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
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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
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