Silicon Times Report The Original Independent OnLine Magazine" (Since 1987) February 02, 1996 No. 1205 Silicon Times Report International OnLine Magazine Post Office Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155 STR Electronic Publishing Inc. A subsidiary of STR Worldwide CompNews Inc. R.F. Mariano, Editor Featured in ITCNet's ITC_STREPORT Echo Voice: 1-904-268-3815 10am-4pm EST STReport WebSite http://www.streport.com STR Publishing Support BBS THE BOUNTY INTERNATIONAL BBS Featuring: * 5.0GB * of File Libraries Mustang Software's WILDCAT! 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STReport International OnLine Magazine Featuring Weekly "Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information" Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports STReport's BBS - The Bounty BBS, invites all BBS systems, worldwide, to participate in the ITC, Fido, Internet, PROWL, USENET, USPOLNet, NEST, F-Net, Mail Networks. You may also call The Bounty BBS direct @ 1-904-786-4176. Enjoy the wonder and excitement of exchanging all types of useful information relative to all computer types, worldwide, through the use of excellent International Networking Systems. SysOps and users alike worldwide, are welcome to join STReport's International Conferences. ITC Node is 85:881/250, The Fido Node is 1:112/35, Crossnet Code is #34813, and the "Lead Node" is #620. All computer enthusiasts, hobbyist or commercial, on all platforms and BBS systems are invited to participate. WEB SITE: http//www.streport.com CIS ~ PRODIGY ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ BIX ~ FIDO ~ ITC ~ NEST ~ EURONET ~ CIX ~ USENET USPOLNET CLEVELAND FREE-NET ~ INTERNET ~ PROWL ~ FNET ~ AOL Florida Lotto - LottoMan v1.35 Results: 1/27/96: 4 of 6 numbers & 3 out of 6 numbers in 2 plays From the Editor's Desk... The weather is wild! Today, while under a Tornado watch, I was cleaning the pool.. Less than a couple hundred miles to the north it was freezing outside. We are told this is the meanest winter in years. The real story though, "ain't" the weather and its hundreds of times meaner! It is what's in store for the online community over the next few years. Yesterday amid a good deal of self praise and hoopla, the GREAT, "RESENT THE PEOPLE instead of REPRESENT THE PEOPLE" politicians in Washington D.C. paved the way for the Cable Companies and the various Phone Companies to play interminable games with each other. Righteously stating the competitive atmosphere introduced by the New Communications Bill would be a great benefit to the online community. Could be. Only Time will tell. What they DIDN'T tell the people in a very loud and clear manner was that they RAMMED through their long sought after CENSORSHIP GARBAGE tacked onto the passed Bill! Another FAST ONE pulled on the American Public. The Taxpayers. THE SAPS who never seem to bother to ask questions mainly because they don't have the time or the connections to make themselves heard. Besides, they are working long hours trying to make ends meet. The hard working taxpayers who are bearing the brunt of this current crop of "sleaze on The Hill" really have no way to make themselves heard. When, in God's Name, are the Politicians going to do exactly what the people who voted them in want them to do?? While there may be some great provisions in the new Bill, the parts supporting Censorship of the Internet fly directly in the face of the vast majority of American Taxpayers and VOTERS. An overwhelming majority of Internet Users and the public want the CHOICE. of what they read and view they are not in favor of Local or Federal Government Censorship. On the surface, it appears the "Control Freaks" have won another round at ushering the USA into the real time of Big Brother is Watching You. The bottom line is simple. this is an election year. The entire lot in Washington D.C. need to be hit with the message of get out you have not represented the people you have represented the DEALS and Compromises rather than the wishes of those who voted you in and the majority of the American Taxpayers. Dole got his message in New Hampshire. "Newt the Beaut" needs to get his message to leave too. While the New Hampshire Primary is a decent indicator, its not the final tally. Bob Dole is dangerous or, I should say HIS WIFE Elizabeth is.. She's another control freak. You think Clinton's wife is a trip?? Get Dole in there instead of Clinton and you'll soon believe Clinton's wife was really "Sleeping Beauty". Oh, wait. wasn't that story one of those the control freaks wanted out of grade school libraries because she was sleeping with seven men at once?? Absurd garbage isn't it?? Each and every one of us must pay strict attention to this year's elections. Its Critical! Please.. I beg of each and every one of you.. Register and Vote. Vote to keep the freedoms our founding fathers guaranteed to each and every citizen of this great nation and all of our forefathers either fought for or supported the war efforts to preserve. By the way, next time you get the chance to be heard. why not ask your local representative why the fact of this nation being in another "Eisenhower- Like" Recession is being kept so tight a secret?? Why.. is Greenspan once again playing with the interest rates? On another front. We have been reworking the WebSite. the Mailer is now working. You can now enter your E-Mail address successfully. So, go to http://www.streport.com and see all the new, lively pages including the STReport Subscription Page that WORKS! One last thought. Please, let's join together in voting OUT the control freaks. Please Register and Vote this year. Don't leave it up to the next guy. There simply isn't enough "next guys" out there to get the job done. We all need your vote too! Ralph. Of Special Note: http//www.streport.com STReport is now ready to offer much more in the way of serving the Networks, Online Services and Internet's vast, fast growing site list and userbase. We now have our very own WEB/NewsGroup/FTP Site and although its in its early stages of construction, do stop by and have a look see. Since We've received numerous requests to receive STReport from a wide variety of Internet addressees, we were compelled to put together an Internet distribution/mailing list for those who wished to receive STReport on a regular basis, the file is ZIPPED, then UUENCODED. Unfortunately, we've also received a number of opinions that the UUENCODING was a real pain to deal with. So, as of October 01,1995, you'll be able to download STReport directly from our very own SERVER & WEB Site. While there, be sure to join our STR list. In any case, our current Internet mailing list will continue to be used for at least the next eight weeks. Each of our readers will have by then, received their information packet about how they may upgrade their personal STR News Services. STReport's managing editors DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU! Ralph F. Mariano, Publisher - Editor Dana P. Jacobson, Editor, Current Affairs Section Editors PC Section Mac Section Atari Section R.F. Mariano J. Deegan D. P. Jacobson Portable Computers & Entertainment Kid's Computing Corner Marty Mankins Frank Sereno STReport Staff Editors Michael Arthur John Deegan Brad Martin John Szczepanik Paul Guillot Joseph Mirando Doyle Helms John Duckworth Jeff Coe Steve Keipe Guillaume Brasseur Melanie Bell Jay Levy Jeff Kovach Marty Mankins Carl Prehn Paul Charchian Vincent P. O'Hara Contributing Correspondents Dominick J. 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With the user in mind, STReport further pledges to maintain the reader confidence that has been developed over the years and to continue "living up to such". All we ask is that our readers make certain the manufacturers, publishers etc., know exactly where the information about their products appeared. In closing, we shall arduously endeavor to meet and further develop the high standards of straight forwardness our readers have come to expect in each and every issue. The Staff & Editors SYSOP NEWS & CYBERWORLD REPORT "The Leading Hard Copy News Source in the BBS & Online Telecommunications World" Your own personal copy mailed to your home every month; STReport's special offer! Annual Subscription Rate of $15.00!! (normally 20.00). Please, Include the STR offer number (STR-21) for your discount. Send your subscription to: BBS Press Services, Inc. 8125 S.W. 21st Street Topeka, KS 66615 Or, to order by phone, Please Call: 1-913-478-3157 (Voice) 1-913-478-9239 (Data) 1-913-478-1189 (FAX) Checks, Mastercard, Amex, Discover & Visa ok, Please include Full Name, Address, home Number, Card type, number & expiration date when ordering. If by mail, please _sign_ your personal order. STReport Headline News LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS Weekly Happenings in the Computer World Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson Girl Scouts Sell Compu-Cookies Finally. A Net application you can sink your teeth into. Girl Scout cookies now are online. The Boston area Girl Scouts Council has kicked off the first cookie sales campaign on the Internet's World Wide Web. The Cookie Store (reached at Web address http://www.ptgirlscouts.org), describes the eight types of cookies, including nutritional values, and pricing and ordering instructions. Customers click on the type of cookies desired, and enter the number of boxes to be shipped and complete billing information. Credit cards are accepted. Cookies are delivered via United Parcel Service. Girl Scout officials told Eric Auchard of the Reuter News Service the program was designed to teach the young entrepreneurs the techniques of merchandising and fund-raising. The wire service says 75 girls aged 14 to 16 are involved in operating the store, which is accepting cookie orders for mail-order delivery from now through April 1. Amiga May Live Again as Net Surfer The late Commodore International Ltd.'s colorful Amiga computer may be reborn on the Internet's WorldWide Web as a low-cost Net access system. Computergram International reports this morning the Amiga Technologies GmbH unit of Escom AG the Bersheim, Germany, computer maker that acquired all Commodore and Amiga licenses, patents and trademarks last year is launching the old Amiga 1200 as the Amiga Surfer this month or next. The 68030-based system will come with 2MB memory, 260MB disk and 14,400bps modem and is designed to use a television set as the display, the newsletter says. Word is some 50,000 of the machines are being manufactured at the Solectron Corp. contract manufacturing plant bought from IBM Corp in Bordeaux, France. "It will sell for about $720 bundled with a new Internet browser called MindWalker, designed for the Amiga," CI adds. Meanwhile, The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting Amiga Technologies also has begun production of a high-end Amiga 4000T tower at a QuikPak Inc. plant in Norristown, Pennsylvania. CI says, "The company says 1,500 have already been made, a batch of 5,000 is going through, and 10,000 more are planned this year." Homeless Man Stays Online A 22-year-old homeless man living along a highway near Novato, California, has spent his meager earnings, not on rent, but on a portable computer and a cellular phone with modem so he could stay online. Neal Berry slept in a tent on a mattress taken from a trash bin, but used his laptop to connect to a bulletin board system, voice mail and a pager service, "all paid for out of his $8-an-hour salary as a shipping and inventory clerk," according to the Associated Press. Now, though, Berry has been arrested and accused of stealing heavy-duty industrial batteries from the state transportation agency "to power his equipment," the wire service says. "Highway workers said they found the batteries when they stumbled onto his campsite." In a jailhouse interview, Berry told The San Francisco Examiner, "I just found the batteries. Apparently someone else put them there a few months ago. I found them and started using them." Berry told the paper he chose to camp by the highway after failing to find an affordable apartment when he moved to the area in 1994. "In Novato," he said, "you can't even find a single room that costs less than $500 a month. If I were to have an apartment, I wouldn't have had any furniture, I'd just barely be able to eat. It would have sucked up all my income." So, instead, he spent $2,000 for a Toshiba laptop computer and $500 on a modem. Each month he spent $35 for an account with an online service with e- mail; $60 on his cellular phone bill; $50 for membership at a gym where he took showers; $42 for a storage shed for clothes and other possessions he was afraid to keep in the tent, and $12 for a mailbox. Online, he said, he made more friends in a month than he had all year. "I've never been to jail before, but there is a bright side: three hots and a cot at taxpayer expense." Christmas Sales Good, Not Great For the PC marketers, it was a good -- not a great -- Christmas, but some sellers stumbled badly during the holidays, notably high-flying Packard Bell Electronics Inc. and struggling Apple Computer Inc. Writing in The Wall Street Journal this morning, reporter Jim Carlton notes, "Packard Bell's growth rate of more than 50 percent annually in computer shipments plunged to 5 percent during the Christmas period, allowing Compaq Computer Corp. to retain a slim lead as the country's top vendor." Quoting preliminary estimates by researchers at International Data Corp., the Journal notes Sacramento, California-based Packard Bell dominates the market for store-sold PCs "but misjudged demand on one product and was swamped by competition." Meanwhile, Apple shipments increased 4 percent during the quarter from the similar period a year ago, as it "overestimated demand for its Macintosh Performas," Carlton says. Big winners for the season were Hewlett-Packard Co., Taiwan's Acer Inc. and Digital Equipment Corp., all of which outperformed the market, the IDC figures suggest. The Journal comments the Packard Bell and Apple growth- rate figures "offer further proof that PC shipments, while still healthy, have decelerated more sharply than expected." The paper adds, "The figures show the PC industry increased shipments by 'at least' 20 percent during the quarter, on a pace that appears will fall slightly below earlier estimates of a 25 percent surge in growth." IDC analyst Eric Lewis told the paper slower growth had been reflected in earnings disappointments from companies that overestimated demand, including Intel Corp. and National Semiconductor Corp. Journalists Heading to Cyberspace A new study finds that journalists are dramatically increasing their use of the Internet and commercial online services to get information on breaking news and to do research. Almost a fourth (23 percent) of all the editors surveyed said they or their staff use the Internet and commercial online services daily, up from 16 percent last year. The study was conducted jointly by Prof. Steven Ross of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and Don Middleberg, CEO of Middleberg and Associates, a New York public relations firm. More than two-thirds of the surveyed editors (68 percent) said they go online at least once a month, versus 50 percent in the 1994 study. The sharpest increase was among daily newspaper reporters, with 71 percent saying they use online services monthly, versus only 44 percent in the 1994 study. A majority of journalists (56 percent) said they will want all "media relations" submissions online within five years, while only 18 percent will want submissions on paper, and the balance by fax or disk. Preference for paper dropped from 66 percent last year to 60 percent this year. However, 81 percent of the study's respondents now say they want manuscripts from their own freelancers and correspondents in computer-readable form, as opposed to paper or fax, up from 54 percent last year. Apple-Sun Deal Not Imminent? Slowing down the Apple buyout rumor mill a bit, insiders now say that while merger talks between Apple Computer Inc. and Sun Microsystems Inc. are continuing, the deal is not imminent. Writing from San Francisco, Therese Poletti of the Reuter News Service quotes one source familiar with the situation as saying, "Whenever you have discussions, everyone tries to paint these things as black and white, when it's more of a continuum. There is not a deal that is imminent." Poletti says her sources described the situation as "fluid." As report earlier, the "I" word first was used by Wall Street Journal reporter Jim Carlton on Tuesday when he wrote that talks aimed at buying Apple had been resumed by Sun and those familiar with the negotiations said a deal was "imminent," that, in fact, a Sun acquisition of Apple could be announced "within days." But Reuters says now other industry sources are saying the two companies are haggling over price and Sun is not willing to pay a premium. "Sources said the discussions between the two have hit a snag because Sun's chief executive Scott McNealy is not willing to pay the reported price of $33 a share, after Apple's recent quarterly losses," Poletti reports. "Sources said that about two weeks ago McNealy offered $28 a share, and now he is not willing to pay more than $25 in a stock swap deal. But the sources said the talks have not broken off, as some rumor mills had been speculating." While declining to elaborate what else was under consideration, one source told Reuters, "It's not ruling out the possibility that something might happen. They are exploring a number of things." Paper Says Apple Has Suitors A trade paper is reporting Apple Computer Inc. is not close to a buyout deal with Sun Microsystems Inc. and that the company has other suitors, notably Sony Corp. However, the computer maker wants to remain independent for now. MacWEEK, citing unidentified sources close to the company, is reporting Apple and Sun have not settled such basic issues as what parts of Apple's business Sun would acquire, let alone on a price for its stock. Speaking with business writer Catalina Ortiz of the Associated Press, MacWEEK editor Mark Hall said he has learned Apple is talking with several companies about an alliance or merger. "Sony is talking to a lot of companies in the U.S. ... particularly in the computer industry," Hall said. "Apple's just one of them." However, he added, a deal isn't likely with anyone soon, in part because Apple still wants to remain on its own. Said Hall, "The likely scenario is for Apple to remain independent and pull its own chestnuts out of the fire." This fits with yesterday's story that, while Apple-Sun talks are continuing, the deal is not "imminent," despite The Wall Street Journal's report to the contrary earlier in the week. Ortiz notes that the prospect that another company might be interested in Apple pleased some, quoting Aaron Goldberg, executive vice president of Computer Intelligence Infocorp, a technology market research firm, as saying, "If Apple's not worth a bidding war, then it truly is the end of Apple and that's a sad day for all of us." Ortiz observes that Sony is one of several Japanese companies that previously have been mentioned as a possible partner for Apple, noting Sony announced two months ago that it would get into the PC business this fall with IBM- compatible models. But don't hold your breath, says Hall. He told AP, "We don't believe a deal is imminent. And we believe ... the prevailing thinking inside Apple right now is to remain independent." Spindler Encourages Apple Fans In full page ads in a dozen U.S. newspapers this morning, Apple Computer Inc. customers are being urged by CEO Michael Spindler to keep the faith, trying to reassure 22 million users of Macintosh computers in what are, he says, "challenging times for Apple." Spindler writes in an open letter to his customers, "We would, therefore, like to communicate directly with you and reassure you that the top priority of Apple's board and management team is to take action to prepare Apple for its next chapter of growth and profitability. "Rest assured," he adds, "Apple's mission remains as vibrant today as it was in 1976 (when the company was founded). It is one that cannot be realized in a year, a decade or even a lifetime. I believe it is one of the most enduring missions of any business in the world." It has been a rough time for the Cupertino, California, computer maker. Earlier this month, it announced a first quarter loss and a restructuring that includes initial layoffs of 1,300 staffers with possibly more to come. It also is the target of intense takeover rumors and recently has been in merger talks with Sun Microsystems Inc. But Therese Poletti of the Reuter News Service, citing industry sources, reports this morning those Apple-Sun talks "appear to be breaking down as the two companies cannot agree on what price Sun would pay for Apple. ... There still is a possibility of a deal between the two, but only if Apple is willing to accept Sun's most recent offer, which is around $23 a share, they said." Apple's stock ended Friday at $30.625. Poletti says Apple is believed to be looking hard for another suitor, "while Sun CEO Scott McNealy told The New York Times Friday that he was working on his golf game this weekend." Meanwhile, the San Jose Mercury News reported this weekend Motorola Inc. is considering whether to make a bid for troubled Apple, though, of course, the Schaumburg, Illinois, chipmaker isn't commenting. Analyst Steve Harmon of Jupiter Communications comments, "Apple is hoping they can get one more date for the prom. All the big shots should be coming out of the woodwork. If you are Spindler, you are sitting by the phone." As reported earlier, MacWEEK is saying Apple also is considering an alliance or a merger with Sony Corp. "However," says Reuters, "many industry analysts believe Sun is probably the most strategic fit that Apple could make that would also cause the least havoc with its employees. At Sun's headquarters in Mountain View, California, employees are referring to a potential merged entity with their Cupertino neighbor as 'Snapple.'" Apple Freezes R&D, Takes S&P Hit Still seeking a strategy for returning to profitability, Apple Computer Inc. reportedly has frozen temporarily all new spending on research and development. Citing an internal Apple memo, PC Week's online edition says the company, in addition to freezing R&D, also plans to present a reorganization plan to the board of directors within the next couple of weeks. Meanwhile, in what the Reuter News Service characterizes as "an unusually harsh move," Standard & Poor's has slashed Apple's senior debt to BB-minus from BBB -- "junk-bond status," says Reuters -- citing poor management and uncertainties regarding the strategic direction of the company. Reuters reporter Mark Egan writes, "Shooting from the hip, S&P said Apple's management is in 'turmoil,' suggesting an acquisition was the only short-term fix." The wire service quotes S&P's William Wetreich as saying, "The potential upside is if they were acquired by a better credit. The downside is that it's still not clear to us exactly what the company strategy is, both short-term and long-term, for restoring profitability," adding much of Apple's troubles are of its own making with management to blame. As reported yesterday, Apple took out full page ads in a dozen U.S. newspapers this week in which Michael Spindler urged Apple customers to keep the faith, trying to reassure 22 million users of Macintosh computers in what are, he says, "challenging times for Apple." On the R&D situation, PC Week says the memo, signed by Apple Senior Vice President David Nagel and circulated Friday, said all new hiring or project requisitions are being put on hold. "In addition," says Reuters, "all hiring decisions in 'critical' areas ... must be approved by Nagel first. The freeze extends to the use of all temporary personnel and outside contractors." Nagel's memo says he hoped to present a clearer picture in a couple of weeks, once the management team makes its presentation to the board, adding, "After that, I will be in a much better position to talk more openly about where and how this new strategy will affect the R&D organization." Added the memo, "We do not wish to negatively impact critical products/projects; however, we also recognize that this is not business as usual. We ask that managers carefully review and limit business travel, seminars, off-sites, business lunches, capital expenditures, equipment purchases, and purchase requisitions." Java Programmers Form Company A new company to develop Java- based software is being launched by some programmers and a marketing executive who played important roles in creating the Java programming language at Sun Microsystems Inc. Sun recently put the development team in a new subsidiary called JavaSoft. Now, says the Associated Press, several members of that group, including programmer Arthur van Hoff and marketer Kim Polese, are leaving to start their own firm. However, Java author James Gosling is not leaving the company, Sun says. Polese told the wire service, "We've got a couple of hot ideas. We're going to go and flush them out." He said Sun is not investing in the venture, which has not been named. AP notes that, while it was released officially just this week, test versions of Java brought a lot of attention to Sun during the past 10 months. (The language can be used to create programs that automatically animate and update information through electronic networks such as the Internet.) Meanwhile, Sun spokesman George Paolini told AP that while the company is losing some key talent, it does not view their plans as "a direct conflict." Diamond Inc. Ups Bid for Hayes Diamond Multimedia Systems Inc. has raised its offer for Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc., boosting the amount equity holders in the modem maker would receive in the proposed transaction. As reported earlier, Diamond is proposing to pay $85 million cash to Hayes' creditors and a combination of cash and stock to equity holders to bring Hayes out of Chapter XI bankruptcy. Reporting from San Jose, California, the Dow Jones News Service says Diamond Multimedia has confirmed it boosted the payout to equity holders to a combination of $102.4 million in stock and $8.4 million in cash, or a total of $111 million. (The old offer was $92 million in stock and $8 million cash, or $100 million.) Says DJ, "Hayes' unsecured creditors committee, which has approved Diamond's offer, filed with Bankruptcy Court in Atlanta an amendment to the reorganization plan reflecting the higher offer. Diamond reserved the right to increase the total cash consideration and correspondingly decrease the total stock consideration by any amount up to one-half of the total merger consideration." Micron Rehires Steve Appleton Saying his ouster nine days earlier was a mistake, Boise, Idaho, chipmaker Micron Technology Inc. has rehired Steve Appleton as its CEO and board chairman. What the Associated Press characterizes as "an extraordinary about- face" end a standoff between 35-year-old Appleton and a board dominated by 87- year-old billionaire J.R. Simplot and his close associate, Allen Noble. The move comes just three days before the firm's annual shareholders meeting. Analyst Rick Whittington of SoundView Financial Group told the wire service, "They returned to sanity. Appleton is the heart and soul of the company and the board recognized not just Appleton would be departing the company. To be quite blunt, the board recognized that much could dissolve or fall apart were Appleton not there." As reported earlier, Appleton officially "resigned" Jan. 18, citing unspecified personal reasons. However, AP notes Simplot was later quoted as saying Appleton "took it like a man," fueling speculation he was forced out. Appleton -- who started with Micron as a production worker and rose through the ranks to chairman/CEO in less than 12 years -- is admired for speeding expansion of Micron's production capacity. Simplot, who controls 22 percent of Micron stock, said yesterday, "Steve Appleton has the unanimous support of the board of directors. We are confident that all of us together will provide the leadership needed to continue building the company." Digital Leaves Home PC Business Computer maker Digital Equipment Corp. is getting out of the home computer market, discontinuing development of its Starion line of consumer-targeted PCs and focusing instead on selling PCs to businesses. Reporting from Digital's Maynard, Massachusetts, headquarters, the Associated Press says the company is opting to expand and promote its Venturis desktop and HiNote notebook computers for businesses, although some Digital machines will remain in stores. DEC Vice President Bruce Claflin told the wire service, "Digital will center its retail efforts on customers who buy PCs for home-professional or small business applications." Analyst Bill Zinsmeister of International Data Corp. commented the move makes sense to him because of growing competition in home computers. He said that, while the Starion computers were of good quality, Digital does not have the brand recognition of its competitors. Said Zinsmeister, "Their strong accounts lie with resellers. They lie within the business market. They were competing for the same shelf space as Compaq, HP, Acer and Packard Bell." Gateway Names President-COO PC maker Gateway 2000 Inc. has named Richard D. Snyder its president and chief operating officer. Snyder, 37, has worked at Gateway 2000 since 1991 and has served as a member of the company's board of directors since that time. Most recently, Snyder served as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Gateway 2000 founder and CEO Ted Waitt says Snyder's new title more accurately reflects the role he has played in the company for the past few years. "Rick Snyder has emerged as one of the industry's most talented leaders," says Waitt. "His leadership has become one of our greatest assets and as president he will be in a position to utilize his talents to direct the continued growth and operational efficiencies of the organization." Gateway 2000's new president is a native of Michigan. Before joining the direct market PC specialist, Snyder was a partner in the international accounting and consulting firm of Coopers & Lybrand, where he directed the firm's Chicago office mergers and acquisitions practice. Snyder also worked for Coopers & Lybrand in their Detroit office. Microsoft, MCI Form Online Deal A venture to create a new player in the market for online products and services has been launched through a broad strategic alliance between Microsoft Corp. and MCI Communications Corp. "The pair will seek to overcome rivals in online services by marketing widely the new Microsoft Network," reporters Jared Sandberg and Bart Ziegler write in this morning's Wall Street Journal. They also will "take on companies that deliver customized telecommunications and data services to people who use personal computers," the Journal adds. The deal has left in question the future of MCI's existing online venture with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., which was announced with fanfare five months ago. That service, originally expected to be launched last September, has been delayed repeatedly. MCI Chairman Bert Roberts told Sandberg and Ziegler the broad relationship with News Corp. "remains intact" but that MCI will reduce its stake in the venture to a minority position. "Software giant Oracle Corp. is expected to join the venture, diluting by a significant amount MCI's stake in the MCI/News Corp. operation," the Journal writes. At a news conference yesterday, Roberts and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates denied an insider's assertion that MCI had reduced its stake in its News Corp. venture at Gates's behest. Meanwhile, Murdoch met for 15 minutes yesterday with the online venture's employees in New York to reassure them that the partners remained committed to the service. According to one attender, Murdoch said "a very different business plan" would soon emerge with Oracle. Observes the Journal, "Constant strategic shifts making foes of friends and friends of foes are occurring as companies converge on the fast- growing market for interactive services." Associated Press writer Tim Klass reports key results of the MCI-Microsoft alliance include the incorporation of MCI's logo into Microsoft's main Windows operating software and MCI's adoption of Microsoft's Internet Explorer product as its preferred software for finding information on the World Wide Web. "Under the arrangement," says AP, "Microsoft will place an MCI logo and software in its Windows program. By clicking on the symbol, a user will get the chance to purchase MCI services like conferencing and advanced capacity ISDN lines." Klass says MCI will market a customized version of the Microsoft Network, "MSN from MCI," and use Microsoft server software. IBM to Acquire Tivoli Systems IBM Corp. and Tivoli Systems Inc. say they have entered into a definitive merger agreement. The deal, valued at $743 million, calls for IBM to offer $47.50 for each of Tivoli's outstanding shares. Tivoli, based in Austin, Texas, is a provider of systems management software and services that are designed to help users reduce the cost and complexity of managing distributed client/server networks. Systems management software helps companies control their increasingly complex networks of PCs, workstations and host computers and the applications that run on them. Key functions performed by the software include network management, performance monitoring, problem determination, and administrative tasks such as new user authorization and software distribution. IBM says the merger will combine Tivoli's advanced technology with its host-based systems management products and global sales, service and support. "As more and more customers exploit powerful computer networks for competitive advantage, the need for systems management products to operate and maintain these networks becomes critical," says IBM Chairman and CEO Louis V. Gerstner Jr. "By combining our strengths, IBM and Tivoli can provide customers an unmatched line of systems management solutions and services that are open, easy to customize and scalable from small departments to the largest global enterprises. This transaction greatly strengthens our position in the emerging network-centric computing opportunity." Novell Sells Applications Line Novell Inc. says it will sell its business applications line to Corel Corp. for approximately $115 million. The definitive agreement includes the PerfectOffice application suite, WordPerfect word processing applications, QuattroPro spreadsheet and related software. Additionally, Corel will license Novell's GroupWise client software, Envoy electronic publishing software, and other technologies from Novell for a minimum royalty obligation of $70 million over the next five years. The common stock Novell will receive represents approximately 20 percent of Corel's current outstanding shares. Novell is also entitled to nominate a candidate for Corel's board of directors. The companies expect the agreement to close within 30 days, conditional on government approval. Shareholder approval is not required by either company. Less than two years ago, Novell paid about $1 billion for the WordPerfect and Quattro products. "We are very enthusiastic about the fit of these products within Corel's business," says Michael Cowpland, Corel's CEO. "We believe they will strategically extend the solution value that Corel brings customers worldwide." Corel says it will lease facilities from Novell and hire certain Novell employees engaged in the continued development and support of application products. Computer Viruses Still Expanding More than 1,400 new viruses threatened computer users during 1995, reports anti-virus software publisher S&S Software International Inc. The Burlington, Massachusetts-based firm notes that the total number of viruses tallied by its researchers topped 7,400 by the end of the year, a 23.3 percent increase over 1994. "The most important events of the year, however, were the emergence of macro viruses and the first-ever jailing of a computer virus writer," says Alan Solomon, S&S's chairman. Macro viruses are a new type of virus that use Microsoft Word to leap different operating systems and infect both Windows and Macintosh computers. The first macro virus, called Concept, was reported last August. The rogue code -- also known as WinWord.Concept, WW6Macro and Prank Macro -- spread worldwide by early September. The mid-November jailing of Christopher Pile, a 26-year-old Briton who dubbed himself the "Black Baron" is "a milestone that should start other virus writers thinking about a new career," says Solomon. "Pile got nothing out of the viruses he wrote except 18 months in prison." Pile was convicted for creating SMEG, a mutation engine that encrypts viruses, changing them each time they infect a computer, making the viruses harder to find and combat. Using SMEG, he also created the viruses Pathogen and Queeg. Americans Want Unregulated Internet A new poll by Chilton Research Services Inc. finds that the majority of Americans do not favor government regulation of the Internet. Only 39 percent of the people surveyed by the Radnor, Pennsylvania-based company said they think the government should be involved in regulation of the Internet, while 44 percent opposed government regulation; 16 percent had no opinion. Females are only slightly more likely to favor government regulation than males (40 percent versus 38 percent) while they are twice as likely as males to be undecided on the issue (20 percent versus 11 percent). "Even though we hear a lot about Americans complaining about pornography and other threats from the Internet, these results suggests that Americans don't necessarily think that government regulation is a good solution," says Carla Sarett, head of Chilton's media and entertainment research branch. "In fact, most Americans are ambivalent or negative about government involvement." The survey, conducted by telephone between Jan. 10 and 14, polled a random sample of 1,001 adults ages 18 and older. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus three percent. Borland Tech Notes STR Infofile Visual dBASE Known Problems The following is a list of unexpected product behaviors known to exist in Visual dBASE Version 5.5a (0.687). This information is provided by Borland to enable developers to minimize their application coding, testing and debugging time. While Borland strives to create perfect software, the complexity of our products will inevitably prevent 100 percent elimination of problems. This list should enable you to identify which problems can be attributed to Visual dBASE as opposed to your developed application. A short description and proposed workaround for most noted behaviors is provided. This information combined with the list of recent changes in the 5.5a Maintenance Upgrade Readme.TXT should enhance your continued development efforts. New problems that you may encounter can be reported to Borland by one of three means: 1) Receive a Customer Problem Report (CPR) form via fax by dialing our TechFax service, 800-822-4269 and requesting document number 8810, 2) Submit problems to SYSOP on the CompuServe forum, GO VDBASE or 3) via Technical Support phone lines (800-285-1118 or 900-555-1009). Reference Number: 1 Description: The Lotus NotesLink VBX control that comes with Borland's Delphi is not supported. Workaround: None Reference Number: 2 Description: Using COPY TO to copy an InterBase table with a BLOB field containing binary data to a .DBF table creates a Memo field rather than a Binary field. Workaround: Since the data from the Interbase BLOB field is correctly transferred to the Memo field of the target dBASE table, you can modify the structure of the target table adding a Binary field and then step through the records transferring data from the Memo field to the new Binary field, e.g. SET SAFETY OFF SCAN COPY MEMO TO TEMP.XXX REPLACE BINARY FROM TEMP.XXX ENDSCAN Another method would be to use the Data Pump utility that comes with the Visual dBASE Client/Server edition which allows you to specify the field types that will be created in the target table on a per field basis. Reference Number: 3 Description: Using an ORDER BY clause in a SQL statement referencing a local table results in a read-only result table. Workaround: Perform the SELECT without the ORDER BY clause and then use the dBASE SET ORDER command. Reference Number: 4 Description: A Menu Item fails to dim at runtime when Enabled is set to false and THEN the Text is changed . Workaround: Change the Text first and then change the Enabled to false. Reference Number: 5 Description: Long code-blocks (over 500 characters) can trigger the "Runtime buffer overflow" error. Workaround: Use a Procedure call and a function pointer rather than a code-block in these circumstances. Reference Number: 6 Description: If you APPEND FROM a text file (either SDF or DELIMITED format) into a table that has more than 300 fields more than once in succession, Visual dBASE can become unstable. Workaround: Exit Visual dBASE between successive APPEND FROM commands. Program workaround available from Tech Support, the Web Support page (Utilities) or CompuServe (dBASE Addons). Reference Number: 7 Description: If the argument of the BROWSE command is over 560 bytes in length you will get a "Stack overflow" error. Workaround: Reduce the length of the argument. Reference Number: 8 Description: Compiled applications only: executables cannot act as DDE servers. Workaround: Use the base product rather than a compiled application for your DDE server. Reference Number: 9 Description: With .DB (Paradox format) tables SET EXACT is not supported for a RELATION that links a parent to a child table in a one-to-many relationship. Therefore more children may be linked to a single parent than expected based on an EXACT match. Workaround: 1) Establish linking keys that do not rely on matches specified by EXACT. 2) Use .DBF tables. Reference Number: 10 Description: For some table structures APPEND FROM TYPE SDF can fail with a Database Engine error when the text file is longer than 150,000 lines. Workaround: APPEND FROM SDF FOR .T. Reference Number: 11 Description: In the Form Designer, if a control has a procedure linked to an event and you delete the control and then Undo the delete, the link to the procedure is not restored. Workaround: Re-link the procedure to the control's event after undoing a delete. Reference Number: 12 Description: Moving focus twice to an EntryField or SpinBox whose SelectAll property is set to .F. positions the caret to the right of the control's value if the value is numeric or if it's character and the first character is a space. Workaround: None. Reference Number: 13 Description: The Form Designer does not stream the Datalink property for a subclass of an Entryfield. Workaround: ú Set the datalink property in the OnOpen Event. ú Manually edit datalink property in the .WFM. Note: Entry will be lost each time the .WFM is modified and saved in Design mode/2 way tools. Reference Number: 14 Description: A SpeedTip property will not take affect if it is set after the control's form is opened. Workaround: Include the SpeedTip property in the DEFINE statement for controls within the parent form class definition. Reference Number: 15 Description: FLUSH will fail to immediately write buffered data to disk if AUTOSAVE is set off. Workaround: SET AUTOSAVE ON before using FLUSH. Reference Number: 16 Description: With CUAENTER set OFF in your DBASEWIN.INI file Cut and Copy are not available from menu items in the Table Records window. Workaround: Use the SpeedButtons or keystroke methods of invoking Cut and Copy, or if possible leave CUAENTER ON (the default). Reference Number: 17 Description: If a second session is opened in an event, closing a form attached to that session will not end the session until the event concludes. Workaround: If you need to create a session within an event either; ú do not try to access the original session within the event or, ú move the CREATE SESSION to a separate procedure that the first event calls. Reference Number: 18 Description: Changing focus to or from an EntryField or SpinBox that's DataLinked to a PRIVATE memory variable can cause Visual dBASE to become unstable. Workaround: In general most controls will be Datalinked directly to fields from tables. When you must link to a memory variable use a user defined property of the form whenever possible. If the variable used for the datalink must have scope beyond the form, use a PUBLIC variable. Reference Number: 19 Description: In the Form Designer with the Field Palette active, if you move to the Command Window and issue a CLEAR ALL (or other command that closes the table(s) which are displayed in the Field Palette) and then return to the Field Palette, Visual dBASE can become unstable. This is only true if the Form Designer and the Command Window are sharing the same session. Workaround: Make sure that the Form Designer is using its own session if you have to issue global commands that might close needed tables. Reference Number: 20 Description: The font which is used when printing directly from Browse does not support Cyrillic characters. Workaround: Use one of the other methods of printed output: LIST TO PRINT, REPORT FORM etc. when you need to display data containing these characters. Reference Number: 21 Description: On Windows NT long filename creation is not supported for files (it does work for directories). Workaround: Under Windows NT only create files using the short name format. Reference Number: 22 Description: Shape and Line objects are always added to page 1 of a form regardless of the current page number in the Form Designer. Workaround: To add a Line or a Shape to a form page other than page 1, first add the object to page 1 and then change the object's PageNo property in the Inspector. Reference Number: 23 Description: When using the TAGNO() function, if the .mdx file is named (second parameter), then the tag (first parameter) won't match unless expressed in uppercase. Workaround: In these conditions be sure to use uppercase for the name of the tag passed as the first parameter. Reference Number: 24 Description: If you disable the first control in a form's OnOpen event the form loses focus. Workaround: Call the form's SetFocus() method at the end of the form's OnOpen event. Reference Number: 25 Description: The following commands fail to create the tags in the production index file when the contains the following international characters s,?, or   : COPY TO WITH PROD COPY STRUCTURE TO WITH PROD Workaround: Recreate the tags with the INDEX command after creating the new file. Reference Number: 26 Description: Windows 95 only: if the default printer is set to Microsoft Fax (WPSUNI) Visual dBASE gives a "Invalid driver name ..." fails to load. Workaround: Under Windows 95 set your default printer to something besides Microsoft Fax. Reference Number: 27 Description: Maintenance release only: In a type 2 ComboBox, if the Datalink is to a memory variable, typing a letter will not select the closest matching item from the DropDown list. Workaround: Use the value property instead of a memory variable and do not Datalink the ComboBox. Reference Number: 28 Description: OnChange event of a Browse control fires twice when changes to a record are committed via interactive cursor movement. Workaround: If possible use the OnChange property of the Form. Reference Number: 29 Description: Compiler only: when you run a form with SHELL(.F.) that has been compiled to an executable, the form opens with focus on the last control on the form. Workaround: Set focus to the first control on the form in the OnOpen event for the form. Form..SetFocus() Reference Number: 30 Description: Visual dBASE 5.5a only: If you have a Combobox Datalinked to a table with SET KEY RANGE enforced and the Datasource set, the entry area does not display the correct record. Workaround: Issue a GO TOP command in the workarea that contains the Datalinked field. Reference Number: 31 Description: You cannot create a rule using the Referential Integrity dialog for tables that have spaces in a field name. Workaround: Assure that the field names do not have embedded spaces. Reference Number: 32 Description: CALCULATE CNT() on empty table returns 1 record. Workaround: IF RECCOUNT() >0 CALCULATE CNT() TO MVAR ELSE MVAR = 0 ENDIF Reference Number: 33 Description: "File | Print" from the Table Designer only prints one page regardless of how many fields are in the structure, i.e. only 62 fields can print. Workaround: Issue the command "LIST STRUCTURE TO PRINT" at the Command window. Adaptec Tech Notes STR Infofile Installation Problems with 2940x and BIOS v1.2x If during the installation of Windows NT, the operating system reports no Host Adapter found or gives Stop Error code 0x0000007b "Inaccessible Boot Device," follow one of the below procedures. Suggestion for CD-ROM Installation: Inaccessible boot device errors........possible solution Copy the following files to Disk 3 from either the 7800 Manager Set or from 7800wnt.exe: - disk1 - txtsetup.oem - oemsetup.inf - aic78xx.sys After the Third disk is copied, the system will prompt you to remove the floppy from drive A: and reboot Use a DOS bootable disk and boot to DOS, copy the aic78xx.sys driver from the 7800 Manager Set or 7800wnt.exe file (for the version of NT you are installing-3.1 or 3.5x) into $win_nt$.~bt directory Remove the floppy from drive a:, and reboot.... The system should now boot to the GUI portion of the Installation. After making the choices of File system, Host Adapter and general system info, the system will reboot. At this time, use the DOS bootable floppy and boot to DOS again. Go into the winnt35\system32\drivers directory, and check the file date for aic78xx.sys. It should be the old driver dated 5-24-95. Copy the new driver dated 8-14-95 or later into that directory and reboot. Suggestion for Floppy Disk Installation: Inaccessible boot device errors........possible solution Copy the following files to Disk 3 from either the 7800 Manager Set or from 7800wnt.exe: - disk1 - txtsetup.oem - oemsetup.inf - aic78xx.sys After the Ninth disk is copied, the system will prompt you to remove the floppy from drive A: and reboot. Use a DOS bootable floppy and boot to DOS, copy the aic78xx.sys driver from the 7800 Manager Set or 7800wnt.exe (for the version of NT you are installing 3.1 or 3.5x) into $win_nt$.~bt directory. Remove the floppy from drive a: and reboot. The system should now boot to the GUI portion of the Installation. After making the choices of File system, Host Adapter and general system info the system will reboot. At this time, use the DOS bootable floppy and boot to DOS again. Go into the winnt35\system32\drivers directory, and check the file date on the aic78xx.sys. It should be the old driver dated 5-24-95. Copy the new driver dated 8-14-95 or later into that directory and reboot. Alternative Solution: Depending on the amount of hard drive space available, this method might also work. Boot to DOS with access to the cd-rom, create a temp directory on the hard drive called I386. Copy all files from the I386 directory on the CD- ROM to the I386 directory on the hard drive. After all files are copied, delete the aic78xx.sys driver from the I386 directory created on the hard drive and replace it will the aic78xx.sys driver dated 8-14-95. Then start the floppiless install by typing winnt /b within the I386 directory on the hard drive. This procedure will eliminate needing a DOS boot disk, copying driver into the various directories. February 1, 1996 A Message from Michael Cowpland, President and CEO of Corel Corporation Corel is proud to announce the acquisition of the WordPerfect family of software programs. This catapults us to world's Number 2 independent personal application software vendor right behind Microsoft, with a combined user base of over 25 million. The products we are getting from Novell are PerfectOffice for Windows; WordPerfect for Windows, DOS, Mac and UNIX; QuattroPro for Windows, DOS; Presentations for Windows, DOS; and InfoCentral. These products have received accolades from the press, winning almost every review against Microsoft and Lotus products. The new Windows 95 versions, now in beta, look to be world beaters, with super new features and powerful connectivity to the Internet. For example, in Corel WordPerfect 7 you can directly publish home pages via HTML output. Also, in Corel Quattro 7 you can go from any cell directly to any URL site on the Internet and you can directly link tables and numbers from any home page into your spreadsheet, an ideal feature for stock portfolios, price quotations, etc. Using Corel Presentations 7, you can play your slide shows directly onto the web. The inclusion of GroupWise also gives Notes-like groupware power combined with Internet capability. These unique new features combined with Corel graphics and multimedia content should make Corel PerfectOffice 7 Number 1 in power, value and features when it is launched in April and enable Corel to leap ahead of the current industry leader, Microsoft Office. Our new partner Novell is Number 1 in the world in networking, with a user base of 50 million clients and 5 million GroupWise installations, greatly exceeding Notes' 3 million users. We expect an excellent on-going collaboration with our new partner and we are tremendously excited by these new arrivals to Corel's line-up of quality software. Regards, Mike Cowpland Flow Control and NavCIS 1.76 STR Focus NavCIS 1.76 & Flow Control In the NavCIS 1.76 README.WRI file, we recommended that you use Software flow control (aka XON/XOFF) in NavCIS. Soon after public testing began, many of our users noticed that they were getting better results using Hardware flow control (aka RTS/CTS). Based on further research and testing, we have concluded that RTS/CTS is the optimal flow control for use in NavCIS 1.76 in the majority of modem configurations. Due to the structure of the CompuServe communications engine (which NavCIS 1.76 is using), you will need to set up Hardware flow control in two places: (1) the CIS.INI file, and (2) the Modem Control Settings dialog box in NavCIS. Changing the CIS.INI file First, let's start with the CIS.INI file. To set up NavCIS 1.76 to use Hardware flow control, close any communications applications (e.g. NavCIS, WinCIM, Mosaic) that you may have open. Then, open the CIS.INI file that NavCIS 1.76 is using. To find out which CIS.INI file NavCIS 1.76 is using, open NavCIS 1.76, select Configuration | Options | Directories and Capture, and make a note of what is displayed in the "CServe:" field. This field will show the directory where the CIS.INI file is located. Make sure you close down NavCIS before proceeding with the modifications below. Please use a text editor such as Windows Notepad to open and edit this CIS.INI file; do NOT use a word processor. Now, under each section in the CIS.INI file that begins with "[Connector", type in this line: FlowControl=3 For example, you should have an entry that looks like this: [Connector (CIS Connection)] FlowControl=3 And, for example, if you have previously created a Session called "Work" in the Setup Session Settings window of NavCIS, it would look like: [Connector (Work)] FlowControl=3 Make sure you do this for all sections that begin with "[Connector". Making Changes in Modem Control Settings Now that you have the modified settings in the CIS.INI file, save and close the file. Then, start NavCIS 1.76 and select Configuration | Session Settings from the main menu bar. When the Setup Session Settings dialog box appears, click on the Modem button on the right-hand side. This will bring up the Modem Control Settings dialog box. First, make sure that you have selected your modem (or a very similar model) from the "Modem:" drop-down list. Then, look for the command in the "Initialize:" box that turns on either Software or Hardware flow control for your modem. Please consult your modem's manual for the flow control commands (look for "Hardware", "Software", "RTS/CTS", or "XON/XOFF"). If you see the command that enables Hardware flow control (quite often "&K3"), you won't need to change anything. If you see the command to enable Software flow control (quite often "&K4"), or no command for either Software or Hardware, please insert (at the end of the string of commands) the command to enable Hardware flow control for your modem, and then remove the command that enables Software flow control, if it is present. Remember, your modem manual is your friend . Making the above changes will allow for the default Software flow control in the CompuServe communications engine to be over-ridden, thus using the more efficient Hardware flow control instead. Note: If your modem still doesn't work properly after following the steps above, please post a question to Section 7 in the Dvorak forum on CompuServe; we'll be happy to help. Legal stuff (C)Copyright 1996 by Dvorak Development. All rights reserved. NavCIS is a registered trademark of Dvorak Development. CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe, Inc. A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N FARGO PRIMERA PRO COLOR PRINTERS - 600DPI For a limited time only; If you wish to have a FREE sample printout sent to you that demonstrates FARGO Primera & Primera Pro SUPERIOR QUALITY 600dpi 24 bit Photo Realistic Color Output, please send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope [SASE] (business sized envelope please) to: STReport's Fargo Printout Offer P.O. Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32205-6155 Folks, the FARGO Primera Pro has GOT to be the best yet. Its far superior to the newest of Color Laser Printers selling for more than three times as much. Its said that ONE Picture is worth a thousand words. Send for this sample now. Guaranteed you will be amazed at the superb quality. (please, allow at least a one week turn-around) A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed Edupage Contents Edupage In Romanian German Prosecutors Target Internet Racial Hatred Online Service Providers Want Change In UK Libel Law Canada Backs Off On Blackout Threat Notes Does The Net IBM Drops OS/2-PowerPC Plans IT Hot Buttons Get Hotter Japanese Internet Users Are Night- Owls Ellerbee On Encarta Bell & IBM Close To Deal In Canada AOL Records Used To Solve Murder Case U.S. Postal Service Plans Digital Services Writing Contest Oops! Math Counts In Spectrum Auction Microsoft & MCI Form Internet Alliance Internet Device Prototype Unveiled New England, California Propose High- Tech Partnership The Web Host Interview Visa Info On The Net Cable Modem Trial Deemed Successful Digital Abandons Consumer PC Market Apple Research Freezes During Reorganization Explorer For Macintosh Name That Communications Company! IBM Buys Tivoli Systems Corel Buys WordPerfect Visa, Mastercard Agree On Electronic Payment System States Look To Outsourcing IS Functions China Suspends New Internet Memberships Fourth Estate Likes Cyberspace "All The News That Fits The Web" Netscape Agrees To Buy Insoft Computer Viruses Have A Very Good Year How Cold Is Apple's Research Freeze? Gates Kibitzes On Apple Explorer For Macintosh Educational Computing Costs? Telecom Tax To Support CBC Intel Price Cuts Will Affect PC Costs And Power EDUPAGE IN ROMANIAN We are pleased to announce a Romanian edition of Edupage, which will be produced and distributed by the Educational Advisory Centre of the Soros Foundation in Cluj. Welcome to our Romanian readers of Edupage! Bun venit cititorilor romani ai Edupage! To receive the Romanian edition of Edupage, send mail to: astamatian@cluj.soros.ro. (Besides English, Edupage is now available in French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish editions.) GERMAN PROSECUTORS TARGET INTERNET RACIAL HATRED The Mannheim, Germany, prosecutor's office has launched an investigation of CompuServe and Deutsche Telekom's T- Online service for inciting racial hatred, a crime in Germany. At issue is online access to a Web site run by a neo-Nazi extremist in Canada who uses the Internet to distribute anti- Semitic propaganda. The legal reasoning, according to a prosecutor's office spokesman, is that "because it's available over the Internet, it also can be called up in Germany. Then the scene of the crime is all Germany." Although the investigation is now limited to CompuServe and T-Online, there are also several hundred small companies that provide Internet access in Germany. (Wall Street Journal 26 Jan 96 B2) ONLINE SERVICE PROVIDERS WANT CHANGE IN UK LIBEL LAW Online providers CompuServe, Europe Online, and Microsoft Network are urging the United Kingdom to rewrite its libel laws to ensure that an online service provider will not be held responsible for libelous statements made by subscribers unless the provider has been posted to its system and has "the ability and the authority to prevent its publication, but fails to do so within a reasonable time." (Financial Times 26 Jan 96 p7) CANADA BACKS OFF ON BLACKOUT THREAT Following President Clinton's support for the use of V-chip technology, Canadian regulators backed away from threats to black out American programming that fails to meet standards on violence. The American and Canadian associations of broadcasters oppose the use of V-chips, arguing largely on constitutional grounds. An industry official pointed out, however, that advertising revenues are what is at stake: broadcasters are concerned that once a rating is put in place, audiences might start to diminish and advertising dollars along with them. (Toronto Financial Post 26 Jan 96 p7) NOTES DOES THE NET Analysts who predicted the demise of Lotus Notes as a result of the work- sharing advantages of the Internet may have been a bit premature in their estimations. In fact, the number of PCs using Notes has doubled in the past six months to 4.5 million, and is expected to hit 20 million in 1998 -- the break-even point for IBM's investment. "All the hype over the past six months has done us a tremendous service by espousing the benefits of collaboration," says Notes creator Ray Ozzie. Accordingly, Lotus has lowered its price for desktop software to $69 -- "in browser country" says CEO Michael Zisman -- and the company is concentrating on making new products that enhance connections between Notes and the Internet. The first step is persuading current users of the highly successful cc:Mail program to try Notes for their e-mail, and sort of ease into the new product line from there. "It's marketing simplicity," says an analyst with International Data Corp. (Business Week 29 Jan 96 p70) IBM DROPS OS/2-POWERPC PLANS IBM has decided to abandon its three-year effort to create a version of its OS/2 operating software for the PowerPC chip. A spokeswoman says, "Demand hasn't developed for it the way we thought it would." Instead, IBM will concentrate on developing OS/2 products for PCs that run on Intel chips. (Wall Street Journal 26 Jan 96 B3) IT HOT BUTTONS GET HOTTER An Information Week survey shows that nearly 60% of CIOs queried plan to boost information technology spending in 1996. Only 13% reported a planned decrease. But the money won't go for more hardware (at least not networking hardware)-- more than half the respondents said at least 75% of their 1996 budgets will go toward items other than equipment. And hot technologies will get hotter. Nearly 75% said they'll use the World Wide Web and online services this year, and all reported they'll be using client-server technology. The Internet will be used by half. One VP at a high-tech consulting firm put it this way: "To out-customize your competitors, you have to beat them on IT." (Information Week 8 Jan 96 p28) JAPANESE INTERNET USERS ARE NIGHT-OWLS Due to significantly cheaper night-time phone rates, Web surfers in Japan do most of their cruising after dark. "Two years ago I was the first commercial Internet provider in Japan. Today there are 45 Internet service providers in Tokyo alone," says the president of Global OnLine Japan, who says his heaviest usage time is midnight. A Cisco Systems marketing manager estimates growth of Internet hosts in Japan at 300% a year, and the annual growth rate of online services is pegged at 50%. (Scientific American Jan 96 p36) ELLERBEE ON ENCARTA Joining journalist Michael Kinsley in the leap to the Net, "NBC News Overnight" host Linda Ellerbee will work with Microsoft to create a monthly online interview show available on the Encarta Encyclopedia Website . The first "Encarta on the Record" show will debut Feb. 21 at 9:30 p.m. EST. (Investor's Business Daily 29 Jan 96 A6) BELL & IBM CLOSE TO DEAL IN CANADA IBM Canada is poised to take over the multi-million dollar computer operation at Bell Sygma in a move that will have a serious ripple effect throughout Canada's computer services industry. In exchange, Bell will provide network services for IBM's Advantis subsidiary. International Data Corp. says the agreement effectively would make it impossible for foreign competitors to win outsourcing business and would put IBM well ahead of competitors inside Canada. (Toronto Globe & Mail 27 Jan 96 B1) AOL RECORDS USED TO SOLVE MURDER CASE Fairfax County, Va. police recently obtained a search warrant for electronic files relating to participants in an American Online chat room in an effort to solve a murder in New Jersey. The victim had met his alleged assailant through a "men for men" chat room, and investigators say several other chat room participants helped in disposing of the body. One of them, a 24-year- old woman, is now charged with tampering with the evidence. An AOL spokeswoman said that it is the company's policy to comply with subpoenas, and that although it does not keep records from chat rooms, it does keep records of e-mail for five days before they are purged. "We certainly respect and abide by our customers' right to privacy, but we are also going to follow the law. We have 4.5 million customers -- that's the size of a city. When we have some problems, we have to deal with it responsibly." (St. Petersburg Times 28 Jan 96) U.S. POSTAL SERVICE PLANS DIGITAL SERVICES Between 1988 and 1994, the U.S. Postal Service's market share of mail delivery dropped from 77% to 62%, while market share for express delivery services dropped from 4% to 2%, and market share for electronic alternatives increased from 19% to 36%. To survive and prosper in the information age, the Postal Service now has aggressive new plans for providing digital services, including a hybrid service (carrying both e-mail and paper mail), electronic shopping kiosks, and certified electronic mail. Postal executive Richard Rothwell says: "In the future, when you buy cc:Mail, the box will say, 'Postal Electronic Commerce Services-ready.' When you click on an icon, it will invoke options such as electronic postmark, certificate, return receipt and so forth." Gene Del Polito of the Advertising Mail Marketing Association objects to the Postal Service's plans, saying: "Anyone that competes with the Postal Service is at an enormous disadvantage. They don't pay taxes, they are not subject to antitrust laws, and so forth." (Computerworld 22 Jan 96 p1) WRITING CONTEST O'Reilly & Associates will publish winners of a $5,000 writing contest called "Spider or Fly?" dealing with the general question: "Are we masters of the Web or trapped in it?" and the relationships between technology and human consequences. Info: < http://www.ora.com/staff/stevet/netfuture/ >. OOPS! MATH COUNTS IN SPECTRUM AUCTION During the C-block auction of digital wireless spectrum last week, Puerto Rico-based PCS 2000 L.P. bid more than $180 million for the Norfolk, Va. license, which had a required minimum bid of $18 million. An FCC spokeswoman said another company, bidding for a Rockford, Ill. license, made a similar error, offering $22 million instead of the minimum $2.3 million. Map Wireless L.L.C. withdrew the Rockford bid, but could end up being liable for the difference between $22 million and whatever bid prevails; PCS 2000 didn't withdraw before the deadline. "As far as we're concerned, they submitted that bid," the spokeswoman says. (Multichannel News 29 Jan 96) MICROSOFT & MCI FORM INTERNET ALLIANCE Microsoft and MCI have formed an alliance in which MCI will be Microsoft's primary distributor of the Microsoft Network online service, and MCI will promote Microsoft's Internet browser software. In a related move, MCI is reducing its 50% equity stake in a co-venture with Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation to develop an online service. (New York Times 30 Jan 96 C2) Meanwhile, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. reports it's formed a joint venture with Microsoft to market all its goods over the Internet. (Investor's Business Daily 30 Jan 96 A11) INTERNET DEVICE PROTOTYPE UNVEILED Sun Microsystems has debuted a prototype of its inexpensive desktop computer that uses Sun's Java software to surf the Internet and browse corporate networks. The device would cost more than $500 -- the much-talked-about price point suggested for such a machine -- but Sun hasn't said exactly how much more. Its Internet device includes a 110-megahertz chip, minimal memory and a monitor, and is packed in a box that measures approximately 5"x9"x2". If Sun decides to go into commercial production, it will be marketed as a low-maintenance alternative to the traditional office PC. (Wall Street Journal 29 Jan 96 B3) NEW ENGLAND, CALIFORNIA PROPOSE HIGH-TECH PARTNERSHIP Citing similarities in their economic profiles, Senate leaders from New England and California agreed the two regions should collaborate "to articulate to this country a vision for where we ought to be putting our economic and entrepreneurial energy," said Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass). Kerry deplored the current trend toward cutting science-related programs: "It doesn't make sense to be reducing basic science research by 30 percent... It doesn't make sense to be struggling as we are to try to find a tax structure that will encourage the kinds of investing that we need and the research we need. Instead, we're stuck in a tax code that excites the wrong kinds of investors." Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass) echoed Kerry's sentiments and proposed a number of objectives for the two regions, including maximizing the strength of the telecommunications industry; maintaining the U.S. global market share in semiconductors; exploiting U.S. dominance in medical research; creating new economies of scale in biotechnology; and developing new markets for fiber optics. (BNA Daily Report for Executives 26 Jan 96 A19) THE WEB HOST INTERVIEW In tandem with the exploding number of World Wide Web sites, the number of hosts is multiplying at an equally astonishing rate. Dallas consultant James Gaskin suggests some questions you should ask your prospective Web host before you sign on the dotted line: How much bandwidth is available, and by what means are Web servers connected upstream to the Internet? (The closer your provider is to the Internet backbone, the better response your clients will receive.) What kind of fault tolerance is installed? (How long will your host server be down in case of technical problems?) What kind of reporting does the company provide, and in how much detail? (Some companies provide numbers of hits at only three levels -- fewer than 1,000, up to 5,000, and above 5,000 hits a month.) How does it handle naming Web sites? (Look for one that will let you call your site "www.yourcompanyname.com.") And remember, "You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much bandwidth." (Information Week 22 Jan 96 p60) VISA INFO ON THE NET Visa customers who use the Block Financial Corp. card, called WebCard Visa, now can look up information about their account on the Web. Cardholders can track current account activity, review past balances and check to see whether a payment has been received. The card is issued by Columbus Bank and Trust Co. based in Columbus, Ga. (St. Petersburg Times 29 Jan 96 p8) CABLE MODEM TRIAL DEEMED SUCCESSFUL A marketing trial of high-speed cable modem service conducted by Time Warner subsidiary Paragon Cable has shown virtually no churn among its 200 test participants and the waiting list is still about 300 customers long. "There's a real business here," concludes Paragon's general manager. Elmira, NY cable customers paid a $30 installation charge and a $25 fee to receive Zenith modem units that provided access to a local database and to the Internet. Building on their success, Paragon plans to take the service commercial in Elmira at the end of March, and Time Warner is scouting out other likely locations for pilot programs. (Broadcasting & Cable 29 Jan 96 p48) DIGITAL ABANDONS CONSUMER PC MARKET Digital Equipment Corporation has decided to discontinue development of its Starion line of consumer-oriented PCs, and focus instead on selling PCs to businesses. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 30 Jan 96 D3) APPLE RESEARCH FREEZES DURING REORGANIZATION While a reorganization plan is being prepared for presentation to Apple's Board of Directors next week, the company has put a freeze on research spending. There continues to be speculation that Apple will be acquired by another company, and Apple is now said to be exploring the interest of IBM and Motorola. (New York Times 30 Jan 96 C1) EXPLORER FOR MACINTOSH Microsoft has released a beta test version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer for the Macintosh: < ttp://microsoft.com/windows/ie/mac/macdl.htm >. (New York Times 30 Jan 96 B8) NAME THAT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY! And now!!! -- from the same advertising industry that brought you "AirTouch Communications Inc." !!! -- Sprint's new cellular unit will be called "360 Degrees Communications Co." (Investor's Business Daily 29 Jan 96 A6) IBM BUYS TIVOLI SYSTEMS IBM is buying Tivoli Systems, an Austin, Texas-based company that produces software that helps automate the management and maintenance of "client/server" computer networks comprising a large number of PCs "served" by a central machine that holds and distributes information and programs. In explaining the acquisition of Tivoli, an IBM executive says: "These networks are powerful, but they can also become very complex and labor intensive. All major corporations are trying to control the costs of their client-server projects." (New York Times 1 Feb 96 C8) COREL BUYS WordPerfect Ottawa-based Corel predicts its bargain-basement purchase of WordPerfect from Novell for $185-million will allow the company to triple its sales, boost Corel to second place in the world among makers of "people-productive software," and take on number one Microsoft. (Toronto Globe & Mail 1 Feb 96 B1) VISA, MASTERCARD AGREE ON ELECTRONIC PAYMENT SYSTEM Visa International and MasterCard International have reached a truce over competing systems for processing Internet transactions, and will work together on a new technology called Secure Electronic Transactions that will allow software developers for World Wide Web sites to incorporate a standard system for accepting credit-card payments. "There will be a specification that's open for anyone to implement completely free of charge," says the chief scientist at Netscape, which had been working with MasterCard on its own system. "This is the right step for the industry to take, and we're really happy we're finally solving this problem." (Wall Street Journal 1 Feb 96 B2) STATES LOOK TO OUTSOURCING IS FUNCTIONS State officials in Iowa will decide in the next few weeks whether to outsource their information systems, and other states are watching their deliberations carefully. As many as 17 states, and countless local governments, are looking at outsourcing as a way to control costs while providing better service. In addition, there's a strong desire to centralize disparate systems that are run independently by dozens of agencies, often with union employees. Michigan is currently addressing some of these problems, consolidating its data centers and outsourcing its desktop computer management to EDS. Meanwhile, its financial management and employment security commission systems are run on a mainframe at IBM's Integrated Systems Solutions Corp. (Information Week 22 Jan 96 p70) CHINA SUSPENDS NEW INTERNET MEMBERSHIPS Chinese authorities have decided to temporarily suspend new Internet memberships, attributing the move to technical problems. But in a meeting last month with Premier Li Peng, officials declared it was "imperative" to develop new Internet controls. Industry insiders say China's future plans include building a centrally administered Internet backbone that would allow more oversight of e-mail and other activities. Meanwhile, Chinese businesses can use China Internet -- a sort of "intranet" administered by former U.S. businessman James Chu -- to access selected Web sites and databases, and to set up their own home pages and trade information. (Wall Street Journal 31 Jan 96 A1) FOURTH ESTATE LIKES CYBERSPACE A survey by the Columbia University School of Journalism and Middleberg & Associates found that more than two-thirds of journalists polled use the Internet or commercial online services to track breaking news or do research, and almost 25% go online every day. Daily journalists are the most likely to be Net surfers. More than half of the respondents favored phasing out paper press releases, preferring online versions. The publishing industry is responding to the online revolution as well - more than three-fourths of the newspapers and magazines represented in the study plan online editions, up from 54% last year. (Investor's Business Daily 1 Feb 96 A10) "ALL THE NEWS THAT FITS THE WEB" The New York Times launched its long-awaited Web site recently, featuring updated news, real estate and job classifieds, and the crossword puzzle. There's also a CyberTimes section that focuses on technology topics. (Broadcasting & Cable 29 Jan 96 p49) NETSCAPE AGREES TO BUY INSOFT Netscape, riding the wave of higher-than-expected fourth quarter profits, has agreed to acquire InSoft Inc. in a $161- million stock swap. Netscape plans to use InSoft's audio and video networking standards in its Netscape Web- browsing and site-building products. (Wall Street Journal 1 Feb 96 B2) COMPUTER VIRUSES HAVE A VERY GOOD YEAR More than 1,400 new computer viruses were detected last year, boosting the number of known viruses by 23%, to 7,400, according to S&S Software International, a maker of anti-virus software. The company says its research team confronts 150 to 200 new viruses each month. (Investor's Business Daily 1 Feb 96 A10) HOW COLD IS APPLE'S RESEARCH FREEZE? In a story suggesting that reports of Apple's death may be exaggerated, MacWeek says that the research freeze that was announced by Apple's senior vice president of R&D was not as dire as reported by "a negative press." MacWeek says that the vice president's memo "did not call for a freeze in any spending category. The memo encouraged managers to examine their outflows and to determine what are necessities." (MacWeek Online 30 Jan 1996) GATES KIBITZES ON APPLE Microsoft CEO Bill Gates says about Apple's current woes: ''I think that the tendency when people look at Apple is to sort of put their business school hat on and think, 'Well, there must be some business school approach here that's missing. All business strategies depend on a certain rate of execution, a certain rate, in this case, of engineering innovation." Gates thinks Apple's strategies " could actually work if their pace of engineering had been adequate. ... Let's say Copland [the next Apple operating system, still in development] was shipping today, then Apple could devote more to some of the Internet things that could be very useful to them. So, I think it's too easy to talk about these things in pure business school-type theory.'' (San Jose Mercury Center News 31 Jan 96) EXPLORER FOR MACINTOSH Microsoft has released a beta test version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer for the Macintosh: . (New York Times 30 Jan 96 B8) ... Corrected URL from Edupage 30 Jan 96 EDUCATIONAL COMPUTING COSTS? Will networked computers reduce school computing costs? Some say no. The president of Cambridge, Mass.-based Learningways, an online curriculum delivery service, says: "The issue is that someone must provide storage. It has to be there, one way or another -- either you'll pay for it as part of the hardware costs up front or as a service fee down the road." (Electronic Learning Jan/Feb 96 p8) TELECOM TAX TO SUPPORT CBC A task force examining the future of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation contends the TV network can maintain all current services and networks, eliminate most commercials, dump all American programming, increase Canadian content and still save the government $800-million annually, but it would cost consumers an extra $4 to $9 monthly through a special tax on cable, phone and satellite services. (Toronto Globe & Mail 1 Feb 96 A1 & A13) INTEL PRICE CUTS WILL AFFECT PC COSTS AND POWER Intel says it plans to cut prices drastically on its microprocessor chips, so that a computer that costs $3,000 today can be bought for $1,200 by the end of the year. Entry-level machines by that time may be powered by chips that run as fast as 133 megahertz. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 1 Feb 96 E3) 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. EDUPAGE is what you've just finished reading. To subscribe to Edupage: send a message to: listproc@educom.unc.edu and in the body of the message type: subscribe edupage Marvin Minsky (assuming that your name is Marvin Minsky; if it's not, substitute your own name). ... To cancel, send a message to: listproc@educom.unc.edu and in the body of the message type: unsubscribe edupage... Subscription problems: educom@educom.unc.edu. EDUCOM REVIEW is our bimonthly print magazine on learning, communications, and information technology. Subscriptions are $18 a year in the U.S.; send mail to offer@educom.edu. When you do, we'll ring a little bell, because we'll be so happy! Choice of bell is yours: a small dome with a button, like the one on the counter at the dry cleaners with the sign "Ring bell for service"; or a small hand bell; or a cathedral bell; or a door bell; or a chime; or a glockenspiel. Your choice. But ring it! EDUCOM UPDATE is our twice-a-month electronic summary of organizational news and events. To subscribe to the Update: send a message to: listproc@educom.unc.edu and in the body of the message type: subscribe update John McCarthy (assuming that your name is John McCarthy; if it's not, substitute your own name). 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 or send e-mail to conf@cause.colorado.edu. ARCHIVES & TRANSLATIONS. For archive copies of Edupage or Update, ftp or gopher to educom.edu or see URL: < http://www.educom.edu/>. For the French edition of Edupage, send mail to edupage-fr@ijs.com with the subject "subscribe"; or see < http://www.ijs.com >. For the Hebrew edition, send mail to listserv@kinetica.co.il containing : SUBSCRIBE Leketnet-Word6 or see < http://www.kinetica.co.il/ newsletters/leketnet/ >. For the Hungarian edition, send mail to: send mail to subs.edupage@hungary.com. An Italian edition is available on Agora' Telematica; connection and/or free subscription via BT-Tymnet and Sprint (login: on/OFF" is now set to "on" in most cases and its function has been improved. IM will now check for date or time changes even if this options is set to "ON" but it will not display the change if the only change to the file is its date or time stamp. ú The Windows configuration is corrected for Win 95 (in some cases the IM Windows setup program (IMWIN.EXE) would install the wrong command line switches.) ú IM now displays (and writes to the report file) when integrity data update is turned off because of detected file corruption during unattended checking. Kids Computing Corner Frank Sereno, Editor The Kids' Computing Corner edited by Frank Sereno At the recent Consumer Electronics Show, The Learning Company announced four new educational software titles scheduled for late winter or spring release. These new programs cover a variety of subject matter and a wide age range of users. Reader Rabbit's Reading Development Library 3 will be the first title available. Children ages five to eight will read and enjoy two classic tales, The Princess and the Pea and The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg. Each story will be told from three perspectives, that of a narrator (Reader Rabbit) and those of two characters in the story. Children can read along with the computer narration or read independently. Each page is beautifully illustrated and animated. This program will be available for both Macintosh and Windows computers at an estimated price of $50. Next, The Learning Company is introducing Ultimate Writing & Creativity Center. Designed for children ages six to ten, this program gives children a full-featured word processor along with a paint program and a multimedia presentation theater. The word processor includes a spell-checker, thesaurus and numerous fonts. The package also includes 650 clip art pictures and 40 animations. To inspire children's creativity, a Prewriting section is filled with more than 1000 writing projects and ideas. Retail price is estimated to be $50 and the program will be available in Spring '96 for both Windows and Macintosh computers. Most people are familiar with the three R's, reading, `riting and `rithmatic. So naturally, the next program is the Interactive Math Journey. Developed for children ages six to nine, Interactive Math Journey is an open-ended exploration of ten worlds and twenty-five activities. Tally the Math Cat and Pop the Math Explorer will lead children through the sequenced activities with progressive difficulty levels. The program was designed with the participation of classroom teachers and follows guidelines from The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. This program will be available in Spring '96 and will retail for $99. A school edition will follow in the summer. Interactive Math Journey is the first in the new Math ExplorersT Series. The Learning Company also announced Logic QuestT, a 3-D first-person game which combines learning with medieval adventure. The program uses the award- winning educational content of Think Quick!r and combines it with the latest in 3-D graphics technology. Children develop numerous thinking skills including logic, problem solving, strategic thinking, planning, mapping and spatial awareness as they solve puzzles and navigate mazes. They can also construct their own 3-D worlds using the included creativity tools. Logic Quest is the first title in the 3-D Thinking Game Series. This program will only be available for IBM compatible computers running Windows 3.1 or greater and will be available this spring for $45. Score Builder for the SAT Separate CD-ROM versions for Windows and Macintosh for ages 14 and up estimated retail price $60 The Learning Company 6493 Kaiser Drive Fremont, CA 94555 510-792-2101 http://www.learningco.com Program Requirements IBM Macintosh CPU: 486/25 CPU: 68030 RAM: 4 megs RAM: 4 megs OS: Windows 3.1 OS: System 7.0.1 Video: 640 by 480 with 256 colors Video: 256 colors Hdisk: ? Hdisk: ? CD-ROM: Double-speed recommended CD-ROM: Double-speed recommended Misc.: Sound card Though its importance has been de-emphasized over the years, a student's SAT scores can still have an impact on his entry into the college of his choice and his first year curriculum. Score Builder for the SAT gives students the opportunity to study materials and to learn techniques which will improve their scores. While the program can't guarantee a double 800 score, students can make significant strides if they are willing to do the work recommended. Score Builder opens with a scratchy recording of Pomp and Circumstance, but soon we hear the needle scratching the record and the music becomes high energy rock with heavy metal guitars. Obviously, this program is catered toward teens. This program should make them feel right at home. Speaking of homes, the interface for the program features the electronic home of Dr. Gary Gruber, a noted expert on SAT and PSAT tests. He serves as the host and guide of the program. He is assisted by two friendly tutors, Maia and Rance, who will use audio and visual presentations to teach math and verbal skills along with techniques for solving test questions. The program begins with a thorough introduction to the interface of the program and the teaching concepts that will be used to increase your knowledge and skills. If you need help within the program, you can click on an "800" icon. The first step toward improving your SAT score is to fill out the Goals questionnaire. Based on past performance, your future expectations and the time before the next SAT test, the program will state how many hours per week that you must study to meet your goals. To raise my test scores by an average of 100 points in two months, the program estimated I needed to spend twelve hours per week studying with Score Builder. The next step in using Score Builder is to take the four untimed Gruber assessment tests. These tests are used by the program to design a custom study plan to strengthen your knowledge. Once the study plan has been designed, you can access it by opening the notebook. It has several tabs marking sections containing items finished, items to do, a dictionary with prefix and root guides, and a math reference guide. To start studying, click the TO DO tab, then double-click on a lesson. Each lesson is presented with audio and visual aids along with sample problems for practice. Maia and Rance are very friendly and they provide plenty of encouragement. If you answer a practice problem incorrectly, they will show you how to correctly solve the problem. Lessons are also included on intelligent guessing, divining the meaning of words, the process of elimination and more. The lessons are interesting, informative and entertaining. Three practice tests are given after each third of the study plan has been completed. These tests are timed and can be used to gauge your progress toward your stated goals. To make these tests as much like the real test as possible, the tests are on booklets and include answer grids to fill in. Each test takes 2-1/2 hours, just like the real SAT test. These timed practice tests should help nervous students to be more relaxed at the SAT test. Score Builder for the SAT does exactly what it is designed to do. It gives students the means to increase their SAT test scores in a structured, yet entertaining way. The program also has value in that it teaches important math concepts and increases vocabulary. The test-taking techniques should prove useful for most multiple choice tests. Backed by an outstanding 30-day moneyback guarantee, Score Builder for the SAT is an excellent value and it is simply the best program of its genre. Ratings Graphics . . . . . . . . . 9.0 Sound . . . . . . . . . . . 9.0 Interface . . . . . . . . . 9.5 Play Value . . . . . . . . 8.5 Educational Value . . . 9.0 Bang for the Buck . . . 9.0 Average . . . . . . . . . . 9.0 MICROSOFT OCEANS Windows CD-ROM Suggested Retail Price - $59.95 Microsoft One Microsoft Way Richmond, WA 98052-6399 206-882-8080 Program Requirements CPU: 486SX RAM: 4 MB OS: Windows 3.1 (Win 95 recommended) Video: 640 x 480, 256 colors HDISK: 8 MB CD-ROM: Double-speed Misc.: Sound card, mouse Review by Donna Lines Like many programs in the Microsoft Home series, Microsoft Oceans is edutainment at it's best. This program will educate, entertain and fascinate children of all ages (including adults). Oceans packs 100 video clips, 1,000 photos, 1,000 audio clips, 100,000 definitions, plus 40 Screen Saver images (compatible with Microsoft Scenes - available separately, $24.95 Suggested Retail) onto one CD-ROM. Oceans provides one click access to its main features on the menu bar at the bottom of the screen. Each screen provides many options for further exploration for hours of entertainment. You'll also enjoy the guest creatures that frolic across your screen at various intervals. (If you get weary of their antics, just click on Options, Audio/Video and turn off the animations.) If you want a glimpse of the many species that live in and around the ocean, just click on Marine Life. Choose from several categories of animals, such as fish, mammals, reptiles or sponges, etc. The World of Water icon gives you the opportunity to see how the environment affects the oceans and marine life. In addition you can view information specific to all six of the world's oceans (including the Mediterranean Sea). Finally, click on Wonders Down Under to see special creatures and their unique talents, such as producing their own light or the ability to shoot out clouds of "smoke." People and the Sea provides information on explorers of the past, oceanography, shipwrecks, and the history of ships and submarines. Choose Guides and select one of the six characters to give you a guided tour of the ocean from their prospective. Choose from an Oceanographer, Rescue Worker, Solo Sailor, 18th Century Seaman, Scuba Diver, or an Alien Visitor. (That last character sure is a stretch, but maybe your kids will be amused.) Oceans also includes 17 interactive activities including games and quizzes. You'll bump into these activities while exploring the many topics, but a quicker way to access them is by using the Index. Activities are indicated by a beach ball. Check out the activity called "How Big Does It Get" if you like scaring yourself just before bedtime. Throughout the program a lesson is being subtly taught...things cannot continue as they have. Overfishing, pollution, etc., are having a devastating effect on our oceans and marine life and the damage is irreparable. A portion of the purchase price of this product helps support the World Wildlife Fund - a nonprofit organization of thirty years. You are even given an opportunity to become a member of the WWF. Some folks may find this a bit out of the realm of a software package's purpose and find it in terribly bad taste. Others may welcome the opportunity to participate in the WWF and it's worthwhile cause. Overall, I recommend Oceans. The only drawback I found was the audio was a little choppy on my system. There are lots of beautiful photographs and the videos are very well done. It's an educational, yet fun program sure to please every family member. Muppet Software Contest The deadline is past for the software giveaway and the two winning names have been drawn. The first prize winner is Walt Johnson. He will receive his choice of either Muppet Reading & Phonics or More Muppet Reading & Phonics. The second prize winner is William Tiller and he will receive the title not chosen by Mr. Johnson. I thank everyone who sent in entries and I wish you better luck in the next contest, whenever that may be. That's all for this week's installment. Thank you for reading this humble prose. Atari Interactive - software/Jaguar/Computer Section Dana Jacobson, Editor From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!" It's been a fairly quiet week, for a change. It appears that the news of Atari's demise is still a bit premature. While things in Sunnyvale are still hectic with all of the restructuring, life is apparently still going on. I could add to the speculation, but I really don't see any point at the present time. It must be old age setting in... We're still getting responses from our request for articles, reviews, etc. Most responses are coming from Europe, which is interesting. I've "talked" with a couple of folks in the UK and we should start to see some articles later on in the month. And yes, the CDROM articles are still "in progress" I wish that there was more time in the day to sink into them. Speaking of time, I've finally realized that it's time to again reevaluate some of my needs with regard to "things Atari". In the recent past, I've added a Falcon to my "collection" of Atari computers. Added a CDROM setup and things have progressed nicely. I've been running a BBS since late 1987 on one of my first 520 ST machines, using MichTron BBS as my personal choice for software. I've been debating (mostly with myself!) switching BBS software since I haven't seen more than an occasional note regarding a software upgrade for MichTron. One of the compelling reasons keeping me from switching software has been the work that will be involved in converting all of my work to the new system, learning a new system, and a number of other factors. Well, the rationalizations have dissipated and I've [finally] accepted the fact that it's time to move on. Toad Hall BBS will get a new look shortly (RATSoft BBS); and even the hardware supporting it will be replaced. If all goes as planned, we'll be running Toad Hall on a Falcon with at least a gigabyte of storage as well as CDROM capabilities. At least one 14.4 line and the hopes that the rumors for multiple phone line support becomes a reality. We'll still be supporting multiple platforms, but our focus has always been Atari support, including the local Atari user groups. We also have a large Amiga community which should also flourish with the update and expansion of the system. I'm actually finally getting excited about the change something I didn't feel would happen. We'll also be looking to do some networking something we've had in the past via some homegrown programming (MNET), but has died out as other MichTron systems faded away. So, once this all becomes a reality, we'll keep you tuned in. We'll still be an online support spot for the online community; and STReport will continue to flourish in this northeast corner of the country! Well, that's my "good" news for this week. It's fun to get excited about a new project. It'll be a lot of work, but I'm looking forward to the new challenge. I hope that you'll drop by and say hello! Until next time... Toad Computers Announces New E-Mail Mailing Lists Toad Computers is pleased to announce two new email mailing-lists aimed specifically at Atari owners. They're called ST News and Jag News and they're the best way to get timely information about the latest products for the Atari ST/TT/Falcon computers and the Jaguar and Lynx Game Systems, respectively. To subscribe, simply send email to: majordomo@lists.toad.net OR majordomo@lists.toad.net@INET# (from Genie) and include the following line in the body text: subscribe stnews OR subscribe jagnews For more information about the list before you subscribe, use this line in the body text: info stnews OR info jagnews ST News and Jag News are moderated lists and will only contain posts from Toad Computers staff. You won't get a huge volume of email - probably one to three messages per week on average. Posts will be sent directly to the email address you use to subscribe to the list -- on any online service from Genie to Compuserve to AOL. The beauty of an email mailing list is that it is simple -- it does not matter what service you have or whether you have a graphical web browser. ST News and Jag News will also contain special prices and promotions that will be available only to list members. Several hundred people have already subscribed to both ST News and Jaguar News, and we hope you can join us too! Please subscribe. It's free, of course, and you can always unsubscribe by sending "unsubscribe stnews" OR unsubscribe jagnews" in the body text of a message to majordomo@lists.toad.net. We think that whether you're a customer of ours or not, you'll find our news service to be the best in the Atari community. We firmly believe that the best way to make a sale is to tell the truth, and ST News and Jag News will never contain anything other than what we have verified to be true. We look forward to seeing you!! Dave Troy ST & Jag News List Administrator David Troy --- ToadNet Information Services [dave@toad.net] Toad Computers, Inc. (800) 448-8623 Orders America's Atari Source (410) 544-6943 Info WEB: http://www.toad.net/ (410) 544-1329 FAX FTP: ftp://ftp.toad.net/ (410) 544-0098 FAX-Back Homa Systems STR Infofile HOMA SYSTEMS HOUSE For immediate release: ATARI CD MASTER: INFOPEDIA V2.0 ENCYCLOPEDIA DRIVER Homa Systems House is proud to announce the addition of an encyclopedia driver to its range of Multimedia CDROM drivers, the ATARI CD MASTER. INFOPEDIA V2.0 was released for the PC Platform in December of 1995; it is barely one month old. INFOPEDIA V2.0 has been rated by popular PC magazines as one the best encyclopedia & multimedia reference tools. It contains the complete 29 volume FUNK & WAGNALLS NEW encyclopedia, with almost 27000 entries and 8000 photo and sound clips. It also contains Hammonds World Atlas and the 1995 World Almanac & Book of Facts, and more! ATARI CD MASTER: INFOPEDIA v2.0, supports all of the above mentioned features, with its unique, easy to use and modern interface. ú You have access to all of the encyclopedia entries almost instantaneously (it is actually several times faster than the PC version in accessing the entries) ú All the photos and sound clips are "LINKED" the their appropriate article ú Articles are linked to over 10000 TIMELINE entries ú Powerful Search feature allows searching the entries for any keyword, with "narrowing down" option ú Photos are viewable on any ATARI computer at 2, 16 & 256 colors ú Sound clips can be played on ATARI STE or better ú Save and Print ú Fully multitasking Interface: ú One main window ú 6 TEXT windows with BOLD and Italicized text effects, where necessary ú One picture window ú One tools window which allows picture selection, sound selection, reference selection, and ... ú Modern 3D interface on computers with at least 16 colors ú Flying dialog boxes System Requirements: ú Any ATARI Computer with 4 Megabytes of RAM, Hard disk (3 MB free) and a monitor capable of at least 640x400 in monochrome. ú Recommended system : TT030/FALCON 030 with 8/16 Megs of RAM and resolution of 800x600 in 256 colors (and a hard disk of course). Prices: US$ CAN$ ATARI CD MASTER, INFOPEDIA V2.0 34.95 48.95 INFOPEDIA V2.0 CD-ROM 59.95 79.95 Driver and Encyclopedia combo 84.95 118.95 * shipping is included in the price. Taxes are extra, where applicable. * Method of payment: VISA/MC (3.5% surcharge), cash, money order, certified cheque. We strongly recommend everyone to buy the DRIVER and CD-ROM combo (from your nearest ATARI dealer, or directly from Homa Systems House) That way we can assure exact CD-ROM match for the driver, since the CD-ROM is very new. HOMA SYSTEMS HOUSE P.O.BOX 52127 OTTAWA, ON K1N 5S0 CANADA TEL: (613)722-0901 FAX: (613)722-9061 EMAIL: GENIE: NIMA INTERNET: aa414@freenet.carleton.ca * INFOPEDIA v2.0 is trademark of Softkey Multimedia Inc. The Funk & Wagnalls New encyclopedia, The World Almanac and Book of FACTS 1995 are copyrights of Funk & Wagnalls Corp. Hammonds Atlas is copyright of Hammond Inc. All rights reserved. Jaguar Section All's Quiet... NBA Jam Codes! Mindscape! From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is! As I mentioned in my opening remarks, it's been really quiet this past week. I don't know if that good news, or bad. I'll lean toward good news. People are still working at Atari; I've been talking to a few the past couple of weeks they are busy. Things are moving ahead. I'd say business as usual, but I wouldn't say things are back to "normal". I do know that Defender 2000 will be arriving in Sunnyvale on the 9th. The folks at Atari do not anticipate anything that will keep this from happening. The long awaited (and likely final) Minter translation for the Jaguar is almost here. This new game should generate a LOT of excitement for the Jaguar community; I'm looking forward to playing it myself! We're still waiting for an update to the game release schedule from Atari. We do know that there has been some shuffling around of release dates and a lot of other changes. That was one reason why we didn't print the schedule in last week's issue. We hope that the new schedule will be finalized soon and we can include it next week. The latest batch of reviews are almost finished; we hope to have a few of them next week, as well. We also are waiting for the latest CD games to arrive, as well as Space Ace and Defender 2000. So, stay tuned as it's going to be exciting with regard to the number of reviews slated to appear in these pages in upcoming issues. Other than that, there's very little to report this week. It's one of those rare weeks, in the dead of winter, that the news is slow. It's a good time to sit by the fire, turn on the Jaguar, and play your favorite game or two. It's also going to be a typical winter weekend for most of the country another good reason to stay in and relax! Until next time... Jaguar Catalog STR InfoFile - What's currently available, what's coming out. Current Available Titles CAT # TITLE MSRP DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER J9000 Cybermorph $59.99 Atari Corp. J9006 Evolution:Dino Dudes $19.99 Atari Corp. J9005 Raiden $29.99 FABTEK, Inc/Atari Corp. J9001 Trevor McFur/ Crescent Galaxy $19.99 Atari Corp. J9010 Tempest 2000 $39.95 Llamasoft/Atari Corp. J9028 Wolfenstein 3D $29.95 id/Atari Corp. JA100 Brutal Sports FootBall $69.95 Telegames J9008 Alien vs. Predator $69.99 Rebellion/Atari Corp. J9029 Doom $69.99 id/Atari Corp. J9036 Dragon: Bruce Lee $29.99 Atari Corp. J9003 Club Drive $29.99 Atari Corp. J9007 Checkered Flag $19.99 Atari Corp. J9012 Kasumi Ninja $29.99 Atari Corp. J9042 Zool 2 $19.99 Atari Corp J9020 Bubsy $19.99 Atari Corp J9026 Iron Soldier $29.99 Atari Corp J9060 Val D'Isere Skiing $39.99 Atari Corp. Cannon Fodder $49.99 Virgin/C-West Syndicate $69.99 Ocean Troy Aikman Football $69.99 Williams Theme Park $69.99 Ocean Sensible Soccer Telegames Double Dragon V $59.99 Williams J9009E Hover Strike $39.99 Atari Corp. J0144E Pinball Fantasies $59.99 C-West J9052E Super Burnout $59.99 Atari Corp. J9070 White Men Can't Jump $49.99 Atari Corp. Flashback $59.99 U.S. Gold J9078E VidGrid (CD) Atari Corp J9016E Blue Lightning (CD) $59.99 Atari Corp J9040 Flip-Out $49.99 Atari Corp J9082 Ultra Vortek $69.99 Atari Corp C3669T Rayman $69.99 Ubi Soft Power Drive Rally $69.99 TWI J9101 Pitfall $59.99 Atari Corp. J9086E Hover Strike CD $59.99 Atari Corp. J9031E Highlander I (CD) $59.99 Atari Corp. J9061E Ruiner Pinball $59.99 Atari Corp. Dragon's Lair $69.99 Readysoft J9097E Missile Command 3D $59.99 Atari Corp. J9091E Atari Karts $59.99 Atari Corp. J9044E Supercross 3D $59.99 Atari Corp. J9106E Fever Pitch Soccer $59.99 Atari Corp. J9043E I-War $59.99 Atari Corp. J9069 Myst (CD) $59.99 Atari Corp. Primal Rage $69.99 Time Warner Battlemorph $59.99 Atari Corp. J9055 Baldies $59.99 Atari Corp. J9089 NBA Jam TE $69.99 Atari Corp. Zoop $49.99 Atari Corp. Space Ace $59.99 Readysoft Available Soon CAT # TITLE MSRP DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER Defender 2000 TBA Atari Corp. Fight For Life TBA Atari Corp. ...Mutant Penguins $59.99 Atari Corp. World Tour Racing TBA Atari Corp Breakout 2000 $49.99 Atari Corp. Max Force $59.99 Atari Corp. J9021 Brett Hull Hockey $69.99 Atari Corp. Hardware and Peripherals CAT # TITLE MSRP MANUFACTURER J8001 Jaguar (no cart) $99.99 Atari Corp. J8904 Composite Cable $19.95 J8901 Controller/Joypad $24.95 Atari Corp. J8905 S-Video Cable $19.95 CatBox $69.95 ICD J8800 Jaguar CD-ROM $149.99 Atari Corp. J8908 JagLink Interface $29.95 Atari Corp. J8910 Team Tap 4-Player Adapter) $29.95 Atari Corp. J8907 Jaguar ProController $29.95 Atari Corp. J8911 Memory Track $29.95 Atari Corp. J8909 Tempest 2000: The Soundtrack $12.99 Atari Corp. Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News! Mindscape Names New Chief John Moore, former CEO of children's book publisher Western Publishing Co. Inc., has been named the new CEO of software publisher Mindscape Inc. A statement from Novato, California, notes Moore is familiar to Mindscape's London-based owner Pearson Plc, because before Western Publishing, he was president of Penguin USA, which also is part of the Pearson group. "It is especially pleasing to have attracted John Moore back to the Pearson group," says Frank Barlow, Pearson's managing director. Before joining Penguin in 1991, Moore spent 10 years running toy and game company Parker Brothers. At Mindscape, chairman Bob Lloyd, the former CEO, will continue as the company's non-executive chairman. Jaguar Cheats, & Hints STR InfoFile Solving Those Riddles! From CompuServe's Atari Gaming & Video Games Central Forums comes these NBA Jam TE codes, courtesy of Larry Tipton: Note: Remember to turn off tournament mode before entering codes. Adisak / High Voltage Programmer -------------------- Enter initials: "ALP" using Option+C, Option+B, Option+A. Larry Bird -------------------- Enter initials: "BRD" using Option+A, Option+C, Option+A. Bill Clinton -------------------- Enter initials: "CIC" using Option+B, A,B, or C, Option+A. DJ Jazzy Jeff -------------------- Enter initials: "JAZ" using Option+A, Option+A, Option+C. Hugo, the Hornets' Mascot -------------------- Enter initials: "HGO" using Option+A, Option+C, A, B, or C. Baby Body Code --------------------- At "Tonight's Matchup" screen, enter the following: B, A, B, Up, Down, Left, Right Enjoy! --Larry T./Ass't Sysop Special Notice!! STR Infofile File format Requirements for Articles File Format for STReport All articles submitted to STReport for publication must be sent in the following format. Please use the format requested. Any files received that do not conform will not be used. The article must be in an importable word processor format for Word 7.0.. The margins are .05" left and 1.0" Monospaced fonts are not to be used. 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Besides, STReport will not be caught in the old, worn out "downward compatibility dodge" we must move forward. Many grateful thanks in advance for your enthusiastic co-operation. Ralph F. Mariano, Editor STReport International Online Magazine ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'! PEOPLE... ARE TALKING On CompuServe compiled by Joe Mirando 73637,2262 Hidi ho friends and neighbors. This has been one heck of a winter so far... That damned flu that has come to visit me twice this season has again returned to make my life interesting. Nothing too debilitating you understand, just the chills, a queasy stomach, and a constant headache. And to make things more interesting, it's supposed to snow again this weekend here in the Northeast. Well, I'll survive. At least I can sit back and cruise around CompuServe to see what's new. You probably think that because this column is taken from CompuServe that I'm just hyping it. But that's not true. CompuServe was my first online stomping ground and remains my favorite. It's a great place to find whatever information you're looking for, to meet people, find programs and such, and probably dozens of other things that I've never thought of. Well, let's get on with the reason for this column... all the great news, hints, tips, and info available every week right here on CompuServe. From the Atari Computing Forum To start with, it looks like the "community" Atari HMI program has a name now. Steven van Rossen, the project coordinator, asked participants to submit their favorite names. Unfortunately my choice wasn't used. My suggestion was "Don't-CIS-me-off". The front-runner in the name game takes several things into account. First, it gives the feeling of striking out over the ocean to find new frontiers. Second, it makes reference to the city in which CompuServe is based. Bob Ledbetter tells Steven: "Columbus is a great name for our project!! Perhaps someone artistic could come up with a logo which combines a sailing ship and a computer, and maybe a stylized "ST" in the masts or hull or somewhere." And, just as the original Columbus must have encountered a storm, Frank Heller posts: "When I first joined CompuServe a couple of years ago, the "Getting Started" magazine they sent me, suggested a program called STORM and listed the forum to to D/L it from. Today, unfortunately, I don't have a clue where I got it from...but I have used it for a couple of years before finally caving in by using a Mac PowerBook for all my CServe stuff. I hate to say it, but you can save literally hundreds of dollars yearly on your CServe bills by switching over to a PC or Mac NAV front end." Okay, okay, so it wasn't the smoothest segue of all time, but hey, I'm sick! Meanwhile, Sysop Jim Ness tells Frank: "Or by writing a script for Flash or Flash II or Storm or any other scriptable terminal program." Frank replies: "If you happen to be one of those "Deer In Headlights" types (like myself) when it comes to scripting a walk through CompuServe...the NAV stuff starts looking mighty inviting." Bruno Kozlowski tells us about his internet solution: "I have recently found a solution to post articles to usenet thru news.compuserve.com with OASIS/NOS. Change the NOS 0.42 version found in the librarys here or in the OASIS 1.35 package by NOS_POP3, a 0.42 version recompiled with pop support (compiled in april 1995). This version have not only the post office protocol support (usefull for us CIS members only in the future, when mail.compuserve.com will support it...) but a different nntp posting method: old NOS uses the IHAVE command, not supported by the CIS newsserver (it gives the <480 Transfer permission denied> error), but NOS_POP3 uses the POST command (the RFC 977 says it's the best method, the IHAVE command beeing more designed for server-to-server posting) fully working with all newsservers I tried so far. Where to find NOS_POP3? You can try ftp.toad.net in directory pub/umich/Network/Ka9q/Nos/nos_pop3.zip or another aaue mirror. I'll try to upload it in the librarys here soon. This archive contains only the NOS.TTP and a FILE_ID.DIZ, absolutly no docs or nothing else, but you can simply replace the NOS.TTP of your OASIS installation, without any change to startup.nos... I tested all commands, it works, you have just a set of POP client and server commands in addition. Big thanks to Ancient Future and Guy Harrison who helped me in demon.ip.support.atari to find this solution!" Sysop Keith Joins tells us about his latest challenge in using his Spectre Mac emulator: "A couple of days ago I had a Mac program crash (it didn't crash Spectre, just the running application with a bomb message.) I tried to restart and couldn't so I pressed reset, re-ran Spectre, and have been having problems since. When I try and boot from the hard drive that contains System 6.0.4 I get the happy Mac face, my startup pic loads OK but after it loads the screen clears and returns to the question mark Mac. The first couple of times I tried this I also had a couple of other INITs load OK before things died. Now just the pic loads. I figured that the System files or hard drive partition got trashed so I tried to boot from a Spectre format floppy (I have never been able to get the GCR to read Mac disks on either the internal or external floppy) that contains the System files. I get again the happy Mac and the first time got part of the Welcome to Macintosh display before the screen cleared and the A drive indicator started flashing. Now I just get the happy Mac followed shortly by the flashing A. I then formatted an MFS floppy, copied the System/Finder to an ST disk using Transverter, wrote boot blocks to the MFS floppy, and copied the System files back to the Spectre disk from the ST disk. Booting with this disk results in the same scenario. I can't use Trasverter on the hard drive as both Mac partitions are HFS. Thinking there might be a problem with the GCR I switched the Mac ROMs to a Spectre cartridge. Same thing happens. I have also reloaded Spectre 3.0 from floppy, just in case :). I have run out of ideas. Any other suggestions?" Clay Moore tells Keith: "I hope this does not sound to oversimplified,,but did you try rebuilding the desktop?, it can be a good idea, 1st thing after a crash, as the system does not have a chance to update it...Its been a while, but cant you hold down ctrl and shift while booting to make it automatically rebuild the desktop file. it sounds like its getting far enough to do that..it should rebuild the desktop before it loads your pic file...." Keith tells Clay: "I did try that, just forgot to mention it. Thanks however for the suggestion." Eric Hall posts: "When I bought Atariworks about a year ago, it included a coupon to get the updated version at a reduced price when it became available. Has anyone heard any news on a new version?" Steve Norman tells Eric: "I understand that it has been abandoned, and that the author has no intention of doing the update because Atari abandoned the computer." Richard Rives adds: "Also, in reading some of the conversations about version 2.0 from beta testers the improvements were not that major. But I feel if they abandoned the computer they should at least make the program available. (thats if no one else has rights to it) and from what was posted on Delphi, Atari released the software utilities that were included with the Falcon (talking clock, calculator, appointment/calander, SAM)" Rob Rasmussen asks for help: "I would like to print labels for disks and cassettes using either AtariWorks or PageStream, but I don't know how to make my printer (Epson Stylus or Panasonic dot matrix) print small enough text in just the right places on the labels. At this point I'm more familiar with AW than PgS, but would like to find some kind of template for either one that would print the labels from a database file in AW. Does anyone have any suggestions?" Brian Gockley of ST Informer fame tells Rob: "I'll put a copy of a disk label template that I did in the Library. You can have a look at that. It's called DISK_LBL.ZIP." Rob tells Brian: "Thanks again for uploading the AtariWorks disk label template. Now, only a few questions, you knew this was coming right? It has a STD (database document, which could be whats on all the disks I want labels for) and STW (word processor document). I have printed your sample STW, which has entries from 2 fields from the STD, and they look good on the page, 3 across and 3 down. Looks like they will line up fine on label sheets, which I don't have yet. If not I could possibly adjust this in page layout. All 9 of the printed labels are for the same record though, and of course I would want one label per record, so how do I do that? Does the STD have to be set up a certain way for the STW to get the info from each record?" Louis Smith asks ICD: "I have the LINK 1 and wonder whether it's worth getting the II. Is there much difference in the job done and in the price? In other In other words is it worth getting it?" Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer Online Magazine tells Louis: "Parity support is the main difference between ICD's LINK 1 (no parity support) and LINK 2 (which supports parity)." Will Dwinnell asks for information: "I have some questions about the analog joystick ports on the STe. I was wondering if anyone could tell me: 1. Were they ever used? 2. What the pinouts for the port are? 3. How to access them through software (meaning I want to write software which would use them)? 4. If there is a good source for either plugs which fit these ports and entire joysticks that will use these ports?" Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer Online Magazine tells Will: "It is the same ports as used on the Jaguar. One can use Jaguar controllers with some games that work with them. I do know there are Falcon030 games that use them but not sure of STe games (if any are available). The Atari Compendium had some information on these analog (15-pin) ports also. The Atari Compendium is available in both book and on-line form. The online form is in HTML format on a CD-ROM disc. Pages B.29-B.30 has the addresses of the ports (joysticks), page 5,8 talks in realtive detail on reading these controllers as well under the game controllers topic. The book is about $50 or at least it was when I purchased it and it has almost everything you need for programming the Atari ST/STe/TT/Falcon030. You should be able to find it at your local Atari dealer or try Toad Computers since they seem to have almost everything Atari." Well folks, I'm off to ease my symptoms with a cup of "magic tea". Don't get excited. It is just good old Red Rose with honey and lemon. Many years ago, while in the clutches of the demon flu, my mother made me a cup of tea with just the right amount of honey and lemon. It tasted so good to my dry palate that I automatically named it Magic Tea. The name stuck and now even my wife uses the name. So tune in again next week, same time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying when... PEOPLE ARE TALKING WEB SITE Offer STR Infofile Computer Manufacturer and Publisher Listings The STReport Web Site is administered to and maintained exclusively by STR Publishing, Inc.. The Listings and Web Pages spotlighting Computer Hardware Manufacturers, Hardware & Software Developers, Book Publishers & Software Publishers who will soon appear here, help support STReport International Online Magazine's WEB Site. Please consider their products when contemplating either a new system, an addition or upgrade to your present system. STR Publishing's Economical Web Page Provision Programs! 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Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32205 STR hopes you will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to provide information concerning your company and your product line to Computer Users, world wide via the Internet. And, at the same time, help keep a great online magazine available week after week. EDITORIAL QUICKIES A wife and her husband were having a dinner party for all the major status figures in Rome, Italy. The wife was very excited about this and wanted everything to be perfect. At the very last minute, she realized that she didn't have any snails for this dinner party, so she asked her husband to run down to the beach with the bucket she was handing him to gather some snails. Very grudgingly he agreed. He took the bucket, walked out the door, down the steps, and out to the beach. As he was collecting the snails, he noticed a beautiful woman strolling alongside the water just a little further down the beach. He kept thinking to himself "Wouldn't it be great if she would even just come down and _talk_ to me." He went back to gathering the snails. All of a sudden he looked up, and the beautiful woman was standing right over him. They got to talking, and she invited him back to her place. They were at her apartment a ways down the beach, and they started messing around. It got so hot and heavy, that he was exhausted afterwards and passed out there. At seven o'clock the next morning he woke up and exclaimed, "Oh no!!! My wife's dinner party!!!" He gathered all his clothes, put them on real fast, grabbed his bucket, and ran out the door. He ran down the beach all the way to his apartment. He ran up the stairs of his apartment. He was in such a hurry that when he got to the top of the stairs, he dropped the bucket of snails. There were snails all down the stairs. The door opened just then, with a very angry wife standing in the door way wondering where he's been all this time. He looked at the snails all down the steps, then he looked at her, then back at the snails and said: "Come on guys, we're almost there!!" .. P Hipson STReport International OnLine Magazine [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport HTTP://WWW.STREPORT.COM AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE ON OVER 100,000 PRIVATE BBS SYSTEMS All Items quoted, in whole or in part, are done so under the provisions of The Fair Use Law of The Copyright Laws of the U.S.A. Views, Opinions and Editorial Articles presented herein are not necessarily those of the editors/staff of STReport International OnLine Magazine. Permission to reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Reprints must, without exception, include the name of the publication, date, issue number and the author's name. STR, CPU, STReport and/or portions therein may not be edited, used, duplicated or transmitted in any way without prior written permission. STR, CPU, STReport, at the time of publication, is believed reasonably accurate. STR, CPU, STReport, are trademarks of STReport and STR Publishing Inc. STR, CPU, STReport, its staff and contributors are not and cannot be held responsible in any way for the use or misuse of information contained herein or the results obtained therefrom. STR OnLine! "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" February 02, 1996 Since 1987 Copyrightc1996 All Rights Reserved Issue No. 1205