ST Report: 14-Jul-95 #1128
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 07/26/95-02:18:51 PM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 14-Jul-95 #1128
Date: Wed Jul 26 14:18:51 1995
SILICON TIMES REPORT
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July 14, 1995 No. 1128
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> From the Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
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Hmmm, Is it the middle of the summer?? Nope not yet. But Chicago
was 110 degrees today it was so hot they had to close the USRobotics
Factory because the Air Conditioning broke down. I also saw where they
had a "dust storm" out west. The first in many years. El Nino is really
raising Cain this year. Why all the weather talk? No particular reason
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persecution going on in the world today. Besides the weather's neat, just
when you get used to it ...it changes.
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Computer Products Update - CPU Report
------------------------ ----------
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Issue #28
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
(Lloyd's on Vacation)
******* General Computer News *******
Apple Names Advanced Tech Chief
===============================
Apple Computer Inc. has appointed Dr. Donald A. Norman vice
president of its advanced technology group.
The Cupertino, California-based computer maker notes that the
advanced technology group is responsible for managing advanced technology
and research operations, working closely with the company's worldwide
marketing and customer solutions groups to ensure that future
technologies meet user's needs.
Norman became an Apple Fellow in 1993 when he named the company's
"User Experience Architect," helping Apple to enhance and maintain its
systems' ease of use. He is a recognized authority on human interfaces
and design and has published extensively. Norman is the author of
12 books, including User Centered System Design, The Psychology of
Everyday Things and, more recently, Turn Signals Are the Facial
Expressions of Automobiles and Things that Make Us Smart.
Norman has a long and distinguished academic career, says Apple. He
served as chairman of the Psychology Department at the University of
California at San Diego and was founding chairman of the school's
Cognitive Science Department. He was one of the founders of the
Cognitive Science Society and is a member and fellow of numerous
scientific societies, including the American Academy of Arts
& Science.
Norman will report to David Nagel, senior vice president of Apple's
worldwide research and development division.
Top Apple Newton Exec Resigns
=============================
Shane Robison, vice president in Apple Computer Inc.'s Newton
System Division, has resigned to join Cadence Design Systems Inc., a
Silicon Valley software company.
Apple spokeswoman Betty Taylor told Susan Moran of the Reuter News
Service that Robison's departure from the Personal Interactive
Electronics Division in no way reflects any pressure or friction from
within the Newton division, adding, "He simply had a tremendous offer."
Reuters says Robison will be the senior vice president for worldwide
research and development at Cadence, which is headquartered in San Jose,
California.
Taylor said Robison temporarily will be replaced by Sandy Benett,
currently head of Newton Software Engineering Group.
Says Moran, "Robison's departure raises questions as to the
direction of Apple's Newton efforts. Some industry analysts have
speculated Apple might spin off the Newton division."
Moran notes Robison's departure comes about 15 months after his
predecessor, Gaston Bastiaens, left Apple "amid speculation he was forced
out by Apple's failure to bolster flagging sales of the pen-based
Newton." (Bastiaens currently is president/CEO of software publisher
Quarterdeck Corp.)
HP Readies New Ink-Jet Printers
===============================
Reuters reports that Hewlett-Packard Co. will introduce a new line
of color ink-jet printers on Monday. The units will be targeted at office
customers, a company executive told the news service. According to Reuters, HP's top-of-the-line 1600CM is equipped with
an HP JetDirect network print card and PostScript Level 2 software. The
unit also comes with additional memory for use with Macintosh systems as
well as operation in mixed network environments.
According to Reuters, the new printers can print color documents at
a rate of up to 4 pages per minute and black text at up to 9 pages a
minute. The units are reportedly twice as fast as Hewlett-Packard's
existing 1200C ink-jet model.
H-P began shipping the new 1600 models in Europe this spring, says
Reuters.
Office 95 Due in August
=======================
Microsoft reports that its Microsoft Office for Windows 95 business
software suite is scheduled to become available on Aug. 24, the same date
as the planned released of the next-generation operating system.
The Redmond, Washington-based software publisher says its Microsoft
Office for Windows 95 Standard Edition will include the Microsoft Excel 95
spreadsheet, Word 95 word processor, PowerPoint 95 presentation graphics
program and Schedule+ 95 scheduler.
Microsoft Office for Windows 95 Professional Edition will include all
of the applications provided in the Standard Edition plus the Microsoft
Access database. Also included will be a coupon that can be redeemed by
its holder for a copy of Microsoft Access 95 when the software becomes
available. The database is slated for release by late October.
Microsoft has also announced the Coming Soon Program, which will
allow customers to reserve a copy of Office 95 at their local reseller
beginning July 15. Customers won't be required to pay for the product
until they receive it.
Microsoft Office for Windows 95 Standard Edition will cost $499.
Microsoft Office Professional Edition for Windows 95 will sell for $599.
Microsoft says it will offer a $50 discount to licensed users of
Office 4.x and certain competing programs.
Business Card Software Ships
============================
Claris Corp. says it has begun shipping Easy Business Cards, a
new Windows program that aims to help small business users design and
print business cards quickly, easily and affordably.
The product offers over 290 pre-designed card styles. It supports 29
PaperDirect card designs and includes enough paper to print 250 business
cards. Users can also send designs via modem for professional printing.
Easy Business Cards costs $39.
Claris is located in Santa Clara, California.
Packard Bell Has Remote Control
===============================
A remote control to run communication and entertainment features
and to perform basic tasks like opening files is the attention-grabbing
feature in Packard Bell Electronics Inc.'s new home PC lineup.
Business writer Evan Ramstad of The Associated Press says Packard
Bell, the current leader in computer sales in the U.S., also has
created several new designs for PCs, "making them resemble other
consumer electronics gear that blend in with the furniture (including)
an ultra-thin model that resembles a CD player and a diamond-shaped
one that fits into a corner."
Packard Bell CEO Beny Alagem told the wire service, "We are
creating the deepest line of computers for a consumer to consider."
AP said most of the machines will be run by Intel Corp.'s advanced
Pentium chip although Packard Bell will continue to make some using
'486 chips. All have at least 8MB of main memory and 28,800bps modems.
Hard drives range from 540MB to 2,100MB. Prices run from $1,400 to
$3,000, including monitors.
Alagem says the models should be in stores late this month and
will include coupons for buyers to get Microsoft Corp.'s new operating
software, Windows 95, free when it becomes available Aug. 24.
"While keeping pace with technological features, Sacramento-based
Packard Bell has emerged as the most innovative in external design of a
PC, seeking to stand out in a sea of rectangular boxes on a store
shelf," says Ramstad. "Last year, it introduced snap-in color accent
panels. It sells some computers in charcoal black cases rather than the
typical beige. This winter, it offered models with two CD-ROM drives
instead of one but the company found little demand for them and scaled
back."
The remote control device has buttons to start the computer's
built-in speaker phone, FM radio and optional TV tuner as well as
program the CD-ROM drive to play a music CD. A thumbpad controls the
on-screen cursor for running computer programs.
The company also has developed new keyboards, including one with
angled keys, and added features to its Navigator software, which
explains the PC to a novice, AP says.
Netscape Broadens Web Page Ads
==============================
An online multi-tiered advertising program is being launched by
Netscape Communications Corp. on its heavily travelled pages of the
Internet's World Wide Web.
Computergram International reports this morning three levels of
pricing and defined exposure will be offered to the more than 25
companies that currently advertise with the company. Labelled the
silver, gold and platinum, the new tiers carry monthly costs of $15,000,
$20,000 and $30,000 respectively.
"Up to now, it offered a fixed advertising rate for banner ads,
but that pricing was based on audience expectations derived from a
one-week statistical survey conducted in May," CI reports. "It learned
that its Internet search page is accessed more than 308,000 times a day
while its Internet directory is visited more than 125,000 times daily."
The advertisers will rotate through predetermined locations on the
company's Web site, the newsletter says.
"Advertising is a relatively new source of income for Netscape,
whose main business is selling Web browser and server software," CI
observes. "However, the company's information-rich Web site has emerged
as one of the most frequently-accessed areas on the Web, turning the
firm into a potential goldmine for World Wide Web advertisers."
Court Approves Hayes Plan
=========================
Modem maker Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. says a bankruptcy
judge has approved its proposed reorganization plan, including a
$45 million debtor in possession financial facility with General
Electric Co.'s GE Capital.
Reporting from Atlanta, the Dow Jones news service quotes Hayes
as saying:
-:- The reorganization plan pays all valid creditor claims in full,
plus interest.
-:- The court extended exclusivity through Sept. 30 for Hayes to go
forward with the plan, making the plan the only one which will be
reviewed by the court.
-:- The company will use the combined assets from a previously
announced planned merger with Boca Research Inc. to emerge from Chapter XI
in the fall.
Hayes officials told the wire service it will use the DIP financing
to retire about $23.6 million of secured debt from NationsBank Corp.
Medio Bought by ConnectSoft
===========================
For undisclosed terms, financially troubled Medio Multimedia is
being bought out by telecommunications software company ConnectSoft Inc.
Reporting from Bellevue, Washington, United Press International
says Medio's creditors and ConnectSoft's shareholders must above the
deal, which may save Medio from Chapter XI bankruptcy.
Medio laid off half its staff last month and has not made payroll
for several weeks, the wire service adds, quoting Medio executives as
attributing the problems to sagging CD-ROM sales and the high cost of
developing new products. Medio's primary investor is Microsoft co-founder
Paul Allen.
In a prepared statement, ConnectSoft Chairman/CEO Mitchell London
said, "Medio has great product distribution, the best-selling CD-ROM
magazine, numerous award-winning titles and has made significant headway
with hybrid CD-ROM/online technologies." UPI says the deal could close by
early August, ConnectSoft said and that the company will retain Medio's
35 employees.
ConnectSoft employs about 140 people and markets a series of
Windows-based telecommunication programs.
AT&T Puts $8 Mil. in Internet Firm
==================================
AT&T has bought an $8 million equity position in Internet service
provider BBN Planet Corp.
Reporting from New York, United Press International says the
purchase follows by three weeks a n AT&T-BBN agreement to provide
businesses with a broad range of services for access to the Internet.
Additional financial details about the equity purchase were not disclosed.
Alessandro Piol, an AT&T Ventures partner, told the wire service
AT&T's decision to buy a position in BBN Planet was based on its
confidence that the companies' Internet access agreement will provide
customers with a broad and robust array of Internet-based solutions.
BBN President/CEO George H. Conrades said AT&T's equity purchase
strengthens the relationship between it and BBN, a Cambridge, Mass.-based
subsidiary of Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc.
Egghead to Move Headquarters
============================
Egghead Software is moving its corporate headquarters from the
Seattle suburb of Issaquah to Spokane, Wash.
The software retailer says the cost-cutting move will involves the
relocation of 250 employee. It says current employees will be encouraged
to relocate to Spokane. The move is expected to be completed by year's
end.
In January, Egghead moved its customer-assistance center and other
operations to Spokane. The headquarters move will give the company about
500 employees in Spokane.
Egghead operates 160 retail stores in 30 states.
Canon Launches Scotland Plant
=============================
A new plant to produce bubble jet printers is being set up by
Japan's Canon Inc. in Scotland with production to start by next summer.
In Tokyo, Canon officials told the Reuter News Service that Canon
Manufacturing U.K., located in Glenrothes Fife, Scotland, is expected
to produce 50,000 printers a month by the end of next year.
Reuters says Canon also is expanding production facilities at its
Tijuana, Mexico, plant to start producing bubble jet printers for the
North American market. That facility will produce 25,000 bubble jet
printers a month by the end of 1995, and 100,000 a month by end-1996.
A Canon spokesman commented, "The sites were chosen because of
their proximity to our largest markets for computer peripherals -- the
United Sates and Europe."
Reuters says Canon produced 4.4 million bubble jet printers in
1994 and expects production to exceed 8 million this year.
Gateway Moves Into Japanese Market
==================================
A top U.S. maker of PCs, Gateway 2000 Inc., is entering the Asian
market with a new subsidiary in Japan.
In Tokyo, Gateway CEO Ted Waitt has told Associated Press writer
David Thurber, "It's the right time for Gateway 2000 because we have
the resources, and the right time for the market because it's growing
rapidly."
However, to succeed, says Thurber, "Gateway will have to overcome
the reluctance of service-conscious Japanese to buy goods over the
telephone. Virtually all of Gateway's U.S. sales come from phone orders."
Waitt says to help in Japan the firm may open a showroom, perhaps
hire a Japanese president and may tailor its advertising, "but," he adds,
"the cow spots will still be part of it" (referring to Gateway's
distinctive packaging and advertising that plays off the rural South
Dakota location of its headquarters.)
Last year 10-year-old Gateway was the fifth-largest PC maker in
the U.S., but only $190 million of its $2.7 billion in sales came from
outside North America and most of that was from Europe.
Waitt said his firm is considering a manufacturing center in
another Asian country because of Japan's high costs, but considers
Japan its main market in Asia. Until an Asian plant is built, systems
will be imported from the company's Dublin factory, AP reports.
Mac Clip Art Manager Ships
==========================
Corel Corp. has announced Corel Gallery 2 for the Mac, a new clip
art manager featuring an album with 15,000 clip art images and symbols,
500 fonts, 75 sounds, 10 QuickTime Movies, QuickTime 2.0, Adobe Type
Manager (ATM) and a font management utility.
Corel Gallery 2 for the Mac supports both the Macintosh and Power
Macintosh systems. Users can drag and drop items or convert them for use
with virtually any Macintosh word processing, presentation, page layout
or graphics application.
The program offers visual multimedia file management, file viewing,
batch file conversion, batch printing, slide shows and font management
capabilities.
Users can preview images in CMX, JPG, PICT2, Photo-CD and numerous
other file types. The software's file import support includes Windows BMP,
PICT, Zsoft PCX, Targa, TIFF, JPEG, Windows Metafile, MacPaint, Computer
Graphics Metaphile, Scitex CT, Amiga IFF, Lotus PIC and PixelPaint.
Export file types supported include Windows BMP, Zsoft PCX, MacPaint,
Photoshop 2.0 and 2.5, PICT, Scitex CT, Targa, TIFF and Windows Metaphile.
"Corel Gallery 2 for the Mac lets users manage their clip art albums,
search by keyword or note, or export items to EPS or PICT file formats,"
says Michael Cowpland, Corel's president and CEO. "The huge library of
clip art and fonts, as well as the visual multimedia file capabilities,
make it the most comprehensive and versatile collection available on the
market."
The software is designed to run on a Macintosh with a 68020
microprocessor or later or on a Power Mac with a PowerPC CPU. The program
also requires System 7.0 or later, a CD-ROM drive, 8MB of RAM, (16MB on
a Power Mac) and approximately 10MB of available hard disk space.
Scheduled to ship later this month, Corel Gallery 2 for the Mac will
sell for $99.
Corel is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
TI Offers Mac Printer Drivers
=============================
Texas Instruments Inc. has announced new printer drivers for its
microLaser 600 and microLaser Pro Series printers operating with
QuickDraw GX in a Macintosh environment.
QuickDraw GX has become Apple's new standard for ease of printing,
portability and print management. Dallas-based TI says its new drivers
will enhance QuickDraw GX printing improvements and take advantage of
key microLaser printer features.
The new drivers support the automatic matching of paper size and
paper source and are designed to improve print job setup and
maintenance. The drivers offer selectable features, such as set print
time, start, stop, hold and resume of print queues and jobs, as well
as the dragging and dropping of jobs between queues.
TI adds that the drivers are compatible with after market printing
extensions such as Apple's N-Up Printing.
TI says the new drivers will soon be available on the Internet at
TI's web site http://www.ti.com.
Memory Prices Seen Stable
=========================
International Data Corp.'s new Semiconductor Market Planning
Service forecasts that the demand for DRAM and SRAM memory devices will
exceed the available supply, but that memory prices will remain stable
for the next few years.
"Based on our research, which includes manufacturers' projected
memory consumption, software requirements and capacity RAM projections,
memory products will continue to experience limited supply relative to
demand," says Alexa McGloughan, a group vice president of Boston-based
IDC.
"A variety of factors, including memory manufacturers' move to
16- and then 64-bit, and ramping up of manufacturing to accommodate
this shift, indicates that memory prices will remain stable for the
foreseeable future," she says.
McGloughan adds that the market situation is good news for memory
manufacturers, who typically experience a 15 percent price drop per
quarter.
CD-ROM Prices Vary Up to 30 Percent
===================================
A computer magazine is advising CD-ROM buyers to shop around
because the cost of major titles at superstores, discount outlets and
specialty shops can vary by as much as 30 percent.
In its August issue, PC World says that, for example, a version of
Broderbund Software Inc.'s Myst computer game sold for as little as $40
and as much as $60, while the Maxis Sim City 2000 CD game ranged from
$60 to $90.
The Associated Press says consumer editor Roberta Furger found
superstores generally had the best combination of prices and selection,
while discount outlets were inconsistent in both areas. "Specialty shops
on the average were the best source for hard-to-find titles, but were a
little more pricey," AP reports.
The wire service says Furger did the price comparisons among San
Francisco Bay area stores, but visited mostly national chains that tend
to sell their CD-ROMs for the same prices across the nation.
Compaq Ships New PCs
====================
Compaq Computer Corp. has added 120MHz Pentium models to its
ProLinea and Deskpro business desktop PC lines.
The new ProLinea 5120 and Deskpro 5120 systems, available today,
range in price from $2,599 to $3,599.
The new models offer 16MB of RAM, a 256K secondary cache, a 1GB IDE
hard disk, TriFlex/PCI support, ISA and PCI local-bus architectures and
high-performance graphics.
In a separate move, the Houston-based computer maker has announced
across-the-board price reductions of up to 8 percent on server models
that ship with pre-installed hard disks. Compaq has also announced price
cuts of up to 29 percent on its server hard disk options.
The server lines affected are the ProSignia 300, ProSignia 500,
ProLiant 1500 and ProLiant 4500.
Multimedia Sales Set to Soar
============================
According to a new study by SIMBA Information of Wilton,
Connecticut, publisher revenues from multimedia title sales will grow
by 85.1 percent to $1.46 billion in 1995.
Multimedia title revenues, buoyed by the consumer market, reached
$786.1 million in 1994, says the market researcher. Sales of consumer
multimedia titles, which rose to $681.1 million in 1994, are expected
to hit $1.28 billion in 1995.
The number of multimedia-capable PCs -- those machines offering
both a CD-ROM drive and a sound board -- will increase to 27.4 million
in 1995 from 16.3 million in 1994, according to SIMBA.
"The strong growth in multimedia software revenues resulted from
several factors, including more multimedia-capable PCs in the home,
the rise in non-OEM sales, falling title prices and increased marketing
efforts," says Tom O'Reilly, a SIMBA editor.
IBM Completes Lotus Buyout
==========================
It's official. IBM has completed acquisition of Lotus Development
Corp. for $64 a share.
The Reuter News Service, reporting from IBM's Armonk, New York,
offices, says the total -- $3.5 billion -- is the largest price ever
paid for a software company.
"All of the outstanding shares of common stock of Lotus not
previously purchased in IBM's tender offer were converted into the right
to receive $64 cash per share," Reuters says.
IBM said yesterday 97 percent of the 47.4 million outstanding Lotus
shares have been accepted for payment by an IBM subsidiary when the
tender offer was completed Monday.
As reported earlier, IBM on June 5 offered $60 per share in a
hostile takeover bid for Lotus, a leading creator of software for
personal computers. Seven days later, the deal turned friendly when Lotus
agreed to a $64 per share offer. The arrangement received clearance from
antitrust regulators on June 21, allowing IBM to contact Lotus
shareholders.
Ziff Sells Book Publishing Unit
===============================
Simon & Schuster says it has acquired Ziff-Davis Publishing Co.'s
Ziff-Davis Press book publishing operation for undisclosed terms.
Additionally, Simon & Schuster's Macmillan Computer Publishing USA
unit will, in cooperation with Ziff-Davis, develop new computer books
bearing Ziff-Davis brand names, such as PC Magazine, PC Computing,
MacUser and MacWeek. A list of 75 books and multimedia products covering
technology, science and health topics will be offered this year.
Ziff-Davis Press will remain based in Emeryville, California.
"Computer book publishing is one of the fastest-growing parts of our
business with significant growth potential in both international and
electronic markets," says Jonathan Newcomb, Simon & Schuster's president
and CEO. "Associating with Ziff-Davis and publishing books bearing their
world-renowned magazine logos will allow us to share in their credibility
and influence and to build upon our own position as the world's leading
computer book publisher."
Olivetti Rumored to End PC Business
===================================
Rumors are circulating in Italy that Ing C. Olivetti & Co. may quit
the computer business. The reports, sparked by Olivetti's decision today
to press ahead with restructuring plans, also have analysts saying such a
move would be easier said than done.
Reporting from Milan, Crispian Balmer of the Reuter News Service
says Olivetti is "effectively aiming to turn itself into a holding
company by the end of the year," with the loss-making PC business being
turned into a wholly-owned unit and office products as a separate group.
Balmer adds Olivetti "firmly denies it wants to sell its computer
concerns."
Still, says analyst Carlo Barontini of Banca Commerciale Italiana,
"Despite the fact they're denying it, they would sell the computer
business if they could get a good offer. The (PC) market is going
through consolidation and producers like Olivetti will eventually
disappear. The trouble is it's hard to think of any potential buyers."
Gianluca Manca, Italian equity analyst with Robert Fleming, adds,
"The PC business has been a black hole for Olivetti. There's clearly
been a complete lack of proprietary technology." Nonetheless, he said he
did not see company president Carlo De Benedetti hurrying to leave the
hardcore computer industry, seeing the firm instead seeking to form a
joint venture.
"If this restructuring is aimed at creating a joint venture,
especially in technology, then it is good news," he said.
The wire service also quoted an unidentified Milan-based analyst as
saying, "Manufacturing computers by themselves is not going to work.
Their assembly costs are too high ... and they are too small to try and
force the pace in the price war."
Reuters added, "If Europe's largest computer firm decides to sell
its hardware business or else try and forge a joint venture, all analysts
saw Olivetti's core business in the future shifting to
telecommunications."
China's Computer Industry Soars
===============================
A Chinese trade journal reports that the nation's fledgling
computer industry is booming.
According to China Machinery and Electronics Daily, in a story
relayed by the official Xinhua news agency, the nation's computer
industry has registered an annual growth rate of 70 percent over the
past five years. The paper adds that China has some 15,000 computer-based
information companies with a total of 300,000 employees.
The trade journal also notes that "through years of efforts the
country now has a remarkable design capability in the fields of PC and
external equipment manufacturing, though it was regarded merely as an
assembly base five years ago."
SPA: PC Software Sales Climb
============================
The Software Publishers Association says North American PC
application software sales reached $2.03 billion in the first quarter,
a 24.8 percent increase from 1994's first quarter.
The Washington-based SPA notes that it's the second straight quarter
in which software sales topped the $2 billion mark.
Unit sales increased by 73 percent.
The SPA says strong Windows software sales fueled much of the
industry's revenue growth in the first quarter. Sales of Windows
applications increased 43 percent, reaching $1.43 billion.
A total of $307.5 million of Macintosh applications also were sold
in the quarter, a 10 percent increase.
The news wasn't as good for DOS application sales, which fell
25 percent to $268.6 million.
Windows application revenues now account for 71 percent of total
sales in the North American market, says the SPA.
India Promises Piracy Crackdown
===============================
A nationwide anti-software piracy campaign targeting more than
50 private firms has been launched by India's premier chamber for
computer companies, aided by a new law.
Reporting from New Delhi, the French Agence France-Press
International News Service quotes officials with the National Association
of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) as saying the group will move
against the firms within six months under the Copyright Amendment Act.
Nasscom Director Dewang Mehta told the wire service, "These companies
include both piracy shops and corporate-end users."
AFP says the campaign is a joint effort by international anti-piracy
software body Business Software Alliance and Nasscom.
Mehta said Nasscom has received thousands of complaints, noting eight
cases have been filed in courts by four leading software firms, accusing
the defendants of illegally duplicating software.
The wire service says that if the defendants are found guilty, they
could be jailed for up to three years and fined up to $6,250.
Nasscom says the Indian software market is estimated at more than
$3 billion and that the industry has put the annual loss from piracy at
about $60 million.
__________________________________
> Frankie's Corner STR Feature
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
THE KIDS' COMPUTING CORNER
==========================
Hometime Weekend Home Projects
CD-ROM for Windows 3.1
approximate retail $40
from IVI Publishing
7500 Flying Cloud Drive
Minneapolis, MN 55344-3739
1-800-754-1484
Program Requirements
--------------------
CPU: 486SX-25
RAM: 8 megs
Video: SVGA
Hdisk: 1.2 megs
CD-ROM: Double-speed
OS: Windows 3.1
Misc: sound card, mouse
by Frank Sereno
"Hometime Weekend Home Projects" is intended to help the home weekend
warrior to improve his living environment. This multimedia educational
program mixes QuickTime videos culled from the Hometime television show
with instructional text and a calculator which helps the user create an
accurate shopping list for his next project.
"Weekend Home Projects" has a very friendly and intuitive interface.
Simply use the mouse to start a video on the subject of your choice. The
user can then choose to watch more videos, read related text, calculate
project supplies and equipment or move to a new subject by clicking on the
corresponding icon. The video can be advanced, paused or reversed by
clicking on icons resembling the controls of a VCR. The program also
includes a help video featuring Hometime host Dean Johnson in which he
explains all the different aspects of the interface.
Twelve project categories are covered in "Weekend Home Projects." These
are ceramic tile, plumbing, framing, power tools, windows and doors,
wiring, cabinets, wallpaper, flooring, painting and staining, drywall and
decks. A lot of suitable topics weren't covered such as roofing,
insulation, pouring concrete walks or driveway, etc. Perhaps these will
be covered in an additional title.
The main flaw in this program is that on some topics it simply doesn't
provide enough information for a beginning rehabber to accomplish that
task. The videos are really too short to convey all the information
needed. The user must rely heavily on the text portion of the program.
That text can be printed out but it will not include the illustrations
which are shown on the computer. This is a terrible omission considering
the advent of laser and ink-jet printers which can print the illustrations
very competently. I doubt many people want to drag their desktop
computers or an expensive laptop to a project site to view the
illustrations which can be very critical if someone is doing wiring work.
The calculator could use improvement as well. It only accepts
measurements in inches and has a limit of 999 for an input measurement.
If you are doing a large project, such as painting the exterior of your
home, you will have to do several calculations to get the proper shopping
list. The list of needed tools provided by the calculator is quite
excellent.
Overall, this is a nice program with an excellent interface. In my
opinion, the program lacks enough information on several projects for
beginning rehabbers, but it is excellent for the moderately-experienced
handyman (or handywowan). "Weekend Home Projects" is easy to use and it
is very entertaining.
Activision Nostalgia
====================
Come with us again to visit those thrilling days of yesteryear . . .
Activision has released the second title in a planned four-volume series
of Atari 2600 games for play on computers using the Windows OS. "Atari
2600 Action Pack 2" includes such classic as Barnstorming and Keystone
Kapers. These games will help bridge the generation gap between adult
gamesters and their joystick-wielding children. Perhaps a fast-paced game
of Ice Hockey or a quick Dragster race will encourage mutual admiration
and bonding for parent and child.
Many of us can remember the tales of how tough it was for our parents when
they were children, yet it was also the best times in their lives. Now
you have a chance to give your children the same thrills you felt when you
had your Atari 2600 gaming system. I remember it as if it was yesterday .
. . and with the Action Pack it can be the same all over again.
Infocom Classics Reissued on CD-ROM
Activision has assembled the classic Infocom text adventures onto five CD-
ROMs representing the genres of comedy, adventure, fantasy, science
fiction and mystery. Each volume will retail for $19.95 and include at
least six games.
These games were created in the infancy of home computing, a time when
graphics were incredibly rudimentary at best. The incredibly descriptive
text of the Infocom games allowed the player to imagine the scenes and
characters to the most intimate detail.
The Mystery Collection features Ballyhoo, a suspense thriller set in a
circus; Deadline is a whodunit mystery in which the player assumes the
role of an ace private investigator; Witness, a police potboiler mystery;
Moonmist, a mystery set in an eerie English castle; and Sherlock, an
adventure to save Holmes from peril.
The Adventure Collection includes Border Zone, a spy thriller from behind
the Iron Curtain; Plundered Hearts, an adventure on the high seas;
Cutthroats, an undersea race to sunken treasure; Trinity, a journey
through time and space to the dawning of the atomic age; and Infidel, a
search for a lost pyramid and incredible treasures.
The Comedy Collection spotlights Bureaucracy, a land in which Murphy must
run the government because everything can and will go wrong; Hollywood
Hijinx, a search for treasure in the world's movie capital; Ballyhoo is
featured again; and Nord and Burt, which has a skewed sense of humor
similar to Gary Larson's Far Side comics.
The Fantasy Collection features the magic of Spellbreaker; a magical
showdown in Enchanter; a rescue mission for a lost mage in Sorcerer; a
magic stone makes wishes come true in Wishbringer; and a dive into danger
on a submarine in Seastalker.
Douglas Adam's Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy highlights the Science
Fiction Collection. In Suspended, a player can only use his mind to save
the world. Starcross features a rendezvous with an alien spaceship. A
Mind Forever Voyaging challenges players to the most important mission in
their lives. Stationfall is the sequel to the hit adventure Planetfall.
Each CD-ROM has two bonus titles. Each collection will get Planetfall as
a bonus, plus one of the five Zork adventures. So if you are looking for
an escape to yesterday or if you are looking for challenging adventures
that won't slow your computer to a crawl because of the eye candy on the
screen, these Infocom adventures may well be the answer you seek.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
---------------------
Engineering Animation, Inc.
ENGINEERING ANIMATION, INC.
COMPUTER ANIMATION TECHNOLOGY TO HELP
SOLVE MYSTERY OF JESSE JAMES
Researchers Investigating Famed Gunfighter's Death Will Exhume Body, Use
Computer Animation to Help Determine Identity, Cause of Death
LIBERTY, MO--Engineering Animation, Inc., a company specializing in
computer visualization, announced today that its cutting-edge animation
technology will aid researchers in the investigation into the death of
famed gunfighter Jesse James more than a century ago.
A hearing here today resulted in a court order to exhume remains from the
grave identified as that of Jesse James. Researchers led by prominent
forensic scientist James E. Starrs intend to determine whether the grave's
remains are those of Jesse James and resolve ongoing questions of how and
when Jesse James died. Attorney David Weinberg, EAI's national director
of litigation services accompanied Starrs to demonstrate EAI's computer
animations of James' home, and to explain how animation technology will
aid researchers in the investigation.
"EAI's animation technology will allow us to 'see' into the past in a way
not otherwise possible," said Starrs, a professor of law and forensic
science at George Washington University. "As they have done in numerous
other forensic investigations, the visualization experts at EAI will play
a crucial role in settling, once and for all, some important mysteries
surrounding an important event."
EAI has previously teamed with Starrs to investigate the 1953 death of CIA
scientist Frank Olson, whose family disputed the government's story that
Olson committed suicide, and to depict the probable evens preceding the
murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman on June 12, 1994.
Questions of Death Trouble Jesse James' Descendants
James is believed to have died from gunshot wounds on April 3, 1882 in his
home in St. Joseph, Missouri, leaving two children, a brother and a
sister. Some have argued that his death was staged, and that he lived to
father additional children. A steady stream of people have claimed to be
blood relatives of Jesse James. The identity of the murderer, the type of
gun used, and the path of the bullet or bullets are also in question.
Starrs has assembled a team of experts to exhume, test, and analyze the
remains to determine conclusively whether they are those of James, and to
reconstruct the events of the crime. In addition, researchers hope to use
EAI's imaging techniques to study several photographs that are believed to
depict the gunfighter, using EAI's proven imaging techniques in
conjunction with the remains.
Computer Visualization Reveals "Hidden" Secrets
Assuming that the mitochondrial DNA tests reveal that the grave's remains
belong to Jesse James, researchers will use EAI's computer imaging
techniques to reconstruct a model of Jesse James' body. After examining
the remains to determine bullet trajectory information, researchers then
will use this computerized model to trace the path of the bullet or
bullets.
EAI has already reconstructed a realistic 3D computer model James' home in
St. Joseph. EAI's engineers entered detailed dimensions of the house, its
rooms, windows and doors, based on present-day photographs and floor
plans. This virtual environment, combined with the bullet trajectory
information, will help researchers visualize the events of the murder and
test various theories about how it unfolded.
To authenticate photographs believed to depict James, EAI will create a 3D
computer model of James' skull using detailed tomography (CT) scan data.
By superimposing a photograph over this model, then aligning the model
with the size and angle of the head, EAI experts will help the team
project whether the photos in question match James' skull.
EAI's Experience Important in Credible Visualizations
EAI specializes in advancing scientific visualization technologies both
through direct services and with its VisLab commercial animation software.
Its technologies enjoy a broad range of applications in such areas as
engineering, litigation, biomedical visualizations, education and
entertainment.
EAI's realistic animations are admissible as evidence at trial, most often
in support of expert witness testimony, because they are based on rigorous
scientific principles and prepared by highly trained engineers under the
direct supervision of the testifying expert. EAI's visualization
techniques have helped juries decide a wide range of cases, including
automotive, aviation, construction, environmental, fire, medical, patent
infringement and product liability lawsuits. Most recently, EAI created a
realistic 3D animation depicting the force of the blast that destroyed the
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April19, 1995 in the tragic Oklahoma
City bombing.
The imaging techniques EAI will use to investigate Jesse James' murder are
similar to those EAI applied to Starr's 1994 investigation in Frank
Olson's 1953 death. In that project, EAI created a computer model of
Olson's skull based on CT scan data collected when Starrs' team exhumed
and autopsied Olson's body. Known photographs of Olson's face were
superimposed over the computer model of the skull to help identify the
remains as those of Olson. Next, using exact measurements of the scene of
his death, EAI portrayed key trajectory information about how Olson might
have fallen from his 13th floor hotel room.
One of the nation's leading visualization companies, Engineering
Animation, Inc. provides three-dimensional computer animation services and
markets its commercial software, VisLab, to the engineering, biomedical,
litigation and entertainment communities. EAI has created animations for
use by Ford Motor Company, Merck & Company, Conoco, ITT Automotive,
Johnson & Johnson, CNN, John Deere & Company, the Houston Museum of
Natural Science, Walt Disney Theme Park Productions, and others. With its
technology center in Ames, Iowa, EAI has offices in Chicago and New York.
For more information, call 515-296-9908 or fax 515-296-7025.
_____________________________________________
> COREL 6 STR FOCUS!
""""""""""""""""""
For Immediate Release
---------------------
Special Upgrade Price for CorelDRAW 5 Users
Ottawa, Canada --July 12, 1995-- CorelDRAW 5 registered users will be able
to upgrade to CorelDRAW 6 for $249 US, Corel Corporation announced today.
"After careful consideration and feedback from our valued customers, we've
decided to offer a special upgrade price for CorelDRAW 5 registered
users," said Dr. Michael Cowpland, president and chief executive officer
of Corel Corporation. "This upgrade pricing offers tremendous value to
CorelDRAW 5 users as they will gain a new modeling and rendering
application, a complete presentation package, plus powerful new drawing
and image editing tools."
The CorelDRAW 5 user base is estimated at 550,000 while the combined
CorelDRAW 3 and 4 user base represents approximately 2 million users.
The upgrade prices are as follows:
CorelDRAW 5 to CorelDRAW 6 $249 US
CorelDRAW 3 and 4 to CorelDRAW 6 $425 US
All upgrades will be offered on CD-ROM. Users may purchase the
equivalency in diskettes as a special order item through Customer Service
Centers. Corporate license pricing will also be available. For more
information, please contact Corel's customer service department at
1-800-772-6735 (US) or 1-800-394-3729 (Canada).
CorelDRAW 6 is Corel's first 32-bit Windows 95 offering. It is scheduled
to ship in August of 1995 and will contain four full-featured modules and
nine utilities, plus extensive libraries of fonts, clipart images and
symbols and photos.
Corel Corporation
-----------------
Incorporated in 1985, Corel Corporation is recognized internationally as
an award-winning developer and marketer of PC graphics and multimedia
software. CorelDRAW(, Corel's industry-leading graphics software, is
available in over 17 languages and has won over 200 international awards
from major trade publications. Corel ships its products through a network
of more than 160 distributors in 60 countries worldwide. Corel is traded
on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol: COS) and the NASDAQ--National
Market System (symbol: COSFF).
Corel Contact:
Fiona Rochester
Media Relations Manager
(613) 728-0826 x1172
July, 1995
Dear Corel Software Enthusiast:
Greetings from Corel! This month our attention is focused on preparing for
the release of CorelDRAW 6 and the Corel $2,000,000 World Design Contest
in Ottawa, Canada on August 10th. We continue to release a barrage of new
products in our CD Home and Professional Photo CD product lines. New
products designed for Windows 95 are in development and scheduled for
release in the coming months.
On June 28th, Corel officially announced the pricing policy for CorelDRAW
6. CorelDRAW 6 is Corel's first 32-bit Windows 95 offering. It represents
the most comprehensive and complete graphics suite developed to date by
Corel Corporation. The product is on schedule to ship in late August and
it will contain four full-featured software modules and nine utilities,
plus extensive libraries of fonts, clipart images, symbols, 3D models and
photos.
CorelDRAW 6 includes the following software modules:
----------------------------------------------------
CorelDRAW: a comprehensive vector-based drawing application
Corel PHOTO-PAINT: a powerful paint and photo retouching application
CorelDREAM 3D: a 3D modeling and rendering application
Corel PRESENTS: a business and multimedia presentation application
In conjunction with the launch of CorelDRAW 6, we are mailing CorelDRAW
registered users in North America an invitation to attend a FREE seminar
in 28 cities from August 24-31. These events are open to the general
public and we invite you to come and see the exciting features in the new
version. The seminars focus on DRAW 6, Photo- Paint 6, Corel Presents and
CorelDREAM 3D. All seminars take place from 9 am to 12 noon with the
exception of Orange County, California. Corel is giving away free copies
of CorelDRAW 6, Stock Photo Library, CorelFLOW and CD Creator at each
seminar. Approved Service Bureaus and Training Centers will also be in
attendance. For more information on the CorelDRAW 6 Preview Tour call
Corel's Customer Service for the date and location nearest you or you
can request information via the Corel FaxBack System at 613-728-0826,
extension 3080 and request Document #1080. Space is limited, so you must
call to reserve a seat for the city nearest you. To reserve your seat call
613- 728-0826 extension 85095.
Previews of CorelDRAW 6 for the general public are also scheduled for the
United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala
Lumpur, Jakarta, and Bangkok in the end of August.
CorelDRAW 6 will be available exclusively on CD-ROM with a suggested list
price of $695 US. CorelDRAW 3 and CorelDRAW 4 customers can upgrade to
CorelDRAW 6 at a suggested retail price of $425 US for the CD-ROM version.
CorelDRAW 5 customers can upgrade to CorelDRAW 6 for a special upgrade
price of $249 US. To order CorelDRAW 6 please contact your local reseller
or call Corel Customer Service. In North America call 1-800-772-6735.
Comprehensive documentation on CorelDRAW 6 product features will be
available after July 15th. A `white paper' covering the new features in
the product will be posted on our FaxBack System, in the Corel Forum on
CompuServe and through the Internet on CorelNET and on the Corel Home
Page.
In conjunction with the release of CorelDRAW 6, Corel is adjusting its
existing technical support policies. To meet the expected increase in
technical support issues related to Windows 95 and the CorelDRAW 6
product, Corel is expanding its in-house support team. In order to help
customers through the initial learning curve, Corel is offering 90 days of
free support on a toll line from the official release date of the product.
Thereafter, customers will be offered 30 days of free support on a toll
line from the date of their first technical support call. Free support
within the warranty period will be offered directly from Corel's in-house
support department. Extended support beyond the warranty period will be
offered to Corel customers by third party suppliers. Existing support
plans will remain in effect for all other products.
In Europe, Corel Ireland will handle all warranty support calls as per the
above plan. Corel Ireland will also handle post-warranty support along
with Corel Approved Support Partners. Corel is continuing to qualify and
add new Approved Support Partners in all markets world-wide.
Although Corel is not shipping a diskette version of CorelDRAW 6 to
retailers, diskettes will be available to our customers as a special
order. CorelDRAW 6 is the equivalent of 40 diskettes. Customer Service
Centers will handle requests for the diskettes from registered CorelDRAW 6
users who have purchased the CD-ROM version. Users will be required to pay
$149 US as a supplement to the purchase of the CD-ROM version of CorelDRAW
6.
Special corporate site license pricing is set for CorelDRAW 6. The site
licenses are available for both the full retail version and the upgrade.
Ideal for corporate customers, the license pricing model offers discounts
for customers with requirements for 20+, 50+, 100+, or 250+ users. For
more information on license certificates and pricing, please contact
Corel's Corporate Resellers or our Customer Service department.
Corel's CD HOME department is shipping more new exciting multimedia titles
for children this month. Scheduled for release before the end of July are
these 3 new titles - Wild Board Games, Nikolai's Trains, and Blue
Tortoise.
Wild Board Games contains 5 popular children's games for ages 4 to 10. It
also includes fun hot spot animations. Learning how to play chess,
checkers, reversi, snakes and ladders and unscrambling puzzles has never
been this much fun! Play any of these popular board games against a cast
of zany, fully-animated cartoon opponents in a variety o f fun-filled
settings_the attic, the basement, the backyard and the kitchen. In
addition, each room contains exciting activities such as a paint editor,
cake decorator, arcade game, doll maker and a switch puzzle. Wild Board
Games has a suggested list price of $39.95 US and is both Windows 3.1 and
Mac compatible.
Nikolai's Trains is a story of two friends_Nikolai and his toy cat
Neow-Neow. Each colorful page in this fully-interactive CD-ROM has dozens
of enjoyable animations set to a background of music and art. Children
will learn about the solar system, trains, diesel engines, or discover the
ecosystem all within the context of this story designed for children
between the ages of 4 to 8. Nikolai's Trains is an English/Japanese CD-ROM
supporting both Windows 3.1 and Macintosh based systems. The title has a
suggested list price of $39.95 US.
Based on the popular children's book by Alan Rogers, Blue Tortoise is a
fun-filled interactive storybook on CD-ROM featuring colorful pages and
dozens of activities. Designed for children ages 3 to 6, this story
recounts the tale of the Tortoise's race to the picnic. You can have the
narrator read the story out loud to your child in either English or
Spanish. An electronic coloring book is also included which allows
children to color each storybook page. The pages they color can then be
saved and used to create a slide show. Blue Tortoise has a suggested list
price of $39.95 US and supports both Windows 3.1 and Mac compatible
systems.
We're very excited to bring you these new products and we look forward to
your questions and comments. With all of the new products scheduled for
this fall we are planning to visit your area with `Product Showcase'
events in order to meet with you and demonstrate these new technologies.
We encourage you to make arrangements to attend the scheduled events in
your area. Corel Technical Specialists and Support Partners will be on
hand to answer your questions. Watch for mailings and information on-line
regarding these upcoming events.
Thank you for expressing interest in Corel software, please call if you
have additional questions.
Arlen Bartsch
Director, Sales/Marketing
Corel Corporation
Corel is a registered trademark of Corel Corporation. CorelDRAW is a
trademark of Corel Corporation.
____________________________________________
> Arcada Storage STR InfoFile
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Arcada Software
===============
Arcada Software, Inc. develops data protection and storage management
software for multiple desktop and client/server environments, including
those from Microsoft, Inc., Novell, Inc. and IBM. Founded in 1994 by the
merger of the software operations of Conner Peripherals, Inc. and Quest
Development Corporation, Arcada has developed a wide range of popular
backup software products and utilities.
These include the native backup utilities in Windows NT and the DOS and
Windows backup utilities in MS-DOS 6.0 for Microsoft, MaynStream for
Maynard, QICStream for Archive, EZTape for Irwin, PMTape and
EZ-Tape/Dual-Stor products for IBM, and both the DOS and Windows versions
of "The Norton Backup" for Symantec. Arcada now markets its products
worldwide under the Backup Exec and Storage Exec brand names to OEMs,
system integrators, value-added resellers, retailers and large corporate
users. Significant U.S. channel partners include Tech Data, Ingram and
Merisel.
NETWARE PRODUCTS
----------------
Backup Exec for NetWare is designed to meet the data protection needs of
today's diversified Novell NetWare market. Arcada's award winning Backup
Exec family provides comprehensive protection for both stand-alone and
enterprise environments.
Enterprise Edition -- Provides a scaleable, client/server, enterprise-wide
data management solution. The Enterprise Edition enables organizations to
control and monitor data backup operations automatically from a single
NetWare server or DOS/Windows or OS/2 workstation located anywhere on the
network. Includes "Agent Accelerator" which increases the speed of remote
backup up to 300%.
Advanced Autoloader Module -- Provides user-friendly advanced automation
and control for autoloaders and multi-tape drive environments, and extends
the flexibility of autoloaders and multiple drives supported by the
Enterprise Edition.
Single Server Edition -- Delivers server-based data protection for one
NetWare 3.x or 4.x server, and all DOS and Windows Workstations on the
network. It provides a cost-effective solution for comprehensive data
protection of critical server data on smaller networks.
Windows Workstation Edition -- Targets small network users; designed for
environments in which a workstation, rather than a server, controls the
backup and restore functions and the tape drive.
WINDOWS NT PRODUCTS
-------------------
Backup Exec For Windows NT is the premier solution for both stand-alone
and enterprise-wide environments offering true client/server flexibility
and performance.
Enterprise Edition -- Delivers a true 32-bit client/server data storage
and management solution designed for large Windows NT LAN/WAN
environments. The exclusive ExecView monitoring utility allows monitoring
and scheduling of servers and workstations from any console on the
network.
Single Server Edition -- Delivers a true 32-bit client/server data storage
and management solution designed specifically for single server Windows NT
networks. The exclusive ExecView monitoring utility allows monitoring and
scheduling of servers/workstations from any workstation on the network.
Autoloader Module -- Provides random access loader support for Backup Exec
for both Windows NT Single Server and Enterprise Edition, allowing it to
back up larger Windows NT Server networks. Tapes can be divided within a
loader into groups, and tasks directed to specific groups, or all tapes
can be used sequentially for large, unattended backups.
Workstation Edition -- Provides an affordable, yet robust suite of backup
utilities for Windows NT users who do not need Windows NT Server level
backup to protect their data. It is specifically designed to protect
single-user data at the workstation, or to back up data in small
workgroups where Windows NT workstation is configured as a file server.
Agents -- Arcada Software extends enterprise backup capabilities with a
Backup Exec UNIX Agent, and Backup Exec Macintosh Agent. These powerful
modules allow enterprise-wide protection for today's advanced UNIX and
Macintosh environments, with transparent support from Arcada's
award-winning line of the Backup Exec solutions.
Storage Exec for Windows NT Server -- Provides data management tools to
configure, schedule, monitor and control both local and remote data
storage on Windows NT Server networks from a central location. This is the
only enterprise-wide backup solution available for Windows NT Server
networks.
DESKTOP PRODUCTS
----------------
Arcada Software, Inc. offers a suite of advanced desktop products designed
for the OEM marketplace. Arcada's desktop family is the premier OEM
solution because of its ease of use, superior performance, and broad
spectrum of device support.
DOS and Windows -- Provides a full-featured DOS and Windows backup
solutions offering data protection using some of the industry leading tape
drives including Conner, Iomega, Microsolutions and Exabyte.
WARP -- Provides a full-function 32-bit backup solution, offering
drag-and-drop restore simplicity using Arcada's Restore Assistant
technology. This powerful solution is intuitive by design, and offers
complete WorkPlace Shell integration.
STORAGE MIGRATOR
----------------
Storage Migrator is Arcada SoftwareFs solution for the HSM marketplace.
This "second generation" solution allows users to migrate and manage data
from Microsoft Windows NT or Novell NetWare environments from the single
console. Storage Migrator is an add-on module that provides the interface
to allow backup and storage management operations. Storage Migrator helps
to improve network performance, while reducing the overall investment in
previous generation storage management applications.
MARKETS
-------
Arcada markets its products worldwide to OEMs, commercial distributors,
system integrators, value added resellers, retailers and large corporate
end users. Leading tape drive manufacturers, operating system developers
and network server, controller and software providers also are included in
ArcadaFs customer base.
COMPATIBILITY
-------------
Arcada's software products are compatible with most popular autoloaders,
tape drives and controllers.
ALLIANCES
---------
Microsoft Corporation
---------------------
Licensed Arcada's data backup services, tape format and backup engine for
inclusion in Windows NT and Windows 95-- marking the only time Microsoft
has incorporated any tape backup technology as a transparent part of its
operating system software.
Co-developed Storage Exec with Arcada to satisfy Microsoft's internal
needs for centralized management of the backup process for over two
thousand of their Windows NT servers. Arcada supplies the built-in backup
application included in DOS 6.x. Arcada Software was selected to provide
the backup application supporting the Microsoft Network.
Novell, Inc.
------------
Selected Arcada to write a component of its Storage Management Services
(SMS) for NetWare. Arcada produced the first certified backup solution for
NetWare 4.x and SMS, and was the first third party TSA developer.
IBM Corporation
---------------
Licenses PMTape and EZ-Tape/Dual-Stor software products QIC Committee
Arcada's tape format, licensed as the Microsoft Tape Format (MTF), has
been endorsed by the Quarter-Inch Cartridge Drive Standards Committee
(QIC), which includes 40 major tape backup companies responsible for an
installed base of over 98 million tape systems.
AWARDS
------
Arcada backup software products have won many major industry awards for
product excellence, including:
LAN Magazine Product of The Year 1995
PC Magazine Editor's Choice
PC World Best Buy and World Class Awards
InfoWorld Recommended Product Windows Magazine WIN Award
Computer Reseller News Test Center Award
LOCATIONS/EMPLOYEES
-------------------
Arcada operates facilities in Lake Mary, Florida; San Luis Obispo,
California; and Maidenhead, England. More than 200 people -- including
over 100 software engineers -- work for Arcada, making it one of the
largest data management software companies in the industry.
__________________________________________
> WHAT GIVES?? STR Spotlight
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
WILL THE REAL VICTIMS PLEASE STAND UP???
========================================
The Taxpayers stand to get NAILED again!
----------------------------------------
by Ralph F. Mariano
seen in a very recent press release by one of the prominent wire
services..
"The Justice Department recently outlined a theory of a potential
antitrust case it could possibly bring against Microsoft Corp. on
Thursday, but told a federal judge instead, its investigations was still
pending."
If this isn't the exact description of a "Witches Hunting Expedition"
I don't know what is. What is the "DEPARTMENT of INJUSTICE" looking for
now?? Perhaps its not the Dep't of Justice at all but some eager-beaver,
overzealous "Johnny-Come-Lately" trying to impress "Queen" Janet Reno??
Or, is the Queen trying to "save face" after the Weaver Incident in the
Northwest Wilderness and of course, The Horror of the WACO Holocaust??
Enough already with the persecution of Microsoft!! It can never possibly
serve as a diversion.
"Federal prosecutors are investigating Microsoft's plan to include a
program for accessing its Microsoft Network on-line system in the new
Windows 95 software. "The government believes that Microsoft's forced
inclusion of the MSN access software with Win95 might, under certain
facts, violate the antitrust laws, and Microsoft points to no potentially
applicable exemption from those laws," Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne K.
Bingaman said in a filing to a federal judge in New York who Microsoft has
asked to slow the investigation."
The AUSA (Bingaman) ought to ask the VERY SAME QUESTIONS of America
Online (AOL) and a few of the other criers. (So much for fair and
thorough investigations prior to punitive litigation.) They have all been
very busy ramming their program disks down our throats at every turn. I
find the AOL software disks in magazines I buy, in hardware products I
buy, in my mailbox, on almost every CDRom I buy and included in most every
software package I've bought in the last year or so. I simply can't wait
to find AOL disks bundled with my underwear and socks purchases. I guess
Madam AUSA (Bingaman) thinks that all this "market cornering" is ok as
long as Microsoft's name isn't on it . What it really sez folks is that
Bill Gates and Microsoft are a real "target" of the DOJ. As such, this
can only come from the top! Each and every one of us must voice our
DISGUST with this constant hounding, no... dogging of Gates and Microsoft
to our Senators and Congressional Reps. Let them know you are totally
sick and tired of seeing Microsoft being forced into a face off with the
DOJ.
Computer Users and taxpayers alike, Country-Wide are going to be
FORCED to foot the bill incurred not only by the DOJ but that of Microsoft
in defending itself against the overly persecutive efforts of the DOJ.
The taxpayers are taking it TWICE "on the chin" again and again because of
the misguided efforts of BIG Government. Janet "WACO" Reno ought to
receive a "get serious" wake-up call from the White House informing her of
the fact that the monies being blown persecuting Microsoft would be better
spent curbing the run-away drug smuggling and distribution in the USA.
Wouldn't it be great to see the US Government's DOJ save our wives and
children from the effects of the ILLICIT DRUG EPIDEMIC happening now
instead trying to save us from the effects of using computers equipped by
Microsoft. What is WRONG with this picture?
"Details about the latest investigation have surfaced just as Microsoft is
about to begin production and distribution of Win'95, which is due to
appear on store shelves Aug. 24. It is the first major update to Windows
since 1990. Windows runs the basic functions of tens of millions of
personal computers." In the DOJ court filing, Bingaman constantly states
the DOJ hasn't decided whether or not to file against the Redmond, WA based
Microsoft, the world's largest publisher of personal computer software."
With such levels of indecision, its obvious the DOJ will do just about
anything imaginable to slow or impede the march of progress by Microsoft.
Such activity seemingly suits the DOJ and Microsoft's competition just
fine. Sloth-like, slow progress is the government's middle name (Check
out the FDA and the FAA if you doubt this)!! The obvious attempts at
impeding the Windows 95 debut smack of the very things the average
citizens of the USA fought against in two World Wars and in the recently
won Cold War. The DOJ and its zealots are absolutely "OUT OF CONTROL" as
is the ATF and FBI. These FEDERAL Agencies seemingly have forgotten they
are there to SERVE and PROTECT. Not to resent and intimidate the American
Taxpayer.
"Microsoft requested last month, that a federal judge quash a subpoena
issued by the DOJ. The requests by the DOJ contained in the subpoena cost
"millions of dollars" to satisfy and caused a group of 60 lawyers and
their assistants to generate considerable overtime, Microsoft pleaded in a
court filing. PC makers, nationwide, will, this fall, include Win95 on
almost all new PCS for consumers and many new PCS for businesses,
approximately 10 million to 20 million units."
Who, by the way, is going to be ultimately paying the expensive
services of all these people defending Microsoft?? Microsoft cannot be
expected to foot the entire bill themselves as that would equate to being
punished without due process. (This process, by the way, is something the
US Judicial System is becoming famous for!) What happens if the companies
and individuals smaller than say, Bill Gates and/or Microsoft are done the
very same way Gates & Microsoft are being done now?? The process invoked
by the DOJ soon runs the "defendants" out of money. The NET result? The
defendants have been severely and unjustly punished without the benefit of
due process. This is not the American Way or, at least the American Way I
was taught. What has happened to our Country's Government? Its legal
system? Its sense of fair play? Its standards and morals? When was the
last time, in history, that the U.S. Government was accused of Murdering
its own Citizens??
TO WIT: The REAL SHAME ON the U.S.A.
------------------------------------
[A] - The Slaughter of the Weaver Family...
The story has been told in "The New York Times," "The Washington Post" and
"Soldier of Fortune" magazine. Somewhere you've read or heard about the
11-day stakeout that resulted in the death of a 14-year-old boy, a
42-year-old mother, a federal marshal and one yellow Labrador retriever.
It is an American tragedy, one that must be retold until some sense of
truth or justice emerges.
Randy Weaver lived with his wife and four children in a cabin in the
rugged Idaho mountains 40 miles south of the Canadian border. The cabin
had no electricity or running water, but the family survived, as had
generations of pioneers. According to his lawyer, Weaver was "a little
man who wanted to be left alone."
According to the government, he was a heavily armed white supremacist, a
former Green Beret, a member of a cult that believed a Jewish-led
conspiracy controlled the government. He stood convinced that God had
created separate races for a reason, and that the races should remain
separate. Weaver was, said one agent, "extremely irritable, and saw people
plotting against him."
Weaver had every reason to be paranoid. People were plotting against him.
No fewer than three government agencies targeted Randy Weaver!
[B] - Then.. The Unbelievable Horror: Holocaust at WACO
People in Waco describe the Branch Davidian community as a group of
ordinary people and as helpful, friendly, and kind. The Branch Davidian
sect was founded in 1893 as an offshoot of the Seventh-Day Adventist
church. Many of the approximately 130 people in the compound held regular
jobs outside, and the group had been in Waco since 1935. They had built
with their own hands the house that was destroyed in the 1993 fire.
James Scott Trim, a researcher who studied the Branch Davidians for more
than a year and a half, offers this perspective: "They were no threat,
particularly, to anybody. They had been there since the 1930s and
certainly hadn't done any damage to anybody thus far. They weren't a group
of idiots." Various members of the group, he points out, were highly
educated in theology, comparative religion, and law.
In closing this part, these truths are sure fire evidence that the
DOJ, ATF and FBI are indeed operating out of control. While the DOJ
hasn't OK'd snipers, the spraying of the Redmond Campus with machine gun
bullets and incendiary gas devices from helos or the smashing of buildings
with battering ram equipped Tanks.. Its really happening just the same
with all kinds of bizarre legal maneuvers, motions and subpoenas being
used in place of live ammunition. This legal "genocide" must be brought
to a screeching halt.
"Other online services.. like America Online Inc., CompuServe Inc. and
Prodigy Services Co. have complained of unfair advantages for Microsoft.
In its latest court filing, Justice spells out in considerable detail what
a potential antitrust case could look like. "By including the (Microsoft
Network) software with Win95, Microsoft is taking advantage of market
position in operating systems to gain advantage elsewhere," Bingaman
wrote. "Such use of economic power to gain advantage has been a persistent
source of concern" under the Sherman Antitrust Act, a key antitrust law."
Why hasn't the "ever so fair" Justice Department investigated the
practices of these "poor underprivileged" online services?? Such as the
flooding of the entire computing Community with "FREE Software" and FREE
ONLINE TIME." Sort of reminds one of the neighborhood junkie offering the
kids free "hits" just to get them started! Amazing that a similar
practice in hooking the American Consumer is looked upon differently.
What about one online service's CONSTANT demands of exclusivity of those
offering services or user support via their service?? Or, what about the
subtle but forceful practices of all of them when they induce favoritism
for favored manufacturers with impudent disregard for the truth and/or the
consumer?? When the online services "put a bug" in someone's ear about
the free style of the Internet we all saw that government reaction. In
any case, the Internet is going to literally eat the online services
alive. Microsoft is an Arch-Angel when compared to some of these fine
stand-up "Online Services".
"In its initial filing to halt the civil subpoenas, Microsoft said it is
cooperating but called the Justice investigation "abusive." The company
recently won support from Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole, R-Kan., who
cited press reports of the Justice investigation showed the agency was
"overzealous."
Hats off to Dole... (I said that?) Yessir, give credit where credit
is due. Dole took a very bold step in pointing out the bizarre manner in
which the DOJ is now operating. I am inclined to predict he'll experience
some sort of retaliatory actions by the DOJ or one of its sympathetic
inter-agencies before its all over. But for now, Go get 'em Bob! Has
everybody noticed how Newt Gingrich has been effectively "toned down"?
They're still busy investigating him. Desperately trying to find or
possibly contrive something even remotely believable to control him with.
"Industry analysts say Microsoft has to be very close to going to final
production of Windows 95."
How right they are and Windows 95 is a wonderful product that's about
to revolutionize computing in America today. The DOJ's persecution of
Microsoft reminds one of the efforts taken by the ruling classes in
medieval Europe in their futile attempts at preventing the spread of
Gutenberg's Printing Press. The peasants did learn to read and the ruling
classes soon fell from power.
"Bingaman said the department was trying to conduct its investigation in
such a way as "to avoid unnecessary disruption of Microsoft's business
plans or a potentially difficult problem of antitrust remedy. She
referred to a key problem in the government's case: trying to determine
whether Microsoft Network represents a violation before the program is
released."
Bingaman ought to inquire of the many users who have suffered at the
hands of the existing online services. By this its meant the high hourly
rates which now, all of a sudden, are dropping at super sonic speeds! Why
is this happening? Because Microsoft, being on the cutting edge of
progress and offering easily affordable rates has forced reform and common
decency into the marketplace. Microsoft is once again leading the way,
teaching the stoic, old fogies who run the existing online services what
its really all about. People. Microsoft did just this with every one of
its products. They gave the product a solid reason for being and applied
that reason directly to positive growth with the users and future in mind.
Microsoft has literally toasted its competition. Its a given that most of
today's computer users have benefited greatly from Microsoft's activities
and are highly appreciative.
You see, if things were to be left as they were.. one of the current
Online Services would still be busy gouging away with ripoff rates and
poor service. Another would still be permitting their administrators to
abuse the subscribers and businesses online with absolute dictatorial
powers, charging exorbitant daytime rates while offering antique late
seventies/early eighties technology (one service really comes to mind).
The newer services have seemingly been trying everything possible to gain
an "edge" including complaining to the DOJ about things the others are
doing that they too are guilty of but haven't been caught at it yet!
Please folks if you value the use of your computers and desire a
better.. easier way, you owe it to yourselves to phone, telegram, write and
Fax your representatives to stop the injustices. The Department of
Justice and all its armed law enforcement agencies should be in hot
pursuit of the Drug Lords in this country! Not Microsoft. They should
especially be locking up the fine, upstanding members of each and every
community who bankroll the smugglers, runners and dealers without dirtying
their hands. You'd be surprised at just who they are. Maybe you're like
me and are no longer surprised. I'm disgusted to see these horrible
people allowed to continue bankrolling the slimes that continue to poison
generation after generation of American Youth. The youth of today is
America's future, what does that really say now.
Please tell your representatives in the Congress and Senate to demand
that the Department of Justice get its priorities straight and stop this
merciless persecution of Microsoft! Please do it before we are all
victimized once again by ignorant government interference and the obvious
grandstanding and career climbing by certain DOJ lawyers.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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
FARGO PRIMERA PRO COLOR PRINTERS - 600DPI
For a limited time only; If you wish to have a FREE sample printout sent
to you that demonstrates FARGO Primera & Primera Pro SUPERIOR QUALITY
600dpi 24 bit Photo Realistic Color Output, please send a Self Addressed
Stamped Envelope [SASE] (business sized envelope please) to:
STReport's Fargo Printout Offer
P.O. Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32205-6155
Folks, the FARGO Primera Pro has GOT to be the best yet. Its far superior
to the newest of Color Laser Printers selling for more than three times as
much. Its said that ONE Picture is worth a thousand words. Send for this
sample now. Guaranteed you will be amazed at the superb quality. (please,
allow at least a one week turn-around)
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
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
___ ___ _____ _______
/___| /___| /_____| /_______/
/____|/____| /__/|__| /__/
/_____|_____|/__/_|__|/__/
/__/|____/|__|________|__/
/__/ |___/ |__|_/ |__|_/_____
/__/ |__/ |__|/ |__|______/
________________________________________
/_______________________________________/
MAC/APPLE SECTION (II)
======================
John Deegan, Editor (Temp)
> HP 1600c STR InfoFile
"""""""""""""""""""""
HP DESKJET 1600C AND DESKJET 1600CM PRINTERS
INSTALLING POSTSCRIPT (TM) UPGRADE OR ADDITIONAL MEMORY
This document provides basic information on installing
the PostScript card and, optionally, additional memory
for your HP DeskJet 1600C printer.
NOTE: The PostScript board and/or
optional memory may already
have been installed. To
determine if the board is
present and how much memory is
installed, print the self
test.
NOTE: In HP DeskJet 1600C printers
with a firmware of 8.1 and 8.6
the SIMM slots are reversed on
the self-test. The manual and
the printer are correct, but
the self-test is incorrect.
This issue was corrected in
the 9.2 firmware revision.
A minimum of 6 MB of memory is required to use
PostScript printing. The standard printer comes with 4
MB of memory and 2 MB of memory is included on the
PostScript card.
CAUTION: Because the PostScript card
and memory expansion card
contain parts that are easily
damaged by small amounts of
static electricity, you need
to take precautions such as
using grounding devices and
maintaining contact with any
bare metal surface on the
printer while handling the
cards. Handle the cards
carefully at all times. Avoid
touching the card components
or circuit paths. Be sure to
replace the memory expansion
slot cover after installing
the cards to prevent dust from
accumulating inside the
printer.
1. Turn off the printer and remove the power cord.
2. Open the rear panel by pressing the tabs on either
side together with your fingers.
3. Remove the paper plug by squeezing the green ring
towards the thumb rest, and then pulling outward.
4. Using a flat-blade screwdriver, remove the memory
expansion slot cover.
There are three Single In-line Memory Module
(SIMM) slots. As you look at the slots from the
back of the printer, the slot closest to you is
slot 1, followed by slot 2, then slot 3. A memory
SIMM can be installed in any of the three slots.
If your printer is set up for PostScript, slot 3
will have a PostScript SIMM already installed.
While a memory SIMM can be installed in any slot,
a PostScript SIMM can only be installed in slot 3.
NOTE: Beware that printers with a
firmware of less than 9.2 the
slots will read backwards on
the self-test page. That is,
SIMMs installed in slot 1 on
the board will read slot 3 on
the self-test page and visa
versa.
5. Open the memory expansion or PostScript upgrade
kit package that you purchased and remove the SIMM
card.
6. Insert the SIMM card at a 45-degree angle into a
SIMM slot. The notched end must be on the right
side.
7. Rotate the SIMM card to a 90-degree angle
(vertical). Ensure that the card is secured by
the small metal clip at each end.
8. Replace the memory expansion slot cover and
install the two screws to secure the cover.
9. Replace the paper plug, close the rear panel, and
attach the power cord.
10. Turn the printer on and perform the self test.
The self test will determine if the PostScript
card or memory cards have been installed correctly
and print a summary of the memory capacity and
PostScript installation. A PostScript
configuration page will also be printed.
HP FIRST #: 2872, 10-Jul-95, BPD02478
PostScript (TM) is a trademark of Adobe Systems
Incorporated which may be registered in
certain jurisdictions.
Copyright Hewlett-Packard Co. 1995
This information is subject to change without notice and
is provided "as is" with no warranty.
Hewlett-Packard shall not be liable for any direct,
indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages
in connection with the use of this material.
HP DESKJET 1600C AND DESKJET 1600CM PRINTER - SELF TEST PAGE
GENERAL
Energy Star On (default) to save energy during idle time
(requires slightly more time to warm up for first
page to print)
Centronics Speed Fast (default) for newer computers. Standard for
older model computers.
I/O Timeout 5-1800 seconds (15 is default). This is the time
the printer waits for new data from the interface
being used. If no data is received after this
time, the printer will reset to the default
interface.
NOTE: The manual has documented the default I/O
timeout incorrectly.
MEt Usage Shows percentage of total pages that required
Memory Enhancement in order to print the entire
page. For example, if it shows 40%, then 40% of
the total number of pages printed needed to use
MEt. This is an indication that the types of print
jobs you are doing require additional memory to be
installed in the printer. The higher the
percentage, the more likely you should add memory
to your printer to improve performance.
Pages Printed Total number of pages printed by the printer.
Serial Number Permanent record of the serial number located on
the back of your printer.
Firmware Version Records the latest version of firmware installed
in the printer.
PCL 5 Code Rev Records the latest version of the PCL 5 language
code.
TRAYS
Optional Lower Installed or Not Installed. Becomes the default
Tray tray when installed.
Default Tray Records which tray (the printer's paper tray or
the optional 500-sheet paper tray) the printer
will automatically print from.
Tray Lockout Records which tray (the printer's paper tray or
the optional 500-sheet paper tray) will be locked
out when the auto-selected tray runs out of paper.
Auto Select On or Off. Allows printer to use default paper
tray.
Paper Size Letter, A4, or Legal.
Paper Type Plain, Premium, Glossy, or Transparency
HARDWARE
NOTE: Printers with a firmware of 8.1 and
8.6 will show the SIMM slots
reversed on the self-test page.
This was fixed in the 9.2 firmware.
SIMM Slot 1 Will show whether a PostScript, memory SIMM (and
size), or font SIMM is installed in this slot. The
PostScript SIMM can only be installed in this slot.
SIMM Slot 2 Will show what size memory SIMM or font SIMM is
installed in this slot.
SIMM Slot 3 Will show what size memory SIMM or font SIMM is
installed in this slot.
Total RAM Size Total of the printer's resident memory and any
additional memory SlMMs.
4 to 100 megabytes for the HP 1600C printer
6 to 70 megabytes for the HP 1600CM printer
Will show what type of interface card is installed
in your printer.
PAGE DEFAULTS
Typeface Courier. Refer to your on-line HP DeskJet 1600C
Reference Guide for a list of typefaces available.
Pitch 10 cpi (default) or 8, 12, 16.67, 18, and 20.
Symbol Set Roman-8 (default). Refer to your HP DeskJet 1 600C
Reference Guide for a list of symbol sets
available.
Orientation Portrait (default) or Landscape.
Copies 1 (default) - 999.
Lines/Page 5 - 128 (default IS 60).
Page Protection Off - Default setting for normal print jobs.
On. Can be used when you have 8 megabytes or more
of memory installed in the printer. Will ensure
that almost all pages with complex graphics will
be completely printed.
Default Print EconoFast - The default setting for fast
Quality printing. Great for spreadsheets.
Normal - For quality printing on all your print
jobs. (Default)
Presentation - For printing on transparency
film and glossy paper.
Color Mode Color (Default) or Print in Grayscale.
PCL 5 Installed.
PostScript Installed or Not Installed.
Active Language None, PCL 5, or PostScript (if installed). Shows
which is currently active.
Default Language PCL 5 or PostScript (shows which language the
printer will default to if the printer is reset).
Automatic On or Off. (For service use only.)
Language
Context On (default) or Off. Set to Off when using older
Switching PostScript printer software that does not activate
automatic language switching.
Errors Will list printer errors.
HP FIRST #: 2862, 10-Jul-95, BPD02471
Copyright Hewlett-Packard Co. 1995
This information is subject to change without notice and
is provided "as is" with no warranty.
Hewlett-Packard shall not be liable for any direct,
indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages
in connection with the use of this material.
_______________________________________
> BBS Business STR FOCUS! Some very good info here...
"""""""""""""""""""""""
BBS'S BECOME BIG BUSINESS
=========================
by Patricia Pisarski
Recent estimates indicate that there are approximately 75,000 BBSes
worldwide. Although BBSes have been predominately a US phenomena,
entrepreneurs in Canada, Europe, and South America are joining the
online community at a rapid pace. This astonishing growth is all the
more amazing when you consider that the first BBS went online in
February 1978, thanks to two computer techies who wanted to keep in
touch despite Chicago's wickedly cold winters. Ward Christensen and
Randy Seuss became friends through a local computer users group and
together wrote the Computer Bulletin Board System (CBBS) using the newly
introduced Hayes modem. Within a few short years, CBBS become available
commercially and spawned an industry that continues to grow at a record
breaking rate.
Dubbed the "electronic meeting place of the 90's", a typical BBS offers
e-mail, public forum areas, interactive games, megs of shareware and
increasingly, online chat. To broaden their appeal, many BBSes join one
or several "nets", such as Fidonet or RIME, which share message bases
(called "echoes") covering a wide variety of topics similar to the
Newsgroups available on the Internet. The echoes run the gamut from
technical topics, like C++ programming, to hobbies, like aquariums or
collecting comic books. Many echoes are devoted to political, religious
or social issues and offer a lively debate on the most controversial
issues. Even a painfully shy and timid BBSer can often be inspired to
express his or her opinion in no uncertain terms behind the anonymity of
an "alias" or screen name. Whatever issue you are "for", there is bound
to be another BBSer who is "against" and who relishes the opportunity to
tell you just exactly why your opinion is 100% wrong. Frequently, such
messages are punctuated with shorthand, such as "IMHO" (in my humble
opinion) or "LOL" (laughing out loud), or with emoticons such as :( or
;). (For the uninitiated, look sideways to see an unhappy face and a
winking smile.)
Often sysops design their board to meet the needs of a specific special
interest group (or SIG). These boards will cover almost every imaginable
interest or hobby. There are BBSes with a handicapped focus or which are
aimed at airline pilots or nudists. (There may even be a BBS for
handicapped pilots who fly in the nude, but I'm not aware of any.) To
find a BBS aimed at your favorite SIG, you need to track down a
"listkeeper". A BBS listkeeper is a sysop who compiles and maintains a
list of BBSes by topical category and makes the list available for
download. A list of listkeepers is available electronically on some
BBSes and available in print in Boardwatch Magazine. (Call 1-800-933-
6038 for subscription information or send e-mail to
subscriptions@boardwatch.com).
Most sysops start their board as a hobby. Often they begin as avid
"board surfers" and get the bug to operate their own BBS. Most start
out small, with approximately 50% of BBSes operating only one phone
line. Many potential sysops underestimate the time, energy, patience and
devotion (not to mention expense), it takes to run a BBS. Wading through
manuals three feet high isn't very exciting or sexy. After all the
tedious efforts to get a BBS to run smoothly and problem-free, it can be
very discouraging for a new sysop to wait for the (modem) phone to ring.
It may take months and months for a BBS develop a following. A BBS can
quickly turn into a very expensive and time consuming hobby while a
sysop is waiting for his caller base to grow. It's not surprising that
many sysops give up after several months. BBS callers evidence this
disillusionment regularly when they "surf" a local BBS list and hear the
recording of an operator saying "The number you have dialed is no longer
in service."
But, the success stories can be inspiring for the entrepreneur. There
are BBSes that have been in business for over ten years serving millions
of callers and requiring 200+ phone lines. Some, like Exec-PC and the
Well, have expanded to such a national presence that they have almost
outgrown the label BBS and could be more appropriately called a "mini"
online service. The sysops of the biggest and best BBSes realized early
on to treat their BBS as a business with a marketing strategy and well
thought out business plan. They identified who their target market was
and planned accordingly. Statistics (from Boardwatch Magazine, March
'94) show that the average BBS caller is a male between the ages of 20 -
45 with an average age about 36. The online community is still
predominantly male, with female callers only representing 10 - 15% of
BBSers. Despite the popularity of online chat and forum areas, the
majority of callers continue to list their main purpose in calling a BBS
is to download shareware. Since a large percent of BBSers also subscribe
one or more of the major commercial services like CompuServe, Prodigy or
America Online, a business savvy sysop knows that he or she must price
competitively and offer unique value-added services not available
elsewhere.
Recently, businesses have discovered that a BBS is not just for
hobbyists anymore. More and more companies are finding a BBS to be a
cost effective solution for making time-sensitive information easily
available to a geographically disperse group of users. BBSes are quickly
replacing fax broadcasting as a method for disseminating data which
changes daily or even hourly. Professional associations are using BBSes
to electronically publish newsletters and to allow members an open
forum in which to discuss issues and exchange advice. Online
connectivity is rapidly becoming the best answer to quick and efficient
communication within an industry or profession.
The first industry to realize the business potential for a BBS was the
computer industry itself. Hardware and software manufacturers have
started to provide 24 hour customer support using BBSes. A recent
article in PC Today ("Online Customer Support", Oct. '94) concluded that
BBSes benefited both the company and the customer -- "For the
businesses, it's cheaper than fielding calls via toll-free phone lines;
for customers, it's more efficient than waiting on hold." By creating a
file of frequently asked questions (FAQ) accompanied by well written,
clear answers and making it available online, a company can
significantly reduce the number of calls to its customer service
representatives. Public forum areas can result in fewer calls, too. It's
likely that if one customer is having a problem with an aspect of the
company's products, others are too and someone has already posted an
answer in an online forum. Additionally, customers can go online to
download software upgrades, bug fixes, and to search for technical
documentation. With increasing postage rates, a software company can cut
costs by making demos and new product information available online while
making customers happy that they don't need to wait several days for the
information to arrive by mail.
The creative and profitable ways of utilizing a BBS are limited only by
an entrepreneur's imagination. Retail businesses are using BBSes to
accept online orders. Two innovative examples are: Peapod Online which
lets customers shop for groceries 24 hours a day and then schedule
convenient home delivery, and PennyWise, a Maryland based office supply
company, that accepts online orders and guarantees shipment within 24
hours. Auto dealers can now offer online showrooms around the clock.
Imagine being able to search a database of used cars, finding that low-
mileage '91 Olds you've been looking for and being able to see a picture
of it without even leaving your home. Hospitals are using BBSes as a
public service to provide health related information to local
practitioners, pharmacists and the surrounding community. Government
agencies, like the SBA, EPA and IRS, are finding that BBSes are a
convenient way of making information easily accessible to the public.
With phenomenal growth of the online community, a BBS combined with a
creative concept can make a powerful combination for today's
entrepreneur.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Patricia Pisarski is the Vice President of ExpresSearch, Inc. which
designs, implements and operates BBSes for businesses and associations.
Pat can be reached at expresss@aol.com, pisarski@ais.net, CIS 71242,661
or by voice at (708) 304-1048. To logon to the ExpresSearch Demo BBS.
dial (708) 304-9804 by modem, using the logon name "Demo" and password
"Demo".
Copyright 1995 - Patricia Pisarski and ExpresSearch, Inc. All rights
reserved.
**********************************************************************
ATARI/JAG SECTION (III)
=======================
Dana Jacobson, Editor
> From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
A LOT of discussion these days continues to be of the Internet.
For Atari users, this "new" computing highlight has been less than
fully achievable, until now. The only way, until recently, to view the
Web has been text-only while other platform users can view graphics,
etc.
There are currently two Atari WWW browsers available for us to
use. Admittedly, these are still not perfect, but they do seem to work
fairly well according to numerous posts that I've been seeing.
One, DuFTP, was mentioned in one of our past issues recently. The
other, from TAF (Toronto Atari Federation), has started to be posted on
the online services and the Internet. We have a brief synopsis below
of what's included on what's being referred to as "the TAF disks".
In other news, recent rumors about the bankruptcy last year of
Gadgets By Small have renewed. Dave Small, in a post on the Internet,
describes his recent decisions in this regard to do some rumor control.
The weather is almost unbearable, and sitting here in front of all
this computer equipment is not making things any cooler. Do your best
to stay out of the heat and stay cool! Let's wrap this up and get to
all of the good stuff!
Until next time...
> What Happened to Gadgets by Small?! STR InfoFile - Small Speaks Out!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
[Editor's note: The Usenet has had a few questions/theories pertaining
to the recent bankruptcy report by Gadgets by Small. Dave does some
rumor control, below]
From: David Small <dsmall@well.sf.ca.us>
Date: 8 Jul 1995
Responding to: <3tcg3k$dc7@linda.teleport.com>
In article <3tcg3k$dc7@linda.teleport.com>,
Steve Johnson <steve-j@teleport.com> wrote:
>In article <3smqni$7c@qns2.qns.com>, Dan Valega <valega@qns2.qns.com>
wrote:
>
>>What lawsuit was lost by Dave Small ? Please fill me in, I did not know
of any
>>lawsuit. Thanks...... Dan Valega
>
>
>Dave Small refused to pay the bills for some defective PCB boards
>that were made for him and he lost the court case against him for
>doing so. GBS filed for bankruptcy, but Dave's been talking about
>starting a new company. I'm not 100% sure, but I think even Jim
>Allen of Fast Technologies (Turbo-16, Turbo030, etc.) testified
>against Dave Small -- I know they were having rather bitter online
>disputes on GEnie some time ago, anyway.
>
>
But... but ... but ... that ain't what happened!
(I *should* make up a Gadgets FAQ and post it.)
GBS had difficulties with a chip on the SST product from a
supplier. GBA was, after a really significant amount of time, able to
overcome these difficulties. Lawsuits sprung up both ways.
Jim Allen was a paid expert witness for the supplier. He did not
testify, and I'm nearly positive his report was not used at the trial.
We did not have any defective PCB problems! They were fine
quality. (How did THIS rumour get started? Maybe we need
comp.sys.atari.st.rumor.control).
Dave Small as in Dave of Gadgets did all this stuff, not Dave
Small personally. It's an important legal difference.
The trial was an experience, I'll tell you. It taught me a lot
about the legal system, and I think often that trials are used to send
people to jail .... I guess there is no perfect system. It would just
be sour grapes to babble about the proof we had, the case made, etc.
The fact is, the jury didn't vote for us.
Now, the *parts* probably could not have killed Gadgets, even
with the interest from the 2 years of delay the supplier asked for (and
got). However, the *legal bills* for the supplier were substantial. The
numbers Jim Allen gives, and that I saw, differ extremely. So I don't
know, but six digits. Gadgets had no way to pay that, and filed Ch. 7
in November of last year. 'twas the legal bills, folks.
Free Advice: Don't get sued.
More Free Advice: A bad settlement is better than a good trial.
Finally, the Mac Emulator software is owned by me personally,
not by Gadgets. (Spectre and so forth are trademarks of Gadgets; I do
not know their status.) In no way is the emulator dead; it's a spinning
at 3600 RPM downstairs (or whatever speed the HD's use these days).
I've babbled sufficiently about what I'm adding to my software for
release, and talked about the need for beta testing, and beta testers.
Many, many kind people have emailed me (and mailed) and offered to help.
The TT downstairs is starting up off the *SCSI* hard disk
(selectable). While it doesn't (yet) run System 7.1, I know *why* to the
bit, thanks to the Zax. I'd say the floppy-queue thingo in 6.0.5 was
harder to cure than 7.1 may be, but that's knock-on-wood stuff.
I hope this settles down the rumor control. "Got places to go,
and to have been..."
Me, I'm proud of the SST and its manual, and nearly everything
Gadgets did. (That's all written up in the last issue of Current Notes).
Now, if I can just live long enough to come up with a truly
classy, witty .signature line, I'll be in fine shape!
-- thanks, Dave Small / ex-Gadgets by Small VP R&D
______________________________________________
> TAF Atari WWW Browser! STR InfoFile! - TAF Disk Set Available At Hensa
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
From: D.Bhabuta <D.Bhabuta@qmw.ac.uk>
The TAF disk set to install Chimera and X-Windows is now available at
HENSA. Paths at the end of the message:
Graphical web browsing is finally here on the Atari.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
MINT - X Windows - SLIP/PPP - Chimera - Telnet - FTP
Version 1.0 (BETA) 95/04/23
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Requirements:
------------
(1) 4M RAM
(2) 10M (Min) available SEPARATE Hard Disk Partition (other than your
boot partition)
(3) An Internet Service Provider with PPP - SLIP acceptable but
untested.
(3) Mono Graphics mode (ST High, Falcon, TT High)
(4) ST UNZIP Program, TOS/GEM based text-editor (recommend: VI.TTP)
Recommendations:
---------------
(1) 14.4 Modem - Appropriate Modem RTS/CTS patch
(2) A Boot manager (SuberBoot, XBoot, etc.)
(3) Recent version of AHDI. (Tested: 6.061)
(4) Knowledge of UNIX, VI editor: Not essential but useful.
720K Installation Disks
-----------------------
INSTALL.ZIP comes on the first disk in the TAF library (ie. disk #1)
but ends up needing to be copied to your boot partition. Since this is
a download version - you do not need a floppy for this file if you are
downloading directly to your hard disk. If you plan to put this in a
disk library of some sort, please include INSTALL.ZIP and this file
(README.1ST) on a floppy labelled Disk 1.
You will need 6 more floppies labelled Disks 2-7
The following files should be put on the floppies:
Disk 1 - INSTALL.ZIP ; INSTALL.TXT ; README.1ST
Disk 2 - 2a.tgz ; 2b.tgz
Disk 3 - 3.tgz
Disk 4 - 4a.tgz ; 4b.tgz
Disk 5 - 5.tgz
Disk 6 - 6.tgz
Disk 7 - 7a.tgz ; 7b.tgz
1.44M Installation
------------------
For the 1.44M setup you will need 3 floppies labelled Disks 1-3. If you
are making 1.44M distribution disks for a library please include this
file (README.1ST) on Disk 1.
The disks must be set up as follows:
Disk 1 - README.1ST ; INSTALL.TXT ; 2a.tgz ; 2b.tgz ; 3.tgz
Disk 2 - 4a.tgz ; 4b.tgz ; 5.tgz
Disk 3 - 6.tgz ; 7a.tgz ; 7b.tgz ; INSTALL.ZIP
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
After the disks have been set up correctly (this should already be the
case if you got them from a library) print the INSTALL.TXT file on
Disk 1 and read it very carefully before trying to start any
installation.
A complete set of instructions are included in that file.
If you can't find INSTALL.TXT on the disks, it is also included in the
INSTALL.ZIP file.
***NOTE*** x-total.zip is a complete collection of the rest of the
***NOTE*** files in this archive.
File sizes: 3711248, 215076, 329828, 592746, 505069, 155590, 484172,
550261, 254899, 155897, 20963, 441978, 3669
It's online as files
micros/atari/mint/a/a073/x-total.zip
micros/atari/mint/a/a073/2a.tgz
micros/atari/mint/a/a073/2b.tgz
micros/atari/mint/a/a073/3.tgz
micros/atari/mint/a/a073/4a.tgz
micros/atari/mint/a/a073/4b.tgz
micros/atari/mint/a/a073/5.tgz
micros/atari/mint/a/a073/6.tgz
micros/atari/mint/a/a073/7a.tgz
micros/atari/mint/a/a073/7b.tgz
micros/atari/mint/a/a073/install.txt
micros/atari/mint/a/a073/install.zip
micros/atari/mint/a/a073/readme.1st
Download and enjoy. :-)
Danny
--
-/- Pulitzer Material on The Web -/-
A site on the Internet's World Wide Web has been established by
the Columbia Journalism Review for providing the 1995 Pulitzer Prize
winning news stories, photographs and music, as well as explanations of
the judging and biographies of the winners.
According to The Associated Press, the magazine, which has
monitored news media since 1961, aims to expand its Web site to include
material from its monthly publication and a discussion board for people
to talk about journalism.
The site -- which can be reached at Web address
http://www.cjr.org/ -- is the first project of the Center for New
Media, which was recently formed at Columbia University's Graduate
School of Journalism, AP says.
CompuServe members now have access to the Internet's World Wide
Web through the NetLauncher software. Enter GO NETLAUNCHER for details.
-/- Gridlock on the Internet Feared -/-
The Internet's millions of worldwide users now are generating more
than 30 terabytes of information each month -- the equivalent of
30 million 700-page novels -- and the network is feeling the strain,
experts say.
Charles Stancomb of London-based consultancy SRI International has
told Mark John of the Reuter News Service the problem could reach a
critical point in three to five years unless a solution is found, adding,
"It won't come upon us suddenly like a brick wall, but there will be an
ever more noticeable diminution of network speed."
And Vinton Cerf, called by some the "father of the Internet" and
now a senior vice-president at U.S. phone company MCI Communications
Corp., says network congestion now has reached a "dangerous measure."
Quoted by Communications Week International magazine at the annual
meeting of The Internet Society in Honolulu this month, Cerf said this
is all the more worrying because the Internet was still "modest in
capacity."
Says Reuters, "Despite recently-added fiber-optic trunk lines, some
users are already complaining that a slowdown in network speed has meant
it is taking significantly longer to access Internet pages and download
information."
Experts says the attraction of new Internet pages that include
video, audio and high-quality graphics was only adding to the congestion.
"Some of the operators of trunk-lines, such as U.S.-based Sprint
Corp., are already upgrading their Internet links to add greater
capacity, particularly in the U.S. market where Internet use is
greatest," Reuters says, "but some net-watchers fear a long-term
solution may be found in making users pay for the Internet."
Dataquest analyst John Lilley says, "The big issue among telecoms
operators is that Internet traffic could create bottlenecks (on their
networks). That is usually followed by the argument for a two-tier
Internet."
Reuters says such a system -- under which some users pay a fee to
guarantee a certain standard of network access -- "would run in the face
of the current egalitarian culture of the Internet."
-/- Study Examines PC Brand Loyalty -/-
A new study from Computer Intelligence InfoCorp of La Jolla,
California, shows that Apple Computer Inc.'s Macintosh systems and PCs
from Gateway 2000 Inc. led the PC industry in repeat purchase or brand
"loyalty" ratings during 1994.
The third through fifth brand loyalty spots were held by Compaq
Computer Corp., Dell Computer and Hewlett-Packard Co., according to the
CII study.
The study also found that respondents who purchased PCs for personal
home use generally exhibit lower brand loyalty than individuals who work
on employer-provided machines. The differences, according to CII, are
attributable mainly to price sensitivities among home PC users, who are
using their own, rather than company funds, and the fact that home users
do not need to go through the purchase approval cycles inherent in many
companies.
"As the PC industry transforms itself into more of a mass-market
business, PC brand loyalty is becoming a crucial measure of company
success," says David Tremblay, CII's senior PC analyst. "The customer
mix is gradually changing from primarily first-time buyers to replacement
buyers. The most successful PC companies will figure out ways to leverage
brand loyalty to capture repeat business."
-/- Online Comics Service Planned -/-
Byron Preiss Multimedia Co. Inc. has hired comic book editor Danny
Fingeroth to head a new online service dedicated to comics.
Most recently group editor of Marvel Comics' Spider-Man division,
Fingeroth has joined Byron Preiss as director of the New York-based
company's Virtual Comics division. The unit plans to develop new comics,
characters and interactive graphic storytelling techniques in on-line
form.
According to Byron Preiss, Fingeroth has worked as an editor and
writer on such characters and titles as the X-Men, Darkhawk, Man-Thing,
Star Trek and Star Wars, as well as the character he is most closely
identified with, The Amazing Spider-Man.
-/- Congress Acts on Flag Amendment -/-
Only a week before the Fourth of July independence celebrations,
the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.J. Res. 79, designed to
protect, by Constitutional amendment, the national flag from acts of
desecration. If adopted by the Senate in a companion bill -- S.J. Res. 31,
and then ratified by the states, a 28th Amendment would become part of
the Constitution: "The Congress and the States shall have the power to
prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States."
Members of CompuServe's Legal Forum are discussing the many ramifications
of the "flag" amendment.
Sidney Schweiger says, "The irony here is that one of the nation's
symbols is being elevated to a higher place in our society than one of
its founding principles...if we give up this liberty now, we will never
have it again, and every special-interest group with an ax to grind will
be clamoring for its own amendment. Before long, the First Amendment
will cease to exist."
William Marvin notes, "I suspect that if this amendment does go
through, we will have a little mini-industry for us lawyers, trying to
write statutes which will define 'physical desecration.' Inevitably, the
definition will have to include some element of intent, which will, in
turn, relate to the expressive purpose of the person doing the burning,
which will violate the principles of free speech."
Cortland Richmond says, "Objectionable conduct is a price we pay
for liberty, and we would be well advised to keep on paying it."
The proposed amendment and its consequences will be a much-discussed
issue in the weeks ahead. To offer your interpretation, GO LAWSIG,
Section 0, "General Interest," "Flag Burning Amend." and related threads.
____________________________________________
JAGUAR SECTION
==============
Flip-Out! Battlesphere! CATnips!
Jaguar Gamer's Guide! CD Pack-Ins!
White Men Can't Jump! Postcards!
CatBox Review! And Much More!!
> From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
A lot of news this week - I have no idea where to begin with this
week's editorial. There are games in production as we speak - expect
to see White Men Can't Jump next, shortly. Flip Out! should follow
fairly closely.
There has been a lot of speculation as to what the JaguarCD pack-
in games might be. The latest word, and reportedly the final, is that
the JaguarCD will include VidGrid, Blue Lightning, and the Tempest 2000
Audio CD. These titles are coming directly from Atari, so I believe
that we can count on it.
We have the first of two reviews on the CatBox in this week's
issue. These were going to appear earlier, but we wanted to do these
reviews well, so we were thorough. We hope that you enjoy Joe
Mirando's review this week - look for Dom Fontana's review shortly.
As I mentioned at the top, we have a lot of info for you this
week, so let's get to it!
Until next time...
> Jaguar Catalog STR InfoFile - What's currently available, what's
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" coming out.
Current Available Titles ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CAT # TITLE MSRP DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER
J9000 Cybermorph $59.99 Atari Corp.
J9006 Evolution:Dino Dudes $29.99 Atari Corp.
J9005 Raiden $29.99 FABTEK, Inc/Atari Corp.
J9001 Trevor McFur/
Crescent Galaxy $29.99 Atari Corp.
J9010 Tempest 2000 $59.95 Llamasoft/Atari Corp.
J9028 Wolfenstein 3D $69.95 id/Atari Corp.
JA100 Brutal Sports FtBall $69.95 Telegames
J9008 Alien vs. Predator $69.99 Rebellion/Atari Corp.
J9029 Doom $69.99 id/Atari Corp.
J9036 Dragon: Bruce Lee $39.99 Atari Corp.
J9003 Club Drive $59.99 Atari Corp.
J9007 Checkered Flag $39.99 Atari Corp.
J9012 Kasumi Ninja $69.99 Atari Corp.
J9042 Zool 2 $59.99 Atari Corp
J9020 Bubsy $49.99 Atari Corp
J9026 Iron Soldier $59.99 Atari Corp
J9060 Val D'Isere Skiing $59.99 Atari Corp.
Cannon Fodder $69.99 Virgin/C-West
Syndicate $69.99 Ocean
Troy Aikman Ftball $69.99 Williams
Theme Park $69.99 Ocean
Sensible Soccer Telegames
Double Dragon V $59.99 Williams
J9009E Hover Strike $59.99 Atari Corp.
J0144E Pinball Fantasies $59.99 C-West
J9052E Super Burnout $59.99 Atari
Available Soon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CAT # TITLE MSRP DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER
White Men Can't Jump TBD Atari
Flip-Out TBD Atari
Air Cars TBD MidNite Entertainment
Fight For Life TBD Atari
Flashback TBD U.S. Gold
Power Drive Rally TBD TWI
Rayman TBD UBI Soft
Ultra Vortek TBD Atari
Jaguar CD-ROM $149.99 Atari
Hardware and Peripherals ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CAT # TITLE MSRP MANUFACTURER
J8001 Jaguar (complete) $189.99 Atari Corp.
J8001 Jaguar (no cart) $159.99 Atari Corp.
J8904 Composite Cable $19.95
J8901 Controller/Joypad $24.95 Atari Corp.
J8905 S-Video Cable $19.95
CatBox $69.95 ICD
>Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
>Jaguar Developers STR InfoFile - Current Developer Lists & Titles
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Game Title Date Game Type MSRP Publisher
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Air Cars 7/95 Racing/Combat $59.99 MidNite Ent.
Alien vs Predator NOW Role Play/Adventure $69.99 Atari
Alien vs Predator CD 2/96 Role Play/Adventure TBD Atari
Arena Football 10/95 Sports TBD V Reel
Assault 2Q/95 Action/Combat $59.99 MidNite Ent.
Atari Kart 11/95 TBD TBD Atari
Att. of Mut. Penguins 10/95 Arcade TBD Atari
Baldies (CD) 9/95 Action/Simulation TBD Atari
Batman Forever (CD) 4/96 Action/Adventure TBD Atari
Battlemorph (CD) 9/95 Flying/Action $59.99 Atari
Battlesphere 9/95 Space/Combat TBD 4-Play
Battlestar 11/95 Space/Combat TBD ?
Battle Wheels 2Q/95 Racing/Combat TBD Beyond Games
Black ICE/White Noise 12/95 Action/Adventure TBD Atari
Blue Lightning (CD) 8/95 Flying/Action $59.99 Atari
Braindead 13 (CD) 10/95 Action/Adventure TBD ReadySoft
Breakout 2000 11/95 Puzzle TBD Atari
Brett Hull Hockey (CD) 11/95 Sports TBD Atari
Brutal Sports Football NOW Sports/Combat $69.99 Telegames
Bubsy NOW Action/Adventure $49.99 Atari
Cannon Fodder NOW Action/Adventure $69.99 Virgin
Chas Barkley Basketball 9/95 Sports TBD Atari
Checkered Flag NOW Racing $69.99 Atari
Club Drive NOW Racing $59.99 Atari
Commando (CD) 11/95 Action (3D) TBD Atari
Commander Blood (CD) 11/95 RPG TBD Atari
Creature Shock (CD) 8/95 Adventure/Sci-Fi TBD Atari/Virgin
Cybermorph NOW Flying/Action $59.99 Atari
Dactyl Joust 11/95 Action TBD Atari
Dante (CD) 6/96 Action TBD Atari
Deathwatch 11/95 Arcade TBD Atari
Defender 2000 10/95 Arcade TBD Atari
Demolition Man (CD) 9/95 Action/Combat $59.99 Atari
Doom NOW Action/Combat $69.99 Atari
Double Dragon V NOW Action/Adventure $59.99 Williams
Dragon:Bruce Lee Story NOW Combat $59.99 Atari
Dragon's Lair (CD) 8/95 Adventure TBD Ready Soft
Dragon's Lair 2 (CD) 10/95 Adventure TBD ReadySoft
Dreadnought (CD) 2Q/95 Adventure TBD Atari
Dune Racer (CD) 1/96 Racing TBD Atari
Dungeon Depths 2Q/95 Action/Adventure $59.99 MidNite Ent.
Evolution: Dino Dudes NOW Puzzle/Adventure $49.99 Atari
Fight For Life 7/95 Combat TBD Atari
Flashback 7/95 Action/Adventure TBD US Gold
Flip-Out 8/95 Puzzle TBD Atari
Formula Racing (CD) 12/95 Racing TBD Atari
Frank Thomas Baseball 4/96 Sports TBD Atari
Hardball Baseball 2Q/95 Sports TBD Atari
Highlander I (CD) 11/95 Action/Adventure $59.99 Atari
Highlander II (CD) 2/96 Action/Adventure TBD Atari
Highlander III (CD) 4/96 Action/Adventure TBD Atari
Horrorscope 2Q/95 Combat TBD V Reel
Hover Strike NOW Action/Combat $59.99 Atari
Hover Strike CD 9/95 Action/Combat TBD Atari
Hyper Force TBA ? TBD Comp. West
Ironman/XO-Manowar 4/96 Action TBD Atari
Iron Soldier NOW Action/Strategy $59.99 Atari
Iron Soldier II (CD) 1/96 Action/Strategy TBD Atari
Jack Nicklaus Golf(CD) 2Q/95 Sports TBD Atari
Kasumi Ninja NOW Combat $69.99 Atari
Magic Carpet (CD) 12/95 Action/RPG TBD Atari
Max Force 9/95 Action TBD Atari
Mindripper (CD) 2/96 Adventure TBD Atari
Mortal Kombat 3 4/96 Fighting TBD Atari
Myst (CD) 8/95 Interactive Novel TBD Atari
NBA Jam T.E. 12/95 Sports TBD Atari
Phase Zero 10/95 Action/Arcade TBD Atari
Pinball Fantasies NOW Arcade $59.95 Comp. West
Pitfall 9/95 Arcade TBD Activision
Power Drive Rally 8/95 Driving TBD TWI
Primal Rage (CD) 12/95 Fighting TBD TWI
Rage Rally 2Q/95 Racing TBD Atari
Raiden NOW Action/Adventure $49.99 Atari
Rayman 8/95 Action/Adventure TBD UBI Soft
Redemption (CD) 11/95 Action/Adventure TBD Atari
Rise of the Robots (CD)11/95 Action/Arcade TBD TWI
Robinson's Requiem (CD) 9/95 Adventure TBD Atari
Rocky Horror Inter.(CD) 4/96 Adventure TBD Atari
Ruiner Pinball 9/95 Arcade TBD Atari
Sensible Soccer NOW Sports Telegames
Sky Hammer (CD) 12/95 Flying/Action TBD Atari
Soccer Kid 2Q/95 Sports TBD Ocean
Soul Star (CD) 9/95 Action/Sci-Fi TBD Atari
Space Ace (CD) 9/95 Space/Combat TBD ReadySoft
Space War 9/95 Action/Adventure $59.99 Atari
Starlight BowlaRama CD 10/95 Simulation/Sports TBD Atari
Star Raiders 2Q/95 Space Simulation TBD Atari
Sudden Impact 12/95 Action TBD Atari
Super Burnout NOW Racing $59.99 Atari
Supercross 3D 9/95 Sports TBD Atari
Syndicate NOW Simulation $69.99 Ocean
Tempest 2000 NOW Action/Adventure $59.99 Atari
Thea Relm Fighters (CD)10/95 Action/Fighting TBD Atari
Theme Park NOW Simulation $69.99 Ocean
Tiny Toon Adventures 2Q/95 Action/Adventure $59.99 Atari
Trevor McFur NOW Action/Adventure $49.99 Atari
Troy Aikman NFL Ftball NOW Sports $69.99 Williams
Ultimate Brain Games 2Q/95 Puzzle TBD Telegames
Ultra Vortek 7/95 Action/Adventure $69.99 Beyond Games
Val D'Isere Skiing... NOW Sports $59.99 Atari
Varuna's Forces (CD) 11/95 Action/Adventure TBD Atari
VidGrid (CD) 8/95 Puzzle/Music Video TBD Atari
Wayne Gretzky NHL (CD) 12/95 Sports TBD TWI
White Men Can't Jump 7/95 Sports (w/Team Tap) $69.99 TriMark
Wolfenstein 3D NOW Combat/Action $59.99 Atari
Zool2 NOW Action/Adventure $59.99 Atari
[Editor's note: Titles, scheduled release dates, and prices are
verified from Atari - all subject to change]
______________________________________
> CAT BOX STR Review STReport Rating: EXCELLENT
""""""""""""""""""
Black Cat Design's Cat Box
Audio/Video/Communications for the Jaguar
Review by Joe Mirando
I remember back when I was a youngster and a few of my brothers and
sisters (I have three of each) decided to adopt a stray cat that had been
hanging around neighborhood. My father finally gave in with one
proviso: NO CAT BOXES!
After having friends and relatives with cats (and cat boxes) I
understand my father's objections: They are unsightly, they require
constant attention, and can be a health hazard.
Along came Atari's Jaguar, the first (and so far only) 64 bit video
game system. The Jaguar represents a quantum leap in video gaming. If
you want to use the Jaguar with a monitor other than your television,
Atari has provided a fairly easy means of hooking the Jaguar up to
monitors and stereo equipment. Atari sells adaptor cables for
composite and S-video monitors. These adaptors attach to the Jaguar at
its A/V connector and end in the connectors necessary for the
particular monitor you have chosen. They also include audio connectors
for you to attach to an amplifier or stereo system.
My problem was that I have two monitors that I use routinely with the
Jaguar. Most of the time I use a Teknika composite monitor which has
only monaural sound, but sometimes (when my wife lets me) I use the
Jaguar with our 27 inch RCA television which supports the S-video
standard and stereo sound. There is one problem with either of these:
My wife gets a bit annoyed with the sound level that I prefer when I'm
playing certain games (Doom and Alien vs Predator). Aside from that is
the fact that I needed to purchase two different adaptors. While the
price for these adaptor cables in not what anyone would call excessive,
I still had to buy two of them. And if Atari ever releases their
networking adaptor, that will be one more adaptor to buy.
Along come the folks at Black Cat Design with their offering, the
Cat Box. The Cat Box measures 6 1/8 inches wide by 2 3/4 inches long
by 1 3/8 inches high and attaches to the Jaguar via the DSP and A/V
connectors at the back of the unit and sits between the power adaptor
connector and RF output.
But what does the Cat Box do? In short, it provides audio, video, and
communications options all in one small package. All "adaptation" is
done inside the Cat Box, so all that is required is the correct cable.
Since the "front" of the Cat Box is where it connects to the Jaguar,
let's take a look at the back of the unit.
The Cat Box is loaded with connectors. On the leftmost side is the DSP
(Digital Signal Processor) connector. This is where the Jaguar CDROM
player will connect. When (and if) the Jaguar Voice Modem is released,
this is where the Cat Box user will connect it.
From here on out the connectors are "stacked" in two rows. The top row
begins with the CatNet connectors. CatNet is a networking system
devised by Black Cat Designs and follows the RS485 protocol (whatever
that is) and provides "dual-differential" communications via 4 or 6
strand telephone cable and the standard RJ11 jacks. I assume that
this refers to the fact that CatNet is not hindered by the
two-player-limit as is the RS232 (standard serial) networking mode.
Using CatNet, games can be played by up to 32 people at the same time.
According to Black Cat Design, cable lengths of up to 1,000 feet have
been successfully used with CatNet, although cables of 100 feet and less
are recommended between Jaguars. The down-side of CatNet (as with all
communications modes for the Jaguar) is that the game must support the
ability to communicate over this particular network.
Next is a three position toggle switch. This controls which networking
method will be used. The "up" position tells the Cat Box to use the
CatNet network, the "center" position tells it to use the DSP
passthrough connector, and "down" tells it to use the RS232 (serial)
port (more on serial in a little bit).
After the toggle switch is the volume knob which controls the volume to
the two 3.5mm headphone jacks. Yes, that's right. There are two of 'em
and they are right next to the volume knob. Why two headphone jacks?
It took me a few moments to figure this one out too. It's because some
games support two players on the same Jaguar (hence the two joypad ports
on the front of the Jaguar). Low noise amplification makes using
headphones quite an experience. When you "plug in" to either of these
ports sound is disabled on all other outputs.
Next to the DSP connector on the lower row is the RS232 communications
port. This is a standard 9 pin DIN male connector. I'm not sure of
what the maximum baud rate is for the RS232 port, but I can tell you
that while playing DOOM (one of the two games currently available that
support networking) there was very little slow-down and most of the time
it was easy to forget that the "bad guy" was playing on another Jaguar.
The only drawback with playing DOOM in the network modes is that you
will get network errors. From what I've been told, this is due to the
speed at which data is transferred and the code contained within the
DOOM cartridge's inability to keep up with it. The RS232 port does not
support hardware handshaking and fixes DTR on. This is important only
to developers, since things of that nature are "hard-wired" into the
games themselves and are not options that users can change.
Next come the stereo RCA 600 ohm jacks. As one would expect, the audio
quality is quite good. By using only the left jack (white), all sound
is passed to it, thereby providing those using monaural systems with
the full range of sounds instead of just the left channel.
Next to the stereo jacks is the S-Video connector. S-Video is used on
many high-end televisions and monitors and combines in one 4 pin
"mini-DIN" connector what some Atari 8-bit users used to call "Chroma"
and "Luminance". S-Video provides excellent video quality. If you
don't have an RGB monitor, but do have an S-Video monitor or television,
this is the way to go.
Next to the S-Video jack is the RGB port, a female 9 pin DIN port. It
supports analog RGB monitors with a horizontal sync rate of 15.75 KHz.
These are the monitors used by the Amiga and Atari ST computers. They
are usually known as simply "RGB monitors". Analog RGB monitors are no
longer the standard since the VGA standard surpassed their quality with
a H-Sync rate of 31.5 KHz. The Atari SCXXXX series of monitors are
considered the by many to be the "Cat's Meow" in Jaguar/Cat Box video
output. Since few, if any, monitor manufacturers used the same pinout
scheme, you must have a monitor-specific adaptor to use an RGB monitor.
They are available from Black Cat Design and Jaguar dealers for about
$15.00, or can be made to order. The pinouts from the Cat Box RGB port
are as follows:
1 Red
2 Green
3 Blue
4 Horizontal Sync
5 Vertical Sync/Composite Sync
6 Ground
7 Ground
8 Ground
9 Mono Audio/NC
Inside the Cat Box is a jumper that may need to be changed depending on
whether your monitor uses vertical sync or composite (or combined) sync.
This will not void the warranty, since the Cat Box is made to be opened
up. The only other jumper inside the Cat Box will enable or disable
(enable is the default) the audio to an RGB monitor. You may never
need to open the Cat Box, but you can if the need arises. One last
thought on RGB: Most Atari SC1224 monitors are quite dark when used
with the Cat Box. This is the fault of the monitors, not the Cat Box.
Most of the monitors that appear too dark can be adjusted. Some
provide a means of doing this without having to remove the case, others
do not. If your SC1224 doesn't have an external brightness control and
you are not electronically adept, simply bring the monitor to a computer
or television repair shop. It's much easier than trying to dissipate
all that excess voltage flowing through your body <grin>.
The last stop on our tour is the composite video port. This port
provides the expected composite video signal used in many televisions
and VCRs. This video option is the "lowest" quality available through
the Cat Box, but is far and away better than the standard RF output
available through the Jaguar.
One interesting point is that all of the video ports may be used
simultaneously, providing the ability to either compare monitor quality,
or keep large numbers of interested bystanders from all crowding around
one monitor.
The Cat Box, as shown at several Atari shows, was housed in a dark gray
plastic case that complimented the Jaguar's case. Due to hold-ups in
manufacturing, Black Cat Design decided to release the first batch of
Cat Boxes in a case of brushed stainless steel. This makes for an
impressive sight and avoids the ever-present problem that plastic has
with scratches, scuffs, warping and melting (if you get this baby hot
enough to melt the steel case, then you've got bigger problems than
replacing the Cat Box).
There is only one area in which I am disappointed in the Cat Box: The
connection with the Jaguar itself. It is tenuous at best. Bumping or
moving either the Jaguar or the Cat Box can cause them to break contact.
It is best to put the Jag/Cat Box combination in the place that you
intend it to occupy and leave it there. It's not that installation is
difficult or time consuming; you just plug the Cat Box back into the
rear of the Jaguar, but removing electronic devices while powered up
can cause frustration at least, and damage to either the Jaguar or Cat
Box at worst.
This is a fairly minor concern since the Jaguar normally remains
stationary while it is in use, but I thought that it was worth
mentioning.
The feature of the Cat Box deemed "cute" by my wife is the eyes of the
cat pictured on the case. The eyes are actually red LEDs that light up
to show that the Cat Box is being powered by the Jaguar (there is no
adaptor or power cord necessary for the Cat Box). They also blink when
data is being transferred over one of the network systems. The left
"eye" blinks while your Jaguar is transmitting data, the right blinks
when receiving.
What sold me on the Cat Box was not the multitude of audio, video, and
networking options, but the attitude of one of the vendors now selling
the Cat Box. The Cat Box has suffered many delays and, at times, it
seemed that we would never see it come to market. This particular
vendor has always been candid with me (for which I am thankful). At
one point, he told me that he didn't think that the Cat Box would ever
be able to do everything that it was supposed to do. He figured that
that might have been the reason for the delays. Then, one day shortly
after the release of the Cat Box, he called me while still in a
euphoric haze. "This thing is INCREDIBLE!" he screamed. "You
wouldn't believe the sound from the headphones!", "It looks great on
my Atari monitor!", "The stainless steel case is AWESOME!", "The
electronic design is clean." and many other glowing affirmations made
me decide to get one at my earliest convenience (the following day).
I've got only one more thing to say:
Hey Dad, how 'bout THIS Cat Box? <grin>
Product : Cat Box
Available: Now
Developer: Black Cat Design
Type : Peripheral
MSRP : (Cat Box) $69.95 (Analog RGB adaptors) $9.95 - $19.95
Rating : Excellent
________________________________________
> Jaguar Online STR InfoFile Online Users Growl & Purr!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
On CompuServe, from Atari's Laury Scott:
Super Burn Out is now in stores and White Men Can't Jump will be the
next release end July/early August. The next cartridge after that will
be Flip Out which will be out 10-15 August.
-Laury
Sb: Flip Out In Production
Fm: Laury Scott [ATARI] 75300,2631
To: All
I just wanted to let you all know that Flip Out has arrived on my desk.
It should hit store shelves about 10-15 August but the exact date will be
set by our Marketing group.
Flip Out is a very nice puzzle game. Players in our focus groups likened
it to Tetris. It is a little difficult to describe but a lot of fun to
play. I have brought a version home with me this weekend and will try to
get some time in playing it. I did test an earlier version and enjoyed
playing it. I'll post some comments after I get a few hours in on it.
My real problem is that I am nearly done playing Blue Lighting and am
stuck on level 23 in Power Drive Rally. I'd like to get through Blue
Lightning this weekend...I'd really like to get past level 23...
I know it is a tough job but someone has to do it... ;-)
-Laury
Regarding the scheduled pack-ins for the JaguarCD:
Sb: #85257-Rayman Delayed!
Fm: Laury Scott [ATARI] 75300,2631
To: Dana P. Jacobson 71051,3327
>>Is the final word on the JagCD pack-ins VidGrid, Blue Lightning and
Tempest Audio CD? Or, is that how it stands at the moment?<<
Unless some marketing dweeb (are you reading this Ron) changes things
on me in the next couple of days that is definite. <G>
-Laury
Sb: Battle Sphere Update!
Fm: Larry Tipton 74127,601
To: All
Here's a bit a information that I picked up off the 'net. Enjoy!
-lt :)
Subject: Oh No! Good jaguar news!
From: legrand@localhostmbi.ucla.edu (Scott Le Grand)
I apologize in advance for bringing some good news to this jag-bashing
group, but, unfortunately, I feel I must post that the defensive AI in
Battle Sphere is up and running... Some ships are sitting ducks...
Some ships we have yet to kill because they twist, weave, bob, turn,
and accelerate like mad...
No one is going to accuse us of having wimpy stupid robot pilots
(unless of course they play on baby level)...
I figure you guys out there that were bitching that the lasers were too
long range are going to thank god they fire as far as they do now :-)
although trying to hit people out that far is an exercise in futility
against an ace pilot...
Even the authors so far have not been able to kill certain ships and
that leaves us PUHLENTY of room to fine tune playability...
Tonight it's onward to adding offensive AI and then fine tuning and
mixing the two behaviors...
In case anyone out there is wondering what I'm modelling this on, the
technique is call subsumption architecture and it was designed by an
MIT professor named Rodney Brooks for robotics applications... There
will be 4 base behaviors and a hierarchy of decisions based on orders
given to each ship that determines which one they use and for how long...
Scott
Coming Soon: FlipOut!
From: Brian J. Geiger <cerebus@packet.net>
For everyone who's been complaining about lack of originality in game
play and a lack of quality games for the Jaguar, in mid August (so we
were told) will be FlipOut!
What isn't FlipOut!?
FlipOut! isn't a fighter. It isn't a scrolling platform game. It isn't
a simulator. It isn't an immersion game. It isn't a Tetris rip-off.
It isn't an RPG. It isn't a shoot-'em-up. It isn't gouraud shaded
polygons. It isn't a port of an Amiga game done completely in Motorola
assembly. It's not based off of a TV show or comic book. It's not not
a text adventure. It's not a vehicle racing game.
So what is it?
It is a puzzle game. It's fun, it's addictive, it's new. It's the
most you can possibly fit into a 2 meg cartridge without involving human
sacrifice. It uses all of the Jag's processors. It appeals to all age
groups. The graphics are all computer rendered (not digitized clay
figures), it's in a 3D perspective, and it'll be reviewed in magazines
next month. It has Easter Island. It has a great manual (unless the
Atari editors butchered it, I'm kind of afraid to ask). It has more
sprites than you can shake a stick at. It has magic, adventure,
intrigue, romance (okay, okay, no romance, very little intrigue, only a
little real adventure (if you could call it that)). It's PAL friendly.
It has a cool company logo animation. It's finished and being produced.
It has tons of music and sfx. It has aliens. It has tiles. It has
royalty. Most of all, it has the Great Tile Flipping Festival.
Now all we have to do is see if people like it.
From the geniuses and overwhelming modesty at Gorilla Systems Corporation.
------Brian J. Geiger-------------------Millionaire Philanthropist------
As a mad scientist, I work with chemicals that threaten the world on a
global scale daily. And, yes, sometimes they spill.
------------------------cerebus@pobox.com-------------------------------
CATnips... Jaguar tidbits from Don Thomas (95.07.07)
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
I am still hearing great things on "Pinball Fantasies" from Jaguar
devotees such as Randy Magruder who tells me:
"Don, ... I have given Pinball a serious look, as has my
wife and a couple of friends, and its a clear winner....
I'm going to write a really good review for it in
Vidgam..."
For the race/sports/action/multiplayer enthusiast, the word is out on
"Super Burnout". Here's what one CATscan member thinks:
>Message: = Open Discussion = (combined multiple posts)
>Sent By: Brian Mccleary - Loyal Jaguarian
>Subject: Super Burnout
Just played it and it is awesome, I think the best word
to describe this game is "Smooth"! Totally cool racing
game, with plenty of options!
It's been available since Friday, and it gets better
every time I play!
Last year I waited a long time for a game called "Suzuka
8 Hours" for the SNES, when I got it I was very
disappointed..... Ahh Super Burnout is better than any
"Motorcycle" game I've played and yes, I think it has
plenty of options!!!
**** 1/2 Stars, that's how I rate it and I played a
"Finished" Version, so forget "Video Games" magazine.
Plenty of options.
Here's what an Internet User thinks of Super Burnout...
>From: JSMcKay@aol.com
>To: Multiple recipients of list <jaguar@bucknell.edu>
>Subject: "SBO" -or- "Ohhh BS"? A review.
Well, I got SBO today and, after an hour or so of
playing, here's my thoughts on the game - do with them
what you will.
Graphics
------------------
Extremely fast graphics engine with super-smooth scaling.
Very bright colors throughout the game - the use of more
colors for shading effects would have improved the
overall graphics, though. The bikes were very detailed;
again, more colors (?) and shading would've improved the
detail of the riders. Regarding the roadside graphics -
they looked good from what I could tell - they went by
WAY too fast for me to really critique them. <g>
Sound
-----------------
Music is great - different songs for each track,
beginning of the game, after each race, and at the end of
the game. Although at times the songs seemed very
similar, you usually won't notice - you'll be too focused
on avoiding from flying off your bike at 145 m.p.h.! I
particularly like the music after each race - cool
electric guitar.
Control
-----------------
Perfect. What else can I say? Seriously, YOU turn, the
bike turns instantaneously. Sometimes the game's moving
so fast that it almost seems your bike is turning before
you tell it to - it's that spot on. Because the game
moves so fast, though, using a manual transmission can be
somewhat wieldy - using the finger buttons on the new
controller (yes SBO supports the new controller when it
comes out) should make shifting easier.
Fun Factor
-----------------
Can you say sweat-drippin', white-knuckled,
heart-pounding, screaming fun? I thought you could. I'm
not even a racing game fan, but I think this one's a
keeper for me. I have to pause after every lap or so to
wipe the sweat off my hands and controller so I can
continue, and my thumb starts hurting from steering after
about five minutes. As far as replay value is concerned,
you've got 8 tracks, 6 bikes, and 4 play modes to choose
from - that's 192 different combinations (correct me if
my stats are wrong) !!!!! All the mags and Jag-bashers
say, "There's nothing new here." Correct me if I'm wrong,
but that's not the point of the game, is it? This is not
AvP or T2K as far as "innovation" goes - there's no lost
hours of submersion into and exploration of new places,
or cool twists on old classics - but it's damn fun to
play! A game like this you can always just pop into the
Jag anytime you want for an adrenaline rush. So in the
end, I feel there *is* replay value just as much as there
is for other games - as long as you take the game for
what it is - a speed fix.
Graphics - 8
Sound - 7
Control - 9
Fun Factor - 8
Overall - 8
J. Sean McKay <<Lynx, Genesis, and Jaguar owner>>
Here's what ANOTHER Internet User thinks of SBO...
>To: 75300.1267@compuserve.com
>From: Geofrey Pejsa <gpejsa@Census.GOV>
>Subject: Super Burnout
Dear Don, Just wanted to drop you a quick note from an
Atari enthusiast. I purchased Super Burnout this
afternoon and am thoroughly enjoying the fine game...
Geof Pejsa: Web Homepage: http://info.census.gov/~gpejsa/
Here's what the real experts on CompuServe are saying...
>From: Mitch Brown 73522,3004
I AGREE. This game is great. Have you all noticed how
good the street is? It looks REAL when you are racing on
it. And, the moon in the Australia track looks REAL.
Did they cut out a digitized picture, and paste onto that
part.
One of the BEST things Jag games have done that I have
liked is scrolling backgrounds. The first to do it was
Dino Dudes, and I liked it. This game does it even
better. Smoother, and the graphics look good. Some people
have complained about the sound, but I disagree, I like
it.
Good job Atari.
...
I think this is a good one for Atari. It is worth the
money. And it is VERY addicting (almost as much as PF).
It IS a constant challenge.
Any other questions?
I DO like it.
Yet another CompuServe gamer says...
>DAVE SCARPA 73672,2136
I picked up SB today from Babbages. They got 3 copies,
not too shabby. Anyhow I think it's a neat little game.
The ratings it's receiving are a bit low. The control is
excellent, the speed is Phenomenal. The graphics are
nice, although the biker could be better animated. The
headlights and the increasing darkness are very nice
touches. I think the one valid point is there should be
a point or money reward system giving you better bikes,
but I guess the devs wanted a straight forward HangON
clone, although this is not a bad thing. The Jag seems
to be aiming for very straight forward fun Arcade Hits
i.e. Defender 2000, Tempest, etc. And they are doing
pretty good at it.
GEnie members are excited about Super Burnout too!...
>From: C.GALARDI [Chris Galardi]
>Topic: Super Burnout
It is out and it is even in Omaha, Nebraska already. I
love it!! Excellent control, nice graphics, good sound
effects/music! I like the two player mode a lot
also....all in all this is an extremely fun and
demon-fast game.... I would rate it as an 8 or 8.5
overall...heck even my wife loves playing it!!! chris g.
Here's another GEnie fan...
>From: R.JONES82 [Bob Jones]
>Topic: Super Burnout
Babbages in Lansing Michigan has Super Burnout, they got
it in today. I've been playing it for a couple of hours.
I like the speed of the game... The two player option is
better than I expected, the speed is good and is very
playable. The landscape could have had a bit more
variation, I assume this was due to cart size
restrictions. It reminds me of VROOM on the ST, although
a bit easier to control. I would give it a 8 rating. One
of the nice features is the ability to choose bikes with
different handling and speed settings, this way in a two
player game you can handicap players with more joypad
savvy.
... and another GEnie gem...
>From: C.WELLS10 [Ginsu]
>Topic: Super Burnout
Just picked up SBO at the local Babbages here in NC, and
it is GREAT! by >FAR< the best racing game out on the
Jag(duh =)). The speed is unreal, much like in Val
D'Isere Skiing. The music is the best I've heard on the
Jag since Tempest(finally!) Nice graphics, great voice
and control, and a good selection of options. About the
only two nits I've got with the game are the previously
mention kind-of lack of variety in the scenery (I agree
it's pro'bly due to the low cart size) and the fact that
in the two-player mode there is no music. These nits are
pretty minor, tho. Definitely one to pick up!!! ...
After the great job Shen did on SBO, I'm eager to see
that! Any ideas on a release date?
"What about Prodigy?" they ask in unison...
>Board: VIDEO GAMES BB
>Topic: ATARI JAGUAR
>Subject: BURNOUT--REVIEW
>From: JOSH FRITSCH (DTVB76C)
All,
I picked up Super Burnout early today at EB. After about
2 hrs of playing, I can honestly say that it is a very
good game. The graphics are very well done and
everything moves quickly, VERY QUICKLY. The music is
also pretty good, but it's nothing to get excited about.
Probably the best part of the game is the control. The
control is excellent. (No Checkered Flag-like steering
problem)
There are seven different motorcycles you can choose
from, each having their own strengths and weaknesses.
There are 8 courses to choose from. Some of the courses,
like Australia, start before dawn but eventually the sun
comes up, giving the game a realistic feel.... Very
cool.
If you like racing games, you'll love Super Burnout. It
costs $59.99...
The great reviews keep flooding in. To me, the most important factor
is "fun!" and the Fun Factor has been rated high over and over on this
game by those who have actually played it.
### END OF FILE ###
CATnips... Jaguar tidbits from Don Thomas (95.07.11)
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Almost every 64-bit Jaguar gamer has something to "flip for". Some of
you may "flip over" supercycles in Super Burnout. Others may enjoy the
true-to-form "flippers" in Pinball Fantasies. Occasionally we may find
someone "flippantly" master their Tempest 2000 cart. A "flip of a coin"
may determine who plays Doom first for some. Others jump to the "flip
side" of the planet in Hover Strike. Don't forget to "flip the switch"
in Wolfenstein 3D or to "flip head over heals" in Val d'Isere Skiing and
Snowboarding. Regardless of how you may simply "flip to" your favorite
64-bit Jaguar game title, everyone will go bonkers for the innovative
new game: "Flip Out!".
What is "Flip Out!"? Glad you asked.
Flip Out! is delightful and riveting; unpretentious and often impossible.
It is an alluring world of whimsical characters assigned seemingly
simple tasks that are not nearly as easy as they appear.
Welcome to the Great Tile Flipping Festival on the Cheese planet. Here's
a mind boggling test of impulsive reflexes; a 3 by 3 grid filled with
tiles, with each of those 9 tiles belonging to at least one space. The
tile base is underneath the tiles. There is one extra tile that does not
belong on the play board. You must match each tile with its proper
space. All stages of the game will play in much the same way as the
Great Tile Flipping Festival, although things will look different and
become more complex.
You control the cursor with your Joypad, and you can flip tiles with
any of the fire buttons. The most important tip to successful game play
is... flip a tile, and the space under the next tile you flip is where
the first tile will land.
In Yellowstone, you must match the geyser with the same color of the
slap-happy characters.
At Mt. Rushmore, your task is to put the faces back into the proper
order, without dropping any of the faces.
On Easter Island, we put the back row of tiles into the Mouths of the
Heads, and we make the Mouths open and close. The Cursor cannot move
directly from Head to Head, nor can the cursor move into or out of a
Head unless the mouth is open.
Is all this action making you hungry? Why not visit the Sphorkle Diner?
Here, the food has to match character colors as they devour the
incredible eatables.
Blast off to the planets Hoopla and Pigskin where the Great Tile
Flipping Festivals has moved its tour to different planets for a change
of scenic environments. Here, the spectators are much rowdier and there
are more competitors to play against.
In the Zero-Gravity Arena you must match the tiles to the proper
position on the board. However, there are now three boards and many more
tiles to keep track of.
There are no spectators allowed at this final event; Fluffy Encounter.
Here, King Fluffy challenges you to see who is the Master of tile
flipping. He will use all of his knowledge and experience to keep you
from replacing him as King of Planet Phrohmaj.
Meet the family, but don't flip out!...
Rodeo Rider:
This character will grab onto a tile and prevent the tile
from flipping into the air. In order to buck him off, you
must try to flip the tile he is on several times until he
loses his grip.
Red Baron:
He will jump onto the tile board and act as one of the
tiles, forcing you to keep at least two tiles in the air
while he is in play. After a few flights he gets tired
and returns to the sidelines until he is ready to fly
again.
Tile Eater:
When he eats a tile, he enters play as a tile. However,
because the tile covered by the eater, it never belongs
in a space on the board. Once the eater is flipped a few
times, he will release the tile into play and give back
to the sidelines until he hungers again.
Cursor Decoy:
This citizen can turn himself into an almost exact
duplicate of a cursor. Although he can be confusing, he
does not pose much of a threat unless he is ignored for
tool long. If he is not flipped off the board, he will
start flipping tiles off the board.
Tile Flipper:
Can flip tiles into the air.
Gooey:
Gooey acts as a tile in the same way as the Red Baron,
but he is not affected by your tile flipping cursor.
Instead, he will jump up for a few jumps when he sees an
opportunity, and after a few jumps Gooey will go back to
his place off the board until he decides to jump in
again.
Corky:
Will interrupt a geysers flow in Yellowstone and prevent
you from flipping the visiting Citizens. After a few
attempts to flip, Corky will jump back to the side and
digest the nutrients he has absorbed from the geyser.
Sluggy:
While in the Sphorkle Diner, Sluggy (the dog of the
diner's owner) will jump onto a diner's table, preventing
you from flipping the food on that table. Trying to flip
Sluggy will only make him stay longer, so it's best just
to leave him alone.
Graffiti Master and the Janitor:
While at Mt. Rushmore, the Graffiti Master sprays various
tiles with Glopple-Glorb, preventing you from flipping
the Graffitied pieces until the Janitor cleans them.
The Wizard:
On Easter Island, this character freezes tiles in place,
forcing you to break through the ice with several flips
before you can flip the tile. He also paints individual
tiles to disguise their color until you flip them.
Space Slime:
In the Zerogravity Arena, they travel along the boards of
the arena flipping tiles as they go, and trying to
prevent you from matching the tiles. They temporarily
disperse into space when you flip them, but they reform
quickly.
King Fluffy:
Your Majesty can freeze and change color in much the
same was as the Wizard. However, King Fluffy can freeze
and change color on a much more grand scale. He can take
advantage of the fact that he can flip the tiles, and he
won't just flip those tiles at the beginning of the game.
*IF* you complete a skill level, congratulations! Now, welcome up to
three more: Normal, Hard, Insane, and Psychotic.
Flip Out! is NOW in production and will be in stores within a few weeks.
Pre-order from your retailer now and don't be fooled by its deceiving
appearances. These fast-paced puzzles are not challenges for the those
with too young or weak heart. If you liked Tetris, Klax, Shanghai or
Block-Out, you'll now have a well animated game that gives you the same
challenging mind benders, BUT add the charm and silliness of an entire
cast of funny new characters.
I have gathered all the Flip Out! characters together for a gorgeous
500k+ group JPEG image. Look for the file on CATscan [209/239-1552],
GEnie, CompuServe and other popular Jaguar support online sites.
The Arena Football development team are hard at work. Recently I met
with Brian Rice and David Pochran for an great peak at their work so
far. The good news is "cool".
The other good news is that Brian and David agreed it would be great to
review the best ideas from the online community as to what might be
included in the ideal Arena Football game.... If they can, they'll do it!
Over the next week, please feel free to gather and forward those things
you think of that simply "must" be in your idea of an ideal Arena
Football game. Send the ideas to:
TO: Don Thomas
SUBJ: "Arena Football" idea
ADDR: 75300.1267@compuserve.com
-or- ATARI@genie.com
I will take all the great ideas, compile them into one report and
forward them on to the design team.
### END OF FILE ###
CATnips... Jaguar tidbits from Don Thomas (95.07.12)
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The official Jaguar Gamer's Guide published by Sandwich Islands
Publishing and written by the popular authors: Zach Meston and
J. Douglas Arnold is shipping now! Preorders should be fulfilled within
the next few days and store copies should be arriving wherever popular
game books are sold.
The guide includes special features such as gaming tips from Atari's
own gaming masters. It has exclusive maps, helpful tips and innovative
strategies.
If you cannot find a store accepting orders for the book and would like
a copy sent right away, call or fax your Visa or Mastercard transaction
to 808/661-2715. The price is only $18.95 including shipping to
N. American locations.
If you want in-depth play-by-play action coverage including strategies
and tips found no where else on almost 20 of the Jaguar's hottest games,
you must buy this book.
Orders by mail should be sent to:
Atari Jaguar Gamer's Guide
P.O. Box 10669
Lahaina, HI 96761
If you are a Jaguar owner registered with Atari, keep an eye out in
your snail mail mailbox for some nifty new postcards announcing new
and upcoming Jaguar titles. Often, we onliners will already know about
the great news contained on these direct-marketing pieces, so please
save them to share with friends and family. The first postcard
announces the recent release of Super Burnout.
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STReport's "EDITORIAL CARTOON"
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> A "Quotable Quote" A true "Sign of the Times"
"""""""""""""""""
The two most beautiful words in the English
language are "Check Enclosed."
- Dorothy Parker
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STReport International OnLine Magazine
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STR OnLine! "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" July 14, 1995
Since 1987 copyright 1995 All Rights Reserved No. 1128
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
All Items quoted, in whole or in part, are done so under the provisions of
The Fair Use Law of The Copyright Laws of the U.S.A. Views, Opinions and
Editorial Articles presented herein are not necessarily those of the
editors/staff of STReport International OnLine Magazine. Permission to
reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Reprints
must, without exception, include the name of the publication, date, issue
number and the author's name. STR, CPU, STReport and/or portions therein
may not be edited, used, duplicated or transmitted in any way without
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contributors are not and cannot be held responsible in any way for the use
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