ST Report: 7-Nov-97 #1344
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 11/12/97-05:41:13 PM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 7-Nov-97 #1344
Date: Wed Nov 12 17:41:13 1997
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November 07, 1997 No.1344
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>From the Editor's Desk...
Unbelievable!! One Nimrod jumps on MS's case and now, we see a
veritable stampede! It's easy to understand why most of them are doing so
but to see a very well known and respected Senator do the very same thing
is incredible! Sen Orin Hatch. R-Utah head of the Judiciary Committee has
made it abundantly clear that he too.. Is in pursuit of MS. I have had the
utmost of respect for the good Senator from Utah for many years. I've
observed Him in action many times. Especially during the Ollie North
Iran/Contra hearings, odd though Orin Hatch never insisted upon calling
Reagan or Bush. Or, when He was in pursuit of pirates who were allegedly
decimating Word Perfect Corp. everyone "cheered" but few realized WP Corp.
was one of Hatch's constituents. You did know that Word Perfect Corp. at
one time, a long time ago.. was based in Utah?
In any case, I have but one burning question for the Good Senator from
Utah. Sen. Hatch, why is it we see you in "hot" pursuit of Bill Gates and
Microsoft for all sorts of "unfair" competitive business practices at this
time... Yet what seems like only yesterday. we watched Word Perfect Corp.
blaze new superhighways in the world of corporate cannibalism? You never
made a peep about or even referenced the actions of Word Perfect Corp. when
they were alive and well, based in Orem Utah, putting many programmers and
smaller companies involved in word processor development out of business by
either buying them up or simply crushing them?? Why is it you now find
Microsoft's alleged actions relative to offering many faceted programs
offensive when in fact is was Word Perfect Corp. who literally wrote the
rule book about offering "bundled" products like Word Perfect, Paradox,
etc., all in one neat, competition crushing, package??
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LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
E-Mags Halloween Hoax Slammed
A Halloween hoax on the World Wide Web is drawing grumbles from some
visitors to PC World Online, the Internet version of PC World magazine.
The site in question greets visitors with the message, "Shall we unleash
the virus now?" Naturally, PC World says chill! It's just good, clean fun!
However, ethics experts say the joke is in bad taste in today's workplace,
"like yelling 'fire' in a crowded theater," director W. Michael Hoffman of
the Center for Business Ethics at Bentley College in Waltham,
Massachusetts, told Associated Press writer Eileen Glanton. "It's a bad
practical joke."
Glanton notes the fake virus warning will accompanied by a program that
appears to delete files and another message that says, "I've got your
credit-card number here." Also, "a host of error messages (are) part of a
hoax created by the magazine's monthly columnist Gil Bates. Get it? Gil
Bates? Like Bill Gates?" AP says the offerings range from the truly
harmless, like Halloween-themed screen savers, "to the alarming, like an
authentic-looking 'Windows Meltdown in Progress' warning." Oh, says hoax
author Matthew Lake, "most people will get a charge out of it." Executive
editor Yael Li-Ron says a similar feature for April Fool's Day garnered
scores of complimentary e-mail messages, with only a few critics.
Internet to Get Au Pair Ruling
Here's a first: The Massachusetts judge who is weighing the decision of
whether to throw out the murder conviction of a British au pair is expected
to post his decision on the Internet's World Wide Web, perhaps as early as
today. The reason for going first to the Net? Judge Hiller B. Zobel
apparently is worried that making paper copies available to reporters would
overwhelm court clerks since interest in the case has been so high.
"Although rulings have been made available on the Internet before," says
Associated Press writer Richard Lorant, "this is believed to be the first
time media outlets have been told they wouldn't be able to get a hard
copy." Director John Pavlik of Columbia University's Center for New Media
told the wire service, "I think it's unprecedented. I don't know of any
other judge who's issued an opinion that way."
Sources in Cambridge, Mass., say Judge Zobel could make his ruling as soon
as today in the case of 19-year-old Louise Woodward. He heard arguments
yesterday from attorneys asking him to overturn a jury's second-degree
murder verdict against Woodward or at least reduce it to manslaughter.
Lorant reports Zobel initially planned to post the ruling exclusively on a
Web site operated by Lawyer's Weekly (http://www.lawyersweekly.com), though
later plans call for him to send it via e-mail to a dozen news outlets,
with the understanding that they would post it on the World Wide Web.
Soon after the Lawyer's Weekly Web site address was made public, it
experienced a "massive overload," said newspaper spokesman David L. Yas.
Adds Lorant, "Select Supreme Court rulings, such as Roe vs. Wade and New
York Times vs. Sullivan, have been available online for several years, but
few new rulings are posted immediately. The first opinion made available on
the Internet was a 1996 ruling by a federal appeals court that struck down
the Communication Decency Act as unconstitutional."
Senate Panel OKs Net Tax Ban
A controversial bill to restrict states and localities from imposing new
taxes on Internet services has received overwhelmingly approval from a key
U.S. Senate committee. The Reuter News Service notes the 14-5 vote by the
Senate Commerce Committee "followed warnings by opposing committee members
that the bill would greatly disadvantage Main Street businesses facing
mounting competition from electronic commerce." The bill -- revised in 20
places to address fears of cities and rural areas -- would:
z Impose a moratorium ending Jan. 1, 2004, on state and local taxes of
Internet access and online services.
z Makes clear what taxes are exempt from the moratorium, including sales
and use taxes, property and business license taxes, and growth or net
income taxes. Chairman John McCain (R- Arizona), a co-sponsor of the bill,
told the wire service, "I recognize we have some significant hurdles ahead
of us. But the future of America rests on this technology. I would hate for
us to choke this baby in the cradle."
Referring to curbing impediments to Internet growth, McCain added, "This is
a global economy we live in today. If we don't do it, then our competitors
will." On the other side of the issue, Sen. Slade Gorton (R- Washington)
said, "This bill is a tremendous threat to Main Street merchants," adding
it would be "a terrible error" to treat Internet sales the way the United
States currently treats mail order sales, which also are exempt from many
taxes. Reuters notes similar legislation has been cleared by subcommittees
of the House Judiciary and Commerce panels.
Meanwhile, the Newsbytes computer news service quotes the measure's
co-sponsor, Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), as saying, "The Internet will be the
business infrastructure of the 21st century. To subject it to as many as
30,000 taxing jurisdictions applying different rules of taxation would be a
mistake." Wyden said the bill is not expected to reach the Senate floor
vote before Friday's congressional recess, he is optimistic the bill would
pass the full Senate early next year. Joining McCain and Wyden in backing
the bill are Conrad Burns (R-Montana) and John Kerry (D-Massachusetts).
House Republican Policy Committee Chairman Christopher Cox (R-California)
sponsored the bill in the House of Representatives.
Senate Says NO to Laptops
By a voice vote, the Senate Rules Committee has rejected Wyoming Sen.
Michael Enzi's request for permission to bring his laptop into the chamber
during debates. "The reason was the Senate's love and respect for its
numerous and sometimes obscure traditions," observes Associated Press
writer Cassandra Burrell. For instance:
Every senator's desk still is equipped with a pencil tray, an inkwell and a
shaker filled with blotting sand.
Though not used, two large spittoons are kept on the floor near the front
of the room. Two snuff boxes are kept filled with fresh snuff, "in
compliance," says Burrell, "with a law passed decades ago when a senator
became irate after finding one empty."
At issue here were Senate rules that forbid use of mechanical devices of
any sort on the floor or anything that may threaten decorum. Senators must
seek permission to bring calculators onto the floor during budget debates.
Just before yesterday's vote, Kentucky Sen. Wendell Ford commented, "There
may be a time when laptop computers are necessary, but that time is not yet
here."
Some senators expressed concern about the noise that would be created by
fingers tapping on 50 computer keyboards. "And others," says Burrell,
"have said that the social dynamics and interpersonal relationships of the
Senate -- where it takes just one senator to derail legislation or hold up
a nomination -- could be diminished by computerized communication via
impersonal laptops." Enzi said he was disappointed, but not surprised by
the vote, adding he isn't giving up on trying to drag the Senate into the
computer age.
Companies Struggle With Web
A new study finds that while more U.S. consumer goods manufacturers are
establishing World Wide Web sites, most are still struggling to determine
how to use the technology as a means of conducting business and building
better relationships with their trading partners. The study, conducted by
Computer Sciences Corp. and Consumer Goods Manufacturer magazine, finds
that 62 percent of consumer goods manufacturers have a presence on the
Internet -- up from 33 percent in last year's study -- while just 36
percent have not established a Web site.
Leading the way in cyberspace is the non-food packaged goods segment, with
81 percent of respondents reporting an Internet presence. The fashion
segment, which includes manufacturers of apparel and footwear, had the
lowest percentage of respondents (55 percent) reporting a corporate Web
site.
Regardless of segment, a large majority of respondents stated that their
Web sites function strictly as an "electronic brochure" with little or no
emphasis on relationship-building or online commerce. The top three
applications of respondents' Web sites, finds the study, are corporate
image building (48 percent), product information communication (39 percent)
and specific product advertising (34 percent). More interactive functions
are at the list's bottom: consumer feedback (16 percent), trading partner
collaboration (10 percent) and online shopping (3 percent).
"The Internet can be humbling and, many times, a money pit," says Mike
Klaus, managing director of Computer Science's consumer goods retail
consulting practice, based in Cleveland. "The business community typically
has a difficult time defining specific needs until they see something
tangible. It is therefore important for companies to understand that they
only will be able to offer enticing interactive commerce if they embrace
clear collaboration between business and information systems at multiple
levels of the organization -- all with an eye toward meeting customer
needs."
AOL Claims 'Spamster' Victory
America Online Inc. says a federal court has granted a preliminary
injunction in its lawsuit to stop Over the Air Equipment Inc. from sending
unsolicited bulk e-mail, also known as "spam," to AOL members. On Friday,
the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, found that AOL's efforts
to block spam, including its efforts to obtain a court order against Over
the Air Equipment, were in the public interest and that there was a
substantial likelihood that AOL would prevail on its claims of trespass and
violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act against Over the Air
Equipment. The court's order, which takes effect immediately, bars Over the
Air Equipment from sending any unsolicited e-mail to AOL members.
"We've won the first round in our fight against unsolicited junk e-mail but
the battle continues," says George Vradenburg, senior vice president and
general counsel of America Online. "From the outset we've believed that the
law was on our side in our legal efforts to stem the tide of unsolicited
junk e-mails targeted at AOL members. The court's ruling reinforces that
belief and gives us a powerful weapon to use in our continuing campaign
against junk e-mail." AOL filed its suit against Las Vegas-based Over the
Air Equipment on October 2, 1997. According to the suit, Over the Air
Equipment used deceptive practices, including falsifying e-mail
transmission data, to avoid AOL's mail controls and to repeatedly transmit
vast quantities of unsolicited e-mail to AOL members.
Microsoft Hearing Set for Dec. 5
Dec. 5 has been set for hearing of the U.S. Justice Department's anti-trust
case against Microsoft Corp. The Reuter News Service reports U.S. District
Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson has ordered Microsoft to respond in
writing to government allegations by Nov. 10. The government must respond
by Nov. 20. As reported, the government alleges Microsoft violated a 1995
consent decree by forcing PC makers to feature its Internet Explorer Web
browser over the products of rival Netscape Communications Corp. In that
decree, Microsoft agreed not to tie the purchase of one product to another
but retained the right to develop new, integrated products. The Justice
Department contends the browser is separate from the Windows 95 operating
system, while Microsoft says that the browser is an integral part of the
operating system.
Sen. Orrin Hatch Slams Microsoft
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch has criticized what he
characterizes as Microsoft Corp.'s efforts to dominate the Internet.
Lending support to the Justice Department's pending antitrust suit, the
Utah Republican is quoted in The Wall Street Journal this morning as
saying, "Microsoft now has the ability to virtually annihilate any
competitive product it wants by bringing it into the next version of
Windows. There's evidence that they are aggressively seeking to extend that
monopoly to the Internet, and policy makers have to be concerned about it."
Journal reporter John R. Wilke notes Hatch's powerful committee, which
oversees the Justice Department, will air some of these concerns in a
Senate hearing yesterday on the Internet and electronic commerce. "His
rising alarm about Microsoft's market power," adds the paper, "gives
bipartisan political support to the new antitrust chief, Joel Klein, as he
presses the government's charges that the company violated a 1995 antitrust
settlement."
By contrast, many Republicans attacked the Clinton administration Justice
Department in that original 1995 case, contending it was trying to hobble
American technological prowess. Meanwhile, Kevin Arquit, a former Federal
Trade Commission official, told Wilke he will testify at the hearing that
Microsoft is poised to dominate information and commerce on the Internet.
Says Arquit, "Microsoft is maintaining a monopoly in the operating system
and extending it into new areas. If they control content on the Internet,
they can control the information people get, and that is a serious public
policy concern." As reported, Microsoft executives deny they have violated
antitrust law and dispute Justice Department charges they violated the 1995
settlement. Hatch told Wilke the hearing isn't intended to bash Microsoft,
adding, "We're witnessing a historic technological revolution," and such
changes might require new laws. "Congress has to strengthen the antitrust
laws from time to time, and this could be one of those times," he said. But
he emphasized that he has no plans for legislation and current law is
sufficient "if it's enforced, and I have great confidence in Joel Klein."
The Journal says Klein's investigation "reaches beyond" the petition he
filed last month alleging that Microsoft illegally forced computer makers
that buy its Windows operating system to accept its Internet browser
software as well. That would violate part of the 1995 settlement that
prohibits tying other products to Windows. "People familiar with the
matter," Wilke reports, "say the latest antitrust inquiry includes
Microsoft's exclusive relationships with providers of Internet content,
such as entertainment Web pages, as well as continuing inquiries into
Microsoft's acquisitions of 'video streaming' technology and its Apple
Computer Inc. investment. The Senate Judiciary Committee is also looking
broadly into Microsoft's business practices, including exclusive licensing
agreements with Web content providers."
Hatch Still Pressuring Microsoft
Opening today's hearings about competition on the Internet, the chairman of
the Senate Judiciary Committee reiterated his concerns about the dominance
of Microsoft Corp. Says Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), "The government
certainly should not use antitrust law to make winners and losers in the
marketplace, but it should use ... (antitrust laws) to ensure that it is
the consumers who get to pick the winners and losers."
Associated Press writer Rob Wells quotes the senator as saying, "I have not
made any secret of the fact that I have serious concerns about Microsoft's
recent efforts to exercise its monopoly power, and that I plan to continue
to examine the company's practices." As reported earlier, Hatch told The
Wall Street Journal, "Microsoft now has the ability to virtually annihilate
any competitive product it wants by bringing it into the next version of
Windows."
Wells reports that at today's hearings, Hatch said the committee intends to
explore the fast-growing high technology business and will attempt to
assess how antitrust and intellectual property laws should be applied.
Microsoft, which was not scheduled to testify at the hearing, has defended
the marketing of its Internet browser as a lawful business activity.
Power Computing Merger Delayed
Apple Computer Inc.'s proposed merger with Power Computing Corp. reportedly
has been delayed by a federal antitrust review. Reporting from Round Rock,
Texas, The Associated Press quotes John Teets, Power Computing's corporate
counsel, as saying U.S. attorneys may be using the review to look for
evidence in the U.S. Justice Department's case against Microsoft Corp.
Teets told the wire service the attorneys in San Francisco have asked for
thousands of items including some that have little to do with Apple's
acquisition of Power Computing's key assets, adding, "It appears that
they're fishing for something more than our transaction with Apple. It
appears to pertain to their ongoing investigation of Microsoft." AP notes
a provision of federal law known as the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust
Improvements Act requires review by either the Justice Department or the
Federal Trade Commission of corporate mergers or acquisitions valued at
more than $15 million. Characteristically, the Justice Department is being
less than verbose, but spokeswoman Gina Talamona did confirm the U.S.
government is reviewing the deal between Apple and Power Computing.
As reported, the agreement calls for Apple to pay $100 million in common
stock for Power Computing's database of customers, intellectual property
and other major assets. Power Computing, once a Mac clone maker, is winding
down its Macintosh business by the end of the year. The delay in executing
the agreement is slowing Power Computing's move into the IBM-compatible
laptop business.
Cyber-Libel Case Advances
Business Week has asked a trial judge to dismiss a $1 billion libel suit
that some observers say may set a precedent in online publishing. The
magazine seeks the dismissal of the suit, brought by stock picker Julian H.
Robertson Jr., because it had been more than a year since Business Week put
the article online. (New York's libel law has a one-year statute of
limitations for suing.)
At issue, says Associated Press writer Chris Allbritton, is an article
entitled, "The Fall of the Wizard of Wall Street," which appeared online
March 21, 1996, and in print in Business Week the next day. Robertson sued
on March 24, 1997, which, once a weekend is counted, falls a year and a day
after the online publication date. Attorney Floyd Abrams, representing
Business Week, says the statute-of-limitations clock started ticking as
soon as the article appeared online because the online and print versions
were identical.
However, attorney Steven G. Brody, on board for Robertson, contends
Business Week's position "is wrong and a technicality designed to avoid
responsibility for their false and damaging statement." He said the clock
was reset when the article appeared in print. Robertson -- designed in the
article as a stock picker "who rose to greatness, only to be foiled by his
own overcontrolling management style and hot temper" -- seeks $500 million
in compensatory damages and $500 million in punitive damages. Abrams told
AP, "This will be the first case in which the courts address the impact of
a publication appearing on the Net rather than on paper."
Apple Readies High-Speed Macs
After killing off its clones and fighting a losing battle to maintain
market share, Apple Computer Inc. plans to announce its fastest desktop
line to date. Trade journal InfoWorld says the new systems -- based on the
Power PC 750 G3 processor -- will be announced in two weeks. InfoWorld
notes the announcement will mark the first G3- based Macintosh systems to
hit the market since Apple acquired Power Computing, which was prevented
from shipping its even faster 275MHz G3-based systems until its Mac OS 8
licensing agreement was resolved.
Apple sources told InfoWorld the three computers will be branded as Apple
Power Macintosh G3 systems and feature 32MB of RAM and 24-speed CD-ROMs.
The lower-end 233MHz G3 Desktop will have a 4GB hard drive; the 266MHz will
have 4GB of disk capacity plus an internal Zip drive, and the 266MHz G3
Minitower will include a 6GB hard drive, an internal Zip drive and
audio/visual features.
The machines will retail for $2,050, $2,500 and $3,000 respectively, said
sources close to Apple. Apple officials were unable to comment on
unannounced products. One analyst told InfoWorld that Apple needs to make
significant price cuts to remain competitive and to dispel fears that
prices would remain high after Apple killed off its competitive clone
market. "They're trying to use this to dispel the rumors and show that by
getting rid of the clone-makers they're still going to be offering units at
aggressive prices," observed Rob Enderle, a senior analyst at Giga
Information Group in Santa Clara, California.
New Modem Seeks Doubled Net Rate
A proprietary technology said to double the speed of current analog
Internet links by using two standard phone lines at once is being unveiled
by Diamond Multimedia Systems. Reporting from Palo Alto, California, writer
Samuel Perry of the Reuter News Service says the capability, dubbed
"Shotgun" by Diamond, "provides speeds up to the 112 kilobits per second
(Kbps) speeds - double the 56 Kbps speeds of the fastest analog modems that
have only begun to be widely available this year." Perry notes such speeds
for residential Internet connection is previously have been available only
through costly and hard-to-obtain Integrated Services Digital Network
(ISDN) lines or through very limited cable modem deployments. The new
technology, built into Diamond software to run on its own existing
SupraExpress 56K modems, will be on view at this month's Comdex trade show
in Las Vegas, Nevada, but not in products until early next year. While
Diamond isn't talking pricing yet, industry executives told Perry they
expect the capability to be sold in modems for under $200 and in upgrade
kits for significantly less than that for SupraExpress 56K owners.
"One of the key features of the technology," syas Perry, "is that it only
uses the second telephone line during peak usage, and it allows incoming
and outgoing telephone calls on the second line while maintaining the first
line connection." Diamond quotes figures from International Data Corp. as
showing that one in four of the 100 million U.S. households already have
multiple telephone lines, a figure due to reach 30 million in three years.
The company uses Rockwell International's K56flex 56Kbps modem technology
and developed the Shotgun technology in partnership with Ascend
Communications, which, Reuters notes, lines them up against 3Com's rival x2
56Kbps technology pioneered by US Robotics.
Seagate Debuts 47GB Hard Drive
Seagate Technology Inc. reports that it is ready to market the world's
highest capacity disk drive. The Scotts Valley, California, company notes
that the Elite 47 can store over 47GB of information -- the equivalent of a
stack of typewritten memos reaching more than twice the height of the
Empire State Building. The Elite 47 reads and writes at speeds of up to
184M bits per second. The 5,400-rpm drive utilizes UltraSCSI interface
technology. Applications include broadcast-quality online digital video
storage.
"With over twice the capacity of any other disk drive available today, the
Elite 47 should become a drive-of- choice for high-end configurations in
systems which have to manipulate and maintain enormous databases," says
John Monroe, vice president and chief analyst of Dataquest, a computer
industry market research firm based in San Jose, California. Volume
production of the Elite 47 is scheduled to begin in early 1998. Evaluation
models are scheduled to ship this month at $2,995 each.
Hitachi Unveils Fast CD-ROM Drive
Hitachi America Ltd. says it has developed the world's fastest PC CD-ROM
drive. The company, based in Brisbane, California, notes that its CDR-8430
offers an 80 ms average access time and a 14X to 32X maximum data rate. The
unit can read data recorded on all types of CD media, including CD-R and
CD-RW discs.
"The worldwide CD-ROM market is projected to exceed shipments of more than
50 million drives in both 1997 and 1998," says Werner Glinka, director of
marketing for Hitachi America's storage products group. "Hitachi intends to
maintain its position as a leading supplier of these products to the PC
industry throughout the transition to next generation DVD technology, and
the CDR-8430 is the product many of our customers want for CD-equipped
systems shipping in the first half of 1998."
While Hitachi America's principal customers are PC makers, the company says
it expects upgrade kit vendors to package the CDR-8430 for resale directly
to consumers at competitive retail prices. Visit Hitachi America on the
Web at http://www.hitachi.com.
Tiny Memory Card Debuts
Siemens Microelectronics Inc. and SanDisk Corp. have developed the world's
smallest removable solid state memory card for handheld PCs, cellular
phones, digital cameras and other portable products. The companies claim
that their MultiMediaCard (MMC), the size of a postage stamp, is extremely
rugged, lightweight, power-saving, fast and cost-effective. An integrated
serial interface is designed to make the device easy to install.
Siemens and SanDisk say a number of leading cell phone makers -- including
Ericsson, Nokia, Motorola, Qualcomm and Siemens -- are already supporting
MMC technology as the new industry standard for removable storage media.
"SanDisk and Siemens have jointly developed the industry's ideal mass
storage device for mobile applications," says Horst Pratsch, a Siemens vice
president. "Siemens and SanDisk have met with leading manufacturers of
mobile phones, pagers, mobile computing and other mobile electronic
products who are enthusiastically endorsing the MultiMediaCard for its
ease of integration and dditional functionality."
A 2MB ROM version of the MMC is available immediately; samples of an 8MB
ROM version are set to ship in January. A flash memory version will be
sampling in January in 2MB and 4MB versions. Volume quantity prices will
range from $4.50 for the 2MB ROM version to $45 for the 10MB flash memory
version. Additional information is available on the Web at
http://www.smi.siemens.com.
'Money' to 'Excel' Utility Debuts
Microsoft Corp. has introduced "Money Link to Excel," a new utility that
connects its "Microsoft Money 98" and "Money 98 Financial Suite" personal
finance programs to "Excel" spreadsheets. "With this utility, Microsoft is
helping users who want in-depth personal finance management, but who would
also like to download that data seamlessly into an 'Excel 97' spreadsheet
for further analysis," says Lewis Levin, vice president of Microsoft's
desktop finance division. "Through the 'Money Link to Excel,' 'Money 98'
now provides extensive capacities for financial management and planning to
the millions of users of the leading spreadsheet program." The utility can
be downloaded from Microsoft's Money Web site at
http://www.microsoft.com/money/. For PC users who want to try "Money Link
to Excel" but don't have a copy of "Money 98," Microsoft is offering a free
90-day trial version of "Money 98 Financial Suite" at
http://www.microsoft.com/money/.
IBM Unveils New Home PCs
A new $999 personal computer is being unveiled today by IBM in its bid to
catch up in the sub-$1,000 category, where rivals like Compaq Computer
Corp. recently have gained significant market share. The Wall Street
Journal reports this morning sub-$1,000 models accounted for 27 percent of
all PCs sold through retail stores in September, noting IBM recently
conceded that executives at its Aptiva home-computer unit misread the
demand for such low-end units.
By not having a model in that segment, the company lost significant market
share, the Journal says, and IBM has since announced a major restructuring
of that business. "For $999, consumers buying an Aptiva E16 won't get a
monitor," the Journal says, "but the new model, assembled for IBM by Acer
Group of Taiwan, comes with a 166mhz processor and compares well, in terms
of other features, with other low-priced computers."
'C From CompuServe' Demos Set
CompuServe Corp. will demonstrate highlights of its "C from CompuServe"
Internet-based product at the Comdex/Fall trade show, which begins Nov. 17
in Las Vegas. "'C from CompuServe' will make the best of our award-
winning CSi proprietary online service available for the first time
directly to Internet users, no matter which Internet service provider or
popular browser they use," says Sam Uretsky, vice president of business
management for the online service. The new product will include more than
500 CSi Forums and research databases from high-end providers, plus links
to thousands of topically related external Web sites. "At launch, 'C from
CompuServe' will be one of the largest, most comprehensive destinations on
the Internet," says Uretsky.
The new product will be aimed at business, professional, technical and
other sophisticated consumers. "The largest unmet need of this segment is
for community and communication," says Uretsky. "That's why 'C from
CompuServe' is organized by topical communities featured on our renowned
interactive Forums and will offer one of the most robust suites of
communication tools online." "C from CompuServe" will give Internet users
the options to access the "C" Forums on a read-only basis (no charge);
conduct database research or electronic commerce (per-use fees); or become
full members (monthly flat-rate fee). Separate memberships will be
available for an enhanced communications package and a value-added package
for computing professionals.
CompuServe recently announced contracts with 58 independent business
partners to operate 425 Forums for "C from CompuServe," and additional
contracts with prominent electronic commerce "anchors" that include
AutoSite, BarnesandNoble.com, Corporate Agents, E*TRADE, NetSales and
SABRE. The new product is scheduled to debut in the U.S. and Canada by
year-end 1997. The "C from CompuServe" demonstrations will take place at
the CompuServe booth at (#II453).
PC Makers Turn to DVD
Digital versatile disk (DVD) -- the well-publicized successor to VHS tapes,
CDs and CD-ROMs -- will struggle in the video and music industries but be a
major success for the PC industry, finds a new report from Forrester
Research. The report claims that PC manufacturers will rapidly embrace
DVD, resulting in an installed base of 53 million DVD-equipped PCs by 2002.
But the next five years will prove less favorable for the video and music
industries' DVD efforts. In 2002, notes the report, only 5.2 percent of
U.S. households will own a DVD-video player, while only 2 percent will have
a DVD-audio player. As a result, Forrester believes that the PC will be
transformed into a more viable consumer entertainment device.
"DVD-ROM is the logical next step," says Mark E. Hardie, a senior analyst
with the Cambridge, Massachusetts, market research firm and the report's
author. "Game, edutainment and reference titles will benefit from DVD's
expanded audio and video capabilities, while immense storage capacity will
reduce today's cumbersome 4-disk titles to one DVD."
Hardie also notes that DVD drives can play existing CD- ROMs, so there's
little reason for PC makers not to support the technology. "As DVD-ROM
drives continue to drop in price, they'll rapidly replace existing CD-ROM
drives in new PCs." The study concludes that DVD's entertainment
capabilities will be inextricably linked to computers for the next two to
four years. "As business travelers enjoy full-length movies on their
laptops and college students cue up DVD concert videos during study breaks,
consumers will increasingly accept the PC as a viable and unique
entertainment alternative," says Hardie.
Microsoft Offers Explorer Previews
Microsoft Corp. has released Preview 1 of Internet Explorer 4.0 for the
Unix-based Sun Solaris operating system and Preview 2 for Windows 3.1.
These releases join the existing preview version for Macintosh computers
and the final version of Internet Explorer 4.0 for Windows 95 and Windows
NT. "Internet Explorer 4.0 for Unix has been a long time coming for
Microsoft and our customers," says Yusuf Mehdi, director of marketing for
Microsoft's applications and Internet client group.
"We're very excited to achieve the first milestone by shipping Preview 1
today. With Internet Explorer 4.0 now available in preview or final form on
Macintosh, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows NT 4.0 and, today, UNIX, we
round out one of the important pieces of what customers ask for in true
platform support." Microsoft says the preview versions are designed to
give corporate technical evaluators, developers and enthusiasts the
opportunity to experience Internet Explorer 4.0 technology, provide
feedback to Microsoft and become familiar with the product early in the
development process. All preview and final versions of Internet Explorer
4.0 are available free of charge from Microsoft's Web site at
http://www.microsoft.com/ie/ie40/.
Nimantics to debut 150MHz mini-notebook
Nimantics Inc. is poised to grab the mini-notebook speed title. The
Irvine, Calif., company will introduce at Comdex the Persona T-150, which
contains a 150MHz Pentium Processor with MMX Technology from Intel Corp.
The machine, to be priced between $2,399 and $2,799, also features an
8.4-inch thin-film transistor display and 16MB of RAM.
The Persona T-150, which measures 9.2-inches wide and 6.8-inches deep,
weighs in at 2.2 pounds with one battery installed. The mini-notebook can
accommodate either one or two lithium-ion batteries from Sony Corp. The
batteries, which are used in Sony camcorders, are available at retail in
two sizes, priced between $99 to $199. The Persona T-150 is slated to ship
by December 1, company officials said. Nimantics can be reached at
www.nimantics.com.
GTE Internet unit to intro nationwide 56K service
GTE Internetworking, the Internet division of GTE Corp., is expected to
announce Friday the launch of nationwide 56K-bps dial-up Internet services.
The Cambridge, Mass., company, which includes the Internet backbone network
and services operated by the former BBN Corp., will provide 56K-bps service
as an enhancement to its DiaLinx Internet dial-up services, company
officials said.
The services, which use the K56flex modem technology developed by Lucent
Technologies, will be available from all of GTE Internetworking's dial-up
points of presence (POPs), according to the company. The DiaLinx services
are intended for access to corporate intranets and the Internet, and GTE
Internetworking will shortly announce it has added 150 new POPs to its
dial-up network, bringing total POPs to 350, officials said. The company
also will expand the service globally to cover more than 100 countries by
early next year.
Microsoft begins Corporate anti-piracy campaign
Stepping up its efforts to stanch the spread of illegal software in the
workplace, Microsoft Corp. today announced the formation of a new
anti-piracy campaign called Open Drive. The goal of the campaign is to
"make managers aware of the potential consequences of even inadvertent
software piracy and encourage them to take steps to ensure that their
companies are in full compliance with software license agreements and U.S.
copyright law," said Sam Jadallah, vice president of the organization
customer unit at Microsoft.
Open Drive is the company's first anti-piracy campaign directed at
medium-size to large companies, officials said. Citing statistics from the
Business Software Alliance that one out of every four programs used by
business is pirated, Microsoft officials said that translated into $11.2
billion in lost sales worldwide in 1996, with lost sales in North America
alone exceeding $2.8 billion.
To drive home the point of Open Drive, the Redmond, Wash., company is
encouraging companies to participate in its Open License program as a way
of ensuring that they are "staying legal." The program allows software to
be copied onto multiple machines and includes upgrade benefits as well,
officials said. Information about Microsoft's Open License program is
available online at www.microsoft.com/select/. Microsoft's anti-piracy hot
line is at 800-RU-LEGIT.
Microsoft's Exchange upgrade Set to Go
At a Comdex event later this month, presided over by Chairman and CEO Bill
Gates, Microsoft Corp. will announce the availability of an upgrade to its
Exchange messaging and groupware server software. Exchange 5.5, previously
code-named Osmium, includes an unlimited message store and backup
performance enhancements. The current message store is limited to 16GB.
The Exchange upgrade will ship with a minor Outlook client upgrade. Dubbed
Outlook 8.03, it will take advantage of Exchange 5.5's Deleted Item
Recovery feature and enhancements to the Exchange Scripting Agent, as well
as allow offline users to receive only the changes to address-book entries.
The next major upgrade of Outlook, to be shipped in the first quarter of
1998 and as yet unnamed, will include usability and performance
improvements, easier setup and configuration, and support for additional
Internet protocols, including SMTP/Post Office Protocol 3, IMAP4 (Internet
Messaging Access Protocol 4) and LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access
Protocol), according to officials with the Redmond, Wash., company. The
prerelease version is expected later this month.
The Exchange 5.5 server supports IMAP4 and LDAP as well as X.509 digital
certificates. It also supports the Cluster Server technology of Windows NT
Server Enterprise Edition. In addition, the Exchange Scripting Agent has
been augmented to enable third parties to add event-triggered business
logic to Exchange Server folders. At the Comdex trade show in Las Vegas,
Gates is expected to host a question-and-answer session regarding
Microsoft's personal and business systems group, which comprises new
products such as Windows 98, Hydra, Exchange Server and Site Server.
Microsoft can be reached at www.microsoft.com.
McAfee readies new anti-virus releases for Exchange
Mcafee Associates Inc. plans to announce its latest anti-virus releases for
Microsoft Corp.'s Exchange 5.5 at Comdex later this month. The Santa
Clara, Calif., company is currently beta testing GroupShield and GroupScan,
which are designed for use on the Microsoft messaging platform.
GroupShield scans all traffic that enters the Exchange server and
automatically cleans, deletes or sends infected messages to a quarantine
folder for analysis and origin tracing. Alerts can be sent in any
combination to the administrator, recipient and sender of the virus.
Optional SNMP alerting is available to automatically generate trouble
tickets within help desk applications.
Also available in GroupShield are full management capabilities from a
Windows NT server or workstation, where an administrator can deploy the
products in multiple servers, configure the products after they are
deployed, and monitor and schedule virus scans. GroupShield scans messages
from the Internet, mailboxes and public folders. The version for Microsoft
Exchange will sell for $34 per user. A price has not yet been set for
GroupScan.
GroupScan follows encrypted messages and attachments to the client and
scans them for viruses before they are stored in a client's hard drive. It
also enables a user to prevent storage of a de-encrypted file until after
the file has been scanned. GroupShield is scheduled to ship Nov. 17;
GroupScan is slated for release in mid-December. Both products also
support Exchange 4.0 and 5.0. McAfee can be reached at www.mcafee.com.
Lotus Layoffs
Lotus Development Corp. is cutting jobs at its Mountain View, Calif.,
office as part of a re-evaluation of its Approach database line. The
company declined to give specifics, except to say that a "small percentage
of the hundreds of people on the SmartSuite team" would be let go beginning
this week. Others will be incorporated into development operations at the
company's headquarters in Cambridge, Mass. "It's a reflection of the
business reality," said company spokesman Paul LaBelle. "We, like all
companies, are constantly re-evaluating how our development resources are
allocated."
Approach, aimed at users who are not computer experts, was launched in
1992. Lotus said the product, part of the SmartSuite software package, now
has 4 million users. LaBelle said the company will still produce the
software, with the next Approach release scheduled for early next year.
The company has a small percentage of the database applications market,
which it is fighting to increase in the face of competition from Microsoft
Corp., Corel Corp. and others.
Is Lotus Development Corp. planning to get out of the database business?
Company officials told employees Wednesday they plan to close the Mountain
View, Calif., division responsible for developing the Approach product
line. Twenty-one employees were handed pink slips and about a dozen more
will get them in March, according to knowledgeable sources. The sources
added that a few employees will be incorporated into development operations
at the company's headquarters in Cambridge, Mass., as Lotus re-evaluates
what to do with the product line.
Company spokesman Paul LaBelle declined to give any specifics, except to
say that a "small percentage of the hundreds of people on the SmartSuite
team" would be laid off. LaBelle said the company will still produce the
software, with the next Approach release scheduled for early next year.
"It's a reflection of the business reality," he said, referring to the
cuts. "We, like all companies, are constantly re-evaluating how our
development resources are allocated."
The cuts to the Approach division come as Lotus concentrates on a new
Java-based software package aimed directly at Microsoft's desktop market.
On Monday, Lotus introduced a new package of applications called eSuite.
The product, formerly code-named Kona, features E-mail, word processing,
and spreadsheets. Approach, aimed at users who are not computer experts,
was launched in 1992. Lotus said the product, part of the SmartSuite
software package, now has 4 million users.
The company owns a small percentage of the database applications market,
which it is fighting to increase in the face of competition from Microsoft
Corp. and Corel Corp., among others. LaBelle said Lotus, a subsidiary of
IBM Corp., has grown to 8,000 employees from 5,500 two years ago. It has
about 3,000 developers worldwide.
Lexmark to debut New Laser Printers
Lexmark International Inc. will expand its Optra S series of laser printers
next week with four monochrome models geared toward cost-conscious users.
The new Lexmark Optra S 1620 and Optra S 2420, with output speeds of 16 and
24 pages per minute, are priced at $999 and $1,899, respectively.
Network-ready versions of the printers, the Optra S 1620N and Optra S
2420N, include 10/100BaseTX Ethernet adapters and cost $1,299 and $2,249,
respectively.
All four printers are available now. Lexmark will also announce next week
a version of its MarkVision printer management software that supports Unix.
MarkVision for Unix Intranet Servers and MarkVision for Unix Networks
include two features that are meant to make life easier for a company's
support staff.
The software comes with video help files that address common problems such
as clearing paper jams and changing toner cartridges. It also automatically
sends E-mail or pages to support staff when toner is low or a printer is
jammed. These features soon will be added to the Windows version of
MarkVision, company officials said. MarkVision for Unix Intranet Servers
and MarkVision for Unix Networks will be available next week for an
estimated street price of $239. Windows and OS/2 versions of MarkVision are
bundled for free with Lexmark's laser printers. Lexmark, of Lexington,
Ky., can be reached at www.lexmark.com
Hydra, Win 98 betas RSN
Multiuser OS due at Comdex; Public Beta of Windows 98 to follow...
Using Comdex for the launch, Microsoft Corp. will preview beta versions of
it's two different but equally powerful operating systems. At the Las
Vegas trade show in two weeks, Microsoft will announce a limited public
beta of Hydra, the code name for the multiuser version of Windows NT.
Before month's end, Microsoft will also ship the first public beta of
Windows 98, sources said. The two operating systems are polar opposites in
their functionality. Hydra enables heavyweight applications to be run on
thin clients--with the processing occurring on NT-based servers or on the
client. Windows 98, on the other hand, is a full-fledged desktop operating
system that integrates Internet access with traditional operating system
functions.
For its part, Hydra lets users run 32-bit applications remotely from a
server. As a result, it will offer firms a lower cost of operation, as the
terminals on which it runs are less expensive and administration is less
demanding than traditional client/server architectures. The operating
system will run on Windows Terminals as well as traditional, less powerful
desktops. Microsoft, with a host of hardware vendors, will demonstrate the
Hydra beta at Comdex. Network Computing Devices Inc., Boundless
Technologies Inc., Wyse Technology Inc. and Tektronix Inc. will build
Windows-based terminals; Digital Equipment Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., IBM
and Intergraph Corp. will support Hydra on the server, sources said. NCR
Corp., Data General Corp. and Amdahl Inc. may also support Hydra on their
server hardware, they said.
While formal pricing for the operating system has not been set, one option
being considered is to price the Hydra server at $2,000, Windows clients at
$75 per seat and non-Windows clients at $150 per seat, sources said.
Microsoft officials declined to comment. Microsoft may also use Comdex to
announce its plans to release the public beta of Windows 98. But Microsoft
officials said it's unlikely the code will ship until the week after the
show.
The public beta is actually the third beta version of Windows 98, which is
being targeted at consumers; Microsoft began testing the code privately
three months ago. After initial rocky reports, some testers report the code
is shaping up for the public unveiling. "They have fixed a lot of problems
with stability and added the support for nearly all of the features," said
one beta tester. "It is looking very solid." One of the biggest features
slated for the new Windows 98 beta is migration support for Windows 3.1
users. Microsoft delayed the release of the public beta and the final
release of Windows 98 to get support for Windows 3.1 into the product. The
operating system is now due in the second quarter.
Another key feature of Windows 98, which is due in the second quarter of
1998, is Internet Explorer 4.0. The browser has come under the scrutiny of
the U.S. Department of Justice, which has charged Microsoft with breaching
its 1995 consent decree by bundling IE 4.0 with Windows 95. The consent
decree prohibits the company from tying one product to another in an effort
to stifle competition. Although Windows 98 currently is not the focal
point of the DOJ case, its future could be impacted by the outcome. Next
week, Microsoft will formally reply to the DOJ's charges.
Hydra, multi-user version of NT
z OEMs include Wyse, NCD, Boundless
z Will support both ICA and t.share remote protocols
z Limited beta due at Comdex
Windows 98
z Includes Windows 3.1 upgrade tools
z Beta 3 due at or slightly after Comdex
z New OS due Q2 1998
Sun Backs Java "benchmarks"
Sun Microsystems Inc. doesn't argue that it tweaked its compilers to
achieve better performance on the CaffeineMark Java benchmark test. Indeed,
it said it has an obligation to do so. Our job is to provide the best
performance on the benchmarks that are available and we did that,'' said
Brian Croll, director of product marketing for Solaris at Sun's SunSoft
division in Mountain View, Calif. Croll was responding to charges made
yesterday by Pendragon Software Corp., the Libertyville, Ill., developer of
the CaffeineMark benchmark test.
Pendragon President Ivan Phillips said Sun misrepresented test results by
building its compilers to specifically recognize Pendragon's Logic test
module, thus producing an abnormally high score. After the high scores
became known in late October, Sun issued press releases that claimed
Solaris 2.6 achieved 50 percent better Java performance than Windows NT
systems. "We have no reason to believe this was a master plan from Sun
management, but the compiler was tweaked to look for our benchmark and that
doesn't happen accidentally,'' Phillips said. He added that the compiler
gave a very high overall CaffeineMark score that was not representative of
good Java performance in general.
"If [the test results] are not representative of real world Java
applications, then that's a problem with the benchmark,'' Croll said. Sun
suspects Pendragon was put up to publicizing the modified compiler by
Microsoft Corp., which may have "whined" to Pendragon that Sun beat it on
the benchmark, Croll said. In the same release that alleges
misrepresentation of the test results, Pendragon said the fastest Java
performance is on a Windows NT system running 300MHz Pentium II processors.
Gateway 2000 "offers" Internet to customers
Aiming to build a better bridge to its customers, computer maker Gateway
2000 Inc. announced on Wednesday its plan to offer Internet service to its
users. "The Internet is an integral part of the computing experience with
our customers," said Mike Flanary, senior manager at Gateway 2000. "We want
to make it easier to use." The service will be shipped on all Gateway
computers starting next Monday and be offered to existing users beginning
in early 1998. The North Sioux City, S.D., company will charge $12.95 for
the first 30 hours of Internet use each month, and $2.95 for each
additional hour. "Over 80 percent of our customers are online 20 hours or
more a month, so we think this is the best package," said Flanary.
Customer satisfaction is only part of the equation, say some analysts.
"They can't be making much money at $12.95," said Harry Fenik, an industry
analyst with Internet watcher Zona Research Inc., "but it gives them a
great way to attach themselves to their customers." With almost daily
access to the customer, Gateway will be able to improve support, increase
repeat sales, and lower administrative costs. "From day one, I would
expect adds for upgrades and second PCs to pop up on the home page," said
Fenik. The actual service will be provided by another, undisclosed
provider. It will be a 100-percent digital network using U.S. Robotics' x2
56Kbps technology. Customers will be able to access the service nationwide.
FrontPage 98 a balance of power, ease of use
Web authoring tool has editing & management finesse
Microsoft Corp.'s FrontPage 98 makes the precarious tightrope walk between
power and ease of use look like a stroll in the park. The shipping version
of the software, which will be available to customers later this month for
$149 ($55 to upgrade) was tested. Most notable among the changes in this
version, and earning it an Analyst's Choice award, are a drag-and-drop Web
site view that allowed us to rearrange pages in our test sites with ease,
global page styles that allowed us to apply and enforce visual consistency
with a minimum of fuss, and automatically generated navigation bars.
FrontPage, which runs on Windows 95 or Windows NT (but is not available on
the Mac), strikes a workable compromise between the two poles of Web page
editing tools: HTML tag editors such as SoftQuad Inc.'s HotMetal Pro and
visual editors such as NetObjects Inc.'s Fusion. FrontPage's rich selection
of visual formatting and design tools performed ably in most of our text-
and image-editing tests while still allowing us to hand-edit HTML when
required.
Taking a cue from Fusion, FrontPage now provides about 50 (not very
corporate) site styles, called Themes, that globally set a variety of text
and page formatting options. Cascading Style Sheets, the seemingly natural
choice for enforcing formatting consistency, are not used by FrontPage
Themes and are poorly supported in general.
FrontPage's server-side extensions are now provided in both the fast native
Microsoft Web server format and the sluggish but universal Common Gateway
Interface format. Netscape Communications Corp.'s Netscape Server API is
not supported. Table, frame and image editing are all much improved in the
FrontPage page editor. A table boundary pencil makes table editing simple,
and frames can now be modified directly in the editor, rather than having
to switch to a separate frame wizard. FrontPage's read-only database
publishing is still barely usable, requiring us to type in hard-coded SQL
and look up all our table names by hand.
Summary; FrontPage 98
Almost every area of FrontPage has been significantly enhanced, allowing
first-time Web authors to get up and running fast while not holding
experienced users back. Users who just want to get good-looking Web pages
done fast (in contrast to Webmasters or graphic artists) will find
FrontPage a suitable tool.
USABILITY A
CAPABILITY A
PERFORMANCE B
INTEROPERABILITY B
MANAGEABILITY A
PROS: Improved frame- and image-editing; drag-and-drop site restructuring
capabilities; automatically created navigation bars; global Themes enforce
design consistency; server-side extensions provided for both Windows and
Unix Web servers.
CONS: Provides only token Cascading Style Sheet support; poor database
publishing tools; lacks native Netscape Web server extensions. Microsoft
Corp., Redmond, Wash. (800) 426-9400; www.microsoft.com/frontpage
A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N
LEXMARK OPTRA C
COLOR
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STReport's LEXMARK Printout Offer
P.O. Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32205-6155
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A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N
EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed
Edupage
Contents
Congressional Investigators
Question Microsoft IE Tactics
Mac OS For Intel Machines: What
Might Have Been
Overseas Floridians Get Chance To
Vote Over Internet
RSA Seeks To Establish Internet
Encryption Standard
Growing Chips In Test Tubes
New Tools For Analyzing Complex
Computer Systems
Net Policing In Switzerland
MSN Morphs Again
Edupage: Official Technology
Newsletter For The Year 2000 (tm)
Government Gets Into "Cookies"
Business
Cyberspace Regulation: Do It
Yourself Or Have It Done To You
Publication Date Debate
Meeting On Building Info Tech Work
Force Slated
Domination Of Corporate PC Market
Data Mining Study Forecasts Gold
Rush
Lotus Software For Network
Computers
AOL E-Mail Brownout
Do-It-Yourself CDs
Wiring The Schools Means Big Bucks
Conference On Information Resources
& Higher Education
Microsoft Wants Cable To Provide
High-Speed Internet Access
IBM Offers $999 PC
Cyber Theft Would Put Even Robin
Hood In Jail
McNealy's War Against Gates
Laptops Seen By Senate As Threat To
Decorum
FTC Gets Refunds For Victims Of Net
Porn Scam
CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATORS QUESTION
MICROSOFT IE TACTICS
A committee investigating software industry competition is looking into
Microsoft's Internet Explorer marketing practices: "There are questions
over why some PC makers have, so quickly, changed over to Internet
Explorer 4.0," says one source close to the U.S. Senate Judiciary
Committee. "What was behind it?" A hearing scheduled for Tuesday on
overall industry issues likely will zero in on these questions, under the
leadership of Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, whose constituents include
Novell Inc. and Caldera Inc., both of which have complained about
Microsoft business tactics. "Over the past several months, the Judiciary
Committee has received numerous complaints from a broad spectrum of
entities alleging that Microsoft is engaging in unlawful, predatory
practices that go well beyond the scope of fair competition," says Hatch.
(Computer Reseller News 1 Nov 97)
MAC OS FOR INTEL MACHINES: WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
Apple is thought to be involved in an effort to develop a version of its
Macintosh operating system to run on computers based on Intel processors,
but it's not the first time the company worked on such a project. Five
years ago Apple and Novell software engineers worked together on a secret
project called "Star Trek" that produced a prototype design in late 1993.
However, the project was soon killed off by internal politics after the
departure of its two biggest supporters, when Vice President Roger Heinen
left to work for Microsoft and Chief Executive Officer John Sculley was
forced out of the company. It is not unreasonable to speculate whether
Apple would now control most of the PC operating system market if in 1994
it had preempted Microsoft and the introduction of Windows 95. (San Jose
Mercury News 31 Oct 97)
OVERSEAS FLORIDIANS GET CHANCE TO VOTE OVER INTERNET
Florida has developed a plan that will allow overseas military and civilian
voters to participate in the 1998 elections by casting their ballots via
the Internet. (New York Times Cybertimes 1 Nov 97)
RSA SEEKS TO ESTABLISH INTERNET ENCRYPTION STANDARD
RSA Data Security has formally applied to the Internet Engineering Task
Force to make its S/MIME encryption technology an Internet standard.
Supporting RSA's drive is a group of 12 Japanese vendors that have
announced they will form a Japanese consortium to advocate the adoption of
S/MIME encryption in that country. RSA's major competitor is Pretty Good
Privacy, which has been pushing its own technology with the IETF. "We
think that RSA coming out and working within the standards organizations is
a good thing," says the director of technology at PGP, who adds that this
is where these types of issues should be discussed. (Net Insider 31 Oct
97)
GROWING CHIPS IN TEST TUBES
Yale University researchers are working on an alternative method of
producing computer chips -- growing them in test tubes. The idea is to
encourage organic molecules into organizing themselves into wires and
transistors by zapping them with an electrical current. The result could
be superchips with many billions of transistors. (Business Week 3 Nov 97)
NEW TOOLS FOR ANALYZING COMPLEX COMPUTER SYSTEMS
Scientists in New Mexico have developed a prototype virtual reality system
that creates a three-dimensional representation of a complex computer
program, allowing scientists to visualize and manipulate the software.
"It's like being inside a brain," says one of the researchers, who adds
that the technology could be used for simulating industrial process
control, visualizing enormous databases and recognizing patterns, and
improving
engineering and software design. "A large proportion of all computer
problems is attributable to the initial, informal, subjective phase of
conceptualizing how a system should or should not behave," says a scientist
at Sandia National Laboratories. (Science News 25 Oct 97)
NET POLICING IN SWITZERLAND
The University of Basel, Switzerland closed down some of its departmental
Internet activities after a 31-year-old computer assistant was found to
have child pornography on his Web page as well on his personal computer at
home (discovered when the police raided his house). The man was dismissed
from the university and is charged with transmitting child pornography.
If convicted, he will face up to three years in prison and fines up to
$28,000. (AP 31 Oct 97)
MSN MORPHS AGAIN
The Microsoft Network has changed gears again, now positioning itself as an
Internet service provider (through MSN Connect) for $19.95 a month, or as
a combination Internet-premium content provider (internally called MSN
Club) for $25 a month. "Microsoft doesn't want to be in the ISP business.
But it already is and it's acknowledging that fact," says a media analyst
at Arlen Communications. Further restructuring is predicted.
(Broadcasting & Cable 20 Oct 97)
EDUPAGE: OFFICIAL TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER
FOR THE YEAR 2000 (tm)
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has awarded 117 trademarks that include
the word "millennium" and more than 1,500 containing "2000." Some
examples of the trademark applications: a moving company using the phrase
"Moving Into The Millennium," a brewing company (Miller) that wants to be
"Official Sponsor Of The Millennium," a magazine (Playboy) that wants to
be "Official Magazine Of The Millennium," and a California company that
claims exclusive rights to the use of "Class Of 2000" T-shirts,
sweatshirts, hats and shorts. A government trademark administrator says:
"If in fact the mark serves a trademark function and we think is able to
distinguish those goods from other goods, then we will register it." (AP
31 Oct 97)
GOVERNMENT GETS INTO "COOKIES" BUSINESS
The nonprofit organization OMB Watch says that three federal agencies
(Veterans Affairs, FEMA, and NSF) have been collecting information about
online visitors to their sites by setting "cookies" to automatically
retrieve personal data from a user's hard drive without letting the user
know they were doing so. After the release of the draft report by OMB
Watch, all three agencies ceased setting cookies. (Government Technology
Oct 97)
CYBERSPACE REGULATION: DO IT YOURSELF OR
HAVE IT DONE TO YOU
In a speech to advertisers, Ira Magaziner, the Clinton administration's
advisor on Internet issues, said: "The tremendous economic benefits of
the Internet will not work if we don't get efficient industry
self-regulation on issues like privacy and content, especially in the
children's area. If you fail, we will have to go the legislative route.
That gets caught up in the political process and will be less rational and
efficient." (New York Times
Cybertimes 4 Nov 97)
PUBLICATION DATE DEBATE
The viability of a libel lawsuit filed in New York state court hinges on
whether the court decides that an official publication date is the date an
article appears in any form, including electronic, or whether it's the date
on the print version. Business Week has asked a trial judge to dismiss a
$1 billion lawsuit brought by stock picker Julian H. Robertson, Jr.
because the suit was filed a day after the one-year statute of limitations
ran out, according to the magazine. Business Week contends that the online
version of the article, which appeared March 21, 1996, constitutes the
article's "publication" date, rather than the print version, which was
published the following day. Robertson's suit was filed on March 24,
1997, which, once a weekend is counted, is exactly a year and a day after
the electronic publication of the March 21, 1996 article. "This will be
the first case in which the courts address the impact of a publication
appearing on the Net rather than on paper," says the First Amendment
lawyer representing Business Week. (AP 3 Nov 97)
MEETING ON BUILDING INFO TECH WORK FORCE SLATED
In response to dire forecasts of labor shortages in the information
technology industry, government and industry leaders have scheduled a
meeting in January to "galvanize a swift, effective response." A Dept. of
Commerce report entitled "America's New Deficit: The Shortage of
Information Technology Workers" warns that there would be an annual
shortfall of 70,000 workers in the computer science, engineering and
programming fields between the years 1994 and 2005. "Think about running
out of iron ore in the midst of the industrial revolution and the impact
on the world that would have had," says the president of the Information
Technology Association of America, a chief sponsor of the planned meeting.
"In the knowledge revolution, skilled people are our basic raw material."
(Tampa Tribune 3 Nov 97)
DOMINATION OF CORPORATE PC MARKET
A computer industry analysis prepared by Credit Suisse First Boston says
that by the end of 2001, four Computer manufacturers (Hewlett-Packard,
IBM, Compaq, and Dell) will control half the total PC market and that
small competitors may be left unable to penetrate the corporate market.
The reason given for this conclusion is that only these large
manufacturers will be able to provide the network management and
equipment, plus the service and support required by corporate customers.
(New York Times Cybertimes 3
Nov 97)
DATA MINING STUDY FORECASTS GOLD RUSH
A Meta Group study entitled "Data Mining: Trends, Technology and
Implementation Imperatives" predicts that total revenues for this market
will hit $8.4 billion in the next two years, a 150% increase over the $3.3
billion generated last year. The driving factor behind the trend is the
move toward customer-centric marketing, which requires specialized data
mining applications to better understand consumers' buying patterns and
demographic profiles. The study is based on responses from about 120
companies. (Internet Week 4 Nov 97)
LOTUS SOFTWARE FOR NETWORK COMPUTERS
IBM's Lotus division is introducing Java-coded software to run on diskless
"network computers" that allow users to download the applications software
(word processing, spreadsheets, etc.) from a "server" computer. The Lotus
software will be made available not only to IBM customers but also to
customers of Sun, Oracle, Novell, Netscape, and AOL. (USA Today 3 Nov 97)
AOL E-MAIL BROWNOUT
America Online has had e-mail delivery problems twice in the past week,
preventing a significant number of its total of 9 million subscribers from
sending or receiving messages. (AP 3 Nov 97)
DO-IT-YOURSELF CDs
Liquid Audio's MusicPlayer software enables users to sample tunes online,
and pay with a credit card to download singles or entire albums to their
hard drive or writable CD-ROM peripheral. Writable CD drives now run
around $200 to $400 and the cost of a blank compact disk is about $2. The
Liquid Audio software was developed with an eye toward pleasing the music
industry -- it incorporates copyright and purchaser information that's
digitally watermarked into the file, preventing users from burning more
than one CD. "Ultimately, this will be the model that will be the
distribution method," says a multimedia analyst with Giga Information
Group. "The question is how fast it will fly." (TechWeb 4 Nov 97)
Meanwhile, new software from Adaptec Inc. can convert virtually any
recorded audio to CD format. Easy CD Creator works with long-playing
records, cassettes or eight-track tapes, and does a reasonable job of
cleaning up the pops and hisses that occur on some older recording media.
It can't, however, cure skips in records or the underlying hiss inherent in
audiotapes. (Investor's Business Daily 4 Nov 97)
WIRING THE SCHOOLS MEANS BIG BUCKS
The head of the new company that will oversee wiring U.S. schools for
Internet access will draw a salary of more than $200,000 - significantly
higher than the executives of other quasi-governmental agencies, such as
the Corporation for Public Broadcasting , the U.S. Postal Service or the
Public Broadcasting Service. The new Schools and Libraries Corporation,
mandated by the Federal Communications Commission, is headed up by a
former consultant to the FCC. (Telecommunications Policy Review 26 Oct 97)
CONFERENCE ON INFORMATION
RESOURCES & HIGHER EDUCATION
Don't miss the 21st Annual CAUSE Conference on Information Resources in
Higher Education, December 2-5, 1997. Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel,
Lake Buena Vista, Florida. CAUSE and Educom are exploring the possibility
of a merger. See: http://www.cause.org/conference/c97/c97.html.
MICROSOFT WANTS CABLE TO PROVIDE HIGH-SPEED
INTERNET ACCESS
Microsoft appears ready to invest up to $1 billion to acquire more than 6%
of the cable TV operations of US West, as part of a strategy to make cable
the primary delivery mechanism for high-speed Internet. Since US West is
a major shareholder in (and management partner with) Time Warner, Microsoft
would also have a strong position in the Time Warner cable empire. (New
York Times 5 Nov 97)
IBM OFFERS $999 PC
Recognizing that it had underestimated the demand for PCs in the sub-$1,000
category, IBM will now try to compete with rivals such as Compaq by
selling a $999 Aptiva E16 assembled for IBM by Acer in Taiwan. The system
will come without a monitor but will have a 166 mhz processor and features
comparable to other low-priced PCs. (Wall Street Journal 6 Nov 97)
CYBER THEFT WOULD PUT EVEN ROBIN HOOD IN JAIL
Under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Bob
Goodlatte (R., VA), using the Net to misappropriate copyrighted works
would become a federal offense, regardless of whether the thief sought
personal profit. The inspiration for the legislation was a Massachusetts
court case in which a student posted commercial software on a computer
bulletin board making it available free to others. (AP 6 Nov 97)
MCNEALY'S WAR AGAINST GATES
Telling Java supporters to "flood his mailbox" by sending Microsoft leader
Bill Gates messages saying "that you want 100% pure Java," Sun chief
executive Scott McNealy complained: "Microsoft is no longer a distributor
of Java platforms. People are puzzled, they have the impression there are
two versions of Java. This isn't true, there is only one: pure Java. If
you put three drops of poison into a 100% pure Java, you get Windows. If
you put a few drops of Java into Windows, you still have Windows."
Microsoft executive Tod Nielsen response to McNealy's charges: "Sun's
board should wash his mouth out with soap. If my five-year-old talked the
same way, she'd be blowing bubbles." (New York Times Cybertimes 6 Nov 97)
LAPTOPS SEEN BY SENATE AS THREAT TO DECORUM
The Senate Rules Committee has rejected a request by Mike Enzi (R.,
Wyoming) to be allowed to use a laptop on the floor of the Senate. Enzi
had earlier said: "The laptop was a necessary tool for me, since you do
not have any staff in Wyoming. I found I could take notes and write
speeches, and during debate I could write down the issues that I need to
respond to. I could look up documents that support that and be sure I had
the facts right." But a number of other Senators spoke against the idea,
including Wendell Ford (D., Kentucky): "I don't want to appear to be
standing in the way of progress and technology. This committee will
continue to wrestle with the trade-offs of allowing members to take
advantage of new technologies while preserving the history and decorum of
the Senate chamber." (News.Com 5 Nov 97)=20
FTC GETS REFUNDS FOR VICTIMS OF NET PORN SCAM
The Federal Trade Commission has won $2.74 million in consumer
reimbursements from several firms that offered free software supposedly
intended for retrieving erotic pictures -- but which when downloaded to a
user's machine was actually used to connect consumers without their
knowledge to expensive long-distance phone calls while they continued
their viewing of the erotica. The calls were routed via Moldova in eastern
Europe to a Canadian site that charged the Moldova rates of up to $2 a
minute. The case came to light when AT&T workers noted a significant
increase in the number of international calls to Molodva. (Washington Post
5 Nov 97)
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Apple/Mac Section
Randy Noak, Editor
Mac Mania
by Randy Noak
Have you seen the new Macintosh television ads? They are definitely
eye-catching and show (again) that Macs and their users are different than
the "other" platform. The ads are a good start in the right direction and I
hope that Apple will continue to advertise on television. Television ads
will do two things. One, they will reassure potential users that the Mac
is, indeed, a viable choice for a computing platform and, two, will provide
current users with the reassurance that they did, indeed, make the correct
choice of platform. This reassurance is necessary because the popular
press, who, judging by some of the articles that have been written about
Apple lately, doesn't seem to have the least clue about what Apple is all
about. Don't get me wrong, I have a Pentium sitting here in my office and
use Wintel machines at work, but they just don't give me the same
"computing experience" as does my Mac. I bet most dual-platform Mac/Windows
users feel the same way.
On Another Topic Entirely...
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about things Microsoft. The
conclusion? In my opinion, it's only a matter time before the Justice
Department forces Microsoft to splinter into several pieces. With all the
allegations of allegedly unfair business practices, Reno and Company will
be forced to do something. Will this be good for the computing community? I
think it will. When AT&T was broken up, it ended up being a good thing for
telephone users, the "Baby Bells" and AT&T. Perhaps a Microsoft breakup
would also have some benefits for consumers? My prediction? The DOJ and
Microsoft will "come to an agreement" with Microsoft agreeing to spin off a
division or two. I bet that Microsoft's lawyers and accountants have a
contingency plan ready to go.
Here's some news...
MacTech Launches Its New Web Site
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA -- October 29, 1997 -- Xplain Corporation, publisher
of MacTech(r) Magazine is very excited to announce the launching of its new
3000+ page web site at < The MacTech web site is dedicated to the
Macintosh programmer and developer. With access to a world of reference
material it's a great starting place for both the beginner and voluminous
enough for the experienced developer.
The new web site gives you exclusive access to the entire library of
MacTech articles featured in the magazine from 1984 through May 1997.
That's 1600 articles in 139 issues. In addition, the site has the entire
history of develop, Apple's award winning technical journal (that's 29
issues from 1990 - 1997). Also, the site is the largest known archive of
Frameworks (the publication of the late Software Frameworks Association).
All in all, there are over 3300 pages of content, with a total of 12,000
files on the new MacTech site.
When you visit the site you can get a "risk free" trial issue to MacTech
Magazine. And, if you want to have access to the most current industry news
and press releases you can subscribe to MacDev- 1(tm). The site also
features MacTech Online, the Programmer's Challenge, Job Postings, access
to the MacTech ftp site, and much more. If speed is what you're looking
for, this web site has it. There is flatter organization which requires
less clicks and smaller-faster graphics for faster loading. This is all
made simple with new easy navigation to help you get in and out of where
you want to go FAST. Also, searching on the new site is easier than before
via the new Phantom search engine courtesy of Maxum. Plus, the web site
keeps you up to date and informed featuring all the breaking news in the
developer community.
Visit the new MacTech web site at <http://www.mactech.com>.
Apple's Announces QuickTime VR Authoring Studio Contest
CUPERTINO, California--Oct. 27, 1997--Apple Computer, Inc. today announced
the QuickTime VR Authoring Studio "Experience the Revolution" contest. The
contest is designed to inspire QuickTime VR (Virtual Reality) enthusiasts
to design unique and creative movies with QuickTime VR Authoring Studio and
other QuickTime VR tools. QuickTime VR Authoring Studio is a new
professional software application that allows web designers and multimedia
authors to quickly and easily create QuickTime VR panoramas and object
movies.
"The 'Experience the Revolution' contest is designed not only to help
promote Apple's new QuickTime VR Authoring Studio, but also to expand
awareness of QuickTime VR's benefits to the web and multimedia
communities," said David Palermo, QuickTime VR product manager, Apple
Computer, Inc. "We are eager to see what types of movies participants
create. The contest offers an inviting way for content developers to take
QuickTime VR movies to new levels and receive recognition for their
innovation." "Experience the Revolution" entries will be judged on their
creative and artistic merits, as well as their innovative use of QuickTime
VR tools. The contest deadline is Jan. 31, 1998 and winners will be
notified shortly thereafter.
Winners will be selected in the following categories: Objects -- QuickTime
VR object movies. Animation Objects -- QuickTime VR object movies
containing animation. Panoramas -- QuickTime VR panoramas with one or more
nodes. Multimedia - QuickTime VR in a multimedia project. Web -- QuickTime
VR objects or panoramas on an HTML page. For each category, a panel of
judges will select the four best entries, all of which receive a prize
according to their rank. In addition, one entry will be selected "Best of
Show" overall.
"Experience the Revolution" Prizes
The "Best of Show" winner will be awarded one Twentieth Anniversary
Macintosh computer. The innovative, flat-panel design features a total
entertainment center including a television tuner; CD player; full computer
hardware, including a PowerPC 603 RISC processor; FM radio tuner;
Acoustimass sound system by Bose; cable adapter for composite video; and a
custom keyboard with detachable trackpad.
Identical first through fourth prizes will be awarded for the winners of
each of the five categories.
z First prize -- A Nikon N70 camera with a 35mm to 80mm f/4.5 zoom lens.
z Second prize -- Five rolls of Kodak Ektapress' Multispeed film, plus
Kodak processing and PhotoCD conversion.
z Third prize -- A copy of the Apple QuickTime VR Authoring Studio.
z Fourth prize -- A Kiwi panorama head by Kaidan.
The judging panel consists of six participants with extensive background in
photography, design, computers and video imaging.
For more detailed information on the "Experience the Revolution" contest
and entry forms, see the official contest rules on the World Wide Web at:
http://quicktimevr.apple.com.
QSoft CD Combines Rhapsody and Yellow Box Applications
State College, PA USA -- Showing its continued commitment to Apple's next
generation operating system, code named Rhapsody, QSoft(TM), a division of
VVI-DCS(TM), today announced plans to combine commercial Rhapsody and
Yellow Box applications on one CD and provide subscription services for
that CD.
"Rhapsody and yellow box are multi-platform and rapidly growing and
evolving systems. Because of that reliable subscription services and
distribution will be major issues for application users for the foreseeable
future. As a result, we have produced the QSoft CD. That CD is currently
comprised of the applications Create(TM), GraphBuilder(TM), Mesa (TM),
OpenBase(TM) and TIFFany(TM). Those applications were distributed with the
initial release of Rhapsody (RDR) from Apple and are all high quality
solutions.", said Ed VanVliet, acting Project Manager of the QSoft CD
productions. He adds, "We are actively engaging cutting-edge Mac OS-based
software manufacturers who want to place their Rhapsody and Yellow Box
solutions on the CD. They are a very important part of the Rhapsody and
Yellow Box solution and we want to enable all opportunities for them. We
are currently planning new versions of the CD, with special attention to
the version which coincides with the Premier release of Rhapsody in early
1998 and the Unified release of Rhapsody in mid 1998."
In the Interest of Public Service, here's some email that I received. I
personally haven't seen any of these and you probably won't either, but it
pays to be careful!
Watch out for these New Viruses
z PAT BUCHANAN VIRUS: Your system works fine, but it complains loudly
about foreign software.
z COLIN POWELL VIRUS: Makes its presence known, but doesn't do anything.
Secretly, you wish it would.
z HILLARY CLINTON VIRUS: Files disappear, only to reappear mysteriously
a year later, in another directory.
z O.J. SIMPSON VIRUS: You know it's guilty of trashing your system, but
you just can't prove it.
z STEVE FORBES VIRUS: All files are reported as the same size.
z PAUL REVERE VIRUS: This revolutionary virus does not horse around. It
warns you of impending hard disk attack: Once, if by LAN; twice if by C.
z POLITICALLY CORRECT VIRUS: Never identifies itself as a "virus," but
instead refers to itself as an "electronic micro-organism."
z ROSS PEROT VIRUS: Activates every component in your system, just
before the whole thing quits.
z TED TURNER VIRUS: Colorizes your monochrome monitor.
z DAN QUAYLE VIRUS (#2): Their is sumthing rong with your komputer, but
ewe cant figyour outt watt!
z GOVERNMENT ECONOMIST VIRUS: Nothing works, but all your diagnostic
software says everything is fine.
z NEW WORLD ORDER VIRUS: Probably harmless, but it makes a lot of people
really mad just thinking about it.
z FEDERAL BUREAUCRAT VIRUS: Divides your hard disk into hundreds of
little units, each of which does practically nothing, but all of which
claim to be the most important part of your computer.
z GALLUP VIRUS: Sixty percent of the PC's infected will lose 30 percent
of their data 14 percent of the time (plus or minus a 3.5 percent margin of
error).
z TEXAS VIRUS: Makes sure that it's bigger than any other file.
z ADAM AND EVE VIRUS: Takes a couple bytes out of your Apple.
z CONGRESSIONAL VIRUS: The computer locks up, and the screen splits in
half with the same message appearing on each side of the screen. The
message says that the blame for the gridlock is caused by the other side.
z AIRLINE LUGGAGE VIRUS: You're in Dallas, but your data is in
Singapore.
z FREUDIAN VIRUS: Your computer becomes obsessed with marrying its own
motherboard.
z PBS VIRUS: Your programs stop every few minutes to ask for money.
z ELVIS VIRUS: Your computer gets fat, slow, and lazy, then self
destructs, only to resurface at shopping malls and service stations across
rural America.
z OLLIE NORTH VIRUS: Causes your printer to become a paper shredder.
z NIKE VIRUS: Just does it.
z SEARS VIRUS: Your data won't appear unless you buy new cables, power
supply, and a set of shocks.
z JIMMY HOFFA VIRUS: Your programs can never be found again.
z KEVORKIAN VIRUS: Helps your computer shut down as an act of mercy.
z STAR TREK VIRUS: Invades your system in places where no virus has gone
before.
z HEALTH CARE VIRUS: Tests your system once a day, finds nothing wrong,
and sends you a bill for $4,500.
z OPRAH WINFREY VIRUS: Your 200mb hard drive suddenly shrinks to 80mb
and then slowly expands back to 200mb.
That's the joke of the week. If you'd like to see more "humor" in this
column. Drop me a line.
Seeya next time!!
randyn@thor.pla-net.net
Kids Computing Corner
Frank Sereno, Editor
fsereno@streport.com
The Kids' Computing Corner
Computer news and software reviews
from a parent's point of view
From Frank's Desk
If you are interested in winning a free educational program, please see
last week's issue for the rules. If you are interested in receiving
evaluation software in return for writing software reviews, send an e-mail
to fsereno@uti.com for more details. And on with the column...
In the News
THE "ANIMANIACS" ESCAPE FROM THE WARNER BROS. WATER TOWER TO YOUR COMPUTER
SCREEN
CANTON, Conn., Nov. 4, 1997 - Warner Bros.' Emmy award-winning "Steven
Spielberg's Presents Animaniacs" cartoon series - which was named "the
coolest Saturday morning cartoon show" by TV Guide - is now available on
the computer screen, Funnybone Interactive, a division of CUC Software,
announced today. Very cool, hilariously hip and totally insane, the
Animaniacs Game Pack is the first in the company's new "Play Zone!" series,
which is designed to provide wholesome entertainment and challenging arcade-
action fun for kids of all ages.
The Animaniacs Game Pack explodes with five zany arcade games, wild
Animaniacs shenanigans and non-stop laughs for kids ages 8 and up, and also
features a special guest appearance by "Steven Spielberg's Pinky & The
Brain." As an added bonus, players are rewarded with Animaniacs wallpaper,
desktop icons and sound files.
Says Todd Coyle, CUC Software's senior vice president of consumer products,
"We're excited to launch our new kids' entertainment line -- Play Zone --
with the Animaniacs Game Pack. The Play Zone series is designed to provide
the fast-paced arcade excitement that kids love, without the needless
violence of many 'adult' games.
"Along with great game play, the Animaniacs Game Pack boasts TV-quality
animation, catchy music and Animaniacs-style wit and humor. Off-the-wall
characters like Yakko, Wakko and Dot lend themselves extremely well to
multimedia. Kids will have lots of fun interacting with these entertaining
cartoon personalities and playing wacky, arcade-style games."
Very Cool, Hilariously Hip, Totally Insane
The Animaniacs Game Pack stars Yakko, Wakko - and their sister, Dot - three
inseparable, fun-loving siblings who have a great time wreaking havoc and
mayhem in the lives of everyone they meet. In the Warner siblings' latest
attempt to escape from the famed Warner Bros. Water Tower, the trio, once
again, races across the Warner Bros. studio lot in a mad dash for freedom.
This time, however, the zany siblings run smack dab into your monitor
screen and find themselves in the middle of a computer game. As the trio
"redecorates" your desktop, they'll dish out a bunch of oversized icons,
representing five multi-leveled arcade-style games:
Smoocher! - Dot is having freaky nightmares. Get rid of the "nightmare
bad guys" by blowing kisses and smacking them silly with her charm.
Baloney's Balloon Bop! - Use Yakko, the bouncing Animaniac, to pop
Baloney's balloons and spoil the annoying polyester dinosaur's party before
he hugs again.
Belchinator Too! - A robot army has taken over the ACME labs. Use Wakko's
secret weapon, a burp, to defeat the robots before it's too late.
Tee Off! - Join Dot in a wild game of miniature golf at the Warner Bros.
studio lot.
Prop-Shop Drop! - The studio needs props for its new made-for-TV movie.
Help Yakko race through the nutty warehouse collecting the props before
time runs out.
Great Game Play, Non-Stop Laughs and Family Fun Entertainment
The Animaniacs Game Pack offers Animaniacs fans several key features and
benefits, including:
Five multi-leveled, arcade-style games to keep kids playing for hours
Special bonus allows players to customize their computer desktops with
Animaniacs wallpaper patterns, icons and sounds
Animaniacs-style wit and shenanigans provide non-stop laughs
The extraordinary original voice talent of Yakko, Wakko and Dot -
portrayed by Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell and Tress MacNeille, respectively
Seamless TV-quality animation
Catchy tunes and sounds, including all-new, hilarious lyrics to the
original Animaniacs theme song
The Coolest Saturday Morning Cartoon Show
"Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs" premiered in September 1993 on the
FOX Kids' Network to rave reviews. The series moved to Kids' WB! in 1995,
where all-new episodes continue to broadcast along with vintage favorites.
Winner of the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award, the show is the
second collaborative effort between the creative forces of Steven Spielberg
and Warner Bros. Television Animation, the first being "Steven Spielberg
Presents Tiny Toon Adventures." "Animaniacs" has won six Daytime Emmy
Awards, which include two awards for Outstanding Children's Animated
Program.
Availability, Pricing and System Requirements
The Animaniacs Game Pack is immediately available at most major computer
stores and mass-merchant chains nationwide. The Windows 95/Power Macintosh
CD-ROM is expected to be priced at approximately $20. Customers can call
(800) 545-7677 for sales and ordering information.
System requirements for the Animaniacs Game Pack are as follows:
Windows 95 CD-ROM
66 MHz 486 or faster (Pentium recommended) with 16 MB RAM; double-speed CD-
ROM; Windows 95-compatible sound card; video card capable of 640x480x256
colors.
Power Macintosh CD-ROM
Power Macintosh with 16 MB RAM; System 7.1 or better; double-speed CD-ROM.
Funnybone Interactive is a division of CUC Software Services, Inc., a
subsidiary of CUC International Inc. (NYSE: CU). The company has developed
over 100 titles for leading education and entertainment software publishers
such as Davidson & Associates, Sierra On-Line, Creative Wonders and Simon &
Schuster Interactive. Based in Canton, Connecticut, Funnybone Interactive
was founded in 1985.
Warner Bros. Consumer Products, which includes the Licensing, Studio
Stores, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, WB Sport and WB Toys
divisions, is a division of Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P.
ANIMANIACS, characters, names and all related indicia are trademarks of
Warner Bros., 1997.
Reprinted with permission from TV Guide, 1996 News America Publications,
Inc.
# # #
Every once in a while, something comes across my desk that is not normally
within the children's software genre. On the other hand, with Christmas
less than two months away, the product listed below might make a nice
stocking stuffer for Dad or older brother.
Inside Sports Swimsuit Calendar 1998
Windows and Mac hybrid
Street Price: $19.99
for ages 13 to adult
NT-K/Memorex Software
18000 Studebaker Road, Suite 200
Cerritos CA 90703
1-(310)-403-0039
http://www.mrxsoftware.com
Program Requirements
IBM Macintosh
OS: Windows 3.1, Windows 95 OS: System 6.0.7 or
later
CPU: 486SX/33 CPU: 68030/25
HD Space: 6 MB HD Space:
6 MB
Memory: 4 MB Memory: 3 MB
Graphics: 640 by 480 with 256 colors Graphics:
256 colors, 13" monitor
CD-ROM: Double-speed CD-ROM: Double-speed
Audio: 8-bit Windows compatible sound card
Other: mouse
review by Frank Sereno (fsereno@streport.com)
As the end of another year draws nigh, we creatures of habit begin our
search for the perfect calendar for the next year. It's been a tradition
for decades to combine pictures of beautiful women with a printed calendar.
That custom has transcended into the computer era with the Inside Sports
Swimsuit Calendar. This offering from Memorex Software features the
alluring Donna D'Errico, star of the Baywatch televisions series and a
former Playboy centerfold. If you're looking for a simple electronic
calendar, then Inside Sports Swimsuit Calendar is a good choice.
The program is not complicated. It has three main options. You can watch
the opening movie sequence, view the still photos or go to the calendar.
If you want to get the most viewing pleasure for the movies, set your
display to 24-bit resolution. The program has more than forty still photos
and many are linked to short movies of the photo shoots. You can make a
personal slideshow with up to ten of the photos. The photos have notes
that contain a brief biography of the model, information about the shot,
etc. If you enjoy swimsuit photography, you'll certainly enjoy this
portion of the program.
The calendar portion is functional and spartan. On the left side of the
screen you see a photograph. On the right side you see a seven day
calendar. You can easily navigate to any week from August '97 to February
'99 by clicking on a particular date. After Februray '99, it will be time
to buy a new calendar. You can add up to three lines of text on each date
to note appointments, special events or to keep a very rudimentary journal.
You can also print each calendar page so you can have a handy hard copy of
your notes but it does not include a printout of the swimsuit photography.
As an added bonus, Memorex includes a set of After Dark compatible screen
saver images so you can sit back for a few minutes and let your screen
saver carry you away to tropical climes and romantic settings.
This program is very lean as far as calendars go with no PIM's, no activity
alarms, address books, etc. It doesn't even note the holidays, but it is
inexpensive and functional. Anyone who enjoys viewing the female form in
sexy swimwear will enjoy the photography. I'm sure most of you can think
of a friend or family member who would enjoy this as a birthday or
Christmas gift.
Jason's Jive
Jason Sereno, STR Staff
jsereno@streport.com
Space Bar
Windows 95 and MAC CD-ROM
Street Price: $29.99
For mature audiences
Segasoft
1-888-segasoft
www.segasoft.com
WIN 95 Program Requirements
Windows 95, Pentium 75, 16 MB RAM,
1-Bit SVGA graphics, 4X CD-ROM drive,
8-Bit Windows 95 Direct X-compatible sound card,
Microsoft compatible keyboard and mouse.
Macintosh Program Requirements
Power PC 6100, System 7.5 or better,
4X CD-ROM, 16 MB RAM, color monitor
In the new first person comedy from Segasoft, entitled Space Bar, you play
as Alias Node, a human detective working to apprehend a criminal before he
escapes the planet Armpit VI. Your only clues as to where to find this
criminal, wanted for grand theft and murder, are the dying words of a
police woman after she tried to catch the thief. She tells you to find the
crook at a bar beside the planet's spaceport before he escapes Armpit VI
forever.
After you and your partner enter the bar, you realize that apprehending the
suspect should prove to be a harder task than you had first thought.
Inside the spacebar lie many different species of aliens. Everything from
arm-less extraterrestrial heads in a mayonnaise bottle to talking juice
mugs are located inside this bar. After you enter and speak with a few of
the passing guests (suspects as far as you're concerned), you find your
partner has been kidnapped by the thief. He demands that you show yourself
to him or your partner will surely die. Other story twists occur during
play that add humor and melodrama to this game.
Alias Node is not just any detective. While he talks to people, he
actually harnesses the power to enter their minds and recreate events that
happened before they reached Armpit VI. Each time he enters someone's past
you must solve puzzles or observe certain events to gain clues and save
your friend's life. He is equipped with smelling and voice sampling
devices as well. These things are all useful in the game.
You will find yourself using those devices often too, in you plan on
winning the game. There are hundreds of puzzles to solve and an abundance
of rooms in the Space Bar. Each area just might hold the key to finding
the crook. You walk through the spacebar in smooth-motion graphics of the
alien landscape. A wide variety of colors and atmospheres are located in
this speakeasy.
The creator of this game, Steve Meretzky or Infocom fame, creates some
serious laughter in this 3 disc game. He is helped by the character
designer of the cantina scene in Star Wars, Ron Cobb. The two combine to
make an assortment of weird and wacky alien life-forms.
One drawback in Space Bar is the long wait while switching between discs.
While you start to converse with an alien, you must switched CD ROMS. This
is for when you eventually enter their mind and start solving puzzles.
Each disc is designed for certain extraterrestrials. The only aggravating
thing is when you plan on exiting the aliens mind and stop talking to them.
You will have to switch discs again too. The actual wait seems longer than
average when compared to other multi-disc games.
Besides this drawback, Space Bar is a fine game and a good mix of humor and
mystery. The wide assortment of aliens and their antics should keep you in
stitches. The landscape of Armpit VI should keep you entertained as well
amazed. If you purchase this game, you can look forward to many, many
happy hours!
Things to look forward to in Jason's Jive:
Compton's 1998 Deluxe Interactive Encyclopedia
Sierra's Outpost
Southpeak's Temujin
Test Drive 4 from Accolade
and much, much more.
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Editor's MailBag
Messages * NOT EDITED * for content
In reply to our DOJ Tilting at Windmills article.
Date: Wed, 05 Nov 1997 10:03:56 +0200
To: rmariano@streport.com
Subject: My opinion on 'DOJ Tilting at Windmills - AGAIN!'
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In respect to your article, I have a few points to make. I won't try to
prove you right or wrong; I won't try to prove DOJ's move right or wrong
either; what I will try to do is point out what I believe should be the
case.
I am not a US citizen, thus I cannot really understand the intricate
details of your politics. You say that the DOJ should be more occupied with
dealing with organized crime, than with screening Microsoft for its
practices. I agree, as far as that organized crime's prevention and
suppression should be a priority. This stands true for every country's
justice department.
But when the company screened is one who has the size, the power and the
will to change the world, as Microsoft has, we can't possibly expect the
State to just let it go its own way. This is after all, what the State is
all about, regulating certain aspects of our life. A company that is part
of a free market should be free to grow, but not enjoy immunity to the law
in the name of market freedom.
Microsoft does generate a huge amount of tax income for the US, as well as
jobs. But taking such factors under consideration when viewing a company's
tactics, results in politics, not justice. And politics means compromises
while justice accepts none.
Microsoft enjoys an almost monopolistic state. In theory, everyone is free
to use any operating system or programs besides Microsoft's. But for the
average PC user we all know that there is not another viable option than
Microsoft's. It's about time for someone to notice. Microsoft enjoys this
state since DOS was introduced and it only became stronger with Windows.
You say others, once they get a hold on you as a customer, charge you
dearly for even the simplest things. Microsoft will do the same, once it
gets the chance, as would any other company. There is not such a thing as a
good or a bad company. They are all out there for the money. Their image,
the feeling that they care for you, is just a matter of public relations.
The competition approves the move, naturally. You say its 'lame at best'.
I agree, but Microsoft has done everything in its power to make it such.
Legally or not, that is to be decided. You must have noticed by now that I
haven't even mentioned whether Microsoft should integrate the Internet
Explorer in Windows. It says that adding new features in Windows is its
privilege. I agree, after all it owns the operating system! The fight over
the term 'new operating system feature' is meaningless. Pretty much
everything can be dimmed an operating system feature and added to it.
I believe this is not the case. What should be the real case is how far
should Microsoft be allowed to go? Microsoft has helped PCs spread, but if
its practices force the computer industry to drop every other solution in
favor of its own, then Microsoft hurts the industry. Innovation and
progress come only as the result of choice; we must ensure that choices
exist, as well as the ability to make a new choice available. If a
company, any company, acquires too much power, its practices are sure to
lead to one choice only, the one it offers.
DOJ should take a look at the computer industry as a whole, since every
company with some power over others dictates its own rules. Microsoft is
certainly not the only one; but its actions affect the most. It should be a
start and not a fancy move. Otherwise, it will also heart the industry,
even worse than letting things take their way.
Be well, and keep up the good work!
Regards,
Christos Tsirimokos
Visit my homepage! http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/8833 (updated Nov
04 1997)
Christos,
I can call you by your first name can't I? You make many valid
points. Most of which would be wonderful in a perfect world. Alas, such
is not the case. Microsoft may have some "warts" but at least they've made
themselves successful. With this success, comes the good fortunes and well
fed families of untold thousands both within and outside the company. Some
have said they think MS will be forced to "splinter off" a few divisions
much like AT&T was forced to do. That's a laugh.. AT&T's forced split-off
was completely reversed during this administration's Republican majority in
both the House and Senate. Further. Can any of the criers boast of like
results (as in MS's)? I doubt it. While the criers carry on about the
offensive manner in which MS does business, they fail to offer an open book
to prove they have never resorted to the very same business tactics they
"oh, so self righteously, accuse MS of. You'll never see a "full
disclosure" from say, Netscape but. I'd be happy to produce some of the
hate mail we received from them and others..
I believe my "weakness" if I might be as bold as to call it that is my
overall experience in this business. I've been a veritable "Fly on the
Wall" in the computing community since the late seventies. I've seen many
come and go. Including some of the biggest of names. I've walked in on
meetings of the biggest of Whigs in the business (King Kahn to name drop
for one) at Comdex and believe this. If I were to be witness to legit
"unfair" business tactics. I'd be the very first to jump up and make all
sorts of noises to draw attention to the situation. Ask Sam or Jack
Tramiel. <g> Perhaps one of the trickiest "operators" in the business
years ago would agree. Neil Harris. In any case, I'd like to think that
this week's editorial pretty much sums up my sentiments. I hate a double
standard. At this time that's exactly what this whole shtick of the DOJ's
and Sen. Orin Hatch's appears to be. Why didn't Hatch question the
Ollie North, Iran Contra thing further? Why didn't he insist upon calling
Georgie and Ronnie to testify as to who was really calling the shots??
There's the hated "double standard" again. Wouldn't a "perfect world" be
neat? Boring but neat.
In Microsoft's case, I say what's good for the goose is good for the
gander. the problem that the crier's are sobbing over is Microsoft beat
them all to the punch. <g>
The Linux Advocate
by Scott Dowdle
LOGIN:
Hello from Great Falls, Montana. My name is Scott Dowdle and I hope to
write a continuous bi-weekly (or monthly) column on the Linux Operating
System here in STR.
Who am I?
I'm not a computer professional but I hope to be one someday as I'm
pursuing a BS in Computer Information Systems at Montana State University
Northern, Great Falls campus. As you can tell, I'm not a professional
writer but I do try and that's what counts, right? :) Rather than go into
an abbreviated history of myself, I'll just refer anyone interested to my
Internet homepage where I've gone into pretty good depth already.
Scott Dowdle's Homepage: ...and feel free to contact me via email: If
you feel that you must, you can call long distance information and ask for
Scott Dowdle in Great Falls, Montana and talk to me over the phone, but I'd
prefer email first.
I don't claim to be a Unix guru nor an expert on Linux but I feel that I
know enough to point people in the right direction(s) even on Linux topics
that I've not gone too far into. Let it be known that the mother load of
Linux information is provided by the Linux Documentation Project. The LDP
is a collection of digital books, HOWTOs and man pages, among other things,
that have been gathered up by the LDP team to benefit the Linux community.
The LDP is available from many different sites on the Internet (ie
mirrored) and the Internet URL I use is: http://www.caldera.com/LDP/
If that Internet URL seems to be slow for you, do a search for "Linux
Documentation Project" on your favorite Internet Search Engine (like
www.yahoo.com) and see what you come up with. There are literally
thousands upon thousands of Linux related homepages and sites. As part of
my efforts to inform the reader, I'll include URLs for what I consider to
be the better Linux related Internet resources.
Planned format for this column:
I'm a fairly spontaneous person (perhaps a fault) who likes to keep things
loose BUT I plan on following a general outline. With each release of this
column, I hope to devote a certain amount of space to the following topics:
1) Linux History, 2) Linux News, 3) Linux Myth Dispelling, 4) Linux
Distribution Spotlight, and 5) Linux Application Spotlight. Of course
you'll find plenty of personal comments and opinions thrown in for good
measure and I plan to have a "Why Use Linux - special applications"
feature, just not ever column installment. Just keep in mind, your mileage
may vary. In the future I'll probably rearrange the order some to keep
people from falling asleep. :) Also, although no graphics (ie screenshots)
are included in this edition of the column, I plan on including them in
future columns where they seem appropriate and when given the blessing of
STR's editor. I might as well get started.
Linux History: First of all, what is Linux?
Just so you know, I've been using Linux for about three years and I feel
very comfortable with it. Linux is an Operating System kernel that is
available for many different computer platforms. Linux was originally
"born" in 1991 on the Intel 80386 family, a child of then college student
(University of Helsinki, Finland) Linus Torvalds. At the very beginning
Linus announced his intention to write a Unix like operating system kernel
that takes advantage of the special features of the Intel 80386 processor.
Linus was both inspired and frustrated by a semi-commercial Operating
System named Minix.
Minix was/is an Operating System that is freely available with a book
called OPERATING SYSTEMS DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION by Andrew S. Tannenbaum.
Linus got into Unix in college and wanted to run a Unix like system at home
and the only affordable choice at the time was Minix. Minix was/is written
almost completely in C and complete source code for the system is included
in the book (now in its 2nd edition), as examining computer operating
system theory as well as how to implement theory in code is the main point
of the book.
Minix was Unix-like but since it didn't use any of the advanced features of
the 80386, which seemed to be specially designed for multitasking and all
of the issues that come along with it (like memory protection), Linus
started hacking away at a system of his own. He made a public announcement
on the comp.os.minix newsgroup letting people know of his plans and asking
them to join in if they wanted to, as he planned to release the complete C
source code publicly via the Internet so that anyone interested could get
it. Computer hacker/geeks WERE interested and the rest is history... a
history that I'll do my best to document as the columns go by. Enough
history for now.
Linux News:
None this month. It's a new column so everything is news this time. :)
Dispelling some Linux myths:
There are two big factors that have been a great source of MYTHS about
Linux, and understandably so. I plan to use this part of the column to
dispell as many myths as I can. The factors I mentioned are: 1) Linux is
freely distributable and built with freely distributable development tools,
and 2) Linux is a flavor of the Unix operating system. Someone has already
delved heavily into dispelling Linux myths and has made an Internet
homepage out of the topic. In future columns, I will probably borrow
heavily from this information resource and the reader is certainly
encouraged to visit:
http://www.KenAndTed.com/KensBookmark/linux/index.html
It isn't the most well written site, as the author doesn't spell well
sometimes (must be a computer hacker/geek thing - as they tend not to spell
well, and as a matter of fact, my spelling ability is diminishing with the
more CIS education I get, haha)... but don't let that stop you. The site
is full of understandable content, and that is what is important, right?
Anyway, now onto some myth introduction statements.
It is human nature to assume that if something is free, it can't be very
good, and it certainly couldn't hold up to commercial products, right?
While that can be and is true for many things in life, it is an absolute
fallacy when it comes to Linux and over time, I'll try my best to prove
that.
The Unix Operating System (and forgive me for ignoring to put "(tm)" after
every usage of the world Unix) was originally developed by Bell Labs for
AT&T in 1969 and refined in the early 70's. I will not attempt a
historical review of Unix because that has little to do with the myth I'm
trying to dispell. The myth is --- that Unix is ancient, written for
mainframe computers and has a horrible user interface. Many silly myths
have sprung up as a result of the previously mentioned myth. Some people
think that Unix requires a 8 inch floppy disk, reel to reel tape drives,
and couldn't possibly have a color display or use a mouse. Like the "Linux
is free and free stuff can't be any good" myth, the Unix is ancient and too
hard to use myth is... another absolute fallacy. While it is true that
most of the core Unix software tools still rely on a command line interface
with lots of command flag parameters, which strikes fear into the hearts of
"Windows-babies" (to twist a borrowed term from the very editor of this
publication, Ralph Mariano, who basically called anyone who complained
about the upcoming Microsoft Windows 98 release "DOS-babies"). Fear not
babies, Unix has the best of both the GUI and the CLI worlds once you know
where to look. I'll get into giving some examples of that in this part of
the column as time goes by. :) Just so you know, it is a fact that
Microsoft is making every new release of their Windows Operating Systems
(NT and 95/98) more Unix like even if it isn't obvious in the enduser. In
fact, "The Bill" claimed at the introduction of Windows NT that NT would be
"a better Unix than Unix." For me, when it comes to making Windows NT a
better Unix than Unix... I think NT stands for "Nice Try." :) hahahaa
Distribution Spotlight:
Ok, so above (or on the previous page, whatever the case may be) I told you
that Linux was an "operating system kernel" and you might have wondered...
THATS GREAT, BUT WHAT IS THAT AND WHAT CAN IT DO FOR ME? That's where the
Distributions of Linux come in. What is a distribution? Basically, a
distribution of Linux is a nice, convenient package of the Linux kernel,
the core Unix software tools, and a slew of optional software utilities and
applications... ALL in a nice and easy to install package, usually on
CD-ROM. A distribution maker gathers up the best available software from
the vast Unix software resources (ie, the Internet) and provides a method
of installing and removing software as well as basic configurations for the
most complex software packages. In other words, the distribution makers
are the people who make Linux into a usable system... to take it from the
level of "Hacker Only" and attempt to make Linux into an "End User" system.
Distribution makers don't stand still for very long and are constantly
refining their work. There are about a dozen different Linux distributions
to choose from but I'll stick to the more popular packages for
simplicity... besides, I'm not familiar with every Linux distribution, just
the more popular ones.
In the next column I plan on covering the Red Hat Commercial Linux
distribution. Since this column is running long I'll leave it at that but
I do want to provide some Internet WWW links for those who don't want to
have to wait on me. :) Software in the Public Interest aka Debian - Red
Hat Software - Caldera Inc. - http://www.caldera.com
Application Spotlight:
Again, due to space limitations, I'm going to skip this part of the column
this month. In the next column I plan on a mini-review of ApplixWare for
Linux distributed by Red Hat Software. For advanced info on ApplixWare,
feel free to visit the previously mentioned Red Hat homepage and cruise the
links there. I'm NOT trying to push Red Hat Software or anything and will
most certainly be bringing up other products and topics as time goes by.
In any event, yet again, there already exists an excellent, organized
Internet resource for links to hundreds of Linux applications. This is
the Linux Applications Homepage and it can be found at the following URL:
http://www.xnet.com/~blatura/linapps.shtml
LOGOUT:
That's more than enough for this edition of the The Linux Advocate column.
I hope it provided some reasonable information as well as some further
reading resources that you will find enjoyable. Again, I'd like to
encourage interested readers to contact me via email or to visit my
homepage (see the LOGIN section at the beginning of this column) NOT
because I'm some egotistical person trying to gather WWW hits (I don't even
have a counter on my homepage) but because I enjoy leading people to Linux
and helping them along the way. I remember what it was like to be a
computer beginner and don't look down my nose at anyone at any level.
Classics & Gaming Section
Editor Dana P. Jacobson
dpj@streport.com
>From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
While sitting here doing this week's column, I'm slowly making some
headway decreasing the leftover Halloween "treats" from last week. Our new
neighbors hinted that we'd likely be visited by 80-100 assorted ghosts,
goblins and witches; so we planned accordingly. However, we fell short of
those numbers. As "luck" <vbg> would have it, the remaining candy just
happened to be all the kinds that my wife and I enjoy. How fortuitous! In
any case, it was fun to once again have children coming by the house trick-
or-treating!
One of the things that provides me enjoyment doing this column week
after week is the opportunity to voice an opinion regarding some
"significant" topic. In the past few weeks it's been difficult to do that,
for whatever reason (lack of time, topic, etc.). I try to keep most of my
editorials related to something Atari-related. This is not always the
case, but for the most part it's been easy enough to do. Lately, it
doesn't work out that way. Has my interest declined? No. But my
motivation has certainly been compromised due to non-related reasons.
Folks, it ain't easy, week after week after week. I'm hoping that things
change in near future; I miss the opportunity to pique your interest on all
things Atari.
We've got an interesting issue this week, albeit all gaming news.
Little has changed on the Atari scene - it's "business as usual".
Until next time...
Gaming Section
"Riven" Hits the Shelves!
SlamSite!
"Crash Bandicoot 2"!!
"Test Drive 4"!
"Colony Wars" Released!
And more!
Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News!
Myst Sequel Hits Shelves
The long-awaited sequel to Myst, the best-selling computer game of all
time, hits the shelves today. Called "Riven," the game is being published
for PowerPC and Windows by Red Orb Entertainment, the Broderbund Software
division. Writing for the Newsbytes computer news service, reporter Craig
Menefee says the game takes off where Myst left off, and "even commentators
who have found fault with Riven as a game -- some say it is too grim - say
Riven goes to a new level of detail in graphics, animation, sound, and use
of live actors." But note: if you have old computer equipment, don't
expect to be able to play the game. The game -- which comes on five CDROM
discs -- carried these minimum recommended setups:
z For Wintel machines, Windows 95 with a Pentium or compatible 100 MHz
(megahertz) or faster microprocessor, 16MB RAM with a minimum of 75 MB hard
disk space available, 4X CD-ROM or faster, 640x480 display, High Color, a
Windows compatible sound device and video and sound cards compatible with
DirectX.
z For Mac systems, System 7.5 or higher, 90 MHz PowerPC or faster, 9MB
RAM free with a minimum of 65 MB hard disk space available, 4X CD-ROM drive
or faster, 640x480 display, and thousands of colors.
Game authors Rand and Robyn Miller say that while Myst players will
appreciate the continuity in Riven, the sequel does not depend on first
being familiar with Myst. Broderbund is not putting a suggested retail
price on the game, but Newsbytes says street prices for the game are
expected to run from $45 to $50.
Crash is Back; Sequel to Best-Selling PlayStation Platform Game
FOSTER CITY, CALIF. (Nov. 6) BUSINESS WIRE - Nov. 6, 1997 - Making its way
to storefronts just in time for the 1997 holiday season, Sony Computer
Entertainment America today launched Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes
Back(TM), available only on the PlayStation(TM) game console, selling at a
"power price" of $39.95 MSRP. The original, Crash Bandicoot(TM), was one
of the most successful PlayStation platform games of 1996 with sales in
excess of 1.7 million units worldwide, and more than 600,000 copies in
North America alone.
Produced by Universal Interactive Studios, Inc. (UIS), a division of
Universal Studios, and created and developed by Naughty Dog, Inc., Crash
Bandicoot 2 once again redefines classic 3D action platform gaming. Taking
the genre to all new heights to enhance the gamer's total playing
experience, Crash Bandicoot 2 features bigger and bolder 3D graphics, more
moves and animations, amazingly detailed and colorful environments,
multiple camera views, fully-modeled animated characters, and music and
sound effects created by professional movie effects editors.
"Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back is a must-have title for every new
and existing PlayStation owner this holiday season," said Andrew House,
vice president, marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "The
original Crash Bandicoot proved its mass popularity and appeal to gamers of
all ages around the world and created Crash Bandicoot fans everywhere. The
sequel will continue Crash Bandicoot's reign as one of the most popular
PlayStation games available."
A standout title for consumers around the globe, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex
Strikes Back brings back the star qualities that made the original version
such a hit, a character fans love and a whole new world to explore.
Proving its continued worldwide appeal, Crash Bandicoot 2 has already sold
more than half a million units through a pre-buy program in Japan.
"Capitalizing on Crash's heritage as a true 3D action platform game, Crash
Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back allows players to maintain full control as
they test Crash Bandicoot's brand new moves and combos - sliding, jumping,
swinging, flying with a jet pack, surfing on a jetboard and more," said
Mark Cerny, president, Universal Interactive Studios, Inc and producer of
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. "Featuring the zany antics of Crash
Bandicoot, the players maneuver in and around the fully animated worlds,
solving puzzles, tackling new hidden levels, sub-levels and other secret
paths."
Twice the "size" of the original, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
immerses players in a series of warp rooms or "centralized rooms,"
consisting of multiple areas which allow players to choose among five or
six levels at a time, providing a highly mobile, non-linear path through
the game.
"Crash Bandicoot 2's polygon engine and special effects capabilities again
redefine the cutting edge, 3D high-resolution look and feel of the game,"
stated Jason Rubin, president, Naughty Dog, Inc. "Naughty Dog's unique
approach to game development, combined with the proven popularity of the
Crash Bandicoot character, guarantees that Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex
Strikes Back will be a spectacular hit with gamers worldwide."
In the game, players take a ride with the fast-moving marsupial, Crash
Bandicoot, who is rejoined with the infamous Dr. Neo Cortex. The characters
are reintroduced to gamers in a cinematic sequence with Crash Bandicoot
defeating Cortex, causing him to fall from the air balloon circling his
evil fortress through a hidden cavern below ground. It is there that the
exciting new adventures begin. Returning characters, Dr. N. Brio and
Ripper Roo are encountered along the way, as well as the introduction of
new characters, including N. Gin, Kimodo Moe & Joe, and Crash's little
sister, Coco.
Psygnosis Releases Colony Wars to Retail Stores
FOSTER CITY, CALIF. (Nov. 4) BUSINESS WIRE - Nov. 4, 1997 - Today Psygnosis
ships Colony Wars(TM) to retail outlets around the globe. A
PlayStation(TM) game console exclusive, Colony Wars is a sci-fi shooter
riding a wave of critical acclaim. Game Pro magazine considers Colony Wars
to be "worth buying the day it's released." It has been hailed as "one of
the most dazzling games ever created on the PlayStation" by Ultra Game
Players magazine and described by EGM magazine as "Star Wars on steroids."
Colony Wars has an expected street price of $49.95 for the PlayStation game
console.
Colony Wars was developed internally by Psygnosis' Liverpool Studio. The
title is being supported by a $2.5 million dollar campaign in the U.S.
which includes: national TV broadcast and cable advertising; a print
campaign; sweepstakes, inclusion onto demo discs packed into PlayStation
game console units and Sony's JAMPACK demo disc; and a comprehensive
in-store merchandising program. Psygnosis LTD's European publishing
divisions have launched similar campaigns utilizing local agencies.
Television ads will run for nine weeks and broke yesterday in the U.S. with
the visually arresting 'Flowers' campaign featuring an orphaned girl
recounting her losses at the hand of the Czar.
The unanimous critical plaudits for Colony Wars reflect the game's
groundbreaking visual effects (Game Pro: "visuals of this caliber usually
come from a special effects studio") and the unprecedented depth of
gameplay for a title in this genre (PSM: "(you'll) play it for a very long
time"). This reflects the fact that Colony Wars was created by some of the
most experienced PlayStation developers working today, drawing from their
experience on many of Psygnosis' biggest hits, including WipeOut(TM),
Codename Tenka(TM) and Krazy Ivan(TM).
The game itself places the player at the center of an epic space battle
between the colonized forces of the League Of Free Worlds and the colonists
of Earth (for once, native Earthlings are the enemy in this game). There
are over 70 levels which can be played, though the branching mission tree
will ensure that, at most, 30 or so are seen in even the most successful
campaign, giving the player plenty of replay value and true variety.
The missions themselves build into increasingly elaborate deep-space
dog-fights designed to test players piloting skills, trigger-fingers and
strategic smarts (training levels are provided to bring rookies up to
speed). Objectives vary from rescuing prisoners from heavily guarded
outposts to escorting cargo ships through hostile territories and
conducting intelligence-gathering reconnaissance missions.
"Space" itself is a fantastically realized free-flight environment of five
solar systems featuring warp-tunnels guard stations, asteroids,
communication stations and star nebulas. Colony Wars' features include
true 3D virtual cockpits (a different one for each of the six craft the
player will pilot), a unique 3D space-map (a boon to navigation when
there's no up or down) and two highly detailed 'live' data-bases, one
covering both allied and enemy ships, the other, the planetary systems in
which this epic conflict will be played out.
While the intense gameplay and visually stunning in-game graphics are the
most outstanding features of Colony Wars, also of note is the in-game
audio, particularly the extensive use of content-specific voice-overs from
"wing men" and your mission HQ, which further add to the sense of "being
there" at the center of raging space-battles. Computer animated link
sequences from some of the most talented animators in the business further
the story line of the war between the League Of Free Worlds and the
Colonial forces of Earth.
Accolade's Hottest Racing Game Ever, Test Drive 4, Ships This Week
SAN JOSE, CALIF. (Nov. 3) BUSINESS WIRE -Nov. 3, 1997--Exotic super-cars
challenge "muscle cars" of the past in Test Drive(TM) 4, Accolade's new
racing game for Sony's PlayStation game console, which begins shipping this
week. The PC CD-ROM version will begin shipping on November 24th. "Test
Drive 4 will be our top selling title this holiday season," said Jim
Barnett, president and CEO of Accolade, Inc. "With its state-of-the-art 3D
technology and well-known licensed cars, Test Drive fans will be pleased
with the game's spectacular return to the streets."
Test Drive 4 lets you get behind the wheel of ten licensed cars, including
1969 and 1998 Corvette, 1969 Camaro, 1970 Chevelle, Shelby Cobra, 1998
Dodge(R) Viper, Plymouth(R) Hemi Cuda 426, TVR Cerbera, 1995 Nissan 300ZX,
and Jaguar XJ220. Players can race through five exotic locales featuring
accurate recreations of real-world international locations: San Francisco,
Keswick in the English Lake District, Bern, Switzerland, Kyoto, Japan and
Washington, D.C. -- all in a highly detailed driving environment, including
traffic and police chases. The PC version of the game will include a bonus
track, letting you race down the autobahn in Munich, Germany.
Test Drive 4 for the PC includes multiplayer capability for two-six players
via serial cable, modem and LAN. It will ship with 3DFX and software-only
versions. Test Drive 4 for the PlayStation will support multiple players
via Link Cable and "ghost car" duel matches. Racing modes include single
race competition, four different league modes and multiplayer tournaments.
Test Drive 4 is available at an estimated street price of $49.95 for both
platforms.
Largest PC Games Center to Open
SlamSite Inc. is preparing to open the world's largest PC- based network
games center in City of Industry, California, 13 miles outside of downtown
Los Angeles. The 15,000-square-foot facility, set to open on Nov. 14,
features over 100 high-powered PCs networked together with a 100M bps
backbone that allows gamers to play at Warp speed. The entire system is
connected to the Internet with a T-1 trunk that also allows extremely fast
play over the Internet.
"SlamSite is an obvious next step in the growth of the computer industry,
says Frank Westall, SlamSite's Founder and CEO. "Companies such as
Gameworks and Disney Quest recognize that electronic entertainment is meant
to be themed and brought to the masses. The difference between these
operations and SlamSite is in the technology. We believe that Intel,
Microsoft, 3DFX, Rendition and today's computer game developers such as
Activision, and id Software have a technological and creative lead in the
critical areas that make up the gaming environment. We're placing our
belief in their hands, as opposed to the closed-platform arcade-type
machines." SlamSite, based in Burbank, California, plans to open an
estimated 25 additional entertainment centers over the next several years.
The next two locations are planned for San Jose, California, and New York,
both scheduled to open in early 1998.
AMD(R) Professional Gamers' League(TM) Names Bushnell
Electronic Entertainment Visionary Nolan Bushnell Appointed Chief of the
AMD PGL(TM) SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The AMD(R) Professional
Gamers' League(TM) (PGL(TM)) today disclosed the appointment of its first
commissioner and governing board. The AMD PGL, the first pro sports league
for computer game enthusiasts, begins its inaugural season today, with the
opening of a month-long player qualification period. Nolan Bushnell,
creator of Pong, founder of Atari, and considered by many as "the father of
electronic entertainment," will serve as the league's first commissioner.
A six-member governing board, comprised of entertainment and technology
industry veterans, will support the commissioner on league issues, make
course-of-action recommendations, and more. More information on the AMD
PGL can be found at http://www.pgl.net.
"I'm truly pleased and proud to be appointed commissioner of the PGL for
its first year, and I believe that the PGL can do great things for computer
entertainment in general and online gaming in particular," said Nolan
Bushnell. "The potential of the league is to raise computer gaming to the
level of a true pro sport with broad distribution and mass spectator
appeal. As new games and game categories are added in future seasons, the
PGL will also evolve into a platform for competitive socialization on the
Internet, with people from all walks of life participating," stated
Bushnell. The league's six-member governing board will consist of a
stellar cast of computer gaming, sports management and technology
luminaries. The board members are:
z Jack Heistand, President and CEO, TEN
z S. Atiq Raza, Executive Vice President and CTO, Advanced Micro
Devices
z Scott Miller, Co-Founder and CEO, 3D Realms/Apogee
z Brett Sperry, President and CEO, Westwood Studios, and VP, Worldwide
Operations, Virgin Interactive Entertainment
z Peter Molyneux, Managing Dir./Founder, LionHead Studios (and founder
of Bullfrog Productions)
z Erik van Dillen, Senior Corporate Vice President, IMG
(Bushnell, Miller, Sperry and Molyneux represent four of the "Fifteen Most
Influential People in the History of Electronic Entertainment," according
to a recent Computer Gaming World article.) "Great computer gamers are
like great artists - highly skilled in a particular craft, and truly a
breed apart," said Peter Molyneux, member of the PGL's governing board and
co-founder of LionHead Studios. "The PGL concept is unique and appropriate:
bringing established and aspiring superstars together, and giving them a
place to showcase and reward their talents. I'm pleased and proud to be a
member of the PGL governing board, and look forward to a thrilling
inaugural season.
"As official host network of the AMD PGL, Total Entertainment Network(TM)
(TEN(TM)), will support the commissioner and board on a tactical level,
with assistance from newly-signed consulting firms Gamers EXtreme and
ClanRing. A players' advisory board, also announced today (see separate
release, "Professional Gamers' League Inaugural Season Opens Today"), will
report to the governing board on player-related issues such as rule and
structure changes. The seven-member player's advisory board, which will be
made up entirely of PGL players, will also give feedback on, among other
issues, which software titles should be considered as official PGL games in
future seasons. They will be appointed immediately following the first
season's qualification period, by their peers from the 256 players who make
the cut for the inaugural season.
The open qualification period for the first season of the AMD PGL begins
today and ends November 30, with league play officially starting December
9. To participate in the PGL, players must register for the PGL at
http://www.pgl.net and either subscribe to the TEN service or pay the PGL
entry fee of $9.95 per three-month season.
NPD Reports Video Game Sales Hit Fourth Quarter
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. (Nov. 6) BUSINESS WIRE - Nov. 6, 1997 - Early
indications are that happy holidays are ahead for the video game industry.
On the heels of strong growth during the first three quarters of the year,
early fourth quarter data show continued positive sales momentum, according
to leading marketing information firm The NPD Group Inc.
NPD reported that for the first two weeks of October (Oct. 5- 18),
approximately 340,000 video game consoles were sold at retail in the U.S.
This represents a significant increase over the first two weeks of the
previous month, and a strong start to the critical fourth quarter. For the
first two weeks of September (Aug. 31 - Sept. 13), sales totaled 275,000
units. Total U.S. retail sales of video games were up 60 percent during
the first three quarters of 1997, compared to the first three quarters of
1996.
Industry Headed for All-Time High
Ed Roth, president of Leisure Activities Tracking Services for NPD,
maintains that strong performance in the first nine months of the year
coupled with positive results for early October bode well for the industry.
"With video games always selling best in the fourth calendar quarter,
October often is a clear indicator of industry sales for the remaining
holiday season," he commented.
Total U.S. retail sales volume for video games reached $3.7 billion in
1996, and Roth believes the industry could be headed toward an all-time
high of between $5.2 billion and $5.3 billion for 1997. "Lower hardware
and software prices, a better selection of software, greater product
availability, and the development and marketing of a number of great games
are all contributing to a banner year for the U.S. video game industry," he
commented. "The momentum is likely to continue into 1998, where we should
see a continuing upwards sales trend for the 32/64-Bit 'next generation' of
video games."
Top Sellers Named
Both Sony's PlayStation and the Nintendo 64 continued to perform well at
retail, with these two systems dominating the best selling hardware and
software charts. "October marks the first time both the PlayStation and
Ninetendo 64 have a full year's worth of comparable sales. And both
leading systems have now achieved a much greater distribution level at more
affordable prices than ever before," said Roth.
The top 25 games for the first two weeks of October were all for use on
either the Sony PlayStation or Nintendo 64. Of the top 25 games, 16 were
for the PlayStation, although Goldeneye 007 for the Nintendo 64 was the
best selling game overall, averaging $61 at retail. A number of third party
publishers benefited from the current industry boom. Third party
publishers with games that sold well in the first two weeks of the fourth
quarter 1997 include: Acclaim, Activision, ASCII Entertainment, Capcom,
Electronics Arts, Fox Interactive, GT Interactive, Konami, Midway, Namco
and Ocean.
ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
Compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@streport.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. It's been a fairly quiet week. Except
for the fact that the weekly Atari Advantage conference has hit 'the big
time', there really isn't too much to rant and rave about. What do I mean
about 'the big time'? Well way back when, when a far smaller percentage of
the general population knew what an online conference was, Delphi (and just
about every other online service) simply left conference announcements up
to the forum sysop. This was fine back then. If it was something you would
have been interested in, you would have seen the banner when you entered
the forum. If you didn't have a Delphi account, you couldn't attend anyway.
But all that changed when Delphi made it possible for even non-members
to join in on chats via the internet. Now it is necessary to let people
know the when, where, why, and who of the conference. So Delphi put up a
special area that is available from their main menu that lists all of the
current conferences. Using this area you can, even from the internet and
without being a member, view and participate in any of the conferences
going on. For software related reasons you cannot access the Atari
Advantage conference directly from the new area, but it will at least tell
you if the conference is going on. You can then go to the Atari Advantage
area and access the conference from there. The problem was that, until
this past week, it wasn't possible to list the Atari conference in the
Conference Menu. But all that has now changed and you can access the
conference whether you are a Delphi member or not, even over the internet.
Bob and Terry host the conference every Tuesday evening at 10:00 eastern
time. Drop by and say hello. Or reminisce about the 'good old days' when
Atari was a contender in the computer world. Well, since I spent the past
several paragraphs talking about Delphi, I guess we should take a look at
what's going on in their message bases. Let's see...
From Delphi's Atari Advantage
In answer to a question about connecting an ST to a PC, George Iken posts:
"There are a couple of ways to connect a PC to an ST for
"parallel port" transfers (as opposed to nulll modem "serial
port" transfers, the parallel port is MUCH faster). BUT,
there is NO method of connecting the Zip drive to the ST
parallel port. This is because the "parallel port" transfer
cable uses a different set of connections (which are present
on the ST) than the Zip drive connections (all of which are
NOT present on the ST).
Let me know if you want to connect between computers with the
parallel port (I don't because the ST parallel port is
direct wired to a chip .. no isolators). The sites for
parallel port copying are on Hallvard's "hardware" site jump
page."
Domingo Alvear posts:
"ICD Just came out with ICD SCSI Pro 7.0.0. Just thought
you might like to know."
"Turbo" Nick tells Dom:
"Yes, at the MIST AtariFest this summer (Indianapolis, July)
one of my users' group members mentioned to me that they had
heard that ICD had a new version of "Pro" in the works. ICD
had a table there, so I asked them and they said "yes." When
asked how much the upgrade was (from version 6.5.5), they
said that it wasn't an upgrade, but a whole new version, so
they were charging full price for it (now I've forgotten what
that price is - I only this year starting using "Pro" so I
wasn't itching to upgrade yet). They said that it wasn't out
yet, but, if I recall correctly, they would take advance
orders. It's good to hear that they have actually published
it. Good ol' ICD [or bad ol' ICD, I guess some folks don't
like them?], they haven't abandoned us yet..."
Michael Burkley tells Nick:
"I just stopped by the ICD Web site. They are selling the
ICD Pro Software v.7.0 for $39.95 as an upgrade to any other
(or previous) version of a commercial hard drive software."
Nick tells Michael:
"Yep... I saw that too. (I was sending mail to my users'
group members about Pro 7.0.0 being available, and I decided
on the spot to check their web site... this was at work,
where I have not only a multitasking OS [Solaris], but a
Sparcstation 5 to run it on. ;-)
I think I'll pass for now as I just installed 6.5.5 this
summer (after buying it at the MIST AtariFest in '96, after
thinking about it at the MIST AtariFest in '95, which is when
I was thinking about the new ZIP drives and Tom/? at ICD's
table steered me away from those...).
I could use a bigger hard drive, though. Do you have any
recommendations for a hard drive for a TT? (I'm still using
the original 80-megger and it's getting more than a bit
cramped. ;-) I'm not looking for the largest possible drive,
even a half-gig would do me for quite some time I'm sure,
since I don't collect nearly as many files as you do (not
even within 2 orders of magnitude, I suspect."
Lonnie McClure posts this about those "good old days":
"One of the things I miss from my days of dial-up access to Delphi is
using Flash II on my Falcon to access the forums in text mode.
While HyperTerminal v3.0 makes a decent application for
reading messages, when it comes time to compose a reply or
new post, it exhibits severe localized negative atmospheric
pressure. <grin>
The choices are either the type in directly to the terminal
screen, with all the usual attendant problems plus telnet
lag, or opening notepad, composing there, highlighting the
text, selecting cut, minimize notepad, select "paste to host"
in HT.
Compare this to the simplicity of switching to the
integrated capture buffer/editor in Flash II, typing in the
message, highlighting it if the buffer is not already empty,
and hitting the appropriate function key I have predefined.
Does anyone know of a telnet program for the PC that offers
similar or identical functionality, without costing a bundle?
It has gotten so frustrating at times that I have considered
searching to see if their is a Win95 app that would allow my
Falcon to be connected as a terminal to a shell account
running on my PC. (I know this can be done with Linux, but
firing up both my Falcon and Flash II, and switching OS's on
my PC and another app there everytime I wanted to log into
Delphi would be a wee bit much)."
Gordie Meyer tells Lonnie:
"It's not quite Flash II, but NetTerm ain't half bad,
especially for telnetting in. I found it when I got my first
Windows box, liked it enough to register and did so. Along
with my registration, I suggested adding a type-ahead buffer
of some kind, to facilitate use in live chat/conferences.
They added a floating text entry window within a week, and
then added one to the bottom of the terminal window, just
like good ol' Interlink, about four days later. Made me
real happy I'd registered the program.
The URL for those folks is:
{<http://starbase.neosoft.com/~zkrr01/>
http://starbase.neosoft.com/~zkrr01/ }
Give it a try. I think you'll find it very usable."
John Trautschold of Missionware Software tells Gordie (and Lonnie):
"You could always purchase Gemulator for your PC and run
Flash II there. that's what I do when I must use my PC for
telecom."
Michael Burkley jumps in and asks John:
"How do you use GEMulator when you are connected online
through your PC? I use STalker (oops!) which is fine for
GEMulator, but if I am connected using the PC side of the
computer I can't do anything with STalker. The COM port is
"in use." How do you use Flash to telnet? Perhaps I am
misunderstanding what you are saying. Do you mean just
accessing online services just through Delphi or some BBS?
I don't really know what I'm talking about!"
John replies to Michael:
"Well, right. If Windows itself has the com port tied up
then Gemulator won't have access to it (unless you have more
than one com port on your PC - you can then assign one to
Gemulator and use the other in Windows).
You can't use Flash II as a telnet client - you need to be
able to log into a provider that supports shell accounts.
They, then, provide the telnet, or ftp, or whatever, client
you need. Flash II then uses one of those clients, in VT100
mode, to access the internet.
You can use Delphi to access the internet too - I believe
Delphi provides telnet, ftp and web clients that will work
with Flash II. (I have used those clients on BIX, a sister
operation to Delphi.)"
Lonnie McClure asks John:
"So Flash II does work under Gemulator?
I seem to recall coming across a utility for the PC
somewhere that allows any standard term program to act as a
telnet app. I may look into trying such a convoluted setup
and see if it will actually function. <grin>"
John tells Lonnie:
"Yes, Flash II, at least the current release, works fine
with Gemulator. I've used it a lot on the road with my
laptop."
Jim Collins of chroMAGIC Software Innovations tells us:
"I just wanted to let everybody know that System Solutions
has confirmed that the complete ENGLISH language version of
CAB 2.5 is FINALLY ready to ship. chro_MAGIC has several
full packages and upgrades kits on order. Given our past
experience with getting product from SS, we hope to be able
to ship CABs by sometime next week (before Halloween we
hope!).
For those who have pre-ordered an UPGRADE from CAB 2.0, you
will need to send in your original manual and disk before we
can ship your order. You get a new manual, your original
disk gets updated and you get an additional disk.
One last thing about CAB, the press release I saw for it
mentioned it required MagiC but was not clear on if it would
work with other multi- taskers (MiNT, Geneva, etc). The info
previously released by the CAB author suggested that any
multi-tasker would/should/might? work. I suppose we will
just have to wait until CAB arrives to see just what it does
require in the way of a multi-tasker.
Oh yeah, upgrades to HD Driver 7 are also on the way in the
same shipment as the CABs. They also require that the
original HD Driver manual and disks be returned to
chro_MAGIC.
Questions about CAB 2.5 or HD Driver 7
call +1-417-623-7393 or 1-888-660-4041 or look at
http://www.chromagic.com/ "
My friend Alejandro Aguilar tells Jim:
"The part that only works with MagiC is PPP-Connect
(actually called IConnect). ASH says that if you want to use
CAB with other OS's you can use Stik or Sting, and all you
need to do is replace the CAB.OVL file provided with 2.5
with an older one (ie one that will also work with CAB 1.5
or 2.0)."
"Chromer" asks for help in downloading the latest version of
STinG:
"...It just wouldn't download, I have no idea what the
problem is. I tried to DL and after a couple of seconds, I was
told the DL was successful, maybe I will try again and see wat
happens... I tougt maybe other people were having the same
problem...
It seems to be the latest file in the Recent arrivals. That
is the only file I have had problems with. I am using Freeze
Dried Terminal and I have a Mega 1040. Using ZModem. Actually
that is the first time I have had any problems here. Can't
figure it out. I kinda thought it might be a problem on
Delphi's end."
Since I have encountered this problem before, I tell Chromer:
"Check the directory that the file is being downloaded to
first to make sure that there isn't already a file there with
the same name. For some reason, Delphi doesn't like to
overwrite pre-existing files no matter what you have your
download settings set to do (at least that's the case with
the version of Flash 2 that I've got).
If you do find a pre-existing file with the same name,
either move it to another location or (my preference) rename
it to something like STING.ZI1 so that you know that it's a
STinG archive, that it's ZIPped, and that it's the first copy
you downloaded."
Chromer tells me:
"You know, I think you may be right, I thnk I do have an old
DL of STing in tha path.I will check."
The Atari Advantage Big Kahuna, Dana Jacobson, tells Chromer:
"Just do as Joe mentioned and re-name the old file if it's
worth saving. If not, just delete it. I've found more
files that I couldn't download because of that!! I could
enable an automatic "overwrite existing file" via Flash II,
but I'm always afraid that I may overwrite something I want
to save."
I tell Dana:
"You just saved yourself a couple of minutes of
head-scratching, Dana. No matter what I have the Zmodem
configurations set at, Delphi will not send a file that is
already found in the download directory.
I seem to remember John Trautschold saying that this was
indeed the case, and that it was strange because Flash II's
implimentation of Zmodem was developed with help from one of
the gurus at BIX (Delphi's sister service)."
Dana replies:
"I seem to recall John being part of that discussion also.
It never really bothered me much that "resume" didn't work
here, especially with the speeds climbing. However, it
would be nice for those _really big_ files that somehow
always 'blip" 3/4 of the way through transfer! <grin>
John Trautschold of MissionWare Software (the Flash II folks)
posts:
"...We've never been able to figure out why resumes don't
work here since they seem to work fine every where else.
Peter Olsen is the BIX/Delphi contact I've worked with in
the past. Resumes *do* work on BIX, but not here. Then
again, BIX is run with totally different software on totally
different hardware."
I tell John:
"Thanks for the confirmation. At least now we know that
resumes don't work here. It's never been more than a minor
annoyance for me, but then again I had one of my favorite
Atari vendors to 'splain it to me. <grin>
Well folks, that's it for this week. Tune in again next week, same time,
same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
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