being sold today now
 have an easy upgrade path to the future," said Ian Diery, executive vice
 president and general manager of Apple's Personal Computer Division.
 "Apple's goal is to make PowerPC technology accessible to the broadest
 number of customers possible, and make it easy for customers to make
 their move to increased performance when they are ready."

       The upgrades announced today are in addition to those recently
 detailed, which include:  Macintosh Quadra 840AV, 800, 660AV, 650 and 610
 models; the Macintosh Centris  660AV, 650 and 610 computers; and the
 Macintosh IIVX, vi and Performa 600 products.  Additionally, owners of
 the Apple Workgroup server 60, 80 and 95 will be offered logic board
 upgrades to PowerPC processor-based systems which will run a version of
 the Macintosh System 7  operating system for the PowerPC processor.

 Apple and Third-Party Options

      Apple continues to work on upgrades in conjunction with selected
 third-party developers to provide an array of options for customers
 to upgrade to PowerPC technology.



      That's it for this week. As always, please feel free to send  your
 comments or questions to me at:


                         America OnLine: STReportRN
                           Compuserve: 70323,1031
                               GEnie: R.NOAK

             ________________________________________________


                             IMPORTANT NOTICE!
                             =================

      STReport International  Online Magazine is  available every week  for
 your reading pleasure on DELPHI.   STReport's readers are invited to  join
 DELPHI and become a part of a friendly community of  enthusiastic computer
 users there.

                           SIGNING UP WITH DELPHI
                           ======================

       Using a personal computer and modem, members worldwide access
                   DELPHI services via a local phone call

                               JOIN --DELPHI
                               --------------

                Via modem, dial up DELPHI at 1-800-695-4002
                                  then...

                 When connected, press RETURN once or twice
                                   and...
                At Password: type STREPORT and press RETURN.

      DELPHI's Basic Plan  offers access for only  $6.00 per hour, for  any
 baud rate.  The  $5.95 monthly fee includes  your first hour online.   For
 more information,  call: DELPHI Member  Services at 1-800-544-4005  DELPHI
 is a service of General Videotex Corporation of Cambridge, MA.

                         Try DELPHI for $1 an hour!

      For a limited  time, you  can become a  trial member  of DELPHI,  and
 receive 5 hours  of evening and weekend access  during this month for only
 $5.  If  you're not satisfied, simply  cancel your account before  the end
 of  the calendar  month  with no  further obligation.    If you  keep your
 account active, you  will automatically be enrolled in DELPHI's 10/4 Basic
 Plan, where you can use  up to 4 weekend  and evening hours a month for  a
 minimum  $10 monthly  charge, with  additional hours  available at  $3.96.
 But hurry, this  special trial offer will expire  soon!  To take advantage
 of  this limited  offer, use  your modem  to dial  1-800-365-4636.   Press
 <RET>  once or twice.   When you get  the Password: prompt,  type IP26 and
 press <RET> again. Then,  just answer  the questions and  within a day  or
 two, you'll officially be a member of DELPHI!

                  DELPHI-It's getting better all the time!


            ___________________________________________________


                          ATARI/JAG SECTION (III)
                          =======================
                           Dana Jacobson, Editor


 > From the Atari Editor's Desk             "Saying it like it is!"
   """"""""""""""""""""""""""""

      Well, back from the dead, at last!  Although not fully recovered
 from a month-long bout with double-pneumonia; I'm well enough to have
 returned to work.  Sheesh, what a mistake _that_ was.  There was more
 paperwork piled up waiting for me than I ever thought possible!  My
 desk reminded me of the one in the cartoon strip, "Shoe."  Oh well.  My
 doctor says perhaps another 4 weeks of feeling run down, so I'm still
 trying to take it easy.

      I don't have a lot to say this week.  Partially, it's due to
 trying to play catch-up at work and really feeling exhausted by the
 time I want to start some writing/reporting.  Mostly, I've been keeping
 tabs of what's been happening online on Delphi and Compuserve.  There's
 really not much new happening, whether it be on the computer or Jaguar
 front.  One notable Jaguar piece of information that I picked up in the
 Atari Gaming area on CIS was that "Star Raiders 2000" will be released
 soon.  Star Raiders was one title that hadn't been mentioned in the
 numerous lists of upcoming games, so those of you who enjoyed the
 previous renditions of the game should keep tabs on this one!  No other
 details about the game have been mentioned yet.

      No dates have been mentioned for the beginning of the Jaguar's
 national roll-out, but machines are available in various areas across
 the country regardless.  It appears that many sources are out of stock
 while others have various numbers of games and consoles.  If you're
 looking for a specific title but can't find it nearby, I'd recommend
 asking online to see where people are finding titles and machines.  You
 can also order directly from Atari if you don't want to search around.
 While we're all waiting for the national push to start, enthusiasm for
 the machine and available titles is still high - a good sign.
 Hopefully, Atari will finalize their national plans and get the ball
 rolling again to maintain their momentum before it falters.

      When I first considered taking over the Atari section of STReport,
 one of the initial goals that I had given myself was to re-establish a
 working relationship with Atari.  I also mentioned this goal in my
 first column as Atari editor.  Personally, I feel that it's important
 for any Atari-related medium to have a good report with Atari.  There
 have been many ups and downs over the years between us, for a variety
 of reasons.  Some of it was based on Atari's own bumpy road over the
 years, and reflected in our issues.  We've been supportive; and we've
 been critical.  At times we've been so frustrated that some of our
 issues were based around an intent to wake up some people at Atari.
 It has been frustrating for both Atari, and us.

      My first concern at re-establishing mutual support was how to
 maintain our aim to "tell it like it is" without destroying a new bond.
 Well, I knew that if we were going to establish this relationship, it
 would mean gaining valuable information that our readers would
 appreciate.  It would mean being able to better promote Atari products
 which would result in an even better "alliance."  It would also result
 in providing you, our readers and greatest asset, an opportunity to
 become better informed.  We could still maintain our editorial
 viewpoints by being better informed.  With firsthand information, I'd
 have no choice but to take advantage of that and have the ability to
 generate more responsible opinions.

      That's been our goal all along, but there is that occasional
 chance that personalities would clash and create situations that none
 of us really wants to be in.  That had happened, and grew to a point
 that just made things impossible to work effectively.  Atari, with a
 brief period of "inactivity" and clashes subsiding, came into a new era
 for itself with the Jaguar.  New enthusiasm erupted in Sunnyvale, and
 the userbase.  Things also changed with STReport, as our new format
 shows.  It was time again to make some positive changes.

      Well, although a working relationship is still very young, it has
 been established.  I won't go into details at this time, but things are
 looking very positive these days.  1994 seems to be the year for Atari
 and STReport to grow by leaps and bounds.  It's going to take some
 time; and it's going to take some building of trust, but the groundwork
 has been established and there's actually enthusiasm to work together.
 I'm extremely excited about this new opportunity (could you tell?) and
 I'm sure that you'll all benefit.  Stay tuned!

      Again, we're still looking for people to work with STReport by
 doing reviews or articles.  This is an exciting time for STReport, and
 a good time to get in on the fun.  If you're interested, even in an
 occasional bit of writing, please get in touch with me.  I can be
 reached easily on Delphi (DPJ), Compuserve (73057,327), GEnie
 (D.JACOBSON2), or Toad Hall (617-567-8642 or 569-2489).  I look forward
 to hearing from many of you!

      Well, let me cut this short again this week.  There's plenty here
 to keep you busy reading without my rambling even more!

      Until next time...

                                    -Dana


                          Delphi's Atari Advantage
                             Top Ten Downloads

          (1) ST ZIP 2.4                  (6) COMPUTER PATIENCE
          (2) LHARC VERSION 2.99          (7) TOWERS
          (3) CD ROM INFO                 (8) TELECOMMUNICATIONS GLOSSARY
          (4) TOAD'S SYSINFO              (9) PFXPAK V3.0
          (5) BRODIE CES CONFERENCE      (10) JENS SENDS SHOCKER 2

                             
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              HONORARY TOP 10

      The following on-line magazines are always top downloads, frequently
      out-performing every other file in the databases.

                   ST REPORT (Current issue: STREPORT #10.05)
         ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE (Current issue: AEO: VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 1)

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Look for the above files in the RECENT ARRIVALS database.

               _____________________________________________



 > CONNECT NEWS STR InfoFile
   """""""""""""""""""""""""



                       CONNECT INCREASES DISTRIBUTION
                     OPENS TOLL-FREE SUBSCRIPTION LINE



 ANN ARBOR, Michigan (January 10, 1993) -- Beginning with the March/April
 '94 issue of CONNECT magazine, over 10,000 additional copies of the
 popular periodical will be available from newsstands and bookstores
 across the U.S.

 The largest increases in distribution are in California and Florida, but
 the magazine will also be more widely available in Colorado, Georgia,
 Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas.

 Demand for CONNECT magazine has been high, and CONNECT's consistently
 strong sales issue after issue during the past year has encouraged many
 additional magazine wholesalers and distributors to carry the magazine.

 CONNECT readers in Canada will also be happy to hear that distribution
 into Canada has increased in a big way, also starting with the
 March/April '94 issue. Previously, the magazine had been widely available
 in and around Toronto, Ontario, with limited distribution to other major
 cities across Canada.

 "By actually quadrupling our Canadian distribution starting with the
 March/April issue, CONNECT will be available in quantity from Nova Scotia
 to British Columbia," said Patricia Snyder-Rayl, managing editor of
 CONNECT magazine.  "Most Canadians should now be able to find CONNECT at
 their favorite local newsstands, bookstores, and computer dealers."

 The March/April '94 issue of CONNECT is scheduled to hit newsstands in
 mid- to late-February. To find the magazine outlet nearest you that
 carries CONNECT, please call (313) 973-8825, Monday through Saturday, 10
 A.M. to 6 P.M. Eastern time.

 CONNECT is a bi-monthly magazine covering the major commercial online
 services (such as America Online, CompuServe, DELPHI, GEnie and Prodigy),
 the Internet, and bulletin board system networks (such as Fidonet, RIME,
 and QWK packet mail networks). The magazine is platform-independent, with
 columns focusing on PC-specific (DOS and Windows), Macintosh-oriented,
 and Palmtop/PDA-related topics.

 For subscription orders or information, Pegasus Press, Inc., has opened a
 new toll-free CONNECT magazine subscription line. Call 1-800-GET-CONNECT
 (1-800-438-2666) to sign up today.


              _______________________________________________



 > NEW CD! STR InfoFile
   """"""""""""""""""""



 ANNOUNCING ANOTHER NEW CD:

 PCD Sampler Volume I contains 20 professional images in Kodak Photo
 CD format. The images are ready for use with Photo Show Pro, Studio
 Photo, Gem View, True Paint and any other Atari application that
 supports the Kodak Photo CD imaging system.

 Our "PCD Sampler - Volume I" has a retail of $29.99 and we are allowing
 a $10.00 discount from now through February 14 to registered users of
 any of our Kodak Photo CD products including Photo Show, Photo Show Pro,
 and View_PCD for the Falcon.

 After my last "FALCON ONLY" special and the complaints from ST/STe users,
 we will extend our offer to registered users of View II.

 Send your check for $19.99 to Randall Kopchak, 2233 Keeven Lane,
 Florissant MO 63031. All orders are shipped postpaid.

 The "PCD Sampler - Volume I" can also be used on the PC, Mac, and CD-I
 machines with appropriate software. Photography was done by Louis Back,
 Berlin.

 The disc was pressed by totronic, Germany, publishers of Virtual BookMak-
 er in the German language.

                ___________________________________________



 Compuserve News Flash:

                      --- MUSIC/MIDI CONFERENCE ---

      Join us for an informal section 5 conference on Sunday, February 6,
 at 10 p.m. Eastern US time.  The suggested topic is multitrack digital
 recording (the Falcon, other hard disk devices, and tape-based machines
 such as the ADAT). Also DAT recorders and their usefulness in
 multitrack situations.  This will be an informal chat session with no
 formal protocol.  See you then!



 > The Old Fishin' Hole STR Feature
   """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""



                            The Old Fishin' Hole
                            ====================


 - A Guide to the Online PD/Shareware Waters.


 by John R. Duckworth

     Well, it looks like the excitement surrounding the Superbowl is
 finally over (like we didn't know who would win <g>) so it's time to
 get back to what we all know and love...our computers. This week I'm
 going to take a look at an updated version of one of my top shareware
 picks of 1993 by an industrious programmer in Canada, Michel Forget.
 Before I get any further, allow me to share some background
 information about Michel and why he decided to develop "MasterBrowse".

     "MasterBrowse" grew out of a sort of frustration...Michel had
 attempted to learn the "C" programming language two times without totally
 succeeding. He decided that the best way to learn something was
 through application, so he chose the project of a text viewer for the
 ST which is based on an example by Ian Lepore. With permission from
 Ian, he started to modify the source code and added many new features
 such as bookmarks, keyboard shortcuts, searching, printing, and more.
 After he felt satisfied, Michel realized that the resulting program
 was too good to keep all to himself so he released it to the public.
 Since that first version of "MasterBrowse" many changes have taken
 place, which he has continually updated almost twenty times. Although
 there are no time limits or other restrictions on the public version
 of "MasterBrowse", Michel has set up an incentive program to entice
 folks into registering such as a smaller/faster personalized version
 and a discount on software from Suzy B's.

     "MasterBrowse 3.5" by Michel Forget of Electric Storm Software is
 the _BEST_ text file viewer for the ST/TT/Falcon series of computers
 that I have come across. "MasterBrowse" (referred to as MB for the
 rest of this review) will work on any TOS version with or without
 MultiTOS installed and has been thoroughly tested on most every
 configuration imaginable. Installation of MB is very simple, and
 Michel provides detailed instructions for all users including those who
 run MultiTOS, NeoDesk, TeraDesk, or Gemini. A client program is
 provided for those who use MultiTOS which checks to make sure only
 one copy of MB is executed for a given session. A picture viewer (not
 supplied) can also be installed utilizing the client program which
 will execute the viewer whenever an installed picture type is
 selected from the desktop.

     "MasterBrowse" has so many features it is almost impossible for
 me to cover all of them within the confines of this column. With that
 in mind, I will try to touch on those feature which places MB ahead
 of the other text viewers. First, and most importantly, MB is a 100%
 GEM compliant program and does not mess with any of the user's system
 settings. The application allows the user to set options for their
 own personal tastes and needs. For example, display colors for the
 text and windows can be mapped to any of the desktop's available
 colors. Scroll bars for windows (which MB uses to display the text
 files in) may be turned on or off at will, and unique titles may be
 applied to any open text window. Other options which the user may
 change include: scroll movement base, cursor or application keypad,
 how blocks are displayed onscreen, text formatting for printing, and
 selecting whether grow/shrink boxes and progress indicators will be
 displayed. Of course most of the setting will be acceptable at their
 default status, but it is comforting to know that they may be changed
 when needed.

     The only limitation MB has for displaying documents is related to
 the number of windows available to use from the system. Most users
 will only need a maximum of a few documents open at once, but users
 of MultiTOS and Winx can open many more. Another nice feature of MB
 is it's ability to use GDOS when installed. The GDOS fonts look much
 nicer than the standard system text (goodbye blocks), and are much
 easier to read. Text files may be scrolled by using the mouse with the
 arrow buttons and scroll bars (when turned on), or more easily by the
 keyboard. As a matter of fact, this is true for all of the features
 in MB, options may be selected from the menu bar or from keyboard
 shortcuts which may be redefined by the user (was there no doubt?).
 Bookmarks may be placed in desired locations in the text and recalled
 at any time. Sections of text may also be selected with the block
 functions and ultimately printed, clipped, or saved separately from
 the rest of the document.

     A first for "MasterBrowse" is the feature called 'Quick Access'
 which is simply a dialog box (which is properly placed in a moveable
 window) that lists the last seven documents accessed. If a user
 closes a file, and then decides to reopen it later, he/she need not
 fumble through the file selector to get it back, all they have to do
 is click on the filename in the "Quick Access' box. Another well
 thought out feature is the ability for MB to read compressed text
 files (such as those archived with ARC or LZH) and then display them
 uncompressed. Although this feature may take a bit of thought to set
 up, it may be worth the drive space saved for those users with a lot
 of text files sitting around their hard drives.

     Of course, "MasterBrowse" will print documents, and also allows
 for a variety of printing options such as page headers, page
 numbering, adding a synopsis, and the ability to only print odd or
 even pages so that both sides of the paper can be used for a more
 professional (and environment saving) look.

     With so many options and wide variety of features, I'm sure to
 have missed something in this review of "MasterBrowse"...if that is
 the case, forgive me Michel but you've made the application too darn
 complete. If you haven't already guessed, I _HIGHLY_ recommend
 "MasterBrowse 3.5" to everyone and I urge you to try it out and if
 satisfied, register with the author. With this, one of his first
 programs, I can hardly wait to see what else Michel has up his
 sleeve. If you have any questions or comments e-mail me at:
 JDUCKWORTH@delphi.com...I promise to respond to everyone who takes
 the time to write. Adios...and I'll see you _online_.

  +----------------------------------------------------------------+
  |   Old Fishin Hole Tackle Box                                  |
  +----------------------------------------------------------------+
  |  MasterBrowse 3.5                                              |
  |     -available soon on all online services and the internet.   |
  +----------------------------------------------------------------+
   The Tackle Box is meant to provide assistance in finding files
  mentioned in the column. It should not be considered a COMPLETE
  listing and is provided for convenience only. Delphi Atari Advantage
  files should be found in the Recent Arrivals section of the database
  until moved to their appropriate sections.



             _________________________________________________





 > ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine          The wires are a hummin'!
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""



                            PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
                            =====================


  On CompuServe
  -------------
  compiled by
  Joe Mirando




   Hidi ho friends and neighbors.  Yet another week has come and gone.
 The harshest winter in recent times still refuses to release the
 northeast from its grip... and we're all getting tired of it!  More and
 more often, I think back to "The Shining".  Can anyone who knows me
 picture me sticking my head through the hole that I just chopped in a
 bathroom door and chuckling "Heeeerrrreeee's Joey!"  I'm serious... it's
 been THAT kind of winter.

   One of the few things that's been keeping me sane has been the fact
 that I'm able to communicate with others via CompuServe.  So, without
 any further delay, let's get me my "sanity Fix"...


 From the Atari Productivity Forum
 =================================

 Hannes Ruegheimer tells us:

   "For an article I'm currently working on, I am composing a chart with
   the character codes, different computer systems use for international
   characters like the German Umlauts. Can anybody (probably especially
   German ST users) just tell me which codes are used on the ST for the
   German special characters (Ae, ae, Oe, oe, Ue, ue and ss). Is it ANSI
   code or does the ST operating system use proprietary codes for these?"

 Charles Cartwright tells Hannes:

   "The ASCII codes (decimal) used by the ST system font are as follows:

     Ae 142
     ae 132
     Oe 153
     oe 148
     Ue 154
     ue 129
     ss 158 or 225 (the two codes give identical characters)"

 Jim Ness chimes in and adds this:

   "In case nobody else has your answers, I'll try to muddle through this
   (without knowing the names of each of the special characters).
   Hopefully, I'll give you enough info.

    Lower Case                 Upper Case
    __________                 __________

    ae   = 145                 AE   = 146
    oe   = 180                 OE   = 181
    ue   =  ?                  UE   =  ?

   In ae and oe, you are asking for the character that looks like ae or
   oe pressed together, right?  That's what I've provided, but there is
   nothing that looks like a ue pressed together.

   There are several vowels with accents or dots over them."

 Andrew Sayers asks for help:

   "My son runs an Atari ST 1Mb, and is having problems using a modem
   with it.

   He has a high speed 14.4K modem, and although he can connect onto a BBS
   with any problem, he get lots of "rubbish" characters along with the
   normal screens.  Sometimes it is worse than others but always causes
   problems. Interestingly if he connects at 2400, everything works fine.

   As a PC user, I've not experienced anything like this b4, so need some
   help and advice on curing this problem. The modem works correctly, when
   it has been connected to my PC it functions perfectly.

   Hope there's an answer out the somewhere."

 Our own Atari Section Editor, the multi-talented Dana Jacobson, tells
 Andrew:

   "Usually, if he gets this "garbage" mixed in with normal screens, that
   "garbage" appears to be line noise.  Calling boards that occasionally

   are stricken with a line noise problem can be "rectified" by calling at
   slower speeds.  If this is a constant problem, there may be a problem
   at either end.  If it's intermittent, it could be due to just getting a
   bad line connection, or poor weather conditions.  If it s just an
   intermittent problem, I wouldn't be concerned."

 Sysop Ron Luks asks Andrew:

   "What comms program is he using?"

 Andrew tells Ron:

   "Freeze dried terminal - this seems to be one of the better ones
   available but if there are others then I'd be glad to hear about them."

 Dazzz Smith tells Andrew:

   "Freeze Dried is one of the better non-commercial Comms proggies and
   also due for an update RSN (c) Atari.

   Just check that your son has RTS CTS enabled in the RS232 config
   screen.

   He should also be running with a serial fix program in his auto folder
   to sort out a problem most Atari machines have in their serial port
   code.  If he doesn't have one he should be able to find a number in the
   Libs here."

 Sysop Bob Retelle, being the knowledgeable, helpful guy that he is, asks
 Andrew a few questions:

   "When you tested the modem on your PC, were you calling the same BBSs,
   and from the same telephone number..?  (That is, is your son living at
   the same location as you, so he'd be using the same line your PC
   does..?)

   The symptoms you describe sound like line noise on the phone lines..
   2400 baud is a great deal less sensitive to this noise than the higher
   speeds are.

   The question about where you were calling from, and where you were
   calling is because the interconnections of the telephone system can
   have a lot to do with how good a connection you get with a modem...  if
   you called a different BBS than your son does, the phone connections
   may be just different enough to assure a noise-free line.. the same
   with using a different line to call from.

   One of the best things to do when getting a noisy connection is to
   disconnect and call back..  you may get a slightly different routing
   through the phone system, and as a result get a more noise-free line.

   I really don't think the kind of computer or software being used
   should have any effect on the noise problem at all.. it's all between
   the modem and the remote system.  If it's really bad, you could call
   the telephone company and see if they'll do a check of your local phone
   line.. there may be a problem with the wiring somewhere."

 Dazzz Smith asks Andrew:

   "Can you tell us what software your son is using and what modem?

   The problem may just be line noise, do you know what sort of phone
   exchange your on? i.e. is it digital?"

 Andrew tells Dazzz:

   "He's using Freeze Dried Terminal as comms software. I have been
   wondering about his serial port, I know Ataris have had problems with
   these. We've tied the serial fix progs, which seem to work ok. I'm not
   sure what exchange he's on, but as its a big exchange near London I
   assume its digital. Trouble is he doesn't actually live with me, but
   with his mother and so its difficult to test the line noise theory as
   my PC is actually quite some distance from his home, and on a different
   exchange.

   I am also wondering about his init string - whats the best set-up for
   an atari ST?

   He logs onto my BBS without any probs (its PC based) do you think
   there might be incompatibility probs between the PC graphics and the
   Atari emulations? Mind you ASCII doesn't make much difference, although
   "chat" mode works quite well if I set up my chat door as a VT52
   emulation."

 Dazzz tells Andrew:

   "Init strings tend to vary an awful lot amongst some folks :-), it
   would depend on the type of modem, but normally factory defaults are OK
   as a rule for bog standard comms work.

   Some emulation modes on your board may cause a few problems, but thats
   down to software more than anything else. I would say your first port
   of call would be to BT to check the line, if you can find out if its a
   digital exchange. If it is you could ask them to turn AGC off and see
   if that helps.

   If asking about AGC, always talk directly to an exchange engineer,
   nobody else will know what the hell it is.  :-)"

 Peter Rosenbeck tells Andrew to:

   "Check the following when running speeds beyond 2400 bps:

   Both computer and modem must have hardware handshake (RTS/CTS) enabled
   Most modems do this with the AT&R0 command - sometimes the last digit
   differs. Atari's original RS232 routines had a bug concerning the
   RTS/CTS handshake (I think they still have it), but there are several
   fixes available (RS232ENC). Some COMM programms also fix this problems
   themselves. Running speeds beyond 9600 bps might not be possible on all
   and every ST because the hardware wasn't designed for it. On my 7 year
   old ST I can run 19200 bps and that's enough to supply any 14400
   modem."

 James Port tells us:

   "I've got a new client who has been using a 520ST to sequence his
   tunes.  I know this isn't the MIDI section, but this hasn't got
   anything to do with MIDI.  In the course of our conversation he started
   asking me about TOS and a TOS disk.  Evidently, he bought the computer
   used from someone else who told him he needed a "Language Disk" to be
   able to access some of the things "in" the computer.  Isn't the ST
   Language disk Atari ST BASIC?  I have a feeling the fellow is real
   confused, and the seller was telling him a bunch of hoey.  The computer
   isn't that old, the floppy is onboard, so it should've TOS on ROM.  It
   hasn't got a hard drive either so anything he wants to get into, he'd
   have to have a floppy for, yes?  So tell me.  What is the Language
   disk?"

 Sysop Jim Ness tells James:

   "The "language disk" of later computers contained the CONTROL.ACC file
   and the VT52.ACC (simple terminal program).  Maybe a couple of other
   things.

   As you guessed, it USED to contain ST LOGO and ST Basic, also, but
   that was only at the beginning.  So, it's called a language disk."

 Pascal Gabriel tells us:

   "I want to show the Joys of Compuserve to a handicapped friend who uses
   an Atari 1040. As I use a mac I'm not sure what modem and software to
   suggest for purchase - Is Information Manager running on the Atari as
   well?"

 Master Sysop Ron Luks tells Pascal:

   "There is no version of the CompuServe information Manager (CIM) for
   the Atari.

   Your friend can use virtually any PC-compatible external modem on his
   Atari and for telecomm software we recommend STalker from GRibnif
   Software or Flash II from Missionware."

 Sysop Jim Ness adds:

   "I'm afraid there are not enough Atari ST users to warrant a version
   of CIM.

   However, there are a number of terminal programs, if your friend is up
   to using the old-fashioned command-line interface CIS provides to
   non-CIM users.

   Library 2 in this forum has some shareware programs, and there are a
   couple of highly recommended commercial telecom programs whose
   distributors support their programs in the ATARIVEN forum.

   As for modems, any EXTERNAL modem which will work with a PC will work
   with the ST.  The cable connections are the same."

 Peter Breger posts:

   "I am new to this forum, so I hope that I get posting this message
   right. I need some help with sending faxes via an Atari 1040 STFM and
   SupraFaxModem The hardware seems to work fine, although often the ends
   of pages seem to get lost, but problems with my TeleOffice software are
   phenomenal. How can one run this program sensibly on a 1Mbyte machine,
   with 20Mb Hard disk??? I can't even get an image file printed since
   they are too large to print. Does anybody know a printing program for
   .IMG files ( on HP Deskjet 500 ) ? What experience doe other users have
   with 1Mb machines ?"

 Sysop Ron Luks tells Peter:

   "I'm not familiar with TeleOffice software.  We've been recommending
   STraightFax by Charles Smeton.  By the reports posted here (and my own
   limited experience) it works very well."


 From the Atari ST Arts Forum
 ============================

 Here's proof positive that we CompuServe users aren't JUST a bunch of
 techno-geeks who like nothing better than to sit in front of our
 computers all day (although that IS fun <grin>).  Beth Freeman posts:

   "If you've got a food processor, I've got a marvelous and easy recipe
   for brownies that doesn't involve melt- ing chocolate (one of the
   pitfalls of baking with chocolate according to my uncle the chef).  You
   grind the chocolate (preferably when nobody's asleep) in the food
   processor and add a stick of melted margarine (or butter).  This melts
   the chocolate, and then you add the sugar, flour, nuts and so forth.
   You can even microwave them, and they come out "sinful" according to my
   mom.

   How do you feel about TIF files?  I've got one of my friend's cat the
   one I wrote the story about.  He's really cute.  You want a copy of
   the file.  You can print it out from PageStream."

 Mike Mortilla replies to Beth:

   "I DO have a food processor and everyone's asleep!  <Very Big Grin>

   Please do upload the TIF file. If you upload it to the forum you get
   credit for the upload time on your CompuServe bill. Upload enough stuff
   and you can really cut that bill down to size!

   But here's another idea... why don't we create a Pagestream
   cookbook?!? We can get the Atari users mobilized to upload their
   favorite recipes to a specific area of the forum (Community Sq since
   that where we are) and we can compile a cookbook in PageStream format
   which all could download and print out? I sort of like the idea! And
   since I have a scanner, I'll be glad to offer free scanning for the
   graphics!

   Well let's see who "bites..."?

 Beth tells Mike:

   "That sounds like a cool idea.  I've already been making a list of
   recipes in Pagestream when we got our microwave.  They're all microwave
   recipes I copied out of cookbooks (credit has been given to the
   cookbook).

   Let's circulate the project, and let it take off.  I can supply the
   template that I've used with my recipes."

 Mike continues:

   "Sounds good. I've been thinking about the cookbook and have an idea
   for a "standard." Maybe some "cumulative culinary" type of thing. An
   introduction describing what it is, and then the contributions.

   Maybe as chapters (so the download won't be too big at any one time)?
   Let's think on it a bit, but in the mean time if you want to upload the
   microwave stuff as chapter 1 that sounds great. Chapters could be added
   to and re-uploaded as they grow. I've got some great tips to add. Like
   microwaving garlic for 8-10 seconds to get it to peel very easily!"

 Sysop Ron Luks gives us a peek at one more of his many talents:

   "Glad to see more cooking enthusiasts here.  I'm a closet chef and
   just last night I was grumbling a lot about peeling a dozen cloves of
   garlic. I'll try your tip real soon."


 From the Atari Vendors Forum
 ============================

 Ian Fleming asks Rick Flashman at Gribnif Software about loading desktop
 information files into NeoDesk (One of the two programs that should be
 sold with every ST-series computer... the other one being Geneva, also
 from Gribnif):

   "I am trying to load different desktops as well as ACC,s at boot up
   with XBoot.I have no problem with ACC's but I have failed with
   desktops. I have saved different desktops in my Neodesk folder and have
   the default one in the root directory.When I choose set a different one
   in XBoot and save the set.It always comes up with the default even
   though as it loads Xboot tells me it is setting my chosen desktop as
   the desktop inf. I have been saving different Neodesk.inf files."

 Rick tells Ian:

   "I'm a little confused.  You cannot use a NEODESKx.INF as a
   DESKTOP.INF.  Those files have completely different formats.  In other
   words, you can save different DESKTOP.INF files from the built-in
   desktop and use XBOOT to change your DESKTOP.INF.  Separately, you can
   save different NEODESKx.INF files and have XBOOT change your respective
   NEODESKx.INF file.

   I have a couple suggestions about this, but first I want to make sure
   you have this concept straight."


 Well folks, I know that the column is shorter than normal (stop applaud-
 ing, you guys), but it's really getting late and I figure that I'll leave
 some room for someone else to enlighten us.  Be sure to tune in again
 next week, same time, same station, and listen to what they are saying
 when...

                             PEOPLE ARE TALKING



    """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


                       STReport's "EDITORIAL CARTOON"
                       """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""

 > A "Quotable Quote"        "A good point to ponder!"
   """""""""""""""""





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