ST Report: 2-Aug-96 #1231
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 08/09/96-05:00:23 PM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 2-Aug-96 #1231
Date: Fri Aug 9 17:00:23 1996
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August 02, 1996 No.1231
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>From the Editor's Desk...
On the political scene. Dole is busy "wooing & romancing" Hollywood but
a scant six months ago he was very busy crucifying Tinsel Town. over the
types of movies they were producing. Its amazing what a little campaign
money can accomplish. Its sad that they still lock up legit prostitutes.
Perhaps the Prostitute Laws should be expanded to campaigning politicians.
Dole has yet to name a running mate. I hope he does name Connie Mack R-FL,
that's a certain boat anchor for Dole.
On the computing front there is good news for the serious minded
computerists. Windows NT 4.0 and NT Server 4.0 went retail this past week.
This is the muscle twins of the computing world. NT is, by far, the most
secure and sure footed of MS offerings for the business community. Just
imagine what its going to be like when the great meeting takes place in
Cairo.
We're just getting bits and pieces of a big shakeup at CompuServe. NISA
- HMI it's all gone. Stay tuned we'll have all the particulars next week.
Additionally, there's a bit of internal cattiness and silly censorship having
between two forums. Its seems that some folks get a title added to their
name and it goes straight to their heads. Must be an "Old World Trait" or,
so it would seem. Unbelievably, the "informed" new leaders at CIS feel WOW
is a success and the familiar CIS is "on the wane". Additionally, the "new
deal" for CIS has the idea that instead of an account exec.. an "editor"
overseeing the "content" of each forum. For the record this reporter feels
all WOW can offer at this time is "eye candy and a "Peter Pan & Mary Poppins
like atmosphere". This is a success??? Its a joke and a bad one at that.
If they stay on their present course.. CompuServe as we all know it will be
no more by year's end. Obviously, those in charge there are more interested
in catering to the teen and young adult segment. Think its a bit premature??
Ask around about how many substantial CIS contract holders are already
shopping around. Stay tuned. This one is going to get interesting.
Also for next week. expect a report on building a powerhouse computer on
a budget. From the first turn of the screwdriver to the flipping of the
switch, we'll take you on a step by step journey. Hopefully, we'll be able
to steer a few good folks away from the gouge artists out there by giving
some good information and sources.
Ralph...
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STReport Headline News
LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Lawmakers Weigh Encryption
A U.S. Senate panel considering legislation to ease U.S. restrictions on the
export of encryption software will hear testimony from FBI Director Louis
Freeh. As noted earlier, Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Montana, has introduced
legislation that would ease limits on export of data-scrambling technology.
Earlier, a Commerce subcommittee heard extensive testimony from the computer
industry, which argues that current U.S. policy threatens its status a global
technology leader.
Now the panel will hear from Freeh as well as William Reinsch, undersecretary
of the Commerce Department's Bureau of Export Administration, and William
Crowell, deputy director of the National Security Agency. Anticipating
tomorrow's testimony, the Dow Jones news service quotes a statement from
Burns as saying, "This is the first time the administration has been asked to
defend its outdated encryption policies in front of the Senate. This hearing
could play a major role in determining the fate of the Pro-Code bill."
DJ notes Pro-Code refers to the title of the legislation, the "Promotion of
Commerce Online in the Digital Era Act of 1996." Says the wire service,
"Supporters of the bill include GOP presidential hopeful Robert Dole; Senate
Commerce Committee Chairman Larry Pressler, R-South Dakota; Sen. Patrick
Leahy, D-Vermont; and Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona."
The senators also will hear testimony from James Barksdale, president/CEO of
Netscape Communications Corp. and a vocal critic of current U.S. encryption
policy, as well as Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform,
and Roel Pieper, president/CEO of Tandem Computers Inc.
Freeh Fears Free Encryption
FBI Director Louis Freeh has told a congressional committee he thinks
eliminating U.S. export restrictions on computer encryption would gravely
harm law enforcement efforts to catch criminals and terrorists. Offering the
Clinton administration's case against a bipartisan proposal to relax existing
export rules at a Senate Commerce Committee hearingyesterday, Freeh said,
"The bills that are before the committee are remarkably devoid of even a
reference to public safety or to law enforcement."
As reported, use of encryption within the U.S. is unregulated, but a Cold
War-era munitions statute specifies that only weak coding programs can be
exported. Most of those export restrictions would be abolished under Senate
bill 1726, the Promotion of Commerce Online in the Digital Era Act of 1996.
Such encryption uses mathematical formulas to scramble information and render
it unreadable without a password or software "key," and Freeh and the
administration support an alternative approach backed by the administration,
and barred by bill 1726, known as key escrow.
Associated Press writer Curt Anderson says Freeh told the senators a man
charged with plotting to blow up 11 U.S. airliners used computer security
codes so powerful the FBI hasn't been able to crack them. The sophisticated
encryption codes were used by Ramzi Yousef, an Islamic militant who is being
tried in New York and also faces charges as the alleged mastermind of the
World Trade Center bombing, Freeh said.
Added Freeh, "Encryption products used unchecked by criminals and terrorists
for their illegal activities pose an extremely serious and, I believe,
unacceptable threat." Meanwhile, Aaron Pressman of the Reuter News Service
quotes Freeh as adding, "The danger results in criminals and terrorists being
able to encrypt telephone calls that cannot be deciphered and to encrypt
computer files in ways that are unbreakable," Freeh said. "But the technology
that makes encryption possible has also produced an answer to the problem in
providing a balance. It is called key escrow, key recovery or trusted third
party system."
At the same hearing, representatives of U.S. computer companies said they are
losing sales to foreign companies willing to sell robust encryption programs
without key escrow. Netscape Communications Corp. president James Barksdale
said his company will lose $40 million in sales this year o competitors in
Europe and around the globe. Barksdale testified, "Just as U.S. consumers
bought fuel-efficient cars from Japan during the energy crisis of the 1970s,
consumers are turning to security-proficient software products from non-U.S.
firms during the Internet explosion of the 1990s."
Barksdale and others argued that criminals would evade any U.S. scheme for
key escrow encryption by using foreign or homemade coding products. Reuters
notes Japan, where wiretaps are prohibited, has shown little interest in key
escrow, former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela Michael Skol testified. Japan's
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. is selling a complex encryption computer
chip for about $100.
On this point, Freeh conceded, "If a few countries, particularly key
countries, don't adopt this, that's a great vulnerability in the system."
However, so far, he said, encryption is not widely used in the United States
or abroad. Only about 5 percent of specimens submitted to the FBI computer
analysis lab show incidences of encryption which are troubling, Freeh said.
"We do not yet have in the United States an encryption crisis," Freeh said,
but broad export of encryption by U.S. companies would make unbreakable coded
messages "routine" in the future.
"What I'm very fearful of, and what I think everybody in this room needs to
be fearful of," said Freeh, "is a situation where as a matter of policy the
United States has promoted and exported robust, unaccessible encryption ...
that builds up infrastructures where this capability is so routine."
N.Y. Judges Reject Net Curbs
Saying the measure bans constitutionally protected speech between adults, New
York federal judges have blocked enforcement of a new law aimed at regulating
indecent material on the Internet. Judges from the Southern District of New
York granted an injunction sought by the editor of The American Reporter, an
online newspaper, who argued that the law was too broad.
This ruling comes on the heels of last month's judge by a Philadelphia panel
that also found a key part of the law to be unconstitutional. Law
correspondent Gail Appleson of United Press International notes the previous
ruling went farther than the one issued in New York by finding the law too
vague as well as too broad. At issue here is the controversial Computer
Decency Act of 1996, passed overwhelmingly by Congress as part of the broader
Telecommunications Act of 1996 and signed by President Bill Clinton on Feb.
8. As noted, because lawmakers expected immediate constitutional challenges,
they included provisions allowing swift appeals first through special panels
and then directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Part of the law, known as 223(d), makes it a crime to make indecent material
available on computer systems that are accessible to children and provides
for prison terms of two years and an $250,000 fine if indecent material is
transmitted to minors. However, the New York panel said government attempts
to limit offensive material to children also would place unacceptable
restrictions on adults. It said the section not only regulates how
pornographic material is sold and advertised, but "how private individuals
who choose to exchange certain constitutionally protected communications with
one another can do so."
Says the New York ruling, "The question presented is whether our Constitution
tolerates this level of governmental intrusion into how adults speak to one
another ... We reach the inescapable conclusion that 223(d) will serve to
chill protected speech." UPI says the panel -- comprised Jose Cabranes of
the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and District Judges Leonard Sand and
Denise Cote -- discussed software designed to enable parents to limit
children's exposure to inappropriate material, saying, "Indecent content on
the Internet ordinarily does not assault a user without warning: a child
cannot gain access to Internet content with the touch of a remote control and
while accidental viewing of indecent content is possible, there is no
evidence in this record to suggest that it is likely."
Appleson quotes the ruling as adding that while parents can take steps to
restrict access by their children, content providers have no way of
guaranteeing that indecent material will not reach a minor. The wire service
reports, "The judges said that the only way a content provider would comply
with the section would be to refrain from sending out the objectionable
material."
Said the panel, "Because adults would lack means of engaging in
constitutionally protected indecent communications over the Internet without
fear of criminal liability, the statute would unquestionably be
unconstitutional."
AT&T, Microsoft Ink Pact
An agreement to jointly promote and distribute each other's Internet products
has been signed by AT&T Corp. and Microsoft Corp. Reporting from
Microsoft's Redmond, Washington, headquarters, United Press International
says AT&T's WorldNet Service, which provides access to the Internet, will
distribute Microsoft Internet Explorer software starting in the early fall.
Additionally, the AT&T access service will be included with Micrsoft Windows
95 software.
"Microsoft has been scrambling," UPI comments, "to form such alliances in
order to set itself up as the leading player for software for Internet and
for internal corporate networks, known as Intranets. However, it has fallen
well behind Netscape Communications Corp. in the key category of browser
software." Meanwhile, AT&T has been actively pushing its Internet access
service, after announcing Feb. 27 that it would offer its 80 million
residential customers a year of free trial access to the global computer
network of five hours per month. "We are pleased to offer the browser many
of our customers have been asking for, Microsoft Internet Explorer," AT&T
Vice President Tom Evslin told the wire service.
NEC, Ipsilon Make Net Tie-up
A tie-up with U.S.-based Ipsilon Networks to market switching systems that
allow fast data transmission on the Internet and on internal corporate
communications networks called intranets has been announced by Japanese
electronics giant NEC Corp. Reporting from Tokyo, The Associated Press says
the switching systems, developed by Ipsilon, will cost up to $200,000 each.
NEC officials told the wire service the companies expect annual sales of the
systems in Japan to rise to $360 million by 2001. The companies also plan to
sell the systems jointly outside Japan, but don't have concrete plans yet.
AP says Ipsilon will provide Internet protocol software for the systems,
while NEC will provide asynchronous transfer mode hardware. Hirokazu Otsuka,
head of NEC's data transmission department, told AP the systems process
information 100 times faster than present data-routing technology and can
handle larger amounts of information.
Caldera Alleges Microsoft Unfair
A small software firm backed by Novell Inc. founder Ray Noorda has sued
Microsoft Corp., alleging the software giant willfully maintains a monopoly
over its operating software through unlawful pricing, programming and
licensing. Salt Lake City-based Caldera, seeking an unspecified amount of
damages, filed the antitrust suit Tuesday in U.S. District Court here, a day
before it acquired the DR-DOS operating system from Novell, according to The
Associated Press.
AP quotes Caldera attorney Stephen D. Susman as saying the company is
pursuing the matter to "open the market to Microsoft competitors." And
Caldera CEO Bryan Sparks told the wire service, "This is a landmark case in
our industry. We're in a unique position (to sue Microsoft) because as a
company we sell a product and we're not reliant on Microsoft for technology
exchange."
Adds Susman, "It is our intention to finish the job the Justice Department
left unfinished when it settled its antitrust complaint through consent
decree." The Caldera suit comes two years after Microsoft settled an
antitrus case brought by the U.S. Justice Department over its base operating
system product. Microsoft was forced to change contracts with personal
computer manufacturers that purportedly shut out competing operating system
software. As reported, in that agreement, Microsoft neither admitted or
denied guilt.
Meanwhile, Microsoft spokesman Mark Murray told AP, "We have not yet seen the
complaint but based on the press release, this appears to be simply a rehash
of tired old allegations that are completely without merit. It's ironic given
all of the new competition and innovation that's going on in the software
industry today that Caldera is filing a lawsuit about outdated technology
that the market has long left behind."
DR DOS, an operating system developed by Digital Research Inc. to rival
MS-DOS, was purchased by Novell in 1991 and discontinued in 1994. AP says
Caldera plans to reintroduce the full line of DR DOS products and offer
additional product features. "Among the allegations," says AP, "Caldera
accuses Microsoft of advertising in May 1990 a comparable product to DR DOS
5.0 well before the product was released in June 1991. The practice is known
in the industry as 'vaporware.' When the software was released, 'it did not
offer the features Microsoft had promised,' according to the suit."
In addition, Caldera questions Microsoft's contract and licensing agreements.
The suit says PC manufacturers "were required to pay Microsoft a royalty on
every PC they sold regardless of whether it contains Microsoft's MS-DOS, some
other software developer's DOS software or no operating system software."
And the complaint adds, "Microsoft also informed certain PC manufactures that
they could not obtain Windows or be given access to essential information,
product support and service if they did not purchase and ship MS-DOS, to the
exclusion of DR DOS." AP says Caldera was founded in 1994 by Sparks with
funding from Noorda. The company is making a commercial version of the Linux
operating system for workstations and advanced personal computers.
Netscape Challenges Microsoft
In what is being seen as the latest development in an ongoing battle with
Microsoft Corp., Netscape Communications Corp. has released details of
technical standards software developers can use to make sure their programs
can work together over private computer networks. Reporting from Netscape's
Mountain View, Calif., headquarters, The Associated Press quotes Netscape
also as saying 21 companies have agreed to include Netscape Open Network
Environment standards in their software tools products.
"Such tools," says AP, "will let programmers dice their programs into parts.
The parts should be able to accomplish their task in the original program or
in another one. The idea is similar to the construction of recent office
productivity programs, in which a spreadsheet can be run inside a word
processing program." Microsoft and Netscape are trying to incorporate the
same functionality into Web documents.
As reported earlier, Microsoft has agreed to transfer control of its similar
technology to an independent standards body. That technology, called ActiveX,
has evolved from one called Object Linking and Embedding, which the company
previously promoted for office productivity applications. "By giving
ActiveX to an independent organization," says AP, "Microsoft hopes to
demonstrate it is an 'open' technical idea, able to work with information
created or received on any kind of computer and not just those that run
Microsoft operating programs."
Cray Says NEC Dumps Supercomputers
Cray Research today filed an antidumping petition charging NEC Corp. with
underpricing supercomputers in an illegal effort to gain U.S. market share
and drive competition from the market. In a filing with the U.S. Department
of Commerce and the International Trade Commission, Cray said NEC was taking
an estimated $65 million loss to supply vector supercomputers to the National
Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. Cray also said
the proposed price was significantly less than that charged by NEC on recent
major sales in Japan.
On May 20, NCAR tentatively agreed to purchase four NEC vector supercomputer
systems as part of a five-year $35.25- million contract with the Federal
Computing Corp. The National Science Foundation, the primary funding agency
for NCAR, had told NCAR that acquisition of the NEC supercomputers was
contingent on NCAR demonstrating that the computers were not dumped.
NCAR also received bids from Cray and Fujitsu. Cray says it met all NCAR
requirements, but that the center opted for the NEC bid, which offered more
hardware -- but at a price substantially and illegally below the cost of
production. Cray's petition estimates that NEC will lose a minimum of $65
million on the proposed sale. Cray calculates that the systems will cost NEC
more than $80 million to prodce versus about $15 million in NEC revenue on
the transaction.
"Cray Research favors open competition based on performance and fair
pricing," says Cray President and chief operating officer Robert Ewald.
"NEC's behavior undermines open competition and could permanently distort
pricing in the supercomputer market. Behavior like this, if not checked, can
lead to less competition and higher prices in the long term."
NEC Disputes Cray Charges
Japanese electronics giant NEC Corp. contends U.S. supercomputer maker Cray
Research Inc. is using incorrect figures in lodging an anti-dumping petition
against it over its sales of supercomputers in the United States. As
reported, Cray accuses NEC of underpricing supercomputers in an illegal
effort to gain U.S. market share and drive competition from the market.
In Tokyo today, the Reuter News Service quotes NEC Vice President Masao Toka
as saying Cray's charge that NEC would lose $65 million in selling
supercomputers to the National Center for Atmospheric Research was a total
fabrication. Toka said Cray vastly overstated NEC's research and development
costs, while underestimating NEC's revenues.
Says Reuters, "Cray charged on Monday that NEC was taking an estimated $65
million loss to supply supercomputers to the U.S. organization. This was
assuming revenue from the deal of $15 million and costs of $80 million. Toka
said NEC's revenue from the deal would be $30 million, but declined to
disclose costs." Cray also alleged NEC sold supercomputers in Japan at a
much higher price than in the U.S., but, says Reuters, "Toka said such a
comparison was meaningless, because NEC's sales costs to Japanese
institutions, cited by Cray, included charges for maintenance, system
integration and other services." Toka said that if Cray's lawyers and
executives were found to have signed the anti-dumping petition with the
knowledge that Cray used wrong figures in calculations of NEC's deal with the
U.S. center, NEC would take legal action against them.
Corel, Packard Bell Set Deal
Corel Corp. reports that it has reached a new bundling agreement with PC
maker Packard Bell Inc. that will result in the preinstallation of Corel
WordPerfect Suite 7 on all Packard Bell PCs distributed worldwide. The
deal's terms weren't disclosed. Corel WordPerfect Suite 7 includes Corel
WordPerfect 7, Corel Quattro Pro 7, Corel Presentations 7, CorelFLOW 3, 150
fonts and 10,000 clip art images. Each PC will also ship with a copy of the
suite on CD-ROM.
"This agreement represents a huge leap forward in our efforts to increase our
share of the productivity applications market," says Michael Cowpland,
Corel's president and CEO. "Packard Bell has offered us an incredible
opportunity to showcase our new offering." Corel says the new relationship
will enable Corel to take advantage of Packard Bell's vast, worldwide
marketing channel, as well as to participate with the computer giant at
upcoming trade shows.
Hitachi, Robotics Make Pact
A partnership has been launched under which Hitachi PC Corp.'s notebook
computers will be equipped with U.S. Robotics Corp.'s modems. Reporting from
Palo Alto, California, the Reuter News Service says financial terms were not
disclosed, but the agreement marks the launch of a major effort to expand the
U.S. Robotics brand name, adding the Hitachi products will bear the Robotics
label alongside its own. "U.S. Robotics said the deal was not exclusive and
could lead to further branding arrangements for its products with other
personal computer makers," the wire service adds. Hitachi Vice President Mark
Yahiro said the modems would be integrated into the Hitachi line of notebook
machines within the next 60 days.
Broderbund to Buy T/Maker
Broderbund Software Inc. says it has signed a definitive agreement to
purchase T/Maker Co. from its parent company, Deluxe Corp. T/Maker, based in
Mountain View, Calif., publishes the ClickArt line of clip art software for
desktop and Internet publishing. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Novato, California-based Broderbund says it currently anticipates that
T/Maker, which has approximately 40 employees, will continue to operate in
Mountain View as a wholly-owned Broderbund subsidiary. The acquisition awaits
government approval.
"We see T/Maker as a natural addition to our product line, particularly to
expand the content in our leading Print Shop family with T/Maker's ClickArt
products," says Broderbund President Bill McDonagh. "This acquisition gives
Broderbund's product line another evergreen product that complements and
increases our existing portflio. Combined with the talented development team
at T/Maker, we believe that this is an excellent addition to our business,
both domestically and worldwide."
Lexmark Launches Awareness Effort
Printer maker Lexmark International Inc. is hoping that a new brand awareness
campaign will raise its corporate profile. The multimillion dollar deal with
Grey Advertising and Goldberg Moser O'Neill is Lexmark's first global,
comprehensive branding campaign since it spun off from IBM Corp. in 1991.
"The advertising campaign clearly articulates Lexmark as the value and
performance leader in PC-based printing," says Susan Gauff, Lexmark's vice
president of corporate communications. "To enhance our position, we want
consumers to understand that Lexmark is a fully integrated technology leader
that has consistently led the market with innovations in printer hardware and
software at competitive prices." The campaign, which features a "Print
Lexmark" theme, will primarily be focused on print advertising before
expanding into broadcast in 1997. Lexmark says the campaign will be
integrated into all aspects of its marketing efforts worldwide, including
public relations and packaging.
Apple Releases New Mac QuickTime
Apple Computer Inc. has announced the availability of QuickTime 2.5 for
Macintosh, an enhanced version of its software standard for storing, editing
and playing synchronized video, sound, music, graphics and text. Apple says
QuickTime 2.5 addresses the needs of content creators for broadcast, music,
film and the Internet.
QuickTime 2.5's new features include an enhanced music architecture,
multiprocessor compatibility, support for 3-D objects; a graphic importer and
support for Closed-Caption technology. "Digital technology is blurring the
lines between traditional media markets, professional film and video
producers, consumer multimedia developers, and Internet content creators,"
says Carlos Montalvo, director of products and technologies for Apple's
interactive media group. "This has created a significan challenge for the
creative world."
"QuickTime makes it easy for broadcast professionals, CD- ROM developers and
Internet content creators to manage and repurpose their content for new
markets, thereby receiving a greater return on their investments," comments
Ellen Hancock, Apple's chief technology officer and executive vice president
of research and development. QuickTime 2.5 for Macintosh is available, free
of charge, through Apple's QuickTime home page on the World Wide Web
(http://www.quicktime.apple.com).
Toshiba to Launch DVD Player
In what The Wall Street Journal characterizes as "a daring move designed to
force Hollywood's hand," Japanese computer giant Toshiba Corp. has set an
autumn launch for the first player for digital video disks (DVDs). "Even
though the movie industry still hasn't agreed to support the controversial
format," writes Journal reporter Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg this morning,
"people familiar with Toshiba's plans say that the company hopes to create so
much public interest in DVD that the Hollywood studios will feel compelled to
speed up the tangled negotiations that have so far delayed the players'
introduction."
But there is a danger, adds the paper, that Toshiba's plans will backfire,
creating "frustration among consumers, as there will be few, if any, titles
available this October," says Trachtenberg. The Journal notes that for more
than a year, the consumer electronics industry has talked of the five-inch
digital videodisk as the next major improvement in digital home
entertainment. Each disk holds more than seven times the amount of
information contained on a conventional compact disk, and can easily store a
full-length Hollywood movie.
"In addition," says the Journal, "the disks are expected to spawn a new
generation of richer, more exciting computer multimedia titles because of
their increased data capacity." The paper detected surprise among Hollywood
executives when they heard of Toshiba's plans. "Hollywood is worried," says
Trachtenberg, "that it will be too easy to copy the disks onto other disks or
videotape. The studios also want to design the disks with special coding that
will keep them from being played in parts of the world where the disks
haven't yet been released."
Enhanced StuffIt Ships
Aladdin Systems Inc., developer and publisher of the StuffIt Macintosh
compression standard, says it is shipping an enhanced version of its StuffIt
SpaceSaver 4.0 software. The company says StuffIt SpaceSaver 4.0 includes
icon tagging for esier identification of SpaceSaver-compressed files, a
revised and simpler interface, faster compression and several other
enhancements. "The release of SpaceSaver 4.0 should be a welcome upgrade
because each improvement was specifically asked for by our current users,"
says Jon Kahn, Aladdin's sales and marketing director. StuffIt SpaceSaver
4.0 is priced at $79.95.
Allen Out as Egghead Director
Egghead Inc. has announced that Paul G. Allen, the Microsoft Corp. co-founder
and a long time Egghead investor, will be replaced on the company's board of
directors by Eric Robison, an employee of Vulcan Ventures Inc., a private
investment firm founded by Allen and for which Allen serves as chairman. In
a statement, Allen noted that, "My many other commitments, both public and
private, compel me to make this decision." Allen has served on Egghead's
board of directors for over nine years. Robison will step into Allen's
unexpired term immediately.
The company has also announced that Mel Wilmore, president and chief
operating officer of Ross Stores Inc., has agreed to serve on the board. A
statement issued by Egghead notes that Wilmore will bring "great depth of
experience in retail operations to Egghead." Egghead, a retailer of computer
software, hardware and accessories, has had a difficult time prospering in a
market dominated by computer superstores. The firm is located in Spokane,
Washington.
Prodigy's New Chief Takes Command
The new owner of the Prodigy online service has reorganized the company and
installed new management as it completed its acquisition yesterday. As
reported earlier, International Wireless Inc. a Cambridge, Massachusetts,
firm that invests in cellular and Internet technology abroad, last May led
the $250 million buyout of Prodigy from its former owners, IBM and Sears,
Roebuck & Co.
Writing in The Wall Street Journal this morning, reporter Jared Sandberg says
the buyer now has merged its operations with Prodigy's, renamed the combined
companies Prodigy Inc. and installed two Interntional Wireless executives as
chairman/CEO. "Prodigy, which has one million members and almost no growth,
has been falling far behind rivals," Sandberg says. Ed Bennett, the former
Viacom Inc. executive who was hired last year to pull the ailing on-line
service out of its funk, "was forced to scrap his turnaround effort when
Sears clamped down on new investments and began shopping its half of the
service last November," he adds.
Now, though, Bennett, who was Prodigy's CEO, "will exercise a far smaller
role, though one near to his heart. He will head a new venture-capital
division, dubbed Prodigy Ventures Inc., which will invest in new technology
and media, not necessarily for the online service." The Journal quotes one
official as saying Bennett will have as much as $50 million to invest in a
new concerns, noting that last year Bennett started a similar strategy, his
so-called Wildflower initiative, to invest in start-ups but was halted by the
company's former owners.
Meanwhile, the new CEO at Prodigy is Paul DeLacey, who had been International
Wireless' chief operating officer. IW Co- Chairman Greg Carr denied reports
the move was pushing Bennett aside, saying, "If I really wanted to push Ed
aside, I could have just given him a bunch of stock. I wouldn't put a whole
bunch of money under his control if I didn't believe in him."
Meanwhile, executives at Prodigy told the paper they hope to turn the service
around by leveraging existing partnerships of International Wireless and
Prodigy's shift to the Internet. Bennett said much of Prodigy's electronic
fare is already compatible with the Internet and that new software based on
Internet technology will be shipped this fall.
Study Offers Cyberspace Snapshot
A new study from IntelliQuest Information Group Inc. offers yet another
cyberspace snapshot. The Austin, Texas-based market research firm reports
that the U.S. Internet/online population consists of approximately 35
million adults (age 16 and above), with only two and a half million people
using the Internet and online services more than 20 hours per week. The study
also finds that the Internet and worldwide online services are growing
rapidly, with 9 million people -- 26 percent of the total user base -- first
accessing the Internet in the first quarter of 1996.
Among the study's other findings:
z Eighteen million users primarily access cyberspace at home, versus 9
million people who access from work and 5 million from school
z Over 21 million non-users indicated they intended to begin using the
Internet or an online service in the next twelve months (as of the start of
1996's second quarter).
z Most users are very selective and focused in their use of the Internet
or online services, with only 19 percent indicating that they "cruise" or
"surf."
z Only 17 percent of online users find online entertainment better than
television.
z Only 7 percent of users had purchased a product or information online
during a one-month period measured by the study.
PC Sales Growth Slows
Dataquest Inc. researchers says sales of personal computers grew more slowly
in the second quarter than in the first. Business writer Evan Ramstad of The
Associated Press says the PC market grew 16.5 percent worldwide and 12
percent in the United States, down from 18.4 percent worldwide growth and
14.7 percent U.S. growth in the first quarter. Growth in both markets
exceeded 20 percent during the second quarter of 1995.
The study says Compaq Computer Corp. still leads the industry but the Houston
computer maker lost ground in both worldwide and U.S. sales to second-place
IBM and others. Compaq's worldwide market share was 9.7 percent and U.S.
share was 12.4 percent in the second quarter. During the first quarter,
Compaq had a 9.8 percent worldwide market share and 12.7 percent in the
United States. A year ago, Compaq had 10.4 percent of the world market and
12.6 percent of the U.S. market.
Meanwhile, IBM's worldwide PC market share jumped to 8.8 percent from 7.2
percent in the first quarter and its U.S. share jumped to 9.0 percent from
6.1 percent in the first quarter. A year ago, IBM had 7.7 percent of the
world PC market and the U.S. market. AP notes IBM was the No. 1 PC seller
for many years until it was unseated by Compaq in 1994. Compaq's growth was
8.5 percent worldwide and 10.4 percent in the United States. IBM's growth was
33.6 percent worldwide and 31.1 percent in the United States.
Still in third place worldwide is Apple Computer, though ataquest says its
sales dropped nearly 17 percent. The company had 5.3 percent of the world
market and 7.4 percent of the U.S. market, where it was No. 4 in sales. In
the U.S. market, the third palce was held by Packard Bell, with an 8.7
percent share, though growth was a slim 3.8 percent. Its overseas operations
are too small for the company to count among the five largest worldwide PC
sellers, Ramstad observes. Rounding out the field were NEC as the fourth
largest worldwide PC maker with 5.1 percent of the market, Hewlett-Packard
next with 4.3 percent and Dell Computer Corp. as fifth in U.S. sales with a
7.2 percent market share.
IDC Says U.S. PC Market Grows
The U.S. PC market continued its pattern of substantial unit growth in the
second quarter, dispelling lingering concerns about a possible market
slowdown, says market researcher IDC. IDC notes that Compaq Computer Corp.
once again led the market, despite slipping slightly in market share as it
prepared for several major product transitions. IBM rejoined the firm's top
five vendor list, boosted by rising portables sales and the smooth
introductions of new products.
The overall market grew 18 percent from the year-ago period to 5.96 million
unit shipments. This compares favorably with the first quarter growth rate of
16 percent, says IDC. Sales accelerated in portables and commercial desktops,
propelled by new products from major vendors and healthy economic conditions.
Consumer sales were seasonally slow, notes IDC, as vendors prepared for a
wave of new home PCs by clearing retailer's inventories of older systems.
"Some keep predicting a major PC drought, but market conditions in the second
quarter continued to produce good growth, especially for major vendors
boasting complete product portfolios," says Bruce Stephen, IDC's vice
president of worldwide personal systems. "We think the ingredients are in
place to reap a strong second half."
Net Connectivity a CD-ROM Trend
New research finds that hybrid CD-ROMs -- discs that include online
communications, links to expanded content and/or network game play -- are
rapidly proliferating, breaking out of vertical professional and corporate
markets and into the consumer mainstream. From just 311 titles in print
worldwide at year end 1995, the number of hybrid CD-ROM/online titles in
print worldwide is projected to more than double to 720 by the end of 1996,
according to market researcher InfoTech of Woodstock, Vermont. InfoTech
predicts that the hybrid CD-ROM market will surge to 3,500 titles in 1997,
accounting for nearly 10 percent of all CD-ROM titles in print worldwide.
Intense competition in the consumer games, entertainment, reference, and
software applictions markets are spurring the growth in hybrids, says
InfoTech President Julie B. Schwerin. "In certain genres, such as
encyclopedias and action games, hybrids, while relatively new, are dominating
retail sales. This is raising the production bar -- online connectivity is
increasingly a feature that consumers expect. Consequently, publishers are
rushing to upgrade existing products and outfit new ones with embedded or
bundled browsers to access complimentary online content."
According to InfoTech, Internet service providers and commercial online
services are encouraging the hybrid trend, viewing commercial CD-ROMs as a
vehicle for customer recruitment. InfoTech projects that by the end of 1996,
41 percent of hybrid titles will connect to the World Wide Web, 34 percent to
private dial-up networks or bulletin boards and 25 percent to commercial
online services, including online game networks.
Hybrid publishers are also experimenting with online transactions,
advertising and merchandise sales as well as selling premium subscription
services. But Schwerin cautions that most consumer hybrid publishers are not
yet generating revenue from online sources. "Most publishers view hybrids as
a competitive weapon and a marketing tool -- the latest feature you need to
get on the shelves and attract consumers," she says. "At the same time, most
do intend to derive significant online revenues within two to three years."
New Net Audio System Launched
Software that promises to make voice and music received over the Internet
sound as good as music-CDs is being launched by Macromedia Inc., which is
calling this a breakthrough advance from typical choppy, static-filled sound
of current Net audio. Writing from San Francisco for the Reuter News
Service, Barbara Grady reports the new version of the product called
Shockwave also vows to avoid the long download time sometimes needed to get
audio from the Internet before it can be heard.
Engineering Vice President Norman Meyrowitz told the wire service, "The
difference between te old Shockwave and the next will be like the different
between an old record and a CD. It is going to really change the nature of
audio on the Web." Adds Grady, "The new version uses a technology called
audio streaming, along with compression of the audio digital information. ...
In streaming, digits of audio data are received in packets a little at a time
-- or just enough to keep the sound coming in a normal-sounding way." This
differs from regular packet transmission, which produces static filled bursts
of sound that does not replicate a real voice, she adds. Since Macromedia
introduced its original Shockwave seven months ago, some 10 million or more
people have downloaded it off of the Internet to use on hundreds of sites
developed with it.
Poll Predicts Net Revenue Growth
A new survey finds a majority of those in the interactive industry cautiously
optimistic about growth in advertising revenues, online shopping sales and
number of subscribers by the end of the year. The respondents also predict
commercial online services will be need to create a new business model to
ensure their future as consumers flock to the Internet and the World Wide
Web.
Conducted during this week's 11th annual conference of the Interactive
Services Association in San Diego, California, the survey, which used 200
polling devices provided by NTN Communications, found:
z Forty-two percent of the membership believes the number of paid
subscribers will remain under 20 million through 1996, with only 16 percent
confident it would reach more than 30 million.
z Some 78 percent of the voters predicted ad revenues would not exceed
$200 million and 85 percent felt that online shopping would stay under $400
million, the most conservative choices.
z Thirty-two percent predict a typical World Wide Web content site will
take four years to make a profit, 23 percent think it will require two years
and only 3 percent one year. However, 40 percent believe that a typical site
will never break even.
z The vast majority (74 percent) believe that the online services will
need to create a new way to stay profitable while competing with the Internet
and Web direct access facilitators, while only 14 percent anticipate that the
online services will become the Net gateway of choice.
Meanwhile, those polled were divided on the future of Internet appliances.
Forty-eight percent said Net appliances would be valuable to consumers, but
would meet with limited success, while 26 percent felt the products would
fail and 20 percent indicated they believed such appliances were the answer
for universal access for the populace.
However, a combination of phone and Net integration is perceived as the
hottest telephone application of the next five years, according to 59 percent
of the members. "For those betting on the most successful areas of growth in
the interactive industry," says an ISA statement, "the membership
overwhelmingly predicts that the companies focusing on transactional support
processes would be the most attractive stocks for institutional investors.
Sixty-eight percent voted for transaction support, with 15 percent
maintaining they would recommend staying out of the market and another 11
percent would propose investing in search engines." Also, noted the
statement, "Interestingly, more than 71 percent believe the Internet will
change the world, but only 16 percent perceive the Internet to be a source of
revenue in the future."
Intel Seeks PC in Every Home
Chipmaker Intel Corp. is pushing ahead with its hopes of seeing a PC in every
home, inviting some 1,500 content developers, entertainment writers and
advertising professionals to a show of creative things that can be done
using a PC and the Internet. Reporting from San Francisco, Barbara Grady of
the Reuter News Service notes that in one example Intel and Sony Corp.
demonstrated how the Internet could be used to bring a live performance by a
musician in France into a personal computer in the United States.
Intel also has launched a new program to give software designers and the
people who create entertainment access to the latest technology to help them
build glitzy software. Says Vice President Ron Whittier, general manager of
Intel's Content Group, "We want them to develop content that is more
demanding of the PC." Intel says that next year it will provide souped-up
multimedia chips known as MMX technology, 3-D graphics controllers and
advanced audio processing for mainstream PCs in the $2,000 price range.
Reuters says the firm also is working outside its industry with disk drive
makers and telecommunications companies to get non-chip technology into the
market -- such as digital video disk technology, or DVD, and Internet
telephones.
Priest Advises Net Audience
Advice in cyberspace to people with personal problems ranging from marriage
to suicide is being provided by a Singapore Catholic priest.
Thirty-five-year-old Father John Paul Tan tells the French Agence
France-Press he receives about a dozen e-mail messages from people from all
walks of life for about two hours daily, the time he had allocated for such
type of social service.
"Most people who message me are young adults and those studying in the
universities," says Father Tan, one of four priests at the Church of St.
Mary of the Angels in western Singapore island. AFP says Catholics and
non-Catholics make appointments with him to discuss marriage plans, ask for
advice about relationship problems, or send queries about religion and God.
"His online interaction was via a computer in his room, which he checks three
times a day," the wire service reports. "He takes about a week to compose
replies to each message he receives." But the priest draws the line at
online confessions. "Giving advice on the Internet is fine, I think," he
says, but "the nature of confessions is so personal and it is not possible to
convey emotions and sensitivity over the Internet."
James Dean Web Sites Feuding
A landmark case involving copyright law on the Internet may be growing out of
a feud between wo sites on the World Wide Web, both devoted to the memory of
legendary actor James Dean. According to the Reuter News Service, Curtis
Management Group Worldwide, licensing agents for the James Dean Foundation,
has filed suit in Marion County Superior Court in Indiana against
California-based American Legends and its principals, James Pitts, Martin
Pitts and Ronald Martinetti.
Says Reuters, "CMG, which also represents such dead celebrities as Marilyn
Monroe, Humphrey Bogart and Babe Ruth, is charging that the American Legends
Internet site illegally uses Dean's signature and several photos that are
protected by CMG....American Legends disputes CMG's charges." Martinetti,
an attorney and author of a Dean biography, recently told Daily Variety
newspaper, "We believe that the Foundation and CMG's threat to suppress our
site raises some interesting issues regarding free speech and access to
information on the Net." American Legends maintains a James Dean Web site
at Web address http://www.americanlegends.com, while CMG's site is at
http://www.cmgww.com.
Engineer, Intel Feud Over Logo
A Texas computer chip design engineer says he is drawing fire from chip giant
Intel Corp. because of his online spoof of the company logo. Intel wants
Robert Collins to stop using his version of its company logo on his site on
the Internet's World Wide Web, saying Collins has "tarnished" the symbol, a
valuable property it says it must protect. However, Collins contends his
takeoff is legitimate. "It's a parody," he told business writer Catalina
Ortiz of The Associated Press, adding there are disclaimers and marked
differences between the logos, which he said ensure that viewers understand
he has no connection with Intel. Meanwhile, Collins said he thought Intel
might be miffed by his Web site that reveals undisclosed details of the
company's computer chips.
Called "Intel Secrets: What Intel Doesn't Want You To Know," Collins' site
(reached at Web address http://www.x86.org) offers information on errors in
Intel's industry-leading chips and gives programming tips. But Intel says
the content of Collins' site is information that can be obtained legitimately
from working with the chips and isn't the issue. Instead, what Collins did
with Intel's logo, a distinctive arrangement of letters in the company's
name, has the firm fuming. Ortiz notes, "The company's logo is the word
'Intel' in lower-case with the 'e' dipped below the other letters. Collins'
'Intel Secrets' logo uses the same typeface as Intel but reverses the letter
'e' and puts over it the word the international symbol of a red circle with a
line across it. It also puts the word 'secrets' in the same typeface and dips
the first 'e.'"
Chuck Molloy, a spokesman for Santa Clara, California-based Intel, says
Collins' argument that his logo is just a parody -- a fair use of the symbol
-- doesn't work. While people can properly parody a company's name, he said,
they cannot properly parody a logo, which is considered artwork. Says
Molloy, "The issue here is it's just like any other piece of property. And
it's our obligation to protect Intel property. And if we don't take active
steps to protect it, we could lose our legal rights."
AP says Intel does not intend to go after Collins for alleged trademark
violation, but it does intend to fight his application to trademark his
"Intel Secrets" logo. Collins, who works for Texas Instruments Inc. in
Dallas, says he already has changed his logo at Intel's request, but Intel
said the changes don't go far enough. (Originally Collins just used his
version of the words "Intel Secrets." Says Ortiz, "He later added the red
circle, the disclaimer and 'Intel Absolutely Not Inside,' a jab at the
company's 'Intel Inside' phrase.")
Mac Anti-Virus Software Upgraded
McAfee Inc. has introduced VirusScan 2.0 for the Macintosh, an enhanced
version of its anti-virus software. The product, which was originally based
upon sorce code licensed by McAfee from Northwestern University, now
incorporates over thirty new features. According to Santa Clara,
California-based McAfee, VirusScan 2.0 for the Macintosh provides protection
against all known Word Macro viruses, conventional viruses, Hypercard Stack
viruses and trojan horses.
"VirusScan for the Macintosh has evolved dramatically since its introduction
in December 1995," says Chris Harget, anti-virus product manager at McAfee.
"Today, just seven months later, we've delivered on our commitment to create
an industry-leading anti-virus solution for the Macintosh. Viruses pose an
increasing threat to the Macintosh user community, especially with the rapid
growth in the number of multi-platform Word Macro viruses." VirusScan 2.0
for the Macintosh is scheduled to begin shipping on August 9. It will have an
estimated street price of $49.
16 Charged in Net Porn Ring
Sixteen men have been accused of participating in an international Internet
pedophilia ring in which, authorities allege, members once chatted online
while a 10-year-old girl was being molested. Thirteen of the men have been
arrested, while the other three still are being sought. The San Jose,
California, federal grand jury indictment handed down yesterday alleges the
men belonged to a group called the "Orchid Club," a chat room in which users
swapped stories about child sex and conspired to produce and exchange
sexually explicit images of girls as young as 5. Says The Associated Press,
"The images -- called 'privates' -- included still photographs and
movie-like files created with digital video cameras." FBI spokesman George
Grotz told the wire service, "Many of the subjects not only viewed this child
pornography but actually took part in assembling it and producing it
themselves. That's what makes this case unique."
AP quotes authorities as saying people were allowed to join the club only
after members recommended them. "After receiving a password to enter the chat
room," says the wire service, "they were initiated by recounting a sexual
experience with a child." The FBI says its investigation was sparked by the
arrest of Californians Melton Lee Myers, 55, of Santa Rosa and Ronald Riva,
38, of Monterey County. AP reports, "Authorities said the two men
orchestrated a video session in April with a 10-year-old Monterey County girl
who was instructed to pose in sexually explicit positions at the request of
members in the United States and Finland who watched the images being
instantly transmitted to their computers, the indictment said."
Besides California, suspects are from Oklahoma, Washington, Kansas, Illinois,
Minnesota, Michigan, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Australia, Canada and
Finland. The men are charged with conspiracy to possess and distribue child
pornography. Six of them, including Myers and Riva, also were charged with
aiding and abetting in the sexual exploitation of children. Authorities say
that, if convicted, each defendant faces up to 10 years in prison and a
$250,000 fine for each count of the indictment.
CD-ROM Pirates Get Long Jail Terms
A Singapore court has handed two convicted CD-ROM pirates the longest jail
terms in Southeast Asia for copyright infringement. United Press
International reports that the two men, who were sentenced to 30 months and
18 months in jail respectively, both owned and operated shops that sold
counterfeit CD-ROMs. UPI adds that private investigators hired by the
Alliance Against CD-ROM Theft discovered the two stores in Singapore's Sim
Lim Square, a mall specializing in computer and electronics products. The
investigators alerted Singapore police to the illegal activities, which led
to raids of the shops and the recovery of more than 5,000 fake CD-ROMS.
Adobe NewsWire STR Infofile
Adobe Systems Announces Support
for
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Operating System
Mountain View, Calif., (July 31, 1996) (Nasdaq: ADBE)-Adobe Systems
Incorporated today announced plans to deliver Microsoftr Windows NTr 4.0
compatible products that take advantage of the enhanced levels of power and
ease of use offered by Microsoft Corporation's new operating system.
Adobe's planned support of Windows NT 4.0 software continues its commitment
to deliver 32-bit applications that maximize the robust functionality of the
Windowsr platform. Adobe applications currently supporting Windows 95
include, FrameMakerr, PageMakerr, Photoshopr and Adobe Type Managerr. Adobe
products expected to support Windows NT 4.0 in forthcoming releases include
Adobe Acrobatr, Adobe After EffectsT, FrameMaker, Adobe Illustratorr,
PageMaker, Adobe PageMillT, PhotoDeluxeT, Photoshop, Adobe Premiere and
Adobe Type Manager software.
Adobe offers a broad range of support for Windows 95 and Windows NT features
in existing applications including OLE 2.0 support with drag and drop;
context-sensitive menus; long file names; and symmetric multiprocessor
support, which delivers workstation-level performance to the Windows desktop.
"Adobe continues to lead the way in delivering new 32-bit applications that
take maximum advantage of Windows NT and Windows 95 ," said Bryan Lamkin,
director of graphics products, Adobe Systems Incorporated. "The improved
performance, robustness, and ease of use offered by Windows NT 4.0 will
greatly enhance the creative experience for our Windows customers in the
print, video and Internet markets."For Immediate Release Press contact:
Thrse M. Bruno 206 470.7568 Fax 206 470.7125 thebruno@adobe.com
http://www.adobe.com
Adobe Systems Announces Support for Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Operating System
As a demonstration of its commitment, Adobe intends to submit a broad range
of its 32-bit Windows products for compliance testing required to carry the
new "Designed for Windows NT and Windows 95" logo, which will help end users
easily identify applications that are compatible with both Microsoft Windows
95 and Windows NT 4.0.
Based in Mountain View, Calif., Adobe Systems Incorporated develops and
supports products to help people express and use information in more
imaginative and meaningful ways, across all print and electronic media.
Founded in 1982, Adobe helped launch the desktop publishing revolution.
Today, the company offers a market-leading line of application software and
type products for creating and distributing visually rich communication
materials; licenses its industry-standard technologies to major hardware
manufacturers, software developers, and service providers; and offers
integrated software solutions to businesses of all sizes. For more
information, see the Adobe home page at http://www.adobe.com on the World
Wide Web.
Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, Adobe After Effects, FrameMaker, Adobe
Illustrator, PageMaker, Adobe PageMill, PhotoDeluxe, Photoshop, Adobe
Premiere and Adobe Type Manager are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Microsoft, Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of the Microsoft
Corporation.
EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed
Edupage
Contents
Children To Get Three Hours Of "Educational" TV
Anti-Terrorism Plans a Threat To Civil Liberties?
Another Ruling Against CDA
Netscape And Microsoft Duel Over Intranet Market
Educational Software
Cray Charges NEC of "Dumping" Supercomputers
Toshiba Will Offer First DVD Player
Copland May Emulate Windows And Unix
IBM's Olympic-Sized "Element Of Risk"
Japan/U.S. Chip Pact Expires
Microsoft Releases Windows NT 4.0
IBM, Oracle, Next Jump On The Intranet Wagon
Cellular Phone Companies Fight Cloning
G7 Leaders & The Internet
Canadian SP's Tackle Objectionable Material
Dell Opens Up Shop On The Internet
Fastest Macs Aren't Made By Apple
Certified Web Sites
Microsoft Wants To Be Largest Advertiser On The Net
CHILDREN TO GET THREE HOURS OF "EDUCATIONAL" TV
Television broadcasters have agreed to Clinton Administration requests to
transmit three hours a week of educational TV for children, though there
will be considerable flexibility in the definition of "educational." The
agreement specifies only that the FCC "will ordinarily rely on the good faith
judgment of the broadcasters" and will dispute their judgments "only as a
last resort." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 30 Jul 96 A3)
CLINTON ANTI-TERRORISM PLANS
CALLED THREAT TO CIVIL LIBERTIES
To fight terrorism, the Clinton administration is proposing a number of
measures which civil libertarians say pose a serious threat to the freedoms
of innocent users of phones and computers. A spokesman for the American
Civil Liberties Union says: 'The president is using the bombing in Atlanta
as a pretense to getting more wiretap authority. The answer to terrorism
isn't to limit the freedoms of Americans. If we do that, the terrorists have
already won.'' (San Jose Mercury News 30 Jul 96)
ANOTHER RULING AGAINST COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT
Echoing a decision made last month by federal judges in Philadelphia, a three-
person panel of federal judges in Manhattan rule the Communications Decency
Act (part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996) to be unconstitutional. The
Act makes it a felony to transmit "indecent" or "patently offensive" material
over computer networks where children might have access to it. The law suit
involved an Internet-based newsletter opposed to legislation banning indecent
but constitutionally protected speech on the Internet. The newsletter's
author says it was "laced with four-letter and multisyllabic obscenities
familiar to anyone and, frankly, the day I published that article, I had
some very real fears of going to prison. But I felt so deeply that our
rights were violated by the law, I had an obligation to fight it." The
Justice Department is appealing the Philadelphia decision to the U.S.
Supreme Court. (New York Times 30 96 A7)
NETSCAPE AND MICROSOFT DUEL OVER INTRANET MARKET
Netscape will give away software tools that make it easier for developers to
write programs for internal company "intranets" using Internet formats. The
tools will be compatible with Netscape ONE -- Netscape's name for a set of
proposed industry standards that includes Corba, which competes with ActiveX,
the proposed standard developed by Microsoft. By giving away Corba and
other software-development tools that run on any computer operating systems,
Netscape is trying to draw the attention of software developers away from
ActiveX, which will initially run only on Microsoft Windows operating systems
when it is released some months from now. (Wall Street Journal 29 Jul 96
B4)
EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE
The Software Publishers Association predicts the K12 educational technology
market will grow from $2.6 billion in 1993-94 to $4.5 billion by 1999. A
significant increase is also expected in the development of commercial
software for higher education use. Educom president Robert C. Heterick Jr.
says the ways to reduce the cost of higher education (which has tripled over
the last decade, largely because of teacher salaries) is through the use of
information technology in the colleges and universities: "Today you're
looking at a highly personal, human-mediated environment. The potential to
remove the human mediation in some areas and replace it with automation --
smart, computer-based, network-based systems - is tremendous. It's gotta
happen." Heterick says the likeliest candidates include courses such as
basic math, English and science. (New York Times 29 Jul 96 C5)
CRAY CHARGES NEC WITH "DUMPING" SUPERCOMPUTERS
Cray Research filed an ''anti-dumping'' petition against NEC Corporation,
claiming that the Japanese company is selling supercomputers on the American
market at less than what it costs to make them. In its complaint to the
Commerce Department and International Trade Commission, Cray is charging that
NEC is taking an estimated $65 million loss to supply supercomputers to the
National Center for Atmospheric Research. (Investor's Business Daily 30 Jul
96)
TOSHIBA WILL OFFER FIRST DVD PLAYER
By offering the first DVD player [Digital Video Disk or Digital Versatile
Disk] this Fall even though the movie industry still hasn't agreed to
support the new format, Toshiba Corporation is hoping that its launch will
create so much public interest in DVD that Hollywood will be forced to speed
up the multi-industry negotiations that have delayed the introduction of the
players. Each DVD holds more than seven times the amount of information
contained on a conventional compact disk. (Wall Street Journal 29 Jul 96
B11B)
COPLAND MAY EMULATE WINDOWS AND UNIX
Sources close to Apple are saying that the company's new Copland operating
system, scheduled now for release next summer, will be able to emulate
Windows, Windows NT, or Unix from within the Macintosh operating system, but
the product manager for Copland denies that there is an effort to add Windows
capabilities. (Computerworld 29 Jul 96 p1)
IBM'S OLYMPIC-SIZED "ELEMENT OF RISK"
IBM chief executive Lou Gerstner told shareholders last April that the
Centennial Olympics would provide IBM a chance to show its best on a world
stage, but admitted: "I don't need to tell you there's an element of risk
in stepping onto that stage." Following the well-publicized problems with
the computerized system it developed for the Olympics, IBM said this week
that, "in the light of how our system performance has been perceived," it
had "reconsidered some ads" that it had been planning to run in various
newspapers. (New York Times 29 Jul 96 C5, 30 Jul 96 C5)
JAPAN/U.S. CHIP PACT EXPIRES
The Japan/U.S. semiconductor market share agreement has expired, with both
sides still far apart on terms for its renewal. Japan insists that the
European Union be included in the pact whereas the U.S. wants to negotiate a
new bilateral agreement. Both sides believe the expiring agreement has been
a useful one, and a senior U.S. official says that "the point of the
agreement was not to reach an arbitrary number but to force the Japanese to
look at and integrate foreign producers into their production." (Financial
Times 1 Aug 96)
MICROSOFT RELEASES WINDOWS NT 4.0
Windows NT 4.0 holds Microsoft's hopes of beating strong competitors like
IBM, Oracle, Sun, HP, Netscape and others in the race to provide software
for corporate and other large networks. Windows NT is the basis of
Microsoft's Back Office software suite that generated more than $1 billion
last year, which represented 11% of Microsoft's total revenue. (USA Today
31 Jul 96 2A)
IBM, ORACLE, NEXT JUMP ON THE INTRANET WAGON
In separate recent announcements, IBM, Oracle and Next Software all have
reaffirmed their commitment to corporate intranet support, following
Netscape's lead in helping companies use intranets for information- sharing,
publishing and collaborative work. "Large user organizations are trying to
figure out what role the strategies play relative to the technology they
already have and how they can leverage both," says a manager in the
strategic technology group at Coopers & Lybrand. IBM plans to provide Smooth
Start Services, a turnkey package that includes intranet server planning,
configuration, installation, application development and training. Oracle's
strategy is based on its Oracle Web Server 3.0, which will ship later this
year, and will contain a Web Request Broker that supports the ability to
manage databases from intranet applications. Next has forged a partnership
with Netscape to jointly market Next's WebObjects software with Netscape's
SuiteSpot server software and Navigator Gold browser. (Information Week 22
Jul 96 p28)
CELLULAR PHONE COMPANIES FIGHT CLONING
To fight the illegal practice called "cloning," cellular telephone carriers
will be adopting new "smart phone" technology intended to foil high-tech
criminals by matching calls with encoded passwords. In cloning, pirates use
portable scanners and computers to intercept the cellular phone user's phone
and serial numbers as they are being broadcast to a transmitting tower or
"cell site." The new digital phones will contain a non-clonable ''smart
cards'' that encrypt the identifying information to prevent scanners from
eavesdropping or cloning the customer's telephone number. (San Jose Mercury
News 1 Aug 96)
G7 LEADERS & THE INTERNET
Experts on electronic communications said ideas presented by G7 leaders for
fighting terrorism by restricting access to the Internet are "naive and
probably unworkable" because there are too many ways to circumvent censorship
on the Net to believe regulation could prevent terrorists from using the
technology for communications. (Toronto Globe & Mail 1 Aug 96 A4)
CANADIAN SERVICE PROVIDERS TACKLE
OBJECTIONABLE MATERIAL
Canadian access providers are developing guidelines for dealing with
potentially objectionable material and have set up a code of conduct
committee, with goals that include establishing guidelines members can use to
determine if information stored on their servers is illegal. (Toronto Globe
& Mail 1 Aug 96 B1)
DELL OPENS UP SHOP ON THE INTERNET
Dell Computer is taking its direct sales strategy one step further into
cyberspace. Its new "virtual store" at < http://www.dell.com > allows
shoppers to fill out an order form, outline their PC specifications, and
submit a payment option (purchase order, corporate lease or credit card),
all on the Web. The company promises the online transactions will be
secure. "We're in a really good position to do this and help lead the
transition" to online selling, says a Dell spokesman. (Investor's Business
Daily 29 Jul 96 A6)
FASTEST MACS AREN'T MADE BY APPLE
The company that manufactures the fastest Macs in the land isn't
headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., but rather is located just outside
Austin, Texas. Power Computing, a Mac cloner, is already shipping a
superfast machine based on a 225-megahertz PowerPC chip, and early this
month plans to announce home Macs with speeds up to 240 Mhz -- well above
Intel's 200-Mhz zenith. (Business Week 5 Aug 96 p6)
CERTIFIED WEB SITES
The National Computer Security Association in Carlisle, PA., will certify
that a Web site meets minimum security specifications, including the
presence of firewalls, use of passwords, and encryption of sensitive data
transmission. Certifications costs $8500 a year and requires that the site
submit to remote tests, an NCSA site visit, and random compliance audits.
(Computerworld 29 Jul 96 p2)
MICROSOFT WANTS TO BE LARGEST ADVERTISER ON THE NET
Microsoft chief operating officer Bob Herbold says that Microsoft is using
the Internet to do "real-time marketing," with the goal of becoming the
largest advertiser on the Internet. Herbold cited a recent campaign in
which Microsoft responded to a Netscape ad on the Web offering $66 upgrades
to its Navigator program by quickly blanketing the Web with competing ads
offering Microsoft's Explorer software free. (New York Times 1 Aug 96 C2)
Edupage is written by John Gehl (gehl@educom.edu) & Suzanne Douglas
(douglas@educom.edu).
Voice: 404-371-1853, Fax: 404-371-8057.
Technical support is provided by the Office of Information Technology,
University of North Carolina.
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE
The CAUSE organization's annual conference on information technology in
higher education is scheduled for the end of this month in New Orleans. The
conference will bring together administrators, academicians and other
managers of information resources. For full conference information check out
<http://cause-www.colorado.edu > or send e-mail to conf@cause.colorado.edu.
ARCHIVES & TRANSLATIONS. For archive copies of Edupage or Update, ftp or
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Educom -- Transforming Education Through Information Technology
For Immediate Release
Corel Releases Corel WEB.GRAPHICS SUITE
OTTAWA, Canada - July 31, 1996 - Corel Corporation, an award-winning
developer and marketer of productivity applications, graphics and multimedia
software, today announced the release of CorelWEB.GRAPHICS SUITE, the latest
addition to their Internet line of products. This comprehensive selection of
HTML authoring, animation and graphics programs provide users with the
ability to create state-of-the-art Web pages for the Internet or company
intranet. With this suite, both novice and professionals can easily create
Web pages that incorporate text, graphics, animations and virtual reality
environments.
"This suite is designed to help users advance beyond the traditional Web page
to create pages that are more interesting and informative as well as easy to
understand," said Dr. Michael Cowpland, president and chief executive officer
of Corel Corporation. "With Internet-ready samples and high-quality
graphical content, this single package will give users the competitive edge
necessary to promote themselves on the World Wide Web."
CorelWEB.GRAPHICS SUITE features the following six components:
CorelWEB.DESIGNER
Provides state of the art Internet authoring. Users require no HTML
programming knowledge:
z create Web pages with a familiar word processor-style interface
z easy to use WYSIWYG HTML authoring; editable HTML source code view
z 120+ professionally designed templates
z support for JavaT applets
z client-side and server-side image mapping
z automatic BMP file conversion to GIF or JPEG
z tables and forms support
z add background images, font sizes, styles and colors
z hyperlinks and image hotspots let you link to local pages or other
Internet sites
CorelWEB.Transit
Allows effortless publishing of existing documents to the Web:
z a tool to convert legacy documents into HTML format
z supports all popular word processing programs (Corelr WordPerfectr,
Microsoftr Word, LotusrAmi Pror, RTF)
z powerful customization
z allows users to create single source documents for paper and Web
publishing
z file splitting and automatic generation of table of contents
CorelWEB.GALLERY
A time-saving, easy-to-access library of Internet-ready clipart images :
z 7,500 + images in GIF and JPEG formats
z royalty-free images
z backgrounds, separators, buttons, bullets, arrows, drop caps, clipart
and more
z drag images and drop them into your Web page
CorelWEB.MOVE
Creates exciting animations that bring Web pages to life:
z supports numerous formats including JavaT applets and animated GIFs
z includes over 2,000 actors, props and sounds
z Timeline rollup with click-and-drag ease of use controls objects'
entrance and exit
z import and add animation to your own images
CorelWEB.WORLD
Enables the user to turn a Web site into an interactive virtual reality:
z over 100 pre-designed models
z seamlessly integrate video, images, audio and text
z build links to connect visitors to other worlds, Web pages and more
z create 3D worlds in VRML or native MUS format
CorelWEB.DRAW
Allows users to create and edit illustrations with award-winning CorelDRAWT
technology:
z extensive file import/export filters allow for easy graphic file
conversions
z vector-based hyperlinks with most recent URL drop list
z create client-side image mapping and complete .HTM files
z extensive drawing tools and artistic text features
z special effects including Blend and 3D Extrusions
z fountain, fractal and texture fills
z supports Corelr BaristaT technology
O'Reilly's WebSiteT 1.1 server software is a bonus application for Windowsr
95 and Windowsr NT users, while Windows 95 and Windowsr 3.1 users may take
advantage of AT&T's WorldNet Service software including Netscape NavigatorT
Internet browser.
Pricing and System Requirements
CorelWEB.GRAPHICS SUITE is available for a suggested retail price of $299 US,
with an upgrade price of $99 US available through customer service to
registered owners of CorelWEB.DESIGNER. The suite will require a minimum of
8 MB of RAM, an IBM compatible PC 486 33, Windows 3.1x, Windows NT or
Windows 95, a CD-ROM drive and a VGA display.
Corel Corporation
Incorporated in 1985, Corel Corporation is recognized internationally as an
award-winning developer and marketer of productivity applications, graphics
and multimedia software. Corel's product line includes CorelDRAWT, the
Corelr WordPerfectr Suite, Corelr Office Professional, CorelVIDEOT and over
30 multimedia software titles. Corel's products run on most operating
systems, including: Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, MS-DOS and OS/2 and are
consistently rated among the strongest in the industry. The company ships
its products in over 17 languages through a network of more than 160
distributors in 70 countries worldwide. Corel is traded on the Toronto Stock
Exchange (symbol: COS) and the NASDAQ - National Market System (symbol:
COSFF). For more information visit Corel's home page on the Internet at
http://www.corel.com.
Corel and WordPerfect are registered trademarks and CorelDRAW, CorelVIDEO and
Barista are trademarks of Corel Corporation or Corel Corporation Limited.
All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective companies.
Kids Computing Corner
Frank Sereno, Editor
The Kids' Computing Corner
Computer news and software reviews
from a parent's point of view
In the News
MB Software Corporation Releases K.I.D.
K.I.D. is the Kid Identity Defense Program. This is a service of MB Software
that will disseminate important information about your child to hundreds of
agencies in a matter of minutes during an emergency. For a subscription fee
of $23.95 per child, K.I.D. will maintain your child's image, thumbprints and
medical history in its database. The service also provides subscribers with
two photo ID's and 20 personalized identification labels. You can also
update your child's records. For more information, call 817-633-9400.
7th Level Announces New Titles
Following the success of their first two children's titles, TuneLand and The
Great Word Adventure, the irrepressible Howie Mandel and 7th Level have
combined forces to create The Great Math Adventure and The Great Reading
Adventure. Both titles will feature quality animation, songs and fun
activities that promote the learning of reading and math skills. The Great
Math Adventure is currently scheduled for a September release while The Great
Reading Adventure is due in November.
The Learning Company Announces New Titles
Several new products will soon be available from The Learning Company. The
first is already available, The Interactive Math Journey. Retailing for
about $75, the program features twenty-five sequenced activities using a 3-
step approach to build math understanding and skills in children ages 5 to 9.
Coming this fall will be a sequel to the most successful reading program of
1995. Reader Rabbit's Interactive Reading Journey 2 will build upon the
skills learned in the original program. For children ages 5 to 8, the
program features 30 original storybooks. The program promotes reading
comprehension through sixty thought-provoking questions. It also includes a
record-and-playback feature so children and parents can listen to the child's
progress. Suggested retail price is $99.
The Learning Company also released several new language software programs. A
new series, Practice Makes Perfect T features versions in Spanish, French and
German. Each features more than 2,300 words ranging from fundamental to
advanced. The programs use photos to illustrate words, videos and diagrams
to teach proper tongue and lip to form sounds, and interactive exercises to
promote memorization. The Windows version features speech-recognition
technology to improve the user's language skills.
The company has also upgraded its Berlitz Think & TalkT line. This product
immerses the user into a language to make learning more natural. The updated
versions include the new speech recognition technology (Windows only) along
with a record-and-playback feature that allows users to recognize their
mistakes. Available for Spanish, French, German and Italian, each program
has a suggested retail price of $119.
All products are available for Windows 3.1, Windows 95 and Macintosh.
Inverse Ink and DC Comics Announce Four CD-ROM Comic Books
At the recent San Diego Comic Book Expo, Inverse Ink and DC Comics previewed
the upcoming electronic comic books that feature four beloved characters.
Each comic will come on a single CD-ROM featuring a hybrid Windows/Macintosh
format at an expected retail price of $9.99. These titles will be available
this summer.
Superman: The Mysterious Mr. Mist features Superman in a battle against a
strange, subterranean creature that can take on human form. The creature
seeks a new Queen for his people. Could he be interested in Lois Lane? Can
Superman save the day?
Batman: Partners in Peril features Batman and Robin teaming up with Batgirl
to save Gotham City from the Penguin, the Riddle, the Joker and Catwoman.
Can the Dynamic Duo Plus One, a menage a trois of crimefighters, save the
city?
Aquaman: War of the Water Worlds is the story of Aquaman and Aqualad's battle
against alien invaders fighting for control of the world's seas. Alien sea
serpents of gargantuan proportions threaten to capture all of Aquaman's
allies. Can he defeat Slant and his evil horde?
Superboy: Spies from Outer Space contains the tale of Superboy and his dog,
Krypto, as they investigate two aliens from another world who terrorize the
planet with their horrible powers. Can Superboy prevail?
To learn the answers to all these questions, you'll just have to buy the CD-
ROM's. Each comic book panel will have hidden hotspots that will trigger
animations. Many animations will come directly from the 1960s cartoon
classics. The products will also have an autoplay feature so users can just
sit back and enjoy the show. Inverse Ink will also be producing four titles
based on series in the Fox Kids' Network and it hopes to have twelve titles
out before Christmas.
Ubi Soft Announces New Children's Title
Coming next month, Numbers and Letters with Rayman will teach children
reading, counting and spelling as he attempts to rescue the Magic Book of
Knowledge from the evil Mr. Dark. Players will play the familiar Rayman game
of platform action-adventure, but now they must answer Knowledge Challenges
along the way to complete a map to find Mr. Dark's fortress of evil.
The game has three levels based for first, second and third graders. Each
adventure features twelve Knowledge Challenges that will average nearly 600
questions for a completed game. Each adventure also has three levels to
allow for different skill levels and to allow the game to be continually
challenging. Gameplay and challenge questions become increasingly more
difficult as the player advances in the game.
Numbers and Letters with Rayman will retail for $39.95 and be available for
IBM computers. Look for a review of the original Rayman here in this column
next week.
Beauty and the Beast
Windows CD-ROM
MSRP $14.95
for Ages 6 to Adult
N-TK
18000 Studebaker Rd
Suite 200
Cerritos, CA 90703
310-403-0043
Program Requirements
OS: Windows 3.1
CPU: 486/33
HD Space: 1 MB
Memory: 8 MB
Graphics: 16-bit VGA (64,000 colors)
CD-ROM: Double-speed
Audio: 16-bit sound card
Other: mouse
reviewed by David Mann
Beauty and the Beast is just one of a series of Interactive Storybooks
developed by Memorex. It is a collection of illustrations, music, narration,
and text set up in a book-like format that tells the classic tale in a way
that feels like a storybook. In interactive mode, you actually turn the
pages with a mouse, while you can turn the narration on or off. It has
bookmarks so that you can return to the story where you stopped reading.
The story tells of Beauty's father, his rise and fall in business, and how he
stumbles onto the Beast property during his travels. It explains the
background of how and why Beauty's father and the beast make the pact. The
story also explains the selfishness of Beauty's sisters, and of her own
virtue and kindheartedness. It tells the Beast's sad and wonderful story and
why only a person like Beauty could have saved him.
The program has some pretty steep requirements (though I can't for the life
of me figure out why). It needs 64,000 colors though I never counted more
than 16. The requirements list a 16-bit sound card but it played acceptably
on an 8-bit SB PRO sound card. You should have the latest video drivers for
Windows. The list also suggests that you have a Pentium processor for better
performance but it ran just fine on my 486 DX2-66.
Technical issues aside, it has good music, a video (self-telling) mode, and a
puzzle mode (something else to do when you're not reading or listening to the
story, kinda fun!). It also features non-frightening illustrations that are
great for small children. It's a wonderful story that covers virtue,
morality, selfishness, greed, hope, honor, and most importantly to not judge
a book by its cover. The old stories may have their pitfalls, but the
humanity in the stories is refreshing. In other words, it's a good program
and the price is right.
Microsoft Bookshelf 1996-97 Edition
Available separately for Windows and Macintosh on CD-ROM
approximately $55
for ages 10 and up
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Richmond, WA 98052
206-882-8080
http://www.microsoft.com
Program Requirements
IBM Macintosh
OS: Windows 3.1, Windows 95 OS: System 7 or later
CPU: 486SX/33 CPU: Mac LC II or
higher
HD Space: 4.5 MB HD Space: 4 MB
Memory: 4 MB Memory: 4 MB
Graphics: 640 by 480 with 256 colors Graphics:
256 colors, 13" monitor
CD-ROM: Double-speed CD-ROM: Double-speed
Audio: 8-bit Windows compatible sound card
Other: mouse, printer optional Other: printer
optional
reviewed by Frank Sereno
Microsoft Bookshelf has been one of the favorite reference works for computer
users for ten years. It contains a handy dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia
and more. More multimedia material has been added to make this year's
Bookshelf even more interesting. This year's edition has been updated to
increase its usefulness to students, hobbyists and professionals.
It can be seamlessly integrated into any Windows program through the use of
QuickShelf, a companion program that conveniently places Bookshelf icons on
the screen. It also includes the Bookshelf Internet Directory 96 that
contains more than 5,000 interesting sites on the Internet. When used with a
compatible Internet browser, the listings can be used as links to go directly
to those sites. Free updates for the listings are available from Microsoft's
Website.
Another new feature is the Concise Encarta 96 World Atlas. 54 maps (that can
be cut and pasted into other documents) allow the user to travel the globe.
Location names are pronounced and brief histories are included. The program
includes links to other portions of Bookshelf for more detailed information.
Updated Year in Review provides a multimedia montage of the events of 1995.
This section includes an interesting array of the events and people that were
prominent in the year past in a fascinating and entertaining way.
Bookshelf still includes the fine reference works from past editions
including The American Heritage Dictionary, The Concise Columbia
Encyclopedia, The Original Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases,
The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1996, The Columbia Dictionary of
Quotations, The People's Chronology and National Five-Digit ZIP Code and Post
Office Directory. These references are integrated for ease of use with links
provided via keywords. You can look up a word in the dictionary and then
jump to the thesaurus for a synonym. All text and images can be copied to
the Windows clipboard for use in other applications. New multimedia
presentations will increase learning comprehension and enjoyment of the
program.
Microsoft Bookshelf 1996-97 is a great collection of tools and resources for
students, writers, professionals and those who love to learn. This is a
fabulous program that becomes richer, more educational and more entertaining
with each edition. It's backed by Microsoft's 30-day moneyback guarantee. If
you are only going to have one reference program for your computer, Microsoft
Bookshelf has to be that one.
JFK THE MAN AND HIS HISTORY
Windows CD-ROM
MSRP $9.95
for Ages 8 to Adult
Essex Interactive Media
P. O Box 937
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632-0937
201-894-8700
http:www.essexinteractive.com
Program Requirements
OS: Windows 3.1
CPU: 486DX/33
HD Space: 0 MB
Memory: 4 MB
Graphics: VGA with hardware or software MPEG
CD-ROM: Double-speed
Audio: 8-bit sound card
Other: mouse
reviewed by David Mann
If you're looking for reference material, Essex Interactive Media has just
the ticket in JFK: The Man And His History. It is over an hour of narrated
MPEG-compliant video (sorry no AVIs here), on the Kennedy family, JFK
himself, his exploits, his life, and his assassination.
The movie starts with background on the Kennedy family. Included are Joe
Kennedy's (John's father) political ambitions and accusations of bootlegging
during prohibition. John's mother, brothers, sisters, and cousins are
covered not only in movie reels, but also in some rare home movies. It shows
the closeness of the family in ways that cannot be described in print. The
movie shows a timeline of JFK's school days, his bout with Polio, his
military service, his senatorial rise, his ascension to president, and his
assassination. It covers some of the day-to-day chores of the presidency.
It also details how he came to and the reasons behind some of his history
making decisions. It also covers the rumors of his infidelity with Marilyn
Monroe. The movie concludes with some of the events leading up to,
including, and after JFK's assassination.
JFK The Man And His History is an unbiased biography of one of Americas most
charismatic presidents. It shows the good and the bad of the man himself,
his family, and his decisions, uncolored. It deals with speculation as what
it is and allows the viewer to draw their own conclusions. The movie also
shows the humanity of a man and his family, with well cut, interspersed black
and white and color footage of historical and family films. The narration is
excellent. I do recommend this movie to anyone wanting an overview of John
Fitzgerald Kennedy.
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
Windows CD-ROM
$14.95
for ages 4 and up
N-TK
18000 Studebaker Rd
Suite 200
Cerritos, CA 90703
310-403-0043
Program Requirements
OS: Windows 3.1
CPU: 486 or greater
HD Space: 1 MB
Memory: 8 MB
Graphics: 16-bit VGA (64,000 colors)
CD-ROM: Double-speed
Audio: 16-bit sound card
Other: mouse
reviewed by Frank Sereno
Can you remember back to when you sat in your mother or father's lap to read
stories together? Perhaps you went to story-reading sessions at your local
library or saw a show on television where a skilled narrator breathed life
into the written word. Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp hearkens back to those
days of wonder and joy.
Aladdin is an interactive storybook from the studios of Jones Multimedia.
The narration is performed ably by Dr. Judith K. Jones. Her reading will
grab your child's attention. She also provided the numerous color
illustrations for this classic tale. If your child is familiar with the
Disney version of Aladdin, he may be a bit surprised to learn of the many
plot twists and turns of the original story. This tale of love, evil and
redemption is fascinating and educational.
You can operate the program in two methods. You can run it as a virtual
storybook in which you turn pages in the book. Each page features displayed
text and an AVI animation complete with audio. The other option is to run it
in movie mode that displays the pages in succession without need for user
intervention. A few pages ask the user to make a choice to propel the story.
In movie mode, the story takes about a half hour.
The images are very colorful, but not finely detailed. The publisher claims
these images are similar to those of nineteenth century children's books. I
believe most children will enjoy them. The sound portion of the program is
superb with an excellent narration, an intriguing musical score and many
fascinating sound effects. Although the program's requirements include a
Sound Blaster 16 or compatible, the audio played well through my 8-bit SB Pro
audio card.
>From my point of view, this is not an educational program but it does have
some educational benefits. This program should definitely interest children
in reading. It also has highlighted words on pages which link to definitions
of these words. This is a nice feature, but the program does not read the
definitions aloud for the child. The program is very entertaining and I
believe children will play it many times before they tire of it. Aladdin and
His Wonderful Lamp is budget-priced and an excellent value. This
entertaining title would be a good addition to any child's software library.
James Discovers Math
Separate CD-ROM versions for Windows and Macintosh
approximately $30
for ages 3 to 6
Broderbund
500 Redwood Blvd.
Novato, CA 94948-6121
415-382-4740
http://www.broder.com
Program Requirements
IBM Macintosh
OS: Windows 3.1, Windows 95 OS: System 7.0.1
CPU: 386DX/33 CPU: 68030/25
HD Space: 4 MB HD Space: 1
MB
Memory: 4 MB Memory: 4 MB
Graphics: 640 by 480 with 256 colors Graphics:
256 colors, 13" monitor
CD-ROM: Double-speed CD-ROM: Double-speed
Audio: 8-bit Windows compatible sound card
Other: mouse, printer optional Other: mouse,
printer optional
reviewed by Frank Sereno
Broderbund has another winning edutainment program in James Discovers Math.
This intriguing title was developed by Brains, an Australian design company.
The parents of the real James are the heads of the firm. The computerized
James is an engaging young Australian boy who hosts this program and he will
soon become your child's friend. The program features many fun activities
that are highlighted by wonderful music.
The main interface for James is his home's kitchen. Your child can gain
access to the activities by clicking on objects in the room. Clicking on
James' book starts a small interactive story called James Makes a Salad. The
clock serves as the gateway to lessons on telling time in Clock Game. The
television is the portal to multimedia nursery rhymes in Number Sing-Along.
Choose a rhyme by clicking on a number. For example, the number three starts
the rhyme "Baa, Baa Black Sheep." The magnets on the refrigerator door beget
Picture Shapes, a fun game involving the placement of colored geometric
shapes on a picture. Your child can play Boat Shapes by clicking on the toy
boat. He can learn about shapes by clicking on them or he can play a game of
loading shapes onto boats. Other activities include the Face Game,
Measurement, Fruit Shop, Blocks and Magic Carpet.
The Face Game has two modes. In the free play mode, children create
interesting faces by using a multitude of parts. In directed play, they will
learn the difference between small, medium and large when the program directs
them to get specific facial parts. Measurement teaches children about
estimation and measurement by asking them to measure objects with pencils of
varying lengths. Learning counting, number recognition and filling orders is
the object of the Fruit Shop. Blocks is where children can learn to solve
simple addition and subtraction problems by solving problems on the
blackboard by dragging items onto the desk to represent the equation. The
final exercise is Magic Carpet that encourages children to recognize and
develop patterns based on geometric shapes and colors.
The graphics are very childlike. They are crudely drawn, much like a young
child would do, and this adds to the program's charm and appeal. The
characters are finely animated and the scenes are full of bright colors. The
sounds of James Discovers Math are top-notch. The spoken dialog is performed
well. Bouncy, adorable music that will please adults as well as children
fills the program.
The activities are fun. Many activities feature two levels and several offer
the option of printing your child's creations within that activity. This
program will keep your child coming back for more. The educational
opportunities are fantastic with activities promoting the learning of basic
addition and subtraction, counting, number recognition, recognizing geometric
shapes and colors, measurement and telling time. The user manual includes
many suggestions to enhance the program's lessons. This adds to the
program's value. The interface is simple yet complete. It encourages
exploration but it also provides spoken help when needed.
James Discovers Math is a well-designed delight for child and parent. It
offers a modest price back by an incredible 90-Day guarantee. If you are
seeking a math program for a preschool child, you should give James Discovers
Math serious consideration. It's a winner!
Ratings
Graphics 9.0
Sound 10.0
Interface 9.0
Play Value 9.5
Educational Value 9.5
Bang for the Buck 9.5
Average 9.41
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Atari: Jaguar/Computer Section
Dana Jacobson, Editor
>From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
R.I.P. Atari?
It's official. No wake, no eulogies, no funeral, no reflections of what was
or could have been. The stockholders met, at least a few of them, and made
the JTS/Atari merger official this past Wednesday. The announcement to
follow the merger can be found below - no frills, just an official-like
business decision. For all intents and purposes...it's the end. What can be
said that hasn't been said many times over the past 10+ years? Not much,
really. Even the ATC symbol on the American Stock Exchange is gone, replaced
by JTS. Surprisingly, I thought that I'd have more to say about this
scenario, but I find myself hard-pressed to find the words to reflect my
feelings about this. Perhaps I'll find a few to relate before this issue has
been completed. Regardless, it's been a wild ride.
Until next time...
The Merger STR Infofile
Atari Merges With JTS Corporation!
7/31/96
CONTACT: W. Virginia Walker,
Chief Financial Officer of JTS Corporation,
408-468-1800/ (JTS)
SAN JOSE, Calif., July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- JTS Corporation (ASE: JTS) and
Atari Corporation (formerly American Stock Exchange: ATC) announced today
that they each received stockholder approval of their proposal to merge the
two companies. JTS and Atari have filed Certificates of Merger with
authorities in Delaware and Nevada and the merger closed today. JTS
Corporation will be the surviving entity in the merger, and the combined
organization will be based in San Jose, California. The JTS Common Stock
will commence trading on the American Stock Exchange under the symbol "JTS"
on July 31, 1996. The Atari Common Stock was delisted from the American
Stock Exchange following trading on July 30, 1996.
Upon closing of the merger, each outstanding share of Atari Common Stock was
exchanged for one share of JTS Common Stock. JTS exchanged approximately
63,850,000 shares of its Common Stock for all of the outstanding stock of
Atari and JTS has 103,415,517 million shares outstanding following the
merger. The merger is intended to qualify as a tax-free reorganization for
Federal Income Tax purposes.
"This merger is another step toward our goal of becoming a leading
international supplier of hard disk drives in the rapidly growing hard disk
drive market," said David T. Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer and President
of JTS. JTS designs, develops, manufacturers and markets hard disk drives
for use in notebook computers and desktop personal computers. The Company
recently introduced its new 3-inch Nordic product for notebook computers.
"We are pleased to be a part of JTS Corporation, the disk drive market is
growing rapidly and we continue to be excited about the prospects of the
3-inch Nordc disk drive," said Jack Tramiel, former Chairman of Atari.
JTS is headquartered in San Jose, California and has its disk drive
manufacturing facility in Madras, India. JTS' Atari Division licenses and
markets software in the multi-platform, multimedia market. JTS employs 4300
people worldwide.
JTS Trades STR Focus
AMEX TRADES COMMON STOCK OF JTS CORPORATION
NEW YORK, July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Stock Exchange today began
trading the common shares of JTS Corporation. Under a recent agreement, the
privately held company merged with Atari Corporation, an AMEX-listed company,
and will conduct all business operations under the name JTS Corporation.
JTS Corporation based in San Jose, California, designs, manufactures and
markets hard disk drives for personal computers. The company has developed
two families of hard disk drives: the 3-inch form factor Nordic product
family for notebook computers and the 3.5-inch form factor Palladium product
family for desk-top personal computers. JTS is currently developing a
5.25-inch form factor disk drive for desktop personal computers. Trading
under the ticker symbol JTS, the stock opened at 5 5/16 on 1,300 shares. AGS
Specialists Partners is the specialist unit for the company. As the
nation's second largest stock exchange, the American Stock Exchange is the
only primary marketplace for both stocks and derivative securities.
Visit American Stock Exchange web site located at http:www.amex.com
Another Heroic Attempt STR Infofile
ATARI COMPUTING MAGAZINE
From: mike <mike@coconut.demon.co.uk>
Press release
Mike Kerslake, a magazine publisher with over fifteen years experience has
signed up Frank Charlton, ex-features editor for ST Format and Joe Connor,
ex-Reader Disk/Public Arena editor for Atari World as joint editors for a NEW
printed Atari magazine called Atari Computing.
The launch issue of Atari Computing will feature sixty A4 pages crammed with
quality editorial. We're delighted to welcome contributions from respected
and well known journalists including Graeme Rutt, Jon Ellis, Denesh Bhabuta
and Kev Beardsworth. We're delighted to announce we've signed a deal with
the two leading disk based magazines, AtariPhile and Maggie to publish
regular sections within the magazine. If you've never seen a disk magazine
before we think you'll
be amazed to find out what you've been missing!
The launch issue will be on sale at the forthcoming Atari shows so why not
attend and meet us? The shows will be held on Saturday, September 28th in
Birmingham and Sunday, September 29th in London, for more details about the
shows contact: Goodman International, Telephone: +44 (0)1782 335650.
Issue one preview
Issue one is still in the planning stage but here's just some of the articles
we're working on:
z News and gossip put together by Graeme Rutt and Frank Charlton including
details about the Atari Computing website.
z Software reviews including HD-Driver by Jon Ellis
z Hardware reviews including Nemesis DIY by Simon Coward
z PD/Shareware reviews of MagiC utilities including Start Me Up! and
Stewart
z Preview of MagiC v5 by Thomas Binder, Kandinsky v2.5 by Kev Beardsworth
and Stella by Joe Connor
z Music and MIDI primer
z User group reports co-ordinated by Al Goold including feature on Spanish
Atarians by Andrew Harvey
z Atari Jaguar coverage
Remember these are a sample, not a complete list!
Background
Following the closure of Atari World earlier this year it has just been
announced ST Format, the final UK newsstand publication, has also closed.
It's the end of an era in the UK which for the first time since 1987 has no
Atari newsstand presence. The men in grey suits are telling us to move onto
other platforms but hang on a minute, let's take stock of the situation...
z Atari machines can be purchased and repaired on a shoestring
z Atari machines can produce superb printed output
z Atari machines can surf the Internet and run BBSs
z Atari machines can form the nucleus of a digital music studio
z New software of better quality than ever before is still being released!
That doesn't sound like a dead platform! The Atari platform has been emulated
by just about every other platform, we're owners of cult machines! Have you
ever noticed ex-Atarians animatedly talking about the 'Good old days' it's a
feel good factor missing from all the current machines.
We don't need a new platform but we do need information and a printed
magazine is undoubtedly the best way to ensure we see in the new millennium!
Apart from a darn good read the other thing most of us like is some new
software to play with. The Reader Disk concept offers all readers the chance
to get their hands on the hottest new software around along with exclusive
versions not available anywhere else. We intend to offer one Reader Disk to
accompany each issue, buy it or not, the choice is yours! What we need, now
more than ever before, is your support. It's going to be tough to keep going
so we're initially planning bi-monthly releases - but this could change, it's
really up to you! Instead of wishing us luck post a cheque to reserve your
copy today!
Ordering
As we're sure you'll appreciate launching a new magazine is a risky business
requiring pinpoint budget management. Our print run will be conservative and
we don't expect to have a stock of back issues. We're not a newsstand
publication so don't bother looking in the shops. The Atari platform needs
this magazine and we need your subscription so do yourself and us a favor,
take out a subscription or order an evaluation copy today!
Fast feedback request
If you're on-line we'd like to hear from you right now! We're keen to get an
idea of demand for the mag. To reserve copies send an empty email with the
title line: KEEP and if you'd like two copies simply add the number
afterwards: KEEP 2 etc, thanks for taking part!
mail: atari_w_admin@cix.compulink.co.uk
Subscriptions
Many of you (and most of us) lost money following the Atari World debacle and
we're determined not to make the same mistake. Atari Computing subscriptions
are refundable at any time. Cancel your subscription in writing and we'll
return any outstanding credit to you, minus a deduction to cover our costs.
If you order an evaluation copy we won't cash your payment until we've
printed the magazine, simple eh?
United Kingdom
Send cheque/PO made payable to the 'Atari Computing Group' to:
Mike Kerslake
42 Larch Hill
Handsworth Sheffield S9 4AJ
Telephone/Fax: +44 (0)114 2618940 - 10am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday
Email: mkerslake@cix.compulink.co.uk
Initially we're offering a single evaluation copy or three issue
subscriptions at the following rates inclusive of post and packing:
Evaluation Copy UK EUROPE USA
Magazine only 3.00 3.50 4.00
With Reader Disk 5.00 5.50 6.00
Subscription UK EUROPE USA
Magazine only 9.00 11.50 12.00
With Reader Disk 15.00 17.50 18.00
Payments for European and USA subscriptions must be made in a form acceptable
to us, such as cheques drawn on a UK bank or UK cash in a registered letter.
We will be looking at other ways of payment to make things easier in the
future. If you want to order a magazine and none of the above rates apply to
you, just email us and we will give you a price. Atari Computing will also
be available directly from authorised User groups and other outlets around
the world:
Germany
Thorsten Butschke
Email: Thorsten_Butschke@s.maus.de (No emails >16K please)
Other
We're expecting to be able to announce local support for Scandinavia,
Australia and North America RSN!...
Advertisers
We have a limited number of pages set aside each issue. These are
realistically priced to attract everyone in the Atari marketplace. To discuss
your requirements please contact Mike Kerslake at the address above.
Submissions
We're always on the lookout for talented new contributors so if you've got an
idea for an article please do get in touch.
Who are we?
Atari Computing is financed by the Atari Computing Group, based on CIX, and
dedicated to supporting the Atari platform. Membership of the group is by
invitation only. We're looking forward to Issue 1 as much as you are!
Regards
The Atari Computing Group (ACG)
Delphi Online STR Spotlight
Delphi Announces No SprintNet Surcharges!
Great News!
As of August 1, 1996 (Thursday), I am plased to announce that there will be
no hourly surcharge rates on SprintNet calls in to Delphi! You can use
Delphi during working hours and see no surcharges on your accounts! If
you're not currently using SprintNet for access, type GO USING ACCESS for
information on their local access numbers near you.
We've been listening closely to your comments, wishes, and criticisms - and
elimination of daytime surcharges has been one of the top issues. At this
point we've been able to renegotiate our contract with Sprint only, and not
MCI for the Tymnet service. In the next few weeks you'll see further
announcements concerning Delphi's service, including higher modem speeds and
expanded IP access.
The changes keep coming here at Delphi!
Sincerely,
Dan Bruns, CEO (DAN)
Antic BACK? STR Focus
Antic Magazine On the Web!
I am happy to announce the launch of the Digital Antic Project. Antic
magazine was the premiere magazine devoted to 8-bit Atari computers. Antic,
like the 8-bit Atari, has been forgotten by all but a small minority... The
Digital Antic Project is a small crusade to put all of the old issues of
Antic (and eventually its sister magazine, STart) on the Internet. I have
received permission from the publisher of Antic to make the material
available on the Internet for free.
The site currently features the complete text of the first two issues, as
well as cover art and memorable ads from the magazine. More material will be
added as time permits -- faster if YOU volunteer to help by scanning,
HTMLizing, or proofreading. The site is at
http://www.northcoast.com/savetz/antic/dap.html Your comments, suggestions
and help are welcome!
Current contents of the site include:
----- April 1982 - Vol.1 No. 1
1. Products in Depth - A survey of three word processors
2. Starting Line - Glossary for the novice
3. Systems Guide - Memory Map, part one
4. Pilot - Pilot your Atari
5. Tape Topics - Some help for cassette owners
6. In the Public Domain - Chicken
7. Forth Factory - Multi-tasking in Forth
8. Assembly Language - A keyboard mask
9. Editorial
10. Software Reviews
11. Useful Tricks - Assembler-editor cartridge
12. Looking at Books
13. Kids Korner
14. GTIA
15. What's in a Name? ANTIC and Atari
16. User Notes - how to tell if you have a GTIA chip
June 1982 - Vol.1 No. 2
1. Modems
2. Dialing For Data
3. Communications Software
4. Assembly Language - Move-it
5. Starting Line - Screen Editing
6. 'Tari Talkers - Speech Synthesis Comparison
7. Tricks of the Trade - Game Program Techniques
8. Pilot Your Atari - Large Text
9. In the Public Domain - Death Star
10. Systems Guide - Memory Map
11. Pascal - A First Look
12. GTIA
13. Forth Factory
14. I/O Board
15. Inside Atari
16. When the Chips are Down
17. New Products
18. Looking At Books
19. Kids Korner
Cheers,
Kevin Savetz
savetz@northcoast.com
Jaguar Section
RSN No Longer...
>From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
As of now, Atari Corporation only exists as a silent entity/division of JTS
Corporation, and a name in the history books. All that's left is to reflect
- you can be sure that we'll be doing just that in the weeks to come.
Officially (and I take that with a huge grain of salt!), 135,000 Jaguars were
sold, according to the last shareholders report with Atari's name attached to
it. 135,000!!?? What's worse about this figure is you just know that that
number is "padded" - this figure doesn't truly reflect the number of Jaguars
SOLD to customers. 135,000!!?? I'm sorry, but this number is just so low,
it's downright outrageous. We're talking about a system that's been
available for almost 3 years! It's no wonder that Atari has pulled the plug.
I'm sure that there will be a lot of commentary regarding this end of an era
in forthcoming issues. For now, we'll let the finality of this event take
hold in your mind.
Until next time...
Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News!
Gamers Mpath, Catapult Merge
Two major online multiplayer gaming companies -- Mpath Interactive and
Catapult Entertainment Inc. -- have agreed to merge. Reporting from
Cupertino, California, the Reuter News Service says the combined company, to
be called Mpath Interactive, will operate two multiplayer game services:
z MPath's World Wide Web-based game service for PCs. Catapult's XBAND
multiplayer game service for game consoles.
z Mpath President/CEO Paul Matteucci told the wire service the merger
combines Catapult's expertise in client and user interface technology with
Mpath's server infrastructure, adding, "Games fans on Mplayer will benefit
from the best-trained and most experienced customer support operation in the
online multiplayer gaming industry."
Reuters says Mpath has focused on the North American market, while Catapult
markets XBAND in a variety of countries, including Brazil and Japan, where
it has a strategic partnership with Nissho Iwai, the world's sixth-largest
trading company. On this, Catapult President/CEO Adam Grosser said, "The
powerhouse company we are creating will set the agenda for the online game
industry."
Founded in 1995, Mpath's major investors include Institutional Venture
Partners, Accel Partners, Sutter Hill Ventures and SegaSoft Inc., a unit of
Sega of America. The XBAND Video Game Network, in operation since November
1994, is the only online gaming service for the Sega Genesis and Nintendo
Lt's Super Nintendo platforms.
ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
On CompuServe
compiled by
Joe Mirando
CIS ID: 73637,2262
Hidi ho folks. Jeez, it's funny how time flies when you're on vacation! It
seems like only yesterday that I began leisurely relaxing at home. And now,
a staggering two weeks later, I have to get ready to go back to work. It's
too bad that _my_ daddy doesn't own a business so that I could just take a
vacation whenever I wanted... or make life miserable for anyone I came into
contact with while I _was_ at work. Then I wouldn't eed a vacation!
At any rate, the way I've been seeing participation in the Atari areas of
Online Services slip away, I wonder if anything can prolong the type of
support necessary to simply continue using these, our favorite machines.
True, new operating systems such as MagiC and MagicMac and emulators such as
GEMulator could keep some interested in supporting this platform, but why
not just supply programs and accessories for the parent
platforms?
The bottom line is that, if you don't have it now, you're not likely to get
it. I guess that the best we can hope for is that our machines last a good
long time (one of the trademarks of the ST series). Until my machine does
break down, I've got all the software I need, a decent operating system that
I don't have to worry about becoming obsolete (because that happened quite a
while ago), and lots of good friends and neighbors which I've accumulated
over the years at computer shows and through online services. Okay, okay,
let's get on with the reason for this column, all the news, hints, tips, and
info available every week right here on CompuServe...
>From the Atari Computing Forums
On the subject of CompuServe not offering SLIP Internet access, Woody
Windischman posts:
"I don't know that CIS will offer slip access *to* the Internet, but I know
you can access CIS *through* the Internet. All you need is any kind of TCP
access through any provider. Therefore, if you have a local independent
provider and a "flat rate" account, you can simply telnet directly into
compuserve.com, log in, and access the normal ASCII/HMI parts of the
service.
In fact, Windows versions of CIM 2.0 and above do just that by default. When
you invoke a connection, an "internet dialer" is launched, which establishes
a PPP connection (through the CompuServe network). CIM then establishes its
own TCP/IP link to CompuServe over that PPP connection!
The point is, that CIM doesn't care where the TCP/IP Internet link comes from
- CompuServe's dialer, Netcom, or your LAN's connection through a T1. If an
Atari system has an Internet connection, you can get Telnet access to CIS
right now. If the author of an Atari-based CIS navigator were to change the
Communications side from serial to TCP/IP Network, thesame user and service
access protocols should apply."
When Carl Barron tells us that he cannot get Oasis205, the Atari Web Browser,
to access CompuServe, Neil Newman asks him:
"Did you get the series of 'bad packet' errors in your log file ?"
Carl tells him:
"I get NOTHING... just CONNECT XXXXX from the modem. NO communication in
either direction after that. Connect and sit there. [I] Did not look at log
files , should still be there as I did not erase anything from oasis
folders.... Will check when I return to my TT..."
Des Mercer asks:
"Could anyone tell me more about emulators, and in particular some form of
making TOS compatable with DOS ? My sister has an Atari 1040 ste I megabyte
computer that she uses for music, but has no printer. I have a sx/33
olivetti computer and printer with DOS/Windows . Is there a way of converting
one operating system to be understood by the other, and vice versa?"
David James asks Des:
"Could you be a bit more specific with what you want to achieve when you say
converting one operating system to another. You should be able to use your
Printer on your sister's STE without any problems and also transfer files
via Double Densisty disks without too many problems. However if you want to
run the same programs on each machine you won't be able to, or at least not
very easily or very fast."
Des tells David:
"Please bear with me, if I talk a load of nonsense its because this is all
new to me. I have been told that a Midi file is very much like a
programming language itself and that its 'universal' to all operating
systems. A Midi file is not an audio file, but rather a set of instructions
or commands, so I could take a disk and have it performed using what ever
software is on my machine, and someone else could do the same but because
there software is different it might sound different. What's more and to the
point, rather than perform the peace it can also 'write' the notation.
So rather than take my printer over to my sister, the idea was for me to take
a floppy and have it printed out. The problem seem to be right at the start,
in as much as my computer which IBM compatible does not recognize the
formatting from the Atari 1040 STE computer, and vice versa."
David tells Des:
"You should find that provided you are using Double density disks then a disk
formatted by the Atari desktop can be read on the PC. if this doesn't work
I've always understood that provide The PC formats a DD disk as 9 sectors 80
tracks which can be done by using the command FORMAT A: /F:720 then you
should be ok. If this doesn't work try FORMAT A: /N:9 /T:80"
Robert Aries jumps in and tells Des:
"If you're simply talking about using your computer's printer to print your
sister's music notation, you may not need an emulator. Her music scoring
program may be able to export a file in a format readable by your computer. I
get a TIFF file from my Atari, and use my Mac to print it. If you format a
double density floppy in your computer, your sister will be able to use it
with her Atari to save files on it, which you can then load in to a program
on your computer to print out (if it handles the file format, of course)."
Des tells Robert:
"I'm not to sure what a 'TIFF' file is. Could you explain ? I am using an
Olivetti SX/33 Computer using DOS and running Windows, (not 95). The main
problem at the moment seems to be that I can't get over the first hurdle of
'formatting'. If I buy any floppy discs, most of them come pre-formatted,
compatible to IBM, which my machine uses and is o.k. with. If my sister has
a new floppy disc, she has to first format it before
she can use it. I have been trying to import a midi file from one of her
discs, but because (or so it would seem) my system does not recognize her
formatting, all I get is an error message saying unable to read drive A."
Sysop Bob Retelle, one of the few true luminaries in the Atari world, tells
Des:
"The Atari ST computer and the IBM PC actually do share almost the exact same
floppy disk format... unfortunately, some of the early Atari ST computers
don't format their disks in a completely compatible way. The secret to being
able to read the same disk in both computers is to format the floppy ON THE
PC and as a LOW DENSITY disk. The best plan would be to take one of your
sister's disks and format it on your PC. If you're using DOS, the command
would be:
FORMAT A: /F:720
This will result in a floppy disk that both your computers can read and
write. (The reason for using one of your sister's disks is that it is
likely a low-density disk. The disks you buy for your PC are likely high-
density disks which the Atari computer can't use.) Once you've formatted a
disk like this on your PC, you can both write files on it and read them on
the other computer. Just be sure your sister doesn't re-format the disk on
the Atari."
Robert Aries tells Des:
"First of all, the reason you are having problems transferring disk files is
because most pre-formatted disks are *high*-density (1.4 meg), while the
Atari uses *double*-density--720K--(some early Atari systems were sold with
*single* sided--360K--drives too!). Even if both of you use a double-density
disk, one formatted on the Atari will not be readable on your computer
because of some differences in the boot sector. As Bob R. told you, though,
if you use DOS to format a floppy as a double-density disk (or single-density
if your sister has an older 360K drive), then the disk will be readable by
BOTH computers, as the Atari CAN read a 360/720K DOS format. So, you will
be able to move files between the two platforms. This will solve your
midifile problem. Now for your original question:
>I'm not to sure what a 'TIFF' file is .Could you explain ?
"Tagged Interchange File Format", I think. A graphics format understood by
most higher-end drawing and desktop publishing programs. Not specific to
music notation, although some notation programs can export files in this
format. One example of this would be if you were producing a book using a
page-layout program and needed to include a snippet of musical notation.
For example, the music notation program I use for the Atari (COPYIST, by Dr
T software) has an option to export to a TIFF file, in addition to saving the
file in its own native format and printing it directly with an included
printer driver. The reason for using a TIFF file is that it is a "cross-
platform" format, supported by graphics and page-layout programs on DOS,
Windows & Mac computers.
Anyway, I was using TIFF as an example. What I mean is that you should have
your sister check her program to see if she can save a file in one of these
"exportable" formats. If so, you should then see if you have a graphics
program on your computer that is compatible with this format. If all this IS
the case, then you have a possibility of using your computer and printer to
print your sister's files. All she need do is save them on a disk you've
prepared with a DOS 360/720K format. Because this post isn't long enough
<g>, I'll mention one other possibility: If your sister's notation program
has an option to "print to disk", and she has a printer driver compatible
with your printer, she can give you the resulting file (again, via the
360/720K DOS floppy method), and IF you have a utility program that can
simply read the file and shoot it directly to the printer, you should be all
set. Atari computers have this ability built-in to the OS, but I'm not sure
about DOS/Windows computers. Be aware that these files tend to be much
larger than TIFF or native file formats."
Dave Murray asks for help with sorting out which emulator is which:
"I have just come across mentions of hardware ST emulators. Does anyone know
what the best one to choose would be and where I can find details about it
?"
Albert Dayes tells Dave:
"There is one called Gemulator and I believe there is another one. I have not
used either of them to know how well they work. A few people in this forum
have them and can give you some comments on how well they
work."
P.Walding adds:
"There is the Gemulator and the Janus board. ASH are also working on a PC
version of MagicMac for the PC. I think it must be close [to completion].
I guess it depends on what you are wanting to run it on. For the Mac , you
only need MagicMac - it runs great on '040 and PPC Mac's. The Gemulator is a
fair bit cheaper than the Gemulator , I believe. If the PC version of
MagicMac is as good as the Ma version , that should suffice for most people.
The only problem that may arise is the lack of ST ports if you use software
only emulation. However for printers and modems it isn't a problem with any
option. Midi is the main absence , from what I have read."
Steve Hayes asks for help:
"Sorry to do this to you all but I don't know where to turn I am in the UK.
I am computer literate to a fair degree but not Atari-wise; my colleague has
just acquired an Atari ST520 (vintage late 80s it seems) for his missus who
is off to Uni. So they need simple shareware WP, Spreadsheet with stats
functions, and probably a HDD. I've had a look around Compuserve and even
downloaded a WP (Cscratch) and a format PC-Atari utility which does work (!)
but cannot make the WP run. They have no money to speak of (pensioner in his
case).
I thought the machine should run off ROM if no disk inserted but it doesn't
seem to. It will run off the UK language disk. Me or it?
1. Can you advise a simple WP?
2. ditto spreadsheet with some statistics functions and graphing?
3. Is there a BBS or Club scene (pref Cambridge area)?
4. Is there now an Atari mag (not found one in my newsagents)
5. Best way to get a small cheap repeat cheap Hard Disk (20M at a guess,
don't know how greedy Atari is)
6. What do I need to check out to determine machine spec (OS version x.y
ram amount etc)
7. What else I should do? ('run' is my answer but I owe them)"
Brian Scott tells Steve:
"There are plenty of specific Atari ST BBS's out there a good one is Adlib on
0191 3702659 , this is the one run by the Guy's of ST FORMAT the Atari Mag (
Which unfortunatly, The last issue is out this month , should still be found
in W.H. Smith's or other large retailer) here you will also find Public
domain libary's like L.A.P.D. for any Hardware retailer. Try Adlib, they
have a large collection of Programs and other software plus all the programs
from ST FORMAT cover Disks."
Sysop Bob Retelle adds his thoughts:
"Your friends' Atari 520ST is a very early model of the Atari computer line.
Originally it came with 512K of RAM, unless it has been upgraded by a
hardware hack. (Unfortunately the Atari line wasn't made to be easily
expandable by the end user.) One very important thing is that the Atari
computers are based around the Motorola 68000 CPU chip, and thus are NOT
compatible with any software for the IBM PC line of computers. We have some
good software available here in our software libraries that they can probably
use... one good word processor they might want to try is called STWRITER.
You can download Atari programs to your computer for them (I'm assuming
you're using an IBM or IBM clone system..?), and give the programs to your
friends on a floppy disk as long as you remember to format the disk in your
PC as a LOW DENSITY 720K disk. (The Atari can NOT read a high density PC
floppy disk.) You can even help them by uncompressing files and programs on
your PC before putting them on the floppy disk. Atari programs often use
the .ZIP compression method which is compatible with PKUNZIP on the PC, as
well as the .LZH method which is compatible with LHA.EXE on the PC.
As for a hard disk drive, used ones are often seen for sale here in the Atari
Forums on CompuServe, and on BBSs. It's possible to assemble one from
parts too. The one special part needed is called an Atari SCSI Host
Adapter, which is available from ICD, Inc for about $100 US. The rest of the
hard drive system is pretty standard, as you can use almost any regular SCSI
hard drive mechanism, and almost any case and power supply.
Your friends' ST can also use just about any standard EXTERNAL modem, with a
standard 25 pin modem cable. We have several good telecommunications
programs available here in our libraries which you could download for them,
and there are still a few good commercially available telecom programs for
sale by various vendors. You're right about the ST booting from ROM...
unless...
The very, very, first few STs manufactured were rushed out on the market
before the self-booting OS in ROM chips were ready. These had to be booted
from a floppy disk, and unfortunately the operating system took up almost
half of the available RAM, leaving very little for applications. If your
friends' ST really won't boot without using a floppy, they will almost
certainly have to have it upgraded by having the OS in ROM chips fitted."
Craig Ladewig posts:
"On the topic of IDE drives for the ST range of computers - I have been using
a IDE adapter on my STe for the past 6 months - It only alows for IDE CD-ROM
connection, and it only works with CD-ROM drives that are OS2 compatable.
THe adapter ha a PC board that plugs into the cartridge port and another
small PC board that plugs into the back of the CD-ROM drive. It was made by
a German company called Gellermann & Fellmuth GbR It uses ExtDos to access
the drivers and all runs very well. Now a question to you - Will I be able
to use a IDE cd rom drive on a Falcon?"
Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer Online Magazine tells Craig:
"I have not heard of any CD-ROM drivers for the IDE interface on the Falcon.
Does the German company that made IDE for the STe have a suggestion on
possible IDE drivers?"
Craig tells Albert:
"They claim that the interface will work on the Falcon as well, but I'd
rather use the interface on my Ste and use a new IDE drive on the Falcon
that I will be receiving soon (If it doesn't get smashed in the post) I
have the new version of SCSI Tools/ HuSHI ver 6.18 from Germany and it
searches for IDE devices, so I'm not sure if it will recognize a IDE device
connected as a slave on the Flacon. I really hope I will be able to use an
IDE CD-ROM drive on the Falcon as SCSI CD-ROM drives cost R1200 ($300) for a
quad speed. So if you find out anything more drop me some mail. In the mean
time I will have a look for an E-mail address for the author of the s/ware
(Julian Reschke)
I currently have a 520STFm (1meg ), 1040STe (4meg) -CD-ROM, 160meg h/drive
that I've built into a towercase and the old faithful 800XL with d/drive
etc. So as you can see I've been an ATARI nut for the last 11 years and have
rather a large s/ware collection. And hopefully my Falcon will arrive in the
next 2 weeks."
Albert replies to Craig:
"That is good to hear that the device will work with the FALCON030 for IDE CD-
ROM drives. I wonder if the price of the device + the IDE CD-ROM drive is
close to the same as a SCSI CD-ROM drive?? Some of my systems include 2600
(VCS), 7800, 800XL, 520ST, Mega4 ST, Missile Command (coin-op, the biggest of
the group <grin>), and a Jaguar. If you have any shareware please upload it
to the library so everyone can benefit from it. I guess 11 years worth
would take a long time to upload. <grin> But you can just upload your
favorites."
Well folks, that's about it for this week. Tune in again next week, same
time, same channel, an be ready to listen to my complaining about having to
go back to work (like I'm the only one, right?) and always remember to
listen to what they are saying when...
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