Silicon Times Report The Original Independent OnLine Magazine" (Since 1987) August 16, 1996 No.1233 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 Voice: 1-904-292-9222 10am-5pm 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! Client/Server BBS Version 5 95/NT Featuring a Full Service Web Site http://www.streport.com Voted TOP TEN Ultimate WebSite Join STReport's Subscriber List receive STR through Internet MULTI-NODE Operation 24hrs-7 days Analog & ISDN BRI Access 904-268-4116 2400-128000 bps V. 120-32-34 v.42 bis ISDN V.34 USRobotics Courier Internal I-MODEM FAX: 904-268-2237 24hrs BCS - Toad Hall BBS 1-617-567-8642 08/16/96 STR 1233 The Original Independent OnLine Magazine! - CPU Industry Report - NET goes Sky High - Internet Blaster - MS aids APPLE - Nobel Pirates? - QDeck "NO Buyout" - StorageTek Probe - Corel SoftBank - Fire GL 3000 - The End of an Era - People Talking - Memory Lane First U.S. DVD Factory NET Addiction? MS Responds to NS! 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 International BBS, invites all BBS systems, worldwide, to participate in the provision and distribution of STReport for their members. You may call The STReport Home BBS, The Bounty @ 1- 904-268-4116. Or obtain the latest issue from our WebSite. Enjoy the wonder and excitement of exchanging all types of useful information relative to all computer types, worldwide, through the use of the Internet. 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 ~ AOL IMPORTANT NOTICE STReport, with its policy of not accepting any input relative to content from paid advertisers, has over the years developed the reputation of "saying it like it really is". When it comes to our editorials, product evaluations, reviews and over-views, we shall always keep our readers interests first and foremost. 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 Publisher, Staff & Editors Florida Lotto - LottoMan v1.35 Results: 8/10/96: 4 of 6 numbers, 3 four number matches & 4 three number matches From the Editor's Desk... In this issue, we present a rather biased but none the less truthful look at the so-called Browser Wars. Its really not a war but an exercise in true quality software production that touches all of us. The only difference is Netscape has made no secret of their intentions. After our "Enough" article reflecting our opinions relative to this "Browser War", this reporter received a number of rather shameful hate E-Mails from folks "seemingly" employed at Netscape (one even called himself a programmer for them). Or, so their Email box addresses would indicate such. In any case, this week's issue takes the entire thing into what we think is the proper perspective. After all. as long as there is "healthy competition", the benefits for the users will continue to evidence themsleves. In our opinion, Netscape is, at this time, lagging far behind and because of this is literally "running scared before the wind". Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 3.0, with its integral family, (all free) and the Internet chokes hard with user activity... getting IE3.0 and all its goodies. UUNet has apparent troubles in keeping up or, was it another mail bomb sent out to sabotage the release of IE3?? In any case it doesn't really matter. IE3 pulls have broken all known records. Things are still quite busy at the MS server sites. But.. they're handling the worldwide rush to obtain a quality browser, IE 3.0. Microsoft has released the "Browser of Browsers". Its ALL free too. No nickel and diming the users to death with the plug-in parade. They're all there just for the asking. You can't go wrong in getting, using and enjoying the power of the NEW Internet Explorer, Version 3.0. Remember, its free. No expiration dates, no lame duck features. Its all there and ready to serve. After having experienced Netscape, in all its gory glory, I must say I am still pleased with Internet Explorer 3.0 to no end. When I removed Netscape from my system I found that URL.DLL was corrupt and had to be replaced. Also, upon doing a search of my registry, I found numerous instances of Netscape entries that the Netscape un-installer failed to remove. I've had it with Netscape. The so-called Browser Wars are very much needed to ensure top notch quality in the best of the browsers. Right now, the BEST is IE3 and I doubt the choice will change now that Netscape has stirred the pot one time too many with its odd, lopsided comparasons. One can only imagine the delights IE4, 5 or 6 will offer. Additionally, I must say I am so glad I sold my Netscape holdings when I did. 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. 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 Portables & Gaming 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 Victor Mariano Melanie Bell Jay Levy Jeff Kovach Marty Mankins Carl Prehn Paul Charchian Vincent P. O'Hara Contributing Correspondents Dominick J. Fontana Norman Boucher Daniel Stidham David H. Mann Angelo Marasco Donna Lines Ed Westhusing Glenwood Drake Vernon W.Smith Bruno Puglia Paul Haris Kevin Miller Craig Harris Allen Chang Tim Holt Ron Satchwill Leonard Worzala Tom Sherwin Please submit ALL letters, rebuttals, articles, reviews, etc... via E-Mail to: CompuServe 70007,4454 Prodigy CZGJ44A Delphi RMARIANO GEnie ST.REPORT BIX RMARIANO AOL STReport Internet rmariano@streport.com Internet CZGJ44A@prodigy.com Internet RMARIANO@delphi.com Internet 70007.4454.compuserve.com Internet STReport@AOL.Com WebSite http://www.streport.com STReport Headline News LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS Weekly Happenings in the Computer World Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson Research Warns of Net Addiction A researcher at the University of Pittsburgh says surfing the Internet can be as addictive as drugs, alcohol or gambling. A study of nearly 400 men and women found Internet addiction hooked people into spending 40 hours or more a week online, most often involved in role-playing games or engaging in chat room discussions. "One 17-year-old straight-A teenaged boy was so addicted to Internet activities," writes science reporter Ed Susman of United Press International, "that his parents had to admit him son to a drug/alcohol rehabilitation hospital for 10 days for treatment." In another case, a women described by friends, family and children as "the perfect homemaker, wife and mother" became so addicted to the Net she wouldn't cook, clean or do the laundry and was neglecting her hildren and husband. "She was spending as much as 12 hours a day talking to acquaintances on the Internet," writes Susman. "Finally her husband said, 'Choose me or the computer.' She divorced him." In a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Toronto, Kimberly Young, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh's Bradford campus, said she found: ú 76 percent of the subjects in the study spend an average of 40 hours a week on the Internet. ú Of the 396 people who met Young's criteria for addicted internet users, 157 were men; 239 women. ú The men were younger with an average age of 29; the women averaged 43 years of age. The largest group of addicted Net users were people who were not working outside the home, that is, homemakers, students and those who were disabled or retired. 82 percent of the addicted users said they had slowly drifted into their addictions. Says Young, "We discovered that the use of the Internet can definitely disrupt one's academic, social, financial and occupational life the same way other well-documented addictions like pathological gambling, eating disorder and alcoholism can." And while previous research has indicated that men are most likely to be affected by technology-based addictions, Young said, "Our present results show that the largest number of respondents who met this adapted criteria and were most likely to develop an addiction to the Internet were middle-aged females and those -- both men and women who were currently unemployed." She added the condition should be recognized as a psychological disorder especially in light of "a growing epidemic of Internet addiction users." UPI says people were recruited into the study if they met four or more of the criteria listed in advertisements in newspapers, flyers and in certain user groups on the 'Net: 1. They feel preoccupied with the Internet, thinking about it while off-line. 2. They feel a need to use the Internet with increasing amounts of time in order to achieve satisfaction. 3. They have an inability to control their Internet use. Said Young, "Some people would get up in the middle of the night to steal onto the Internet." 4. They feel restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop Internet use. 5. They use the Internet as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a poor mood of feelings such as helplessness, guilt, anxiety or depression. 6. They lie to family members or friends to conceal the extent of involvement with the Internet. (Young found cases of people who would report that they were too sick to work so they could "play on the Internet." Others, she said, would go into work early so they could use the company access to the Internet.) 7. They jeopardize or risk the loss of significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of the Internet. 8. They keep returning even after spending an excessive amount of money on online fees. (In the most extreme case in Young's study, one person was running up a $1,400 a month Internet bill.) 9. They go through withdrawal when off-line, showing increased signs of depression and anxiety. 10. They stay online longer than originally intended. Study: Net Use Skyrocketing Internet access in the United States and Canada climbed 50 percent in the six month period between August/September 1995 and March/April 1996, finds a new study released by Nielsen Media Research. Approximately 22 percent to 24 percent of people 16 years of age or older in the United States and Canada now have access to the Internet, according to the study. Additionally, 15 percent to 17 percent of the study's sample used the Internet in the past six months; 9 percent to 11 percent had used the Internet in the three months prior to the August/September 1995 study. "What we're seeing is that Internet access and use are becoming increasingly mainstream," says David Harkness, senior vice president of business development, for Nielsen Media Research. "Since we did the first study last summer, it's clear that exposure to the Internet has increased dramatically. Other media have certainly contributed to the greater awareness, which may account for the new profile of Internet users." The study has a plus or minus 1 percent margin of error. It was conducted by Neilsen Media Research for CommerceNet, a consortium of more than 150 companies and organizations that use the Internet for electronic commerce applications. PC Usage Among Seniors Grows Nine percent of people 65 or older now use a PC at home, up two percentage points from 1994. That's the finding of a recent poll by the Times Mirror Center for the People & the Press. "With plenty of time on their hands, and more disposable income than any other age group, seniors are spending money for on-line services and logging plenty of hours at the keyboard," writes reporter Jon Auerbach in The Boston Globe. "Seniors spend an average of 12 hours a week in front of the screen, five hours more than teenagers, according to research conducted by computer maker Packard Bell." Auerbach says some elders are booting up to keep pace with techno-savvy grandchildren, others embrace PCs because going on line can instantly ease loneliness and still others "are shelling out a few thousand dollars for the latest in computing power for the same reason as their teenage counterparts: They've got to have what's hot." The Globe quotes analysts as saying online services have been the biggest reason behind the rapid growth in the number of elderly people with Pcs. "Connecting to a computer network populated by millions of people," the paper writes, "has given senior citizens- especially ones living alone -- a way to stave off loneliness and feel a part of the world." Some of the most popular destinations for senior citizens are Internet home pages that offer information about health care. "Similarly," says Auerbach, "residents in many retirement communities use PCs to publish newsletters. Genealogy programs are also popular." RSI May Pre-date Computers While repetitive strain injuries often are called the computer-age epidemic, research suggests RSI dates back to early human history. In fact, says Allard Dembe of the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Hippocrates recorded the first case in Epidemics, when he described a workman whose hands were paralyzed by twisting twigs. Dembe, who wrote "Occupation and Disease: How social factors affect the conception of wok-related disorder," has told writer Mara Bovsun of United Press International that over the centuries, RSI has tormented bakers who put in long hours kneading bread, as well as metal and textile workers, tailors, seamstresses and carpenters. "The Industrial Revolution brought a dramatic increase in clerks who sat on high stools, writing entries into ledgers," says Bovsun. "The result was a new disease, recorded in 1830, called scriveners' palsy or writers' cramp, which hit mostly people involved in industrial communications. As today, the appearance of the malady led to products to prevent it, such as mechanical pen holders, which would wrap around a finger, allowing the writer a 'thumbs-free' implement." Dembe notes medical journals of the time struggled to give names to these afflictions. Among some 40 different diseases described in scientific studies in the three decades from 1830 to 1890 were "Hammerman's palsy," "milker's cramp," "sewing spasm" and "tailor's cramp." The author says that with the advent of the telegraph, a new condition became epidemic -- telegraphists' cramp, affecting about 20 percent of telegraph operators, and in Great Britain, it became the first chronic disorder to be compensable under Workmen's Compensation. Says Dembe, "There's extremely good medical evidence to suggest that the kinds of disorders plaguing writers and telegraphers in the 19th century are exactly the same as the disorders that are being seen now." Stockholm Meeting to Weigh Porn The Net's global distribution of child pornography is expected to top the issues discussed later this month at the world's first conference against sexual exploitation of children opening in Stockholm. "The Internet is like heaven for the pedophile," said U.S. police officer Toby Tyler, whose child abuse lectures are heard at the FBI academy. "As far as our ability to restrict the distribution of child pornography and stop the sexual exploitation of children on the Internet ... it's not something that can be done." Reporting from Stockholm, writer Abigail Schmelz of the Reuter News Service says campaigners are concerned that unless action is taken to stamp out the Internet's distribution of child porn -- whether it features real children or just computer generated images -- "it could spark greater demand for child pornography." Tyler told the wire service the Internet has ended the days when pedophiles had to make costly cross-border runs to buy child pornography in countries where laws were laxer and penalties lighter. Now, he says, they can obtain and distribute films and photos from their own homes on the Internet with little risk of capture. Of course, not everyone agrees that attempting to regulate the Internet is the right move. "Some advocates say the Internet represents free speech," says Schmelz. "Others argue that the distribution of child pornography on the Internet is not that widespread." But Margaret Healy from Bangkok-based End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism says in a report prepared for the five-day Stockholm conference, which opens Aug. 27, that the regulation of child pornography on computers presents special challenges and called on governments to fund better training. Man Held for Net Solicitation A 35-year-old North Merick, New York, man has been charged with using a commercial online service to lure a 14-year-old boy into an illicit sexual encounter. Suffolk County police told United Press International they also are investigating whether the suspect victimized any other children through the service, which they identified as Virginia-based America Online. The wire service says Charles Tuzzolo is accused of striking up a relationship with the boy by talking to him through one of the system's chat rooms, then allegedly arranging a liaison with the boy. Police spokeswoman Mary Baron told UPI the suspect reportedly went to the youth's house while the teen's parents were away. The boy told his mother about the encounter, and she contacted police earlier this month. Says UPI, "Detectives tracked down the computer screen name, 'N.Y. Male 29,' which the boy said the man used in their online conversations and which officers were able to link to Tuzzolo." Police said Tuzzolo -- who could face one to four years in prison, if convicted -- has been an America Online subscriber since 1995 and used numerous screen names, including "Matt 12581," "Carny 17," and "Chassjay." Said Baron, "Detectives are asking anyone if they've had any contact with the suspect. They're trying to find out if there are any other victims out there." Police asked anyone with information to call 516/854-8652. Singapore Steps Up Net Block Starting next month, the some 100,000 Net surfers in Singapore will find their access to the Internet's World Wide Web filtered by the government. "On Sept. 15, Netizens of the island state reputed for its strict censorship laws will have to link their home computers withproxy servers that will limit their access to cyberspace," the Reuter News Service reports. These "proxy servers" store often-accessed material locally. "In the Singapore system," says the news service, "they will check a request for access to an Internet site against a list of banned ones. If the site requested is banned, the proxy server will deny access." A spokesman for the Singapore Broadcasting Authority, which is in charge of implementing the new Internet laws, told the wire service the state's three Internet service providers -- Pacific Internet, SingNet and CyberWay -- will have to ensure that all their subscribers are linked to the proxy servers, special computers that will block access to sites the Singapore government deems objectionable. Added the spokesman, "The proxy servers will provide us with the most efficient method of assessing often accessed material and blocking out objectionable sites." Last March, Singapore Information Minister George Yeo said the government planned to police the Net to check abuses such as pornography, hate literature and criminal activities, characterizing the move as an "anti-pollution measure in cyberspace." Reuters says the Net censorship rules also include "the thornier issues of religion and politics," observing the regulations have stirred some protest in cyberspace levelled chiefly at censorship rules on politics. For instance, journalist Koh Buck Song wrote in a Straits Times newspaper column recently, "Few would argue about hindering a child's access to say, amoral sites such as Playboy, or blocking the stoking of civil unrest over racial or religious intolerance. It is in the third area of political control that most Netters' unhappiness centers." Koh said the rules could be seen as denying citizens a means to criticize the government. Reuters says the rules also cover Singapore Internet groups that discuss religion and politics, groups that will have to register with the SBA and follow rules that will bar material deemed likely to inflame racial or rligious sentiment. Microsoft Quietly Aids Apple What is being characterized as a quiet but ambitious effort has been launched by Microsoft Corp. to help small software companies write Internet programs for rival Apple Computer Inc. "The unusual effort," writes reporter Lee Gomes in The Wall Street Journal this morning, "is designed to boost Apple's efforts in the Internet arena, an area Apple has said is crucial to its efforts to save itself." Gomes reports Microsoft officials say the Redmond, Washington, software giant is helping Apple "in part because of concerns that antitrust challenges to Microsoft's dominant position in the computer industry might increase if Apple goes out of business." The effort, directed by a Microsoft unit in San Jose, California, will cost millions of dollars. The Journal quotes people familiar with the project as saying the unit is expected to eventually have 60 employees, mostly long-time developers of software for Apple's Macintosh operating system. "What's different about the new campaign," says Gomes, "is that Microsoft for the first time is telling programmers they're free to ignore Microsoft's flagship Windows operating system, and instead write only for the Mac, using all-Apple software." (Usually Microsoft requires independent developers working with the company to write software for Windows as well as for the Mac or other systems.) The paper says Microsoft apparently hopes the innovative tradition of small Mac programmers will create exciting Internet programs that will keep people attracted to the Mac. "The attempt to help Apple contrasts with Microsoft's historic targeting of the Mac as its principal enemy," Gomes comments. "To some degree, that reflects the two companies diverging fortunes: Apple, analysts say, no longer represents a significant threat to Windows, which runs about 80 percent of the world's personal computers." The Journal says the San Jose unit actually was set up last year, but only came to light recently when it sponsored a booth at last week's MacWorld trade show. The unit "has told Macintosh software companies that it stands ready to help them in numerous ways, possibly including no-strings-attached cash grants of as much as $100,000," Gomes writes. "It has also helped start the Macintosh Internet Developers Association, a trade group." Q-Deck Denies Buyout Reports Software publisher Quarterdeck Corp. is dismissing as "rumors based on nothing" a report in Business Week that it might be acquired by anti-virus specialist McAfee Associates Inc. The magazine's Aug. 19 issue includes a report saying some investment managers are buying stock in the Marina Del Rey, Calif.,-based Quarterdeck onthe expectation McAfee will launch a bid for the company. However, a spokeswoman told the Reuter News Service, "These are a lot of rumors that are based on nothing. Absolute rumors." Meanwhile, a McAfee spokesman declined to comment on the subject. At the same time, the wire service reports Laidlaw & Co. analyst Tarun Chandra wrote in a research note, "In our opinion, there is less than 50 percent chance of McAfee making a bid for (Quarterdeck). However, the stock is in play now and one can probably see a sharp move into the $10-$12 area." As reported, McAfee last spring launched an ill-fated, $1 billion bid for Cheyenne Software Inc., but abandoned the effort after Cheyenne's continued resistance to the proposal. Reggie Jackson Joins Memory Firm Computer memory products maker Viking Components has hired Hall of Fame baseball player Reggie Jackson as its director of new business development. The company, based in Laguna Hills, California, says Jackson will meet with customers, appear in ads and make personal appearances. "Not only is Reggie Jackson one of the most recognizable personalities in the world," says Glenn McCusker, Viking's president and CEO, "he has also been tremendously successful outside of baseball in the world of business. We are confident that Reggie's business skills and winning attitude will score big, both with our customers and Viking employees. We are thrilled to have Reggie on our team." During his career, Jackson has had affiliations with a diverse range of companies, including Rawlings Sporting Goods, Japanese electronics giant Matsushita, Electronic Arts, Upper Deck Co. and The New York Yankees, as well as the Children's Miracle Network, a non-profit organization. "After many years working in diverse business environments, I have found a home with Viking Components," says Jackson. "Viking is a young, dynamic company on the cutting edge of computer technology where my corporate contacts and business skills count as much as my 563 career home runs." First U.S. DVD Factory Planned Plans have been announced for the first facility in the United States dedicated solely to the manufacture of the new high-capacity DVD format discs for movies, computer software and music. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. of Osaka, Japan, says its new DVD disc manufacturing operation, Panasonic Disc Services Corporation (PDSC), will be located in Torrance, California. The plant is scheduled to begin production in 1997. The facility, which will represent an investment of approximately $25 million, will focus on mastering and replicating discs to support the launch of DVD players and DVD-ROM products. The company -- which projects an initial monthly production capacity of 600,000 discs, eventually increasing to 2 million monthly units -- says it will also provide a working disc production environment to help accelerate the development of entertainment and computer DVD software. Manufacturing will take place within an already existing building, which Matsushita will alter for its specific requirements. "By establishing in California the very first United States factory that will operate exclusively to produce DVD discs, Matsushita will be well positioned to quickly and efficiently supply our U.S. entertainment and computer industry customers," says Ronald Richard, vice president of planning, technology and public affairs for Matsushita Electric Corporation of America. Samsung to Launch Notebook PC South Korean chipmaker Samsung Electronics Co. is set to introduce a notebook PC under its own brand name in Japan later this year. Company officials told the Kyodo Japanese news service Samsung hopes to put the machine on sale by the Christmas shopping season. "While details of the machine have yet to be decided," Kyodo adds, "it will be IBM-compatible and have the Windows 95 operating system, a state-of-the-art central processing unit, and a large liquid crystal display. Samsung will produce the PCs in South Korea and ship them to Japan." Kyodo notes Samsung has captured some 40 percent of the PC market in South Korea with its "Sense" line of computers. Models in the Sense series have 12.1-inch and other large LCDs. Microsoft Has Enhanced Browser Squarely targeting Netscape Corp.'s Navigator Web browser, Microsoft Corp. has released Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0. Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 is available for download at no charge from Microsoft's Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/ie/). To encourage users to try the software, Microsoft is offering limited time free access to various Web content, including ESPNET SportsZone and The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition (connect charges may apply), and exclusive access to content on sites such as Hollywood Online. "Microsoft Internet Explore 3.0 brings users a superior way to experience all of the exciting, dynamic content on the Web and provides a launch point for industry innovation," says Bill Gates, Microsoft's chairman and CEO. But Microsoft has a long way to go before it can claim to dominate the Web browser market. Internet Explorer has 3 percent to 10 percent of the market, according to various industry estimates. Netscape Navigator has an estimated 70 percent to 80 percent market share. Microsoft Internet Explorer will be distributed by major online services and Internet service providers (ISPs) worldwide, including CompuServe Inc. Acer to Offer New Fall Line A fall line of new PCs intended to better fit in with other home electronics products is being unveiled by Acer America Corp., the company that enlivened PC design last year with models that were black and dark green instead of beige. Business writer Evan Ramstad of The Associated Press says the new PCs start up in just a few seconds and run without the fan and whirring disk drive noises that other PCs have. They also have telephone receivers that can be cradled on arm rests mounted to the monitor. "The ideas," says Ramstad, "will help Acer's Aspire line stand out further from competitors who are also trying to make PCs more like stereos or VCRs," noting that both Compaq Computer Corp. and Packard Bell Electronics Inc. have added push-button controls to play CDs, look at faxes or check phone messages on their new models. AP says Acer will continue to offer its new Aspire PCs in the "charcoal" and "emerald" colors it started to use last year, with prices ranging from $1,500 to $3,000 without monitors. The new models all will have an Acer-designed "quick start" procedure that gets the computer going in just four seconds instead of a "boot-up" that takes a minute or two. "And," says Ramstad, "though many people tend to put the low whir of a computer out of their mind, a side-by-side comparison of Acer's new models with its old one demonstrates a noticeable drop in noise leve. That advance, achieved primarily through work on the casing and fan, was driven by the company's observation that stereos and other products run much more quietly." The wire service says Acer has divided its models into three segments: ú One aimed at people who need a PC for general information and communications. ú Another for people who have a home office and want more productivity software, and another aimed at game players and others willing to pay more for extra performance. ú The third, where models cost $2,500 to $3,000, include a joystick for playing computer games and sub-woofer speaker for better sound. Professor Sues Feds Over Encryption A suit has been brought against the federal government by an Ohio law professor who contends current laws restricting export of powerful encryption technologies violate his right to free speech and academic independence. Reporting from Cleveland, Interactive Week Online says Case Western University professor Peter D. Junger teaches a course on computer-related law and "since the course touches on encryption, Junger includes an examination of several publicly available encryption algorithms as part of his instruction." Writes IWO reporter Will Rodger, "These short sections of computer code, though widely available worldwide, force Junger to apply for a license to discuss cryptography with foreign students in his class and constitute an impermissible prior restraint on his First Amendment rights, the complaint asserts." Rodger notes court rulings have found that prior restraint -- that is, forbidding speech before it is actually uttered -- is seldom constitutional and must meet strict standards before it can be permitted under the constitution. Junger is asking the court to forbid federal officials from restricting his ability to discuss on classified encryption technology with anyone worldwide or to publish that information freely. Rodger notes the suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Cleveland, now joins two other ongoing cases challenging the legitimacy of the encryption export restrictions. Justice Probes IBM-StorageTek Plan An agreement between IBM and Storage Technology Corp. is being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department to see whether it hinders competition in the market for mainframe computer data storage devices. Business writer Rob Wells of The Associated Press reports the department's antitrust division has asked the two companies to turn over documents following their June 10 pact by which IBM agreed to resell StorageTek subsystems for storing data processed by large computers, such as mainframes. The firms have received civil investigative demads -- the civil equivalent of a subpoena -- from the department. IBM spokesman Cary B. Ziter says the companies are cooperating with the Justice investigation, adding, "In a broad sense what the government is trying to do is find out about the deal. Certainly, IBM believes that this is an ... agreement between IBM and StorgeTek that is not in conflict with the antitrust laws." AP says the agreement made IBM the main distributor of StorageTek's products, though financial terms were not disclosed. "StorageTek's Iceberg, Kodiak and Arctic Fox systems are available to IBM to resell under its own names," AP reports. "The companies said they plan to integrate IBM technology into StorageTek products over time. IBM also will pay for future enhancements to the StorageTek products." Net Name Giver Starts New Policy The company that assigns "domain names" for Internet sites has issued a new policy for resolving disputes over addresses. Network Solutions Inc., which hands out the addresses under an agreement with the National Science Foundation, promises to shut down a site within 90 days if someone holding a registered trademark to the site's name makes a challenge. Writer Aaron Pressman of the Reuter News Service says Network Solutions hopes "to extricate itself from a growing legal quagmire in cyberspace," but notes too that trademark attorneys and Internet specialists say the new policy will do little to quell the emerging controversy. "Such disputes are occurring with increasing frequency," Pressman points out, "usually when a trademark holder discovers that someone else is using their trademark as the name of an Internet site." Recently, for instance, First Brands Inc., which manufactures Glad trash bags, filed suit last month against a company operating an Internet site called glad.com, saying it wanted to set up its own site with the name. Attorneys tell Reuters the new Network Solutions solution actually relies too heavily on registered trademarks, while ignoring other forms of legally recognized trademarks. Says Chicago lawyer David Maher, who also co-chairs the International Trademark Association's Internet issues committee, "I am really flabbergasted that they would put a band-aid on what to me looks like a gaping wound. It doesn't solve the basic problem. It gives all the rights to the entity that has a U.S. or foreign trademark registration, totally ignoring common law trademark rights." And Shari Steel, a staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told the wire service there is perhaps a more straightforward solution. Currently, all names must end with a one of a few three letter designations, including "com" for private sites, "gov" for government sites and "edu" for sites run by schools, Steel pointed out. Says Steel, "There ought to be more top-level domains. That would be more like the real world where one word can be used in a variety of contexts." She added EFF may file a lawsuit challenging the current name dispute policy. Fujitsu Wins Flat Screen Patent U.S. patent rights for plasma-display screens that allow for thinner big-screen televisions have been won by Fujitsu Ltd., one of Japan's biggest computer makers. Reporting from Tokyo, The Associated Press says Fujitsu got U.S. patents for the use of plasma-displays in color televisions late last month, and expects to obtain patents for the manufacturing process by the end of this year. It also expects to obtain Japanese patents around the end of the year," AP says. Fujitsu officials told the wire service the company will license its version of the plasma screens, which use alternating current, adding that method gives more precise, full-color images than other products that use direct current. Software Firms Battle in Court CyberMedia, publisher of First Aid 95, a Windows utility program, says it has won a major battle in its product packaging lawsuit against Vertisoft Systems Inc., recently acquired by Quarterdeck Corp. of Marina del Rey, California. According to Santa Monica, California-based CyberMedia, the court issued a preliminary injunction against Vertisoft, barring Vertisoft from making certain claims in a comparison chart on its Fix-it product boxes, promotional materials and advertisements. CyberMedia sued Vertisoft on July 19, claiming that Vertisoft made false and misleading statements concerning First Aid 95 Deluxe on the product packaging and promotional materials for Vertisoft's newly released product, Fix-it. On that date, U.S. District Judge Saundra B. Armstrong agreed with CyberMedia and issued a temporary restraining order ordering Vertisoft to cover the statements with a sticker before shipping any products, promotional materials or advertisements to distributors or retail stores. CyberMedia notes that the court's July 31 ruling turns the temporary restraining order into a preliminary injuncton. While a temporary restraining order lasts only 10 to 20 days, a preliminary injunction lasts through trial. Since no trial date has been set in the case, the court's order against Vertisoft will last indefinitely, says CyberMedia. In a separate ruling, the court rejected Vertisoft's motion for a preliminary injunction against CyberMedia, in which Vertisoft charged that CyberMedia's packaging also contained false and misleading statements. "Judge Armstrong carefully analyzed the product packaging and after substantial consideration she determined that Vertisoft was not in a position to credibly attack the accuracy or quality of CyberMedia's product packaging," says Claude M. Stern of Fenwick & West LLP, CyberMedia's legal counsel. "We successfully stopped Vertisoft's misleading advertising claims and defended the claims on the First Aid box," adds CyberMedia's president and CEO, Unni Warrier. "We are pleased that our reputation for delivering the best possible solution to personal computer problems has prevailed." Computer Business Services Fined A $5 million fine is being paid by a Sheridan, Indiana, company that promoted home computer business opportunities in order to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it used false and misleading advertisements. Computer Business Services Inc. also has pledged it will not misrepresent the success rates or profitability of its clients, says Associated Press writer Paul Shepard in a report from Washington. AP says the $5 million payment is the largest amount ever collected by the FTC on behalf of a company's customers prior to filing a formal administrative or court complaint. CBSI did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement. In fact, CBSI President Andrew Douglass said, "Taking on the federal bureaucracy would have meant a fight that would have distracted our attention." AP notes, "CBSI advertisements in newspapers and on the Internet claimed that investors could earn $4,000 monthly by buying computer hardware. A majority of investors never earned te promised profits or even recouped their initial investment, FTC officials said." The FTC says CBSI has sold about 15,000 computer packages since 1991. Nobel Institute Accused of Piracy Stockholm's prestigious Karolinska Institute, which awards the Nobel Prize for medicine, is being accused of software piracy. The institute has been named in a $1.5 million lawsuit filed by computer company Eurodex, hich contends Karolinska used pirated copies of StatView, a statistical package for analysis to which Eurodex holds the exclusive distribution rights for Scandinavia. The Reuter News Service says the U.S.-based business Software Alliance also has filed a police report on the alleged misuse of software from member companies such as Microsoft and Adobe. Eurodex's managing director Deniz Ozen told the wire service the institute bought 18 StatView licenses, each costing about $1,000, but he believed the package was being used by up to 1,500 computers. "This has been going on for about four or five years," he said, "but in the end we could just not cope with the fact there were a lot of users calling us for help and support." Ozen added Eurodex had reported the matter to the police who checked 10 percent of the computers in a lightning raid on the Stockholm-based institute last year. StatView was installed on about 90 of 251 computers. But Ozen said some of the computers were also used as servers for the network, so it was possible that all 1,500 computers at the institute could be using the package. "The Business Software Alliance was also considering taking action against the Karolinska Institute after allegedly discovering from the information gleaned in the police raid that some of its companies' packages were overused," Reuters reported. "The group's lawyer, Agne Lindberg, said the group has filed a police report, but was still undecided about whether to take action against the institute." Fire GL 3000 STR Focus DIAMOND MULTIMEDIA'S FIRE GL 3000 ACCELERATOR ADDS REAL-TIME HARDWARE TEXTURE MAPPING TO PROFESSIONAL 3D APPLICATIONS Offers Single-Slot, Dual-Monitor Support and Geometry Acceleration NEW ORLEANS, La. - August 1996 - Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: DIMD) announced the Fire GL 3000 graphics accelerator with hardware texture mapping for professional 3D applications. Available in multiple configurations with up to 40MB memory, the Diamond Fire GL 3000 utilizes the high-performance GLINT 500TX rendering and GLINT Delta geometry engines from 3Dlabs, Inc. A single-slot PCI solution with on-board VGA, the Diamond Fire GL 3000 also supports up to two monitors using Diamond's dual- screen technology. With a base configuration of 8MB VRAM/8MB EDO DRAM for $2,495 manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), the Diamond Fire GL 3000 is expected to be available in September through OEMs, VARs and distributors. "Animation professionals are increasingly turning to the combined power of Microsoft's Windows NT, Intel's Pentium Pro processors and Digital Equipment Corporation's (DEC) Alpha-based workstations," said David Watkins, vice president and general manager of Diamond Multimedia's Visual Systems Division. "Additionally, these professionals are seeking PC hardware solutions that enable new levels of performance and functionality. The Fire GL 3000 fulfills their needs by offering texture mapping in hardware, 3D geometry acceleration and support for two monitors in a single-slot solution." Texture Mapping and 3D Rendering Acceleration Using 3Dlabs' GLINT 500TX processor, the Diamond Fire GL 3000 offers hardware texture mapping in real- time and is capable of rendering up to 500,000 gouraud-shaded polygons per second. The base configuration includes 8MB of high-speed, dual-ported VRAM display memory and 8MB EDO DRAM (upgradeable to 32MB EDO DRAM) for up to 32-bit Z-buffer memory. Double buffering support at resolutions up to 1600 x 1200 provides increased productivity by allowing for the real-time display and rotation of 3D models. "By providing real-time, texture mapping in hardware, the Fire GL 3000 speeds up the creation phase," said Daniel Small, product manager for Softimage 3D at Microsoft. "This capability is demanded by today's professional 3D animators, especially those using Softimage 3D for Windows NT." 3D Geometry Acceleration The GLINT Delta 3D setup engine included in the Diamond Fire GL 3000 acts as a front-end processor to the GLINT 500TX rendering engine. By processing the setup calculations for lines, polygons and other 3D primitives, the GLINT Delta improves overall system performance by freeing the CPU from demanding 3D calculations. As a result, the Diamond Fire GL 3000 is capable of boosting 3D performance up to three times faster than conventional rendering engine-only solutions. "The introduction of the Fire GL 3000 brings a new level of 3D graphics to Pentium Pro processor-based systems," said Andre Wolper, director of workstation marketing at Intel Corporation. "Coupled with the power of a Pentium Pro processor, professionals get a system that delivers workstation performance with the best of PC productivity applications, all in one." Diamond's Dual Screen Technology The dual screen capability of the Fire GL 3000, a single-slot PCI solution, allows professionals to expand their workspace across two screens. By utilizing two 220 MHz RAMDACs, the Diamond Fire GL 3000 supports up to 1600 x 1200 resolution and refresh rates up to 75Hz simultaneously on both screens. Diamond's dual screen technology is especially suitable for animation professionals who are able to display a set of applications on the one screen and file folders, palettes and other tools on the other screen. "The dual monitor support provided by the Fire GL 3000 addresses a key problem for virtual environments," said Ken Pimentel, vice president of product development at Sense8 Corporation. "When developing with World Up, you can dedicate one monitor to showing your scene-hierarchy and property browsers while the other monitor shows multiple rendered views." Additional Features 3D Application Programming Interface OpenGL, Heidi from Autodesk (API) support Accelerated OpenGL software Windows NT 4.0, Windows NT 3.51 and Windows 95 Advanced Visual Systems' AVS/Express, Autodesk's Supported software AutoCAD r12/13, Kinetix's 3D Studio Max, Microsoft's Softimage, NewTek's Lightwave 3D and Sense8's World Up and other leading applications Diamond software tools 3D Win viewer software and Big Focus display list driver technology Maximum resolution up to 1600 x 1200 Maximum refresh rate up to 100Hz Maximum color depth up to 24-bit True Color Maximum True Color resolution up to 1152 x 870 resolution Configurations and pricing: 8MB VRAM/8MB EDO DRAM $2,495 MSRP 8MB VRAM/16MB EDO DRAM $2,795 MSRP 8MB VRAM/32MB EDO DRAM $3,195 MSRP Memory modules starting at $795 MSRP Warranty three-year parts and labor Diamond Multimedia Diamond Multimedia is driving the desktop multimedia market by providing interactivity and connectivity solutions for home, business and professional PC and Macintosh users. Products include the Stealth and Monster 3D(tm) series of multimedia accelerators, the Fire GL series of professional 3D and CAD accelerators, and the Supra(r) series of faxmodems and NetCommander(tm) ISDN adapters. Diamond also markets sound cards and multimedia and Internet upgrade kits. Headquartered in San Jose, CA, Diamond has sales, marketing and technical facilities in Vancouver (Wash.), Singapore, Tokyo, Starnberg (Germany), Clichy (France) and Winnersh (U.K.). Diamond's products are sold through regional, national and international distributors as well as to major computer retailers, mass merchants and OEMs worldwide. Diamond's common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol DIMD. Internet Blaster STR Spotlight Internet Blaster 33.6 PnP The fastest path to Internet access. Heard about the Internet? Want to join the action? It's easy with Creative's high-performance Internet Blaster 33.6 PnP. It comes complete with everything you need to get started, including web browsing software, email and free trial memberships to on-line services like America Onliner and CompuServer. You can even create your own home page or make toll-free phone calls over the Internet. Whether you're using Windowsr 95, Windows 3.1 or MS-DOSr, Internet Blaster 33.6 PnP installs automatically. So you'll be cruising the Net in minutes. Once you're logged on, you'll appreciate this modem's high-speed 33.6 Kbps performance, which displays even graphic-laden Internet pages in the blink of an eye. Internet Blaster 33.6 PnP's high- speed communications software helps you save time downloading files from web sites around the world. What's more, convenient fax software, with a built- in phonebook, fax broadcasting capability and fax viewer lets you send and receive faxes directly from your PC. So why miss out on any more Internet action? Experience how easy high-speed Internet access can be. The high-speed way to master the Internet for users at every level; ú High-speed 33,600 bps data/14,400 bps fax internal modem ú High value Internet software bundle ú Browse the Net with ease using Microsoftr Internet Explorer ú Make toll-free phone calls over the Internet with WebPhone ú Create and publish your own home page with HoTMetaL Light ú Get the ultimate Internet experience with SPRYNET Specifications Data Rate Compatibility ú Enhanced version of V.34 proposed 33600 bps ú ITU V.34 and Rockwell V.FC: 28800; 26400; 24000; 21600; 19200; 16800; 14400 bps ú ITU V.32bis/V.32/V.22bis/V.22/V.21/V.23: 14400; 12000; 9600; 7200; 4800; 2400; 1200; 300; 75 bps ú Bell 212A/103J: 1200; 300 bps Fax Rate Compatibility ú ITU V.17/V.29/V.27ter: 14400; 12000; 9600; 7200; 4800; 2400 bps Data Compression & Correction ú ITU V.42bis/MNP 5 data compression ú ITU V.42/MNP 2-4 error correction ú MNP 10 data throughput enhancement Data Throughput ú Up to 115,200 bps Command Set Compatibility ú Enhanced "AT" Command Set ú Class 1/class 2 fax commands and connects with Group 3 fax machines Interface ú Data Interface: 16-bit ISA bus ú Line Interface: Modular line connector, two RJ11C phone jacks Host Interface ú ISA 16 bit bus Dialing Capability ú Dialing Methods: Tone/Pulse dialing Features ú Command buffer supports 40 characters ú Auto dial and auto answer ú Audio monitoring at modem internal speaker ú EPROM supports 2 profiles and 4 telephone number sets Test and Diagnostics Facilities ú Remote digital loop and remote digital loop self test ú Analog loop and analog loop self test ú Digital loop test Approvals ú FCC and IC BUNDLED SOFTWARE Microsoftc Internet Explorer (Windows 95) from Microsoft Corporation Microsoft Internet Explorer unlocks the potential of the Internet by opening the Web to great new content and providing the best browser performance for Win 95. It also provides compatibility to include all major Internet standards and supports current security standards while ready for upcoming enhancements. WebPhone * (Creative Edition) from NetSpeak Corporation WebPhone is the professional Internet telephone with integrated voicemail. WebPhone provides telephone quality, real-time, full duplex, point-to-point voice communications over the Internet and other TCP/IP based networks. Using WebPhone, you can talk to anyone, anywhere on earth without incurring any long distance charges. HoTMetaL Light from SoftQuad Incorporated Make your presence known on the Internet with SoftQuad's HoTMetaL Light. You can now easily create and publish hypertext linked Web documents. With its easy-to-use markup tools and powerful word processing features, it's all you need to design the home page you have always wanted. SPRYNET from Spry, Inc. SPRYNET gives you the best of the Internet. The worldwide leader of Internet access with comprehensive services, support and software for the home and business markets gives you 5MB of disk space and easy-to-use tools to help you build your home page on the Net. With SPRYNET, you can get the complete Internet experience. SuperFax 6.0 from Pacific Image Communications, Inc. This versatile fax and data software provides a wealth of features guaranteed to make PC communications effortless. SuperFax 6.0 features a comprehensive fax program including fax broadcasting, a phonebook, fax viewer and TWAIN support. SuperTerminal is also included for high speed data transfer. Online Services Free trial memberships to America Onliner and CompuServer. WebPhone software requires an SVGA 256 color driver and Windows compatible sound card with microphone and speakers or headset. System Requirements ú 486 DX/33 or higher ú 4 MB of RAM (8 MB of RAM recommended) ú 17 MB of free hard disk space ú full length 16-bit ISA slot ú DOS 5.0 or higher ú Windows 3.1 or higher (Windows 95 needed for Microsoft Internet Explorer) ú CD-ROM drive required to install bundled software Internet Explorer 3.0 Comparison Guide For the latest version of this document (with informative links) please see: http://www.microsoft.com/ie/ie3/compare.htm Please note: Other product and company names herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Overview Internet Explorer 3.0 is the web browser that puts you a step ahead on the Internet! Now with ActiveX, Java, Plug-in, and the broadest HTML support, Internet Explorer 3.0 provides the best browsing experience and most technically advanced development platform for end users, organizations, and content developers. And with innovative Internet conferencing, collaboration, and browser customization, Internet Explorer 3.0 provides the richest feature set of any browser while still offering an easy to use and personalized Internet experience. This document is designed to provide an informative framework for organizations and individuals to compare Internet Explorer 3.0 and Netscaper Navigator 3.0. Internet browsers should be compared on two levels: architecture and features. The architecture is the definitive aspect for performance, extensibility, and future features. The feature set is most important for ensuring that the browser takes advantage of the Web's rich offerings, whether it be with respect to content viewing, security, communicating and collaborating, or personalizing the Internet experience. Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 has a more advanced architecture and offers the feature superset of Netscape Navigator 3.0. Internet Explorer 3.0 is architected as a set of ActiveX Controls. At its heart is the component object model (COM), the object model that allows programmers to mix and match languages as they flexibly program ActiveX objects and create the most compelling applications and web sites. This architecture is primarily important in that it distributes Internet capabilities to the whole desktop. Any application can easily incorporate Internet functionality by using Internet Explorer as an ActiveX control, and likewise, Internet Explorer can take advantage of any other ActiveX enabled applications. Secondly, Internet Explorer 3.0's component based architecture makes it incredibly extensible. Additional functionalities can be inserted without having to fundamentally change the code. Users only need to download the addition, and not another full-sized product, to update Internet Explorer. Beyond having a superior architecture, Internet Explorer 3.0 offers all of the important features that Navigator 3.0 does, and much more: ú Superior HTML support including HTML 3.2 and Cascading Style Sheets ú More Web Interactivity with broader programming and scripting language support ú Richer multimedia with Active Movie ú Additional security using Authenticode code authentication, CryptoAPI 1.0, and more ú True collaboration using NetMeeting for multipoint communication ú Personalization for the individual and the administrator with the customizable toolbar, ratings, and the Internet Explorer Administration Kit Creating and viewing all the Web has to offer! With our initial releases, the Microsoft Internet Explorer team concentrated on creating a robust and reliable platform, stressing usability, and catching up with Netscape Navigator's feature set. With Internet Explorer 3.0, Microsoft has moved ahead of Navigator and other browsers by introducing a new component-based architecture, supersetting Navigator features, and enabling a next generation platform for Web content development. Internet Explorer may not be the most used browser yet, but it is the most innovative, technically advanced, and feature-rich browser available. Cutting-Edge HTML and Style Sheet Support Both Microsoft and Netscape realize that HTML is the backbone of the Internet. Through the help of Internet standards committees such as the W3C (http://www.w3.org/pub/www/) and the IETF (http://www.ietf.org/), HTML provides a set of guidelines that define the latest capabilities for the Internet. But Microsoft and Netscape have taken different approaches to HTML. Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 and Netscape Navigator 3.0 both support all HTML 2.0 and some later standards. Support for the following HTML features are built into both Internet Explorer 3.0 and Navigator 3.0: ú Standard Frames. Enable you to seamlessly open several panes within the browser window, or embed a single frame anywhere in a Web page where you could insert a graphic. Frames enable you to display many levels of information without requiring that a visitor leave your site. Both browsers support various options for the frame borders as well. * ú Standard Tables. Give you great control over the display of text, graphics, and background colors, making Web content more readable and visually interesting.* ú HTML 2.0. ú Limited Multimedia. Run video and inline sound in a Web page. Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 also goes further by fully supporting W3C and IETF HTML specifications, including HTML 3.2, and more. Specifically: ú Enhanced Frames. Includes frames-within-frames, floating frames, and non-scrolling frames. ú Enhanced Tables. Beyond simply supporting background colors, Internet Explorer 3.0 also supports background images, wrapped text, and cell groupings within tables. ú Enhanced and TrueType Font Support ú "HTML and STYLE" specification. One of the first post-3.2 HTML specifications proposed by the W3C. This covers SPAN, DIV and STYLE elements and linking of style sheets to HTML documents, it's the glue than binds style sheets to HTML. ú Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), level 1. Stylesheets bring desktop publishing capabilities to the Web. ú Embedding style information via STYLE attribute. (contained in the "HTML and Style" specification, an adjunct to CSS). This allows for in-line style information. Authors now have easy access to rich style attributes. ú Linked style sheets. For advanced authors, style information can be placed in external documents and reused across an array of HTML documents, a valuable tool for administratively defined intranet and Web publishing. The Webmaster can change the look and feel of an entire web site with changes to a single style sheet. ú Full font control. Easier control of font families, weighting, and typographic measurement units (cm's, inches, pixels, percentages, em's, etc) for sizing. ú Full white-space control. Allows for setting margins in typographic units around all edges of elements. This is a critical first step towards realizing real desktop publishing-style pages. ú Full background control (non-tiled). Allows the web author to place an image behind an object, say, a table cell, in a variety of manners. Beyond the standard full-tile, an image can be tiled vertically, horizontally, or directly positioned anywhere on the page. ú Backgrounds. Background colors and image capabilities can be added to tables, paragraphs, or anywhere else they might enhance a web page. ú Typographic space control. Allows for setting inter-line and intra-line spacing (font `leading'). ú Indenting. Easily indent a line or paragraph of text on an HTML page. ú Negative margins. Very rich control allowing elements to float over other elements on a page. ú CSS Layout. An experimental specification from W3C for handling frames, floating frames, multi-column layout, 2D direct placement of elements, ordering and overlapping of elements, all in a rich and well-architected HTML syntax. ú HTML Layout Control. Supports and facilitates using new HTML extensions as pioneered between Microsoft and the W3C. ú tag support. The first of the post 3.2 HTML specifications from the W3C, this tag is the W3C standard implementation for all EMBED and APPLET functionality. It lets downlevel browsers see substitute content in place of the object, applet, or plug-in that an updated browser would prefer. ú Scrolling Marquees. Perfect for calling out time-critical information. Netscape, on the other hand, not only lags in its support for HTML standards, but is introducing proprietary extensions which are not as rich as the standards-based offerings. Specifically: ú Netscape supports the tag rather than the HTML standard, more versatile tag approved by the W3C. The approved HTML specification for the object tag was completed in December 1995, sufficiently before Netscape shipped even Navigator 2.0. Although is a proprietary tag, Internet Explorer supports it for compatibility reasons. ú Netscape introduced frames to Navigator in September 1995, yet did not submit specifications to the W3C until June 1996. ú Navigator 3.0 beta 5 has introduced even more proprietary HTML extensions, despite the fact that richer functionalities are already available with W3C supported extensions supported by Internet Explorer: ú tag for placing information in columns ú tag for positioning information in pages Active Web Content Internet Explorer Netscape Features 3.0 Navigator 3.0 HTML Support - Employing standards to create great looking Web pages HTML 3.2 tags Yes Some Sub/Super Script Yes Yes Tables wrapped by text Yes No (alignment) FONT Sizing, Color Yes Yes W3C/IETF RFC1952 Tables Yes Some Tables with cell grouping Yes Yes Tables border control Yes Yes Header and footer grouping Yes No W3C HTML OBJECT tag Yes No Stylesheets Yes None Typeface selection Yes No Typeface scaling (any Yes No point size) Margins control Yes No Watermarks (non-scrolling Yes No backgrounds) Table background color Yes No Table background image Yes No Non-tiled-backgrounds Yes No Full white-space control Yes No Typographical space Yes No control Indenting Yes No Negative Indenting margins Yes No Other Scrolling Marquees Yes No Netscape Frames Yes Yes Enhanced Frames Yes borderless only (borderless, inline, and floating) Transparencies Yes Yes Direct placement of Yes No objects in page Background sound Yes Yes Blinking text No Yes HTML 2.0 tags Yes Yes Internet Explorer 3.0 offers the broadest HTML support of any browser, giving web authors the greatest flexibility and users the best viewing experience. Bringing Interactivity to the Web While important to the viewing of static web pages, HTML provides only some of the web's potential for dynamic web pages and Internet interactivity. More powerful web content demands applications such as ActiveX controls or Netscape Plug-ins to extend beyond HTML. Scripting these software applets together provides for interactivity and a dynamic Internet experience. As corporations move to intranets and the Internet, it becomes increasingly important that they are also able to leverage their existing knowledge and investment in tools and software. Microsoft and Netscape both address these demands, but with different approaches. Internet Explorer 3.0 and Navigator 3.0 both support: ú Java applets are software components created using the Java language. ú Just-In-Time Java Compiler for greater performance (Navigator only supports Borland's JIT compiler). ú JavaScript is a proprietary scripting language created by Netscape. ú Plug-ins are developed by third-party vendors in the C programming language or one of its variants to extend web viewing functionality in a limited manner. Plug-ins are not cross-platform, as they need separate APIs for different platforms. Hence cross-platform offerings are most often original code ported to support the other platforms. Plug-ins are also limited in that they can only be run in a Web environment and not in other applications, so developers of plug-ins can reach only a limited market. In addition, the specifications for plug-ins are defined only by Netscape and change often. Finally, plug-ins are less safe since they rarely offer licensing support and are not code signed. Microsoft's open and extensible platform: Customers have requested a browser that supports cutting-edge Web technology and also leverages existing information and code. Internet Explorer 3.0 satisfies these demands using ActiveX. ActiveX is the only cross-platform, language and application independent set of technologies. Java is one of the best languages for creating an ActiveX control. Using ActiveX technologies, Java applets can communicate or be scripted with any ActiveX controls, regardless of the language in which they were created. And because of Internet Explorer's COM architecture, the same Java applets can be used in the browser or any other COM-based application. ActiveX controls are fast and lightweight software components based on Component Object Model (COM) technology, a technology that lets webmasters and developers create live objects for Web pages or applications. ActiveX controls can be created in a wide variety of languages, including Java. And because they leverage existing technology, ActiveX controls can be used both on web pages and any stand-alone application that is an ActiveX component container (such as VisioT, Visual FoxPro, Microsoft Access) as easily as embedding graphics in Web pages. There are currently over 1,000 ActiveX controls commercially available and usable in web pages. (Developers and web authors can find a wide variety of existing ActiveX controls at http://www.microsoft.com/activex/gallery/) ú ActiveX Scripting provides the greatest available flexibility to developers for tying together software components. Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 supports JScript, Microsoft's JavaScript-compatible scripting language, as well as VB Script and any other ActiveX enabled scripting language. This provides developers with the ability to choose from a variety of scripting languages, including custom languages. ú ActiveX Documents are Microsoft's answer to the common use of the Internet and intranet for disseminating already existing information. Rather than forcing users to port existing documents from their original forms into HTML format, support for ActiveX Documents enables you to open richly formatted documents, such as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or chart, directly in the browser. For example, a finance intranet page might use ActiveX Document support to place an Excel spreadsheet or chart on its internal Web site. Intranet users could then open the document in its native Excel format and have full editing and control capabilities through the use of the Excel toolbar. ú Any Just-In-Time Compiler. The Microsoft Just-In-Time Java Compiler will provide the fastest way to run Java applications in a Web page, but Internet Explorer is extensible enough to use any JIT compiler. Not only does Netscape not offer the flexibility for creating and scripting active content, but Netscape appears to be limiting the future offering as well. Netscape: ú Is making semantic changes to JavaScript and the plug-in specifications from version to version - the changes even cause some content to not work between versions of Navigator. ú Has never published source code for JavaScript ú Will not license JavaScript technology to others ú Has not submitted current JavaScript documentation to the W3C nor the IETF Active Web Content Internet Explorer Netscape Features 3.0 Navigator 3.0 Scripting and Web Application Development: Using ActiveX to create the webs most interactive pages Native ActiveX Control Yes No+ support Java Applet support Yes Yes Scripting of Java Applets JavaScript and Partial Java VBScript Script Support for Java applet Yes Yes "sandboxing" Support for native Yes (ActiveX No+ document formats (such as Documents) Word.doc or Excel .xls) within the browser window VBScript Yes No+ JavaScript-compatible Yes Partial scripting Integration of objects and Yes Partial scripts Netscape-compatible Plug-ins Yes Yes Component Object Model Yes No Extensible for creating Yes No custom applications Installable JIT Yes No architecture Browser serves as reusable Yes No control for Integration into external applications Browser serves as Yes No extensible components integrated into desktop operating system Rather than only support Java, JavaScript, or LiveConnect and rely upon existing technologies being recreated in these languages, Microsoft Internet Explorer supports the widest amount of programming and scripting languages so that users can evolve their technologies to the Internet. Internet Explorer gives developers the greatest flexibility, and users the most content viewing with ActiveX. Multimedia on the Internet Multimedia is another important chapter to the active content story. Internet multimedia provides the opportunity for Web developers and authors to provide stimulating content in a dynamic fashion. Microsoft and Netscape have different vehicles for providing multimedia on the Internet. Whereas Microsoft has worked with Internet standards organizations and independent software developers to support a wide variety of standards, Netscape has focused on a more limited multimedia offering. Netscape Navigator 3.0 and Internet Explorer 3.0 both support: ú AIFF, AU, MIDI, and WAV audio formats ú AVI video format ú In-line (streamed) sound support (Navigator needs the RealAudio plug-in) ú QuickTime video playback (Navigator needs the Apple QuickTime plug-in), 3D animation, and VRML In addition to all of the above multimedia formats supported by Navigator 3.0, Internet Explorer 3.0 also supports: ú MPEG audio format ú MPEG video format ú Any ActiveX controlled in-line (streamed) sound ú In-line (streamed) video ú Active Movie, which supports MPV, MPA, MPE, MPEG, AU, AIF, AIFF, SND, MID, RMI, Wav + AVI, MOV, and QuickTime formats in a single control and is open and extensible for future technologies ú ActiveX scripting support and HTML layout control for more and better Multimedia development possibilities Multimedia performance is directly linked to integration with hardware, the operating system, and the browser itself. Microsoft Internet Explorer uses DirectX technologies where available to ensure that hardware is optimized for various forms of multimedia. It is tightly integrated with all operating systems. And most importantly, Internet Explorer's component object architecture and Active Movie allow multimedia to be fundamentally integrated with the browser for the best multimedia performance on the Internet. Netscape Navigator relies primarily upon loosely integrated multimedia support through third-party plug-ins, a bolted-on approach in comparison to Internet Explorer's complete, top-down multimedia offering. Active Web Content Internet Explorer Netscape Features 3.0 Navigator 3.0 Multimedia - Using ActiveX Controls to make your Web pages come alive! Hardware acceleration of Yes (DirectX) No video playback Progressive Playback of Yes No Video/Audio files Video formats MPEG, AVI, MOV, AVI (ActiveMovieT/LiveVideo) QuickTime Audio formats WAV, MIDI, AIFF, WAV, MID,I AIFF, AU, MPEG audio AU In-line (streamed) sound RealAudio and RealAudio Plug-in support other ActiveX Controls In-line (streamed) video Yes No support QuickTime video playback Yes Apple QuickTime+ (ActiveMovieT) plug-in MPEG video/audio playback Yes (ActiveMovie) No 3D Animation and VRML Yes (Direct3D and Yes (Live3D) VRML) Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 offers very rich multimedia capabilities and is integrated with the operating system for great performance. Secure Communication and Interaction Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 provides a comprehensive security solution through the Microsoft Internet Security Framework. It lets Web users communicate privately, download code they can trust, and identify themselves to others across the Internet. Users can conduct transactions and participate in consumer services on the Internet with the same privacy and security as in the real world. Netscape Navigator 3.0 and Internet Explorer support: ú Server and client authentication. Uses a digital identification or certificate to identify the user to Web servers. Conversely, server authentication ensures that end users are communicating with their intended parties. ú SSL 2.0/3.0. A Netscape-developed protocol intended to provide secure communication over a TCP/IP connection. Beyond these features, Internet Explorer supports: ú Code signing with Authenticode. Provides accountability for software and software components downloaded from the Internet, including Java applets and other ActiveX controls. Internet Explorer 3.0 lets end users identify who published the software before it is downloaded and verify that it was not tampered with. ú CryptoAPI 1.0. Provides the underlying security services for the Microsoft Internet Security Framework, and specifically for secure channels and code signing. The delivery of CryptoAPI through Internet Explorer 3.0 lets developers easily integrate strong cryptography into their applications. This security architecture provides a degree of extensibility that is unmatched by Navigator 3.0. ú PCT 1.0. Microsoft's integrated protocol for secure TCP/IP communication. Microsoft is actively participating in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), and other groups to develop Internet security standards. These efforts, along with an adherence to existing certificate and cryptography standards, will ensure that Microsoft security technologies are interoperable and open. On the other hand, Netscape has not worked as closely with the standards committees when introducing new security measures: ú Despite repeated headlines about security flaws, Netscape failed to submit the SSL protocol specification to any standards body until competition brought them to the IETF security discussion. They remain steadfast in their position of SSL only as they define it. ú Netscape's implementation of certificates, despite being based on the X.509 standard, does not allow access to the certificate store by any other application, a proprietary and closed implementation. (Microsoft's "wallet" implementation allows certificates to be used across applications)1 ú Licensees of SSL are prohibited from making any changes or fixing the known security holes in SSL. Secure Features Internet Explorer Netscape 3.0 Navigator 3.0 Secure Communication and Interaction Support for Java applet Yes Yes "sandboxing" Code Signing for Java Yes No Applets (Authenticode) Control scripting security Yes No Control security for data Yes No streaming Site Certificate Support Yes Yes Client-side Certificates Yes Yes SSL 2.0/3.0 support Yes Yes PCT Support Yes No Support for the Win32 Yes No CryptoAPI# 1.0 Microsoft Internet Explorer provides the most robust and comprehensive set of technologies for secure online communications and electronic commerce. Communicating and Collaborating on the Web The Web provides the opportunity for unparalleled communication and collaboration. Other than communicating through the medium of Web page publishing, features such as Internet telephony, data and video conferencing, mail, news, chat, and application sharing are integral to complete communications. With the NetMeeting and Microsoft Internet Mail and News features, Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 sets the standard for Internet Communication and Collaboration. Netscape addressed their need for a communications solution by purchasing InSoft, Inc, the makers of CoolTalk, to supplement their Internet mail and news offerings. Navigator 3.0 and Internet Explorer 3.0 both offer the following features: ú Internet Mail and News: Includes quick access through the browser UI for easy access to mail and news functionalities. ú Point-to-point communications: the whiteboard allows for a maximum of two collaborators, as does the chat, and the whiteboard users can only cut and paste onto the shared board. ú Point-to-point Internet telephony Microsoft is building more than a communication and collaboration application, it is building a platform. NetMeeting and Microsoft Internet Mail and News offers much greater communication and collaboration functionality than Netscape does: ú Full HTML Support in Mail and News: More than just HTML reading, Internet Mail and News users can create and read mail and news messages in HTML. Any URL automatically becomes a link, with only a double-click required to send the default browser to the site. ú Sophisticated Mail Organization and Composition: Includes automatic mail sorting using the Inbox Assistant, mail prioritization, integrated spell checking, and drag-and-drop attachments and text. In addition, the address book will import from other sources and has group management features that are even easier than creating an alias. ú Offline and Cached Mail and News capabilities: Users can mark individual articles, threads, or even entire newsgroups for download. For superior performance, Internet Mail and News caches articles while you read online. Sophisticated cache management ensures that the cache is used efficiently and as defined by the user. ú Comic Chat: A graphical chat client. ú Application sharing: This is the most important data/document conferencing capability yet offered for Internet standard software. A user can share out any application to other users, and all can see, contribute to, and discuss the changes that are made, whether they have the shared application on their machine or not. This collaborative tool makes NetMeeting a true business feature. ú Multipoint Communication: Multipoint chat, whiteboard, and application sharing allow the user to hold meetings with three or more people, where everyone receives the transferred files, can draw on the whiteboard, and see and control the shared applications. This is a true community or collaborative experience, not just a simple point-to-point call. ú Industry Standards: NetMeeting adheres to T.120 protocols, the International Telecommunications Union standards for data conferencing used by telephone companies, PTTs, bridge manufacturers, video conferencing vendors, software vendors, and service providers worldwide. ú Industry Support: Over 120 companies, including Sprint, AT&T, and BT, have announced their support for Microsoft's H.323/T.120/RTP/RTCP/RSVP approach. As of the original release of NetMeeting, 18 companies had announced products that are or will be compatible with NetMeeting, including Intel, PictureTel, MCI, and Creative Labs. Many more promise to come. Netscape has not committed to open communication and collaboration standards on the Internet: ú Despite being a member of the International Multimedia Teleconferencing Consortium and announcing support for the T.120 and H.323 standards, Navigator 3.0 does not implement anything based upon these standards. ú CoolTalk does not have an open payload format (like T.120 or H.323), so other applications cannot interoperate with Cooltalk ú Cooltalk is proprietary technology that is admittedly transitory2 Communication and Internet Explorer Netscape Collaboration 3.0 Navigator 3.0 Internet Conferencing Features - Communicating with others over the Internet Internet Audio Point-to-Point Point-to-Point Communication Collaborative Whiteboard Multipoint Point-to-Point Internet Chat Multipoint Point-to-Point Application sharing Multipoint No File Transfer Yes No Standards-based Yes No conferencing (T.120, G.723, H.323) Internet Answering Machine No Yes NNTP Internet Newsreader Yes Yes Newsgroup Posting Yes Yes POP3 Internet Mail client Yes Yes Read and Create messages Yes read-only in HTML Offline Mail and News Yes No support Multilingual support for Yes No Mail and News reading Microsoft, through the implementation of open standards and an unmatched feature set, has brought true communication and collaboration capabilities to the Internet with Internet Explorer 3.0. Personalizing the Internet Experience The ability to personalize one's Internet experience makes accessing pertinent information even easier, whether it be through providing various localized versions, or personalizing the look and feel of the browsing environment. Internet Explorer 3.0 has leapt ahead of Navigator for personalization. Navigator 3.0 and Internet Explorer 3.0 both offer: ú History and Favorites (bookmarks) menu ú Customizable, personal home page ú Localization in a limited amount of languages But Internet Explorer provides more personalization: ú Use Mail/News reader of choice ú Customizable toolbar configuration and buttons: Configure the Internet Explorer toolbar in any manner and customize the quick link buttons to point to Web sites of your choice. ú Ratings (PICS) support which allow the user (or parent or administrator) to limit access to sites with optional degrees of language, nudity, sex, or violence as defined by the Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC). ú The Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) allows corporate administrators and organizations to: 1. Customize Internet Explorer 3.0 for distribution with corporate logos, favorites, and toolbars. 2. Configure server settings for mail, news, User Location Services, proxy address, ports and exceptions etc. 3. Configure toolbar, favorites, active movie, and custom command folder in a per user or group defined manner. The IEAK is licensed free of charge. In comparison, Netscape has yet to release an administration kit and will reportedly charge $1995 when they do. ú On-the-fly character set change by clicking on an icon in the lower right corner of the user interface. ú At least 25 Localized versions Despite being an initiator of the effort to allow parents to limit the content viewing of their children, Netscape has not supported the industry's solution: the Platform for Internet Content Specification (PICS). Netscape now dismisses the PICS solution as "not having any application for the enterprise"3 and irrelevant since most sites do not yet support it. Easy and Personalized Internet Explorer Netscape Features 3.0 Navigator 3.0 Personalization Features - Creating the personal Web experience Ratings (PICS) Support Yes No History and Favorites Yes Yes (Bookmarks) menus Customizable, personal Yes Yes home page Distribution/Administratio Yes Yes n Kit Use Mail/News Reader of Yes No choice Ease-of-Use Features Making the Internet accessible to everyone Search, e-mail, news, edit Yes No buttons on toolbar View frame's HTML source Yes No on context menu Links table printing Yes No option (for printing link sources at the end of the HTML document) View Source and Refresh Yes No context (pop-up) menu commands for pages in frames Refresh and View Source Yes Yes context (pop-up) for page items Internet shortcuts Yes Yes Quick access to QuickLink Yes Yes locations Customizable QuickLinks Yes No On-line tutorial Yes Yes Mail Send command allows Yes Yes you to mail an Internet shortcut from the browser GUI, Toolbars, help Yes Yes Drag-and-drop of Web page Yes Yes links Full keyboard Yes No accessibility Print Preview No Yes Localization Overview Number of 3.0 Beta 8 1 - English localized versions Number of 2.0 release 27 6 localized versions Number of 3.0 Release 25 11 localized versions View any character set on Yes No any version of Windows International Language Yes Yes control settings Ability to change Yes No languages on the fly Languages in which the 3.0 browser will be available Brazilian Portuguese Yes Yes Czech Yes No Danish Yes Yes Dutch Yes Yes English (US and Yes Yes International) Finnish Yes No French Yes Yes German Yes Yes Greek Yes No Hungarian Yes No Italian Yes Yes Japanese Yes Yes Korean Yes Yes Norwegian Yes No Polish Yes No Portuguese Yes No Russian Yes No Simplified Chinese Yes No Slovak Yes No Slovenian Yes No Spanish Yes Yes Swedish Yes Yes Thai Yes No Traditional Chinese Yes No Turkish Yes No Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 provides the IS manager and end user with maximum flexibility to customize and personalize the Internet experience. Conclusion Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 is a technological leap-frog of Netscape Navigator 3.0. It not only supersets Navigator 3.0's features across the board, but its componentized architecture lays the foundation for integrating the Internet with every aspect of today and tomorrow's PC. For Immediate Release Corel to Partner with Softbank Services Group for Corelr WordPerfectr Technical Support OTTAWA, Canada - August 12, 1996 - Corel Corporation today announced that they will be bringing Softbank Services Group on board to round out their Corelr WordPerfectr technical support team. An increase in sales has lead to an increase in calls to technical support, resulting in the decision to route elementary and well-documented issues over to Softbank. The Orem team will continue to concentrate on core and new technology issues. "With the addition of so many WordPerfect customers to our user base, our first priority was to ensure that they continued to receive a high level of service," said Paul Coffin, director of world wide technical support for Corel Corporation. "This partnership will allow our home team to more effectively continue their value-added support. We predict that our customers will experience a seamless service upgrade and benefit from shorter queue times." For comprehensive information regarding Corel WordPerfect technical support offerings, please dial 1-801-765-4037 and request document #7000. Customers may also visit Corel's home page at http://www.corel.com and click on Service and Support. Corel Corporation Incorporated in 1985, Corel Corporation is recognized internationally as an award-winning developer and marketer of productivity applications, graphics and multimedia software. Corel's product line includes CorelDRAWT, the Corelr WordPerfectr Suite, Corelr Office Professional, CorelVIDEOT and over 30 multimedia software titles. Corel's products run on most operating systems, including: Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, MS-DOS and OS/2 and are consistently rated among the strongest in the industry. The company ships its products in over 17 languages through a network of more than 160 distributors in 70 countries worldwide. Corel is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol: COS) and the NASDAQ - National Market System (symbol: COSFF). For more information visit Corel's home page on the Internet at http://www.corel.com. UltraEdit 4.10a STR Focus IDM is a small business dedicated to generating quality software, and providing consultation and other computer orientated services. My name is Ian David Mead (hence the IDM). I started this business in April of 1994 with my first product, a disk based editor called MEDIT. After a couple of name changes it is now called UltraEdit and UltraEdit-32. Currently UltraEdit and UltraEdit-32 are the only products available. Many hundreds, or thousands of hours are required to generate a quality product, and to keep it competitive in the market place. I would rather concentrate on a single product than generate an inferior, or low quality group of products. About UltraEdit/UltraEdit-32: UltraEdit is a disk based editor with a 16-Bit version for Windows 3.x and a 32-Bit version for Windows NT and Windows 95 (not Win32s). The feature list for both products is almost identical, and both products are fully supported. Version 4.10 Changes ú File Sort with ascending, descending, remove duplicate, ignore case ú Convert ANSI to OEM, OEM to ANSI (format menu) ú DOS to MAC conversion ú Color selection for background, normal text, bookmarks (view menu) ú Tools configuration, up to 10 user tools in advanced menu ú Improved DOS commands and output capturing (particularly for Win95) (now can pass path and/or filename and/or extension) ú Invert Case ú Macros can choose not to show the cancel dialog ú Option to automatically reload the last set of open files on startup ú Ctrl+Double Click now selects a complete string (configurable delimiters) ú 20 Templates now available (previously 10) ú HEX mode highlights both sides of display (HEX and ASCII) ú Improved macro support ú Syntax highlighting now has configurable delimiters to better support langauges with words that contain not alpha characters ú Show spaces, tabs and new lines (View menu) ú Installer really gives option to add UltraEdit to right mouse button in Explorer ú Bug fixes Features: ú Disk based text editing - No limit on file size, minimum RAM used even for multi-megabyte files ú Column mode editing!!!, Insert columns/ delete/ cut/ add sequential numbers ú 100,000 word spell checker ú Syntax highlighting - configurable, pre-configured for C/C++ and VB and some HTML ú Hexadecimal Editor - Allows editing of any binary file ú HEX Cut, Copy and Paste support, HEX Insert and Delete of characters ú HEX Find, Replace and Replace All ú Multiple files open and displayed at the same time ú Open multiple files at once from the file open dialog (UltraEdit or UltraEdit-32 on Windows 95) ú Insert file into an existing document at cursor position ú Splitter Windows ú Configurable toolbar ú Drag and Drop support from the file manager ú Automatic word wrap at specified column with hard return ú Insert and overstrike modes for editing ú Multi-level undo and redo ú Find and Replace with Regular Expressions - Also allows selection of text between caret and find target when shift key is pressed ú Goto Line Number or Page ú Font Selection for display and printer. (Supports all fonts installed including TRUE-TYPE fonts) ú Print support with headers, footers, margins and page breaks. ú Automatic Line Indentation ú Tab Settings ú Word Wrap Support ú Bookmarks - Unlimited number of Bookmarks ú Multiple Windows of the same file ú Comprehensive macro support, including saving and loading, multiple macros with HOT KEYS ú Context Sensitive Help ú Automatic backup file generated with (.BAK) extension in the directory of the original file ú UltraEdit retains its screen position each time it is used ú Line & column number display (line number display may be disabled) ú Pop-up menus with right mouse button. ú Text conversion to lower or upper case, invert case and capitalization. ú UNIX/MAC to DOS conversion ú DOS to UNIX conversion ú Auto detect UNIX or Binary/Hex files when loaded ú Convert Word Wrap to CR/LF's allowing word wrap to be written to file with hard returns ú Convert CR/LF's to Word Wrap (removes CR/LF's from file) ú Template Support ú Find matching braces ú Spawn a DOS command and capture output - run a compiler ú Start a Windows Program ú Literal character insertion to insert control codes - CTRL+I ú Read Only default option and edit menu item ú Save Selection As file ú Delete Line ú Insert Date and Time ú Command line option for line and column positioning ú More ... Version 4.10a Changes ú Bug Fixes (several existed in versions prior to v4.10): ú AltGR+Key combinations did not work - French/German Keyboard Issue ú Commands using Ctrl+Alt+Key remapped - See help ú Fix possible lock up with use of configurable delimiters with syntax highlighting ú "Find In files" screen display could disappear ú UltraEdit now loads files with commas in the name ú Changes for command line support of line/column cursor position - see help ú Fixed intermittent problem with two small square boxes showing up at end of file (old problem) Registration: You are limited to 45 Days of use for an unregistered version (30 days if previously expired version of UltraEdit exists). Single user registrations are $30.00. This allows a single user to use both 16-Bit and 32-Bit versions. Please inquire for quantity discounts (10 or more users) or site license information. Registered users are entitled to FREE upgrades for one year by downloading the latest version. If a new authorization code is required it will be issued upon request at no charge to users who have registerd within the previous 12 months. Upgrades after 12 months are $15 per user. The following methods of registration are available: Mail, E-Mail, Telephone or FAX. UltraEdit is a shareware program. If you find it useful and continue to use it you are obligated to register it with the author by sending $30.00 (Ohio Residents add $1.65 Sales Tax) to: Ian D. Mead 8209 Chestnut Hill Ct. West Chester, OH 45069 USA Telephone/Fax:(513) 779 8549 Or For VISA/MasterCard orders, include: 1) Name of card holder 2) Address of card holder 3) Name and address of user if different from card holder 4) Card #. 5) Expiration date of card Orders may be Faxed or telephoned to US telephone number (513) 779 8549. Orders may be E-Mailed to idm@iglou.com. EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed Edupage Contents MOTOROLA FIRST WITH POWERPC COMPUTER Motorola will be the first company to manufacture a computer based on the PowerPC chip that the company jointly developed with Apple and IBM. Machines using the PowerPC platform will be able to run Macintosh software from Apple as well as Windows software from IBM. Apple says its operating system software for PowerPC machines will be ready early in 1997. (Wall Street Journal 9 Aug 96 C3) U.K. INTERNET PROVIDERS PLAN TO RESTRICT CYBERPORN Reacting to pressure from Scotland Yard, the Internet Service Providers Association, representing 60 of an estimated 140 providers in the United Kingdom, will be asking its members to voluntarily block access to sites and services featuring hard-core pornography. An executive of Demon Internet, which has the largest subscriber base in the U.K., dismisses the proposed action as ineffective: "This is not a solution, it is just hiding the problem." (Financial Times 10 Aug 96) AOL SEES ITS IMPORTANCE "MORE CLEARLY THAN EVER" Following last Wednesday's 19-hour blackout of America Online on August 9th because of system problems that developed during routine maintenance, AOL chief executive Steve Case concluded that "the disruption caused by the temporary unavailability of AOL illustrates more clearly than ever before how important AOL has become in the daily lives of our members." Case said: "We still have a long way to go to make AOL as reliable as must-have utilities such as electricity and the telephone. But that's what we intend to do." Members will get credit for the lost service, which, for individuals who subscribe to AOL's standard billing plan, will amount to about a 30-cent credit. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 9 Aug 96 D2) WEB SITES COULD MAKE MONEY FROM CHAT Forrester Research, Inc. says it won't be long before every major content site has uses tools that make chat available to its visitors. The capability will encourage repeat-visits to the sites, allow businesses to use their sites for training and customer service, and encourage the development of "chat clubs" that will create revenue for the site from cover charges and advertising. (Computer Industry Daily 12 Aug 96) HISTORY OF THE INTERNET In their absorbing new book, "Where Wizards Stay Up Late," Katie Hafner and Matthew Lyon tell the fascinating early history of the Internet. The book, published by Simon & Schuster, has now arrived in bookstores, and an excerpt will appear in the next issue of Educom Review. (Educom Review Sep/Oct 96) WEB DESIGN IS "ATROCIOUS" Neville Brody, the graphics designer who worked on the movie "Mission: Impossible," says that "ninety-nine percent of Web sites are atrocious. They have bad design and even worse logic." Part of the problem is that "there's nothing worse than engineers designing things and the Internet is by and large designed by engineers. They can't see beyond technological advance. Communication often isn't part of the language of the Internet, which is something of a paradox." (The Guardian 7 Aug 96) PRIVACY VS. FREEDOM-OF-INFORMATION ON THE WEB A computer consultant in Oregon paid the state $222 for its complete motor vehicles data base, which he then posted to a Web site, prompting charges of privacy violations from people who complained that he had invaded their privacy. The database allows anyone with an Oregon license plate number to look up the vehicle owner's name, address, birthdate, driver's license number, and title information. The consultant's motive in posting the information, which anyone can obtain for a fee by going to a state office, was to improve public safety by allowing identification of reckless drivers. Oregon Governor John Kitzhaver says that instant access to motor vehicle records over the Internet is different from information access obtained by physically going to state offices and making a formal request for information: ``I am concerned that this ease of access to people's addresses could be abused and present a threat to an individual's safety.'' (Associated Press 8 Aug 96) HIGH-TECH RECRUITING Although some companies complain that colleges and universities are not sufficiently preparing their graduates to cope with the large array of computer operating systems and programming languages in the real world, corporate America is relentlessly pursuing graduates of technical programs. One example: the number of companies doing on-campus recruiting at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has doubled since 1994. (Wall Street Journal 9 Aug 96 B5) SIGN OFF NOW! (BUT FIRST FINISH READING EDUPAGE) University of Pittsburg psychologist Kimberly Young sees an epidemic of personal problems -- including academic failure and divorce - developing in people "addicted" to online activity, and says you're addicted if the answer "yes" to more than three of the following questions: Do you feel preoccupied with the Net and think about it while offline? Do you feel a need to spend more and more time online to achieve satisfaction? Are you unable to control your online use? Do you feel restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop your online use? Do you go online to escape problems or relieve feelings such as helplessness, guilt, anxiety or depression? Do you lie to family members or friends to conceal how often and how long you stay online? Do you risk the loss of a significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity because of your online use? Do you keep returning even after spending too much money on online fees? Do you go through withdrawal when offline, such as increased depression, moodiness, or irritability? Do you stay on line longer than originally intended? (San Jose Mercury News 10 Aug 96) MICROSOFT BOOSTS APPLE SOFTWARE EFFORTS In an effort to boost Apple Computer's appeal to potential buyers, long-time rival Microsoft is setting up a separate unit that will focus on assisting small software companies to write Internet programs for Apple computers. The unusual move is motivated, in part, by Microsoft's worry that it would face serious antitrust problems if Apple were to go out of business. Microsoft's new strategy means that software writers are free to create programs just for Macs, a reversal of its previous policy that required independent developers to write software for Windows as well as Mac systems. The new unit may also make no-strings-attached cash grants of up to $100,000 to small software developers to aid their efforts. The goal is to "help make sure that Apple's market share stays between 8 and 11%," says the unit's director. (Wall Street Journal 12 Aug 96 A3) CALLING FROM THE WEB New software from VocalTec allows users to initiate a voice conversation while perusing a Web site. For instance, a person scanning a clothing retailer's Web site could click on a "phone call" icon, and connect directly to someone at the company via the Internet. The feature is included in VocalTec's Internet Phone Telephony Gateway Server. PC owners must have extra software for their Web browsers to make the voice link work. A free version is available for testing at < http://www.vocaltec.com >. (Tampa Tribune 12 Aug 96 B&F5) MICROSOFT USES "CONTENT" STRATEGY IN BROWSER WAR Microsoft has struck deals that will allow it to bundle the Wall Street Journal's Interactive Addition and ESPN Sports Zone into its new version 3.0 of Internet Explorer browser software, which will become available free over the Internet at midnight tonight. Gartner Group analyst David Smith says: "This ushers in a new era of content competition. If you look at how Microsoft built their franchise in operating systems, it was by adding applications and locking people in. Now content is the application of the Internet." (New York Times 13 Aug 96 C2) WEBTV READY TO GO Philips Consumer Electronics unveiled its Magnavox WebTV product last week, and says the devices will be available for purchase Oct. 1, priced at $329. "Our research shows while American consumers have a general awareness of the Internet, the cost of hardware is perceived to be prohibitive," says a Philips senior VP. The WebTV must be connected to the Internet using its own service, called WebTV Network. (St. Petersburg Times 12 Aug 96 p11) SCALPEL TECHNOLOGY PACKS MORE POWER ON A CHIP Bell Labs researchers have come up with a way to use electron beams to imprint microchips, inscribing four times more features onto a chip than today's standards. The electron beam machine, dubbed Scalpel, will enable the chip industry "to continue the success that it's had over the past decades of reducing the size of the chip every couple of years. It looked like with conventional optical lithography techniques that they'd run out of gas sometime around the end of the century," says the head of Bell Labs' advanced lithography research unit. "Electron beams have been around for a long time. But in terms of writing chips on wafers they were slow so nobody used them commercially... So what we've done with Scalpel is figure out a way to ... make an electron an electron beam printing technique that isn't slow and will have the ability to imprint smaller and smaller features." (Investor's Business Daily 13 Aug 96 A8) COMPUTER COMPANIES JOIN ISDN PRICING FRAY Computer companies are joining consumer activists in urging the telephone companies to speed up deployment of ISDN (integrated services digital network) services by lowering prices. In California, Pacific Bell is under attack by a group that includes Intel Corp., the California ISDN Users Group, the California Cable Television Association, Jetstream Communications, Inc., FlowPoint, and Siemens Rolm Communications, Inc. The controversy reflects what is happening in other states, with the phone company saying its ISDN rates must reflect the cost of introducing the service, which it claims are high, and expressing concern that low flat-rate charges will encourage customers to tie up lines 24 hours a day. Intel has complained to the Public Utilities Commission that "an entire industry is poised to deliver mass- market ISDN products. Unreasonable ISDN pricing, as proposed by Pacific Bell... may preclude the development of a mass-market ISDN industry, and will certainly retard its growth." Uneven pricing by telcos is also an issue - Bell Atlantic's proposed flat rate charge for the District of Columbia is $249 a month, while in Tennessee, BellSouth charges $25 to $29 a month. A Bell Atlantic spokesman says , "It's very simplistic for computer companies to point fingers at us if their sales are not increasing. These are wonderful companies, but we don't tell them how to run their businesses. It's not appropriate for them to tell us how to run ours." (BNA Daily Report for Executives 8 Aug 96 C1) BANK TESTS WIRELESS PAYMENT SYSTEM The Bank of Nova Scotia is taking electronic banking one step further, unveiling a new portable point-of-sale debit- and credit-card terminal that will allow restaurant customers to pay electronically while still at their tables and drivers to pay at the gas pump while still in their cars -- leading to more convenience and fewer lost or forgotten cards. Instructions to and from the customer's bank will be transmitted from the hand-held terminals through a small radio base station on the merchant's premises, then either via cellular or land-line phone to the bank. Each base station can handle up to 32 terminals within a 300-meter radius, but a long-range version will be available within a few months to allow pizza delivery drivers to offer the same service at customers' doors. (Toronto Globe & Mail 9 Aug 96 B3) MCI PLAN COULD KILL TELESAT'S $1.6B AMERICAN SATELLITE DEAL MCI Telecommunications has asked the FCC to seek approval from the International Telecommunication Union to use two slots immediately adjacent to the ones Telesat Canada hopes to use in its deal with Tele- Communications Inc. and TelQuest -- a move that could kill Telesat's $1.6-billion satellite program. MCI wants to use the satellites to "spot-beam" TV signals to 16 major U.S. cities, which would knock Telesat's satellites out of the American markets because of their proximity. (Toronto Financial Post 10 Aug 96 p4) EUROPE ONLINE DECLARED BANKRUPT Europe Online, a high-profile venture backed by big names such as Britain's Pearson PLC, Germany's Burda AG, the Hachette unit of France's Lagardere Groupe, and AT&T, recently was declared bankrupt by a Luxembourg court and ordered to liquidate its holdings in order to pay creditors. The company, which claimed about 25,000 subscribers, is about $40 million in debt. "They did just about everything wrong," says the co-founder of a competing service, the British Pipex unit of UUNet Technologies. "For what they spent, we could have given every business in Europe an Internet account for free." The company is still hoping for a bailout, however, by one of its biggest creditors, Deutsche Telekom AG. (Wall Street Journal 12 Aug 96 B2) APPLE TO REDUCE R&D SPENDING Ellen Hancock, Apple's new vice president for research and development says that chief executive Gil Amelio wants research spending to come down. "He has given us specific targets he want us to reach over the next few years." Hancock says the company is cutting R&D expenses in a way that will not hamper innovation. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 14 Aug 96 E2) THE GRAYING OF THE NET A new study of Internet use patterns conducted by Nielsen Media Research and Commercenet says that recent Internet growth seems to be coming from newcomers who are older, less affluent, and inclined to spend less time online than previous long-term Net users. An executive summary of the report is available at the Commercenet site < http://www.commercenet.com >. Vanderbilt professors Donna Hoffman and Thomas P. Novak, who had severely criticized the earlier study to which this is a follow-on, say that Nielsen appears to have taken their earlier criticisms into account in this new report. (New York Times 14 Aug 96 C2) The survey also found business users increasingly are buying products and services through the World Wide Web, and industry analysts say the new results provide some of the most convincing evidence to date of the explosive growth of the Net and the ways in which it is being used by a broader cross-section of the population. Among those surveyed in April, 17% said they had used the Net at least once in the past six months, up from 10% in August 1995, while usage of the Web increased to 13% from 8% during that period, indicating people continue to use the Internet primarily to send e-mail or browse the Web. (Ottawa Citizen 14 Aug 96 B8) JUSTICE SCRUTINIZES IBM-STORAGETEK DEAL IBM's alliance with Storage Technology Corp., which has united two former rivals in a critical segment of the competitive disk-drive market, is raising eyebrows at the Justice Department's antitrust division. "We're looking at the possibility of anticompetitive practices in the direct-access storage industry," says a Justice Dept. spokeswoman. IBM says it's cooperating with the inquiry and doesn't anticipate any negative findings. The alliance, which allows IBM to sell StorageTek devices under its own label, has enabled IBM to maintain a strong position in the market for high- end storage devices, and has given StorageTek access to IBM's worldwide marketing clout. (Wall Street Journal 14 Aug 96 B4) DOMAIN NAMES CAUSING CYBER-HEADACHES Seeking to extricate itself from a growing legal quagmire in cyberspace, the company that assigns names for Internet sites issued a new policy Wednesday for resolving disputes over addresses. Network Solutions Inc., which hands out domain names under an agreement with the U.S. National Science Foundation, said it would shut down a site within 90 days if someone holding a registered trademark to the site's name makes a challenge. But trademark lawyers and Internet specialists say the company's new policy will do little to quell the emerging controversy. Such disputes are occurring with increasing frequency, usually when a trademark holder discovers that someone else is using their trademark as the name of an Internet site. (Vancouver Sun 15 Aug 96 D5) ELECTRONIC SEAL OF APPROVAL The National Computer Security Association has launched a certification program for Web site security. For $8,500 the NCSA will check firewalls, encryption, Internet Protocol address logging, passwords and other areas to determine whether a site is hacker-proof. Sites that pass the inspection may sport an NCSA certification seal. "We want to make users feel confident about electronic commerce," says NCSA's president. "If we give Web sites a standard to meet, it might help make electronic commerce more likely." Meanwhile, the Council of Better Business Bureaus has launched BBBOnLine, a service that monitors online advertising claims through its 137 bureaus nationwide and provide online reliability reports. (Information Week 5 Aug 96 p22) DIGITAL LIBRARY TRANSITION WILL TAKE AWHILE, SAYS PROJECT TULIP Project TULIP (The University Licensing Program), a five-year experiment in providing online access to scholarly journals, has concluded, and the results indicate that the transition from conventional to digital libraries will take much longer and cost more than commonly thought. "A common view, which all TULIP participants share, is that the transition to a digital library will go slower than they had expected before starting the project," says the project's final report, which emphasizes the need for faster speeds and increase storage capacity on campus networks. In addition, the project found that it's important for institutions to know what library users want, and to promote electronic access to raise awareness on campus. The report is available at < http://www.elsevier.nl/locate/tulip/ >. (Chronicle of Higher Education 16 Aug 96 A21) TIME WARNER TO OFFER INTERNET ACCESS Following a successful trial in Elmira, N.Y., Time Warner Cable will begin offering Internet access to cable subscribers in Akron and Canton, Ohio next month. (Investor's Business Daily 14 Aug 96 A1) NCR WINS POSTAL SERVICE CONTRACT The NCR Corporation, newly severed from AT&T and destined to become an independent, publicly traded company at the end of the year, has won a $119 million contract with the U.S. Postal Service for computer workstations, flat-screen displays, and other equipment. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 14 Aug 96 E2) COREL TO CONTRACT WORDPERFECT QUERIES Swamped by more than 5,000 calls per day, Corel Corp. has hired an outside company to provide technical support for its WordPerfect users. Effective Friday, Softbank Service Group will field WordPerfect inquiries on behalf of Corel. Analysts point out Corel's announcement highlights the increased emphasis on customer support in the escalating software wars as Corel and Microsoft work to boost customer service in the highly competitive market for office suite software. (Toronto Financial Post 14 Aug 96 p4) NET CENSORS IN SINGAPORE In September censors in Singapore will trying to prevent the 120,000 Internet users on that island from accessing Web sites that carry pornographic material, discussions of banned topics (including race and religion), or criticism of the government. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 15 Aug 96 C3) 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: To: rmariano@streport.com Subject: Arrogant attitude Yea, I can tell you real unbiased: >The users hold the solution in their hands. Let them decide which >browser is the top banana. There is no doubt that Microsoft's >Internet Explorer will dominate. And I love the way IE associates every graphics file extension with itself and destroys my associations with my graphics editing programs. -- Charles Manske NetscapeGold programmer cmanske@netscape.com or at Third Eye Multimedia cm@third-eye.com We are such things as dreams are made on. Editor: Hi Charles. glad to see you are reading our humble offerings. Do you speak for Netscape? Or, is this your personal feelings? ú User appreciates ENOUGH! article Date: Thu, 15 Aug 1996 00:34:49 -0600 To: rmariano@streport.com From: Daryl Shuttleworth Subject: Browser Wars X-UIDL: 816aae31d40458df27acc95126988c9b Nice article (CLUBIE: Browsers Wars). Definitely agree with your views regarding the silly "war" that NS and MS are engaged in. Compatability is the real issue. I'm an IE user (ever since 2.0) and only use NS (2.01) to check how my web pages look... but I'm even starting to give that process a toss. However, IE3 shows signs of having some weaknesses (like Style Sheets not functioning as they should). I do see NS's concerns regarding MS and their next foray (IE4) into making the Internet part and parcel of Win96/97. Apparently NS is in the midst of suing MS (is this the first suit?). Anyway, thought I'd pass along my views. Enjoyed yours. email: daryl.shuttleworth@bbs.logicnet.com Check out the refurbished Site (with ActiveX) @ http://www.logicnet.com/daryl.shuttleworth/index1.htm Editor: Hi Daryl. Good to hear form you and thank you for reading STReport. The article was aimed at arousing public opinions. I am glad to see it has done its job well. I appreciate and understand your points quite well. ú EDITOR NEEDS A NEW JOB? From: "Dave Burns" To: Subject: Web Browser Wars - Enough! Date: Fri, 2 Aug 1996 09:26:12 -0400 Ralph: Just read your article at ClubIE. I thought from the title that the point of the article would have been that you were simply tired of all the press hype, and otherwise the myriad of idle wanna be writers, who want to shove their opinions down the throats of the readers regarding whose is the best browser. I have lost interest in this argument, and thought yours would be a sort of swan song by which I would finally find a cool-headed colleague to help carry the torch away from the arena. But, clearly you have nothing better to do with your time than to simply succumb and join the fray. Well, at least it's clear whose side you're on and whose battle you're willing to fight. I hope you find a good journalistic assignment soon, because you certainly haven't contributed anything new or meaningful to this arena. David Burns Pinellas Park, FL dburns@intnet.net Editor: David!! You express yourself so well. Congratulations for having the chutzpah to say it like it is. Its a rare trait these days. Even if you missed the mark by a million miles, you still said it like you saw it. Of course Netscape may have appreciated your comments but now, after they fired off another major salvo from their web site, I do believe the war is being perpetuated. As for an assignment and future.. I have mine. Thank you for your good wishes and for reading STReport. ú STReport's "Crystal Ball" Does IT Again! From: m.harvey@ix.netcom.com (Michael D. Harvey) Subject: Atari.. To: rmariano@streport.com Hello Ralph.. Well, it does appear that you were correct some time ago when you stated that Atari was quitting the Video game market.. Just wanted to acknowledge that your predictions have come true since it appears the Jaguar will only receive possibly 3 more games ..if they make it out. Also wanted to request that you continue the ASCII versions of ST Report. I've been reading them for more years now than I'm starting to want to acknowledge. Even keep a large number of them as resource info on various products & services.. Got about 14 megs worth on my HD I think. thanks Mike Harvey Editor; Mike, thanks for writing. As for the ASCII version of STReport at our subscription page on our website. YES is the answer. Also, we now have a selection box where the user may choose either the PDF edition with pictures, charts, color and fonting or, the plain ASCII edition. 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. Please use proportional fonting only and at eleven points. ú No Indenting on any paragraphs!! ú No Indenting of any lines or "special gimmickery" ú No underlining! ú Columns shall be achieved through the use of tabs only. Or, column format in Word 6-7 Do NOT use the space bar. ú No ASCII "ART"!! ú There is no limits as to size, articles may be split into two if lengthy ú Actual Artwork should be in GIF, PCX, JPG, TIF, BMP, WMF file formats ú Artwork (pictures, graphs, charts, etc.)should be sent along with the article separately ú Please use a single font only in an article. TTF CG Times 12pt. is preferred. (VERY Strong Hint) If there are any questions please use either E-Mail or call. On another note. the ASCII version of STReport is fast approaching the "end of the line" As the major Online Services move away from ASCII.. So shall STReport. All in the name of progress and improved readability. The amount of reader mail expressing a preference for our Adobe PDF enhanced issue is running approximately 15 to 1 over the ASCII edition. Besides, STReport will not be caught in the old, worn out "downward compatibility dodge" we must move forward. However, if the ASCII readership remains as high, rest assured. ASCII will stay. Right now, since STReport is offered on a number of closed major corporate networks as "required" Monday Morning reading.. Our ascii readers have nothing to worry themselves about. Many grateful thanks in advance for your enthusiastic co-operation and input. Ralph F. Mariano, Editor STReport International Online Magazine Atari User Support Jaguar/Computer Section Dana Jacobson, Editor From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!" Since the majority of our focus this week deals with Atari and the Jaguar, I'll forego my usual comments in this portion of the issue. Don't worry, I more than make up for it the Jaguar portion! Meanwhile, time to grab another beer and enjoy another incredible summer day. Ahhhh, vacations.... Until next time... Changes to CompuServe's Atari Computer and Gaming Forums Seen Likely! News Flash: August 14 It's the end of an era.... Don Thomas, Atari representative, has announced his departure from Atari (JTS) for a new position at Sony Computer Entertainment (the Playstation people). Our other "Don", Don Lebow, who has been functioning as the lead sysop of the Atari Forums for the past year or so, will be moving on to greener online pastures. We have nothing but the best wishes and fondest farewells to both "dons" and want them to know that they will always be welcome in any of our online areas on CompuServe. With barely a handful of folks left in the Atari division at JTS and new directions in store for that company as well as the CompuServe Information Service, we expect to make additional announcements regarding the future of this forum in the weeks ahead. Please stay tuned for further details and be advised that we will be VERY receptive to any feedback from our most valued membership. Ron Luks, Founder and Manager of the Atari Forums on CompuServe Jaguar Section Atari's Don Thomas To Go To Sony! Farewells & Reminiscing! Exclusive Interview with Don! Fight For Life - Review! From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is! This issue is going to come across as either a suck-up or a memoriam to Don Thomas. Trust me, it's neither. It's a tribute to a gentleman who has earned the kudos he's received. It's a sad day for Atari users, especially those of us who have been around the scene for awhile. A couple of weeks ago, in my editorial, I announced the "death" of Atari after the finality of the Atari/JTS merger. It got worse, if that's possible. I don't know where to begin, or really what to say. Up until a few days ago, there were FIVE employees at Atari. That's right, I did say five. And now there are four. If you haven't heard yet, Don Thomas has officially left. Don has moved on and has accepted a position at Sony Computer Entertainment - the Playstation folks. It's sad, but I really feel elated that Don has latched on with Sony, a company that is extremely viable and knows what needs to be done to promote its products (and with the means to do so). I give Don a lot of credit for sticking with Atari through the bad times, promoting the company and products. Unofficially, Don was _the_ Atari spokesman (or spokesperson for the PC-challenged) for Atari. Don was informative, active, forthcoming and honest while maintaining his integrity at Atari. Yes, he towed the company line, but he let you know that up-front. Maybe it was his customer service background or possibly he "learned" from the mistakes of some of his "predecessors"; or maybe it was just the way that he was as a person. Whatever the reason, Atari was lucky to have him for as long as it did - as were we. Sony will soon realize how fortunate they are to have hired him. It's only deserving, after a 3-plus-year working relationship, that we give Don the credit he's earned. I may not be the best-suited to do so, but I do want offer some tribute to Don - he earned my respect and admiration from the very beginning. My first contact with Don Thomas came a little over three years ago. The Jaguar was just getting started and I was looking for the means to supplement the Atari portion of STReport. As many of you will likely recall, STReport usually had a stormy relationship with corporate Atari, as well as some lower down the ladder. Quite often, STReport was at odds with the different philosophies; and, we always maintained our "say it like it is" reporting - usually to the dismay of those at Atari. This usually meant that we were "on our own" with regard to getting first-hand information from Atari, review products, and other press accommodations. I wanted to attempt to change that. Figuring that the worse that could happen was a rejection, I called Don Thomas. We had never met nor spoken to each other in the past. We had a long phone conversation and we discussed my proposals for additional coverage in STReport for the Jaguar. I outlined my plans, goals, and likely needs from Atari in order to do what I considered to be a good job. Don listened and was frank about his fears of "supporting" STReport because of its "reputation". It's my opinion, and he may have said so at the time, he knew that it was important for the Atari online userbase to get as much news and information about the Jaguar as possible. STReport, being a well-established online magazine with an international reach; it was obvious we needed each other. Don promised to consider my proposals and get back to me quickly. He did. Atari, as I quickly learned, was a "go through proper channels" company. It was no different in this regard. Don called me a day or two after our initial conversation - I "was in". I would be the contact person for STReport and Don would be the primary contact person at Atari. I was added to online mailing list as well as the public relations firm's mailing list; and we were added to the Jaguar product-review program. All that Don asked for in return was that we'd be fair and honest in our reporting. I told Don.. "that type of reporting" had always been my goal (I'm sure that Don, or someone at Atari checked out the next few issues to be sure!). That was the beginning of a terrific working relationship. And, it grew. There was always an e-mail waiting somewhere. The "sends" during Jeff Norwood's conferences on CompuServe! The phone calls were always interesting and enjoyable! When we weren't discussing Atari or the Jaguar, we were telling jokes - usually 'sick' ones. Some of the conversations were outrageous. Lots of family stuff - his son's soccer and my wife's "just outta earshot" comments reacting to what she thought we were talking about. The countless talks about what the PR firm(s) weren't doing to help anyone out, and Don having to fix it (like he didn't have enough to do!). The "what you always wondered what they really thought about some callers" at Customer Service ramblings! Oh, and there was plenty more. And there was the serious stuff also. We'd talk at least once a week - one of us would call the other to make sure I had the latest info before our issues came out. The red tape trying to get some games for review, and the frustration that we both felt because of the delays. The "off the record" info provided to help me understand what was happening so that when the info did become public (to a degree) I'd be able to write about it intelligently. The numerous CATnips. STReport's role with the short-lived JagWire campaign. The contests and prizes (the Jaguar banner winner never claimed his prize!!). The list goes on... Don represented Atari extremely well. He was often the victim of "shooting the messenger" but he bore it well. I knew what he was experiencing, first-hand. He was active in so many ways, putting in long hours even when he was home. He worked hard to help the users, and make the Jaguar experience enjoyable. And now, the Sony Playstation users will benefit... I know I speak for most everyone when I say the experience was a good one. Don, you should be proud of your work at Atari. On a personal slant, I'm glad to have worked with you with regard to STReport. More importantly, it's been a great experience knowing you and I know it will continue to grow long after Atari and STReport are but memories. Now....about that dinner invitation... Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News! CATnips from Don Thomas - Epilogue.... You may like to know that I have submitted my resignation to Atari and have determined that Thursday, August 15 will be my final day. I have been at Atari since November 1989. I helped launch the Portfolio, which enjoyed tremendous success early in it's life cycle. Later, I took on the role as a specialist and helped represent Portfolio technology at specialty trade shows, key account presentations and in exclusive development scenarios. More recently, I have streamlined an effective customer service department pursuant to the resources afforded by corporate direction. During much of this time, I have made every effort to be accessible and active on CompuServe as well as GEnie, Prodigy, our Web Site and a BBS I maintained privately in my home. Prior to Atari, I worked at Federated Electronics stores and was known within the organization for my prejudice for Atari brand computers and games. Much of my software library was provided to Federated as samples and the software buyer asked me to test the latest titles. I purchased my first Atari product in the early 80's. The 2600 was financed on my First Visa Card from a Video Concept store in Dallas, Texas. I was so impressed with the technology that I taught myself programming and developed a newspaper delivery game to present to my employer, the Dallas Times Herald, long before Paperboy ever hit the coin-op arcades. Only the crash of the video game industry in the mid 80's kept me from entering the industry during those years. My first computer was the TI99/4a and, later, the Commodore 64. But it wasn't until I opened an Atari 400 box in my apartment that I developed a passion and soon found myself hoarding every cool thing I could find. From Scott Adam's adventures to my MPP1000c modem and Rana disk drives, I was virtually possessed. After the Tramiels took over Atari, I bought into their 16-bit computer line hook, line and sinker.... and never regretted a single moment. When the Tramiels acquired Federated in the late 80's, I thought I died and went to heaven. For the first time, I met the likes of Neil Harris and Mr. Jack Tramiel himself. During the day, I helped expand Atari exposure in Atari's new chain of electronic stores. At night I honed my programming skills into a line of software I called Artisan Software. I successfully, released a total of 5 titles under that label, all for Atari 16-bit computers. In 1989, Atari was compelled to discontinue Federated operations and my career became a casualty in Jack's business war. While seeking employment anywhere I could, I dedicated time and energies into the Atari Revolution... a grass roots movement dedicated to foster word-of-mouth for Atari's fine line of products. In November, Atari hired me back and I met Bob Brodie, Frank Foster and a brigade of personalties who have long left a permanent mark in the historical remembrances of the world's longest surviving home computer/video game company. On August 26, I will be joining the professionals at Sony Computer Entertainment. As you undoubtedly know, the Sony Playstation is America's number one choice in next generation technology. After examining the opportunities that are out there, the PSX looks to me to be the most promising long term video game investment and I am proud to become part of the PSX team. Atari, the name and the products is directly responsible for so many things in my life. Inclusive are personal development and the acquisition lifelong friends. The Tramiel family is equally responsible for having enriched my life with wisdoms that I will forever value. There will always be a special part of my heart for Atari. There will always be an envy that I wasn't there during more glorious days and always I will take pride in knowing that I worked my hardest during Atari's most difficult times. As you undoubtedly know, Atari has just completed a merger with JTS; a reputable supplier of hard disk drive technologies. The terms of the merger relegates Atari as a division of JTS and no longer is Atari an independent corporate entity. Shares of stock are now traded by the symbol JTS. Atari's staff as of next week will consist effectively of 4 people; all of which are among the most proud and honorable I have ever known. On behalf of Atari, past and present, thank you to everyone who supported us. Atari will always be an institution in our hearts remembering the evolution of Pong, Asteroids, Star Raiders, Major Havoc, Millipede and many more. Look for Atari's afterlife in licensed titles for other systems. I have every intention to continue frequenting the Atari support areas and you will no doubt find me popping up in a PSX forum near you! I'll look forward to seeing you there. -- Don Thomas@Atari [Editor's note: online reaction to Don's career move can be found in this section's "Online Users Growl & Purr!" area] Jaguar Game Title STR Review - "Fight for Life" "Fight for Life" by Joe Mirando Developed by: Atari Corporation Published by: Atari Corporation Price: $69.99 -= Available Now =- Rating : TEEN (age 13+) Genre : Fighter # of Players : 1 or 2 Save Feature : High Score and Password Only They are the perennial video game favorites... fighting games. You know... those games where the main object is to beat your opponent to a moist pulp in the name of whatever force the programmers decided to write into the game. That's all fine and good. It's a good way to relieve stress and sharpen your hand-eye coordination without actually hurting anyone. The advances in game technology in the past several years have made these games both more enjoyable and more challenging. The latest of these games on other platforms have incorporated features such as 'roving cameras' and players capable of more than just one or two moves. Atari brings these new features to the Jaguar in the form of FIGHT FOR LIFE, a game in which you are any one of several "ex-mortals" who must fight each of the others and win in order to be granted a second life on earth. While this premise gets you into a suitably depressed mood, it is quite unnecessary to the game. While how you died is not specifically stated, you get the impression that it was quite painful. The opening screen allows you to select which play mode ad camera option you wish to use. The play modes are as follows: Beginner: This mode is where you get used to the game. You can fight all of the other characters (except the GateKeeper) and simplifies the execution of the combination moves. Practice: A two-player mode that uses the same simplified combo moves as the Beginner Mode. It's one match only. Tournament: One player against the Jaguar... this one's for all the beans! Two-Player: Fight-to-the-finish mode. Just you and a friend beating the stuffing out of each other 'till one of you doesn't get up. Rolling Camera: The camera moves around the arena so that Player One is always on the left side of the screen. Static Camera: The camera isn't so much static as it is ambivalent to the position of Player One. So now let's take a look at the game itself. After selecting your preferred mode of difficulty and whether you want rolling or static camera, you are greeted with the character selection screen. While in One-Player modes characters are presented in pairs. Even though you are concerned only with your own character, I found it annoying that I couldn't choose the opponent as well (it really doesn't matter because you are going to end up fighting them all anyway... if you're lucky). The characters you can choose are: Kimura, the Japanese Ninja. He's fast, strong, and good at 'aerial' moves. Ian, the Soldier. He's a powerhouse, but slow. Kara, the American Mother. She's fast, flexible and strong. Pog, the Dock Worker. He's strong and fast. Mr. G., the Professional Boxer His punches carry lots of force. Muhali, the Arabian Fighter. This one fights dirty... lots of kicks and elbows to the stomach. Jenny, Worldwide Girl. She's fast and agile. Lun, the Kung Fu Master Fast and very acrobatic. Once you pick your character (and your first opponent), you move on to the tournament field where you must beat each opponent you face in a 2-out-of-3 bout. The tournament field is a square patch which seems to float above the rest of the scenery. With the electrified field around the field (to keep you from running away), it looks like an anti-gravity boxing arena as designed by Peter Max. This is where the rolling camera comes into play. As you move about the field, the camera follows you and zooms in and out to give you the best possible view. While this may be the latest high-tech advancement, it annoys me. The alternative is to set the camera option to static mode. The camera will still move to follow the action, but it will no longer move so that te player using control pad "1" is always on the left side of the screen. This allows you to play the game without suffering from vertigo. Each character also has special moves in his or her repertoire. The only (and I do mean only) interesting twist in this game is that you can steal two "specialty" moves from each opponent you beat. So at the end of the game you have accumulated 14 extra moves for use in your battle with the "GateKeeper", the reason you are here in the first place. Since I've never been able to stay interested in the game long enough to finish it, I can't tell you anything about the duel with the GateKeeper... Sorry. Play may be paused at any time by pressing the PAUSE button. This also enables you to replay the bout as you would a VCR tape. While in PAUSE mode, using the left and right controls move you backward and forward through the action. Keys 1 through 6 allow you to change your viewing angle and zoom in and out of the action and the 8 key allows you to change the song that is currently playing. There is nothing ground-breaking about the music, so I won't cover the songs except to say that none of the tunes are as annoying as the rolling camera. The basic moves for each character is simple: Press "down" to squat, "A" to avoid an attack, "B" to kick, "C" to punch, and "up" to jump. Aside from these "generic" moves, each character has its own cache of special moves. Most of these are "combination" moves. For instance, when fighting as Ian, pressing left, down, right, A, will result in a bear hug for your opponent. Atari saved us the torment of trying to figure out what these moves are by listing them in the manual which is the standard-issue in english, french, and german. Now let's take an over-all look at the game. The characters are blocky, low-resolution forms that show very little detail. The replay option is muted by this fact and, on zooming in to a close up of the characters, they are formed remarkably like the cartoon figures from the Dire Straits "MTV" video. hey are polygon-styled forms that may have provided an easy way for the designers to manipulate the characters, but they detract from the game to a very large degree. The fact that the characters are constantly redrawn as they move allows you to turn the playing field around so that you can see the scene from any vantage point and, therefore, the backs and sides of the figures. The downside is that, since the characters are redrawn as they move, the controls are usually sluggish and moves are often missed. In conjunction with the poor graphic quality, this keeps Fight for Life from being an enviable game. Although innovative (on the Jaguar), the roving camera and fully-formed characters ultimately detract from the game. This combination of shortcomings makes manipulation of the characters difficult and I often found myself forsaking the combination moves in favor of simply "slugging it out" with the opponent. This is something I never did in Ultra Vortek and was surprised to find myself doing it in this game. One gets the feeling that this game was "rushed out the door" before it could be optimized and tightened up to allow for smoother control and sharper graphics (even if only marginally). I find it hard to believe that a game console with the power of the Jaguar could provide this kind of weak performance under any other circumstances. Adding to this impression is the fact that there don't seem to be any "cheat codes" in the game. Half the fun of a Jaguar game is finding the cheat codes and using them to impress the heck out of your friends and yourself. Considering the title of the game, I had hoped for quite a bit more as a way to "Fight for Life" for the Jaguar. STReport Game Scoreboard Graphics 4.0 Sound 7.0 Music 6.0 Manual 5.0 Control 3.0 Overall 5.0 Unless you are desperate for a second fighting game, pass this one over in favor of Ultra Vortek. Jaguar Online STR InfoFile - Online Users Growl & Purr! Reaction to the resignation of Atari's Don Thomas came swiftly. Here are a few comments and well-wishes from CompuServe's Atari Gaming Forum: Sb: #116777-#CATnips (epilog) Fm: Barry Stubbs 100441,2737 To: Don Thomas 75300,1267 (X) It's sad to see you go Don, but i'm pleased for you that your career is now with a more stable company.Even during my persecution of you over an international order you were the ultimate professional. Very best of luck with your new job. Baz Fm: Larry Tipton 74127,601 To: Don Thomas 75300,1267 (X) Don, You've been perhaps the greatest asset to this forum and to Atari for quite some time in my mind. I have enjoyed reading your posts for a long time as well as chatting with you online. I'm glad to see that you've found another position in the industry. The Sony Playstation is a fine piece of work. :) I look forward to seeing you pop into one of my favorite hang outs on CSERVE. Hint, Hint. ;) --Larry Fm: Mitch Brown 73522,3004 To: Don Thomas 75300,1267 (X) I am glad for you Don. Good luck with your new job, and I hope to see you again here every once in a while. Do you know if anybody else from JTS/Atari will be maintaining a presence here? Mitch Demand Systems Fm: John Trautschold 71333,1003 To: Don Thomas 75300,1267 Don... The very best of luck to you. Enjoy your new job at Sony! You've been a most gracious contributor to the forum's here and elsewhere. Thank you for the great deals, the great information, and for putting up with everything you've had to put up with! :-) Darn! Too bad you couldn't have put together one last "Wacky Deal" before leaving! (I wonder if there's any significance to the fact that you're leaving on my birthday! Hmmm...) John Fm: Peter Richards 100354,1775 To: Don Thomas 75300,1267 (X) G'day Don, Just read your message, and felt my heart sink... I want to thank you for your help over the past couple of years, including shipping me one of the first JAG's to Australia (which was kinda bending the rules a bit at the time), where they have never actually been released. I have had a lot of fun with it over the years, as well as my other Atari stuff, starting like yourself with a spanking new 400 way back in '81, even had a collection of 'Atari Force' comics. I am really sorry to see you leave Atari, that kinda marks the end of it for me, I am however VERY pleased to see you taking an exciting new career over at Sony! I have spent many hours glued to my PSX, and also do work related to Sony Imageworks, as well as 3D graphics development for the PSX, so you might be hearing from me! If you are ever in Australia, feel free to drop in for a game of Asteroids...the Quarters are on me. Farewell from Atariland, and good luck with Sony Hope to see you around, -Peter Kinetix/Autodesk Australia peter.richards@autodesk.com Fm: Daniel Skelton 73742,464 To: Don Thomas 75300,1267 (X) Hello, goodbye, Well, as a similarly-inclined long-time Atariphile, let me add my regrets, congratulations, and best wishes at your departure from Atari and arrival at Sony. I understand fully your decision to depart; indeed, the way things went around here I had often wondered how you could hang in there so long. You have answered our questions when you could, taken undeserved abuse when you could not, and never failed to present the best face forward for your company no matter how bleak the circumstances. Not only were you lucky to have worked at Atari; Atari was lucky to have had you working for it. The best of luck to you in your new endeavor, and I hope that Sony knows they are getting a superior new employee who will undoubtedly improve their product line. Filling out the holes in my Jaguar Collection... Dan Skelton Antique Videogame Aficionado and Proud Jaguar Owner Fm: Richard Turner 100771,2457 To: Don Thomas 75300,1267 Hi. I'm VERY sorry to see you leave Atari Don, but good luck for he future. You represented a real enthusiast in a company which needed them, and I guess that any firm would be lucky to get someone so "wired-in". Now a couple of questions? a) Does you departure mean Atari publishing IS over? I notice that you say "Atari afterlife" which sounds final. b) If you're not updating JAG-WIRE, will it disappear now? c) Will anyone tell us anything about Atari soon- ever? That is, should we look out for an official Atari "bye-bye"? Many (many) regards, Richard. (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/rj_turner/jaghome.htm ) Fm: [ICD, Inc.] 76004,1600 To: Don Thomas 75300,1267 Well said Don. I have enjoyed working with you over the years in supporting the Atari cause. I consider you a good friend with unquestionable ethics (which is hard to find these days). You have always deserved better and it sounds like you may be getting there. Good luck, congratulations, and all that. :-) - TOM - Fm: Ron Luks (SYSOP) 76703,254 To: Don Thomas 75300,1267 Don: Hearing that you are moving from Atari to Sony is the single, best reason I've heard yet to buy a Playstation. Congrats on the new job. Warmest regards, Ron Luks Fm: Tom Kilbride 103504,2400 To: Don Thomas 75300,1267 (X) For selfish reasons, I'm sorry to hear about your new position. Your messages were the #1 reason for my participation here. However I am pleased that someone as fine as you has hooked up with a giant like Sony. I hope you prosper there and are recognized for your value and talents -- and given an opportunity to develop your potential. Thanks for supplying us with Atari information "straight from the horses mouth." You've made the CIS experience worthwhile. Fm: SNAP347 103625,1027 To: Don Thomas 75300,1267 (X) Well, you might be tired of hearing farewell but farewell, mein friend... You've done so much for the whole Atari community and Classic Atari OnLine and I thank for that. I could have never started CAO without you and I'm sure this forum wouldn't have thrived as it did without you. Thank you for putting in the extra hours that you didn't have to (you probably sold a few Jaguars by doing that) and thanks for putting up with my flack for the last 6 mo. or so. Now go kick some Nintendo/Sega butt with Sony!!!! You will not be forgotten, David Schmudde Classic Atari OnLine STReport Exclusive "Last Days at Atari" Interview - Don Thomas by Dana P. Jacobson "A Look Back, the present, and the future..." ú STR: After leaving Atari/Federated, how did you come to be hired by Atari? ú DT: When I left Atari, I kept in touch with Jim Fisher and Sam Tramiel. Jim once told me that Sam really urged him to hire me back. I was surprised to hear that, but honored. ú STR: What was your initial role at Atari? ú DT: I started at Atari running a specialized operation to sell and support the Portfolio. Functions sometimes duplicated similar functions elsewhere in the company, but it was focused just on Portfolio. Atari was initially very successful with the Portfolio. ú STR: What led you to become an Atari computer user? What machine(s) did you use? ú DT: I first bought a TI99/4a to develop a prototype game I imagined for the Atari 2600. TI was running a special and it looked to be the best value at the time. Within a few months, I was successful with my prototype and came close to selling it to Apollo and then to Telesys, but both companies suffered from the video game collapse of the mid 80's and so did my game idea. I discovered that the TI was too expensive to expand, so I went out and got a Commodore 64. After struggling with it for a while, friends at work convinced me to buy an Atari. I eventually got a 400 and fell in love. ú STR: What was The Atari Revolution and what led you to start the "campaign"? ú DT: I saw the dedication a lot of die-hards had for the Atari name, but I also saw it was raw and without guidance. I had a theory that if someone harnessed that energy, it could be put to work to help foster positive word of mouth for Atari. ú STR: You had five successful products with regard to Artisan Software, what were they? ú DT: "Word Quest" was a word search puzzle generator. "Word Quest 2" was a crossword puzzle generator. "Graph Maker" was a graphing generator. "Transport" helped transfer files between the Portfolio and an Atari 16-bitcomputer. My "fifth" title is actually a lump total of companion disks and combo packs as well as some shareware font files, etc. ú STR: Why did you stop programming (i.e., end Artisan)? ú DT: There's no point to refueling a car if the tires are all flat. I was running several expensive ads and enjoying a pretty good return for a long time. At some point STart Magazine published a clone of my best selling program and orders dived. At some time later, a UK magazine actually published Word Quest by calling it something else on the cover disk (the graphics still said Word Quest) and orders dived again. My hottest catalog (E.Arthur Brown) went away and soon I had to cancel my ads because they were not paying off any more. ú STR: In your opinion, what led to the "demise" of Atari computers? ú DT: Lower PC prices. When you get down to it, people buy computers to do the same things they do in the office and, if possible, using the same applications they use in the office. When Atari computers and Commodore computers were big, they were so affordable that all the inconveniences were secondary. When PCs became affordable, the toys were set aside for more "compatible" alternatives. Eventually, the only way Atari and Commodore could compete was to drop prices to bare bones. That worked for a while, but bare bones also means minimal or no marketing because the funds to pay for them come from margins. Less marketing rapidly contributed to less exposure and it all snowballed to an inevitable and unavoidable ending. Now, even Apple is suffering a lot from similar problems. ú STR: What do you feel Atari could have done differently to have been successful with them? ú DT: Decided early on that they would never conquer the world and scale back to fulfill no more than niche markets....specialize in those markets and work them better than mass market computers can. ú STR: What impact did the "end of Atari computers" have on you personally, and at Atari? ú DT: Personally? I felt bad, but I was already well on my way with a PC package at home. I had to do be competitive, informed and valuable to my employer and entities my employer worked with. I never once had an ad agency ask me to send data files to them in an Atari ST format. Atari? They lost a potential to milk a technology for profit. That kind of loss hurts any company when they have to make such decisions. ú STR: Your impressions of the success and failures of the Portfolio and Lynx? ú DT: Long stories. Limited time. Portfolio had to be mass produced to justify price reductions. Mass production hindered competitive upgrades. HP had advantages over Atari in that they already had wide PC-based distribution channels to move product into and through quickly. Atari only had mail order for a long time. Lynx suffered because Atari did not have a successful platform system at the time of launch. Handhelds are secondary and are nice add-on product lines, but it's hard to make money on them as stand-alone products in someone's product catalog. ú STR: What did you think of Atari's decision to devote all of its resources to the Jaguar and disengage itself from all other products? ú DT: I believed it was long overdue. From a business point of view, I believed Atari should have abandoned proprietary hardware very early on in the nineties and started developing and marketing software for existing and already successful systems. I'm sure that feeling is not popular among devotees, but clearly what happened didn't work long term either. Atari should have done Missile Command 3D, Tempest 2000 and all the Jaguar's best for Saturn and PSX. We were never poised to go up to a [Sony] $500 million marketing budget to promote the PSX. Another option may have been to develop an economical add-on "Jaguar" gaming card for PCs. ú STR: What do you feel were the Jaguar's highlights, and low points? ú DT: Highlight's are definitely all the exclusive software. AvP is cool. Tempest 2000 is cool. Defender 2000 is cool. Iron Soldier, I-War and others are no less than a lot of fun. Low points for me was virtually the whole time. There was never a time that our phones weren't clogged with some genius wanting to suggest we publish more software faster. What a concept! ú STR: What do you feel were the reasons why developers didn't flock to the Jaguar and put out games? ú DT: Money. ú STR: The reason(s) developers moved away from the Jaguar? ú DT: Money. ú STR: What was Atari's goal with the Jaguar? ú DT: To make money. ú STR: Realistically, what was the Jaguar's chances for success? Why do you feel the Jaguar didn't sell and become successful? ú DT: People buy hype. All our money was in the technology. Sony had enough to put the money into the technology AND hype. ú STR: Many on the outside felt that the initial [recent] and subsequent layoffs at Atari were the signs of "the beginning of the end" - do you agree with that assesment? Why or why not? ú DT: The beginning of the end was when Warner was losing $2 million each day at Atari in the early 80's. The Tramiels gave the Atari name a new beginning and were singly responsible for putting Atari in a position that allowed us to enjoy 16-bit computers, Lynxs, Portfolios, Jaguars and more. The most recent layoffs and exits are not signs of the beginning of the end, they are symptoms of an end that has already been. ú STR: What factor(s) led to Atari's decision to "abandon" the Jaguar? In your opinion, what/when was the turning point? ú DT: First off, I am unaware of any announcement that Atari may have made that they have "abandoned the Jaguar". While it may appear that way AND I do not have recent evidence to refute such conclusions, I am not prepared to make such a statement in Atari's behalf. In general, manufacturers "abandon" products that no one buys any more. ú STR: What is your assessment of the future of console gaming? Has it "peaked" again? Has computer gaming caught up and become a factor? ú DT: Console gaming will always have it's ups and downs. Generations grow up with a system and then anything new seems relatively trivial. It takes all new generations of young people to be hyped into something new that isn't pushed on to them buy their older brothers (and sisters). While adults say now they grew up with Atari, Intellivision and Coleco, the teenagers of today will someday say they grew up with Nintendo, Sega and Sony. ú STR: Atari Interactive appeared to be a logical direction to take; what happened to it? ú DT: Atari Interactive was a marketing concept by a man, (Ted Hoff), who left the company before the concept was launched. Once he left, it was decided to review that way of marketing PC software and other alternatives were examined again. I think Atari was right not to go forward. ú STR: What do you feel was the compelling factor for Atari's seeking alternatives (buyout, sellout, merger)? ú DT: Money. ú STR: Realistically, was there any hope for the Jaguar and Atari Interactive to continue? ú DT: At one time, yes. ú STR: What are JTS' plans for Atari, if any? ú DT: I know of no announced plans by JTS with regard to Atari or Atari products. ú STR: Is Atari "dead"? ú DT: Not in my mind. ú STR: What led you to leave Atari/JTS? ú DT: Money. ú STR: What will your role be at Sony? ú DT: I will be working for Bill Rehbock in the Developer Support area. I intend to remain active online, so I will express more when I can. ú STR: What do you think of Sony's future (the Playstation)? ú DT: I feel strong enough about it to base my career on it. ú STR: What will it feel like supporting a former competitor, and a likely "contributor" to the Jaguars 'demise? ú DT: It already feels wonderful. I've done my very best and now I will do my best again. I take a lot of pride in doing a job as well as I possibly can. Playing video games along the way is a wonderful bonus. Now, not only can I play my classic favorites on great Atari systems, I can also get into new innovations of a system which is considered popular today. ú STR: What do you feel was your greatest accomplishment as an Atari employee? ú DT: Probably having designed, developed, installed and maintained an order entry system for Customer ú Service in flawless operation since April of '93. ú STR: What was your most memorable moment while at Atari? ú DT: Winning a trip to the Caribbean at a year-end Holiday drawing for the company. ú STR: Your worst experience? ú DT: Working Customer Service single-handedly. ú STR: What will you miss most after leaving Atari? ú DT: Jack Tramiel, Sam Tramiel, Leonard Tramiel, Garry Tramiel, John Skruch, David Bajer, Linda Haldorson, Sammy Delgado, Scott Sanders, Hans-Martin Kroeber, Gayle McKim, Barbara Castillo, Mark Castillo, Ted Hoff, Jeanne Winding, Christine Chambers, Frank Foster, Laury Scott, Ron Beltramo, Li Kramer, Shirley Taylor, Candy Rives, Mel Stevens, James Grunke, Francois Bertrand, Manual Sousa, Tal Funke Bilu, Lynn Latz, Julie Wade, Bruce Coleman, Mark Jansen, Eric Smith, Doug Brown, Gene Dias, Bob Brodie, Dennis Hawker, John Jainschigg, Patty Iwasa, Claudia Katz, Michael Katz, Neil Harris, Ted Tacquechi, Lance Lewis, Greg Pratt, Augie Liguori, Sam Zender, Kat Tyson, Denise Rives, Diane Goralczyk, Carol Bennett, Carolyn Smith, Tom Gillen, Tom Trans, Renee Silveria, Arnold Galano, Sandy LaBrec, J Patton, Bobby Murray, John Feagans, Richard Miller, Gabriella Diffley, David Schwartz, Leslie Schmick and so many more. ú STR: Miss least? ú DT: "So when is AvP coming out?" ú STR: The "Atari press" - what is your feeling to it overall? The "non-Atari specific" press? ú DT: I wish there was more of it, but those things tend to evolve around the demand for them. I do think the non-Atari specific press overly favors advertisers, but it would be silly to ask them to ignore their bread and butter. Overall they do great jobs and most of them may have done a lot more in behalf of Atari if Atari adopted more liberal policies to deal with them. ú STR: How do you feel Atari will be remembered in the "history books"? ú DT: Not enough. I've been reviewing a lot of books for one I'm working on and Atari is unfairly understated as to their role in the evolution of home computers and video games. ú STR: How would you like to be remembered? ú DT: Good grief. I'm not dead yet. ú STR: You're currently writing a book about the gaming industry, with Atari as a major player. Can you give our readers an idea of what the book will entail? Any idea as to when it may be finished, and possibly available? ú DT: It's already two years in the making and 400 pages. It's in chronological format and a cause of many ú sleepless nights. I may never finish it at the rate I'm going. ú STR: Additional comments? ú DT: Good night. ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'! PEOPLE... ARE TALKING On CompuServe compiled by Joe Mirando CIS ID: 73637,2262 Hidi ho friends and neighbors. I'm sorry that I didn't have a column for you last week, but when I got back from vacation I found that our customers really missed us. So I've been working 12 hour shifts to get caught up. It hasn't been easy, but we're beginning to catch up. As is usually the case, the times that I'm the busiest are the times that the most interesting things are going on. For instance, after I make an off-handed comment to someone asking about Oasis, our old friend, Lloyd Pulley, jumps in and we have a nice little discussion. We'll see the discussion just a few messages in. Let's get on with it. Ready... set... go! From the Atari Computing Forums On the subject of Oasis, one of the Atari ST web browsers, Wout Vanloffeld asks: "CAN SOMEONE GET THIS THING STARTED???????...I sit in front of an Atari screen that is telling me that I'm connected to CompuServe... but nothing more than that." Having attempted to do just that, I tell Wout: "I've tried, friend... boy, have I tried. You get a connection message??? I am jealous! I've put Oasis aside until the next version comes out... I just don't have the time to devote to that amount of disappointment. There are many folks who do have it working. I've gotten several ICE.NET files from some of these folks, and had even less success than you. I will post here when the new version comes out and I've had a chance to play with it." Wout posts: "...It can't be *that* difficult to write a PPP program." I post another line of thought to Wout: "Perhaps the biggest problem is not simply writing a PPP program, but writing a PPP program that will run well on an 8 MHz 68000 CPU... It is my understanding that PPP makes use of both error-checking and compression. That's a lot of overhead for an 8MHz machine (I'm assuming). I think that, in the forseable future, IBM clones will be the standard. For a while, I believe that they will be the only "serious" choice. But I also believe that before too long someone will come out with the "next generation" of computers and will do to IBM clones what IBM clones have done to us (and to the Amiga and the Mac). That will probably happen about a week after you and I finally make the jump from Atari to PC. All I can say is that, if your Atari still does what you need it to do, keep on using it. I like the machine I'm using now and I don't know if I'd make the jump to a PC even if I could afford it. Right now, the only thing I can't do that I'd like to be able to is access the Internet (and even that I can do easily on another service, although without the graphics). Enjoy your "vintage" computer." This is where Lloyd comes in and replies: "We're in agreement on this one. One of these days the IBM will be the one left in the dust. Who knows, it might even be Apple that'll make the comeback and do it to them - or it might be some unknown (as of now) company. It all goes in cycles. Even though I am now a 'PC weenie' myself, I'd probably still own and be using my ST if I'd had a local place to get it fixed (at a reasonable price). But when the internal floppy and both monitors (color and mono) all decided to 'bite the dust' at about the same time, it was time to replace it. I fought against making the change for years, but was forced to. While I loved my ST and would still be using it if it hadn't went 'belly up', with what I know now, I would never go back to it. That _true_ Internet access is "worth the price of admission" - IMO. When I had my ST, it was _MY_ system. I used it 98% of the time. My wife almost never used it and my son only used it when he had to - for word processing for school. And even then he complained because it wasn't like the computers/software that he had to use at school. Now with the PC, you almost have to make an appointment to use it (seriously). My wife has her favorite web sites that she HAS to visit, if not daily, at least 3-4 times a week "Honey, do you think they've posted any new recipes since yesterday?" "Honey, did you check my e-mail to see if my sister or mother had sent me any?" And my son? The guy that used to make fun of people spending time on the computer and net has turned into a real 'computer nerd'! He now spends 3-5 hours a day on the net chatting with people all over the world and would spend longer if I'd let him - it's _MY_ computer, I want to use it sometimes! ) He studies both Portugese and Spanish at ASU and has found he can improve his _real life_ use of both languages over the net. He now knows people in Portugal, Argentina, the Philipines, and everywhere. (One of his Philipine net-buddies called at 2am last night wondering where he'd been - the guy forgot my son works 3 12-hour shifts over the weekend and isn't online that much then.) As I told the guy yesterday, I came out here one night and found him running 6-8 different programs all at one time. But it's not all fun-and-games. During the school year he's a tutor for several state run foster homes, and he's discovered the net is a great place to get info and help for the kids. "Hey Dad, look at what I found! This web site has the periodic tables - but they're laid out in Metal Man (comic book) format. The kids will love this - and it'll help them learn some of their elements/periodic tables for science." "Hey dad, you remember the one kid that I told you about who's mother left him on the streets and the state couldn't find his father? I was chatting with a guy in Chicago (where-ever) last night that thinks he knows where to find the father and is going to have him get in touch with the state." (Note: The kid is in the process of getting back together with his father.) No. I enjoyed my ST (and in many ways, probably always will), but I couldn't go back to it." Having known Lloyd for years (through the online services we've both frequented), I decide to joke a bit with him: "First off, tell your son and wife to go out and buy their own damned computers!! (;^{> A man's computer is like... like... like his tool board, or his sock drawer, or whatever it is that each of us has that, throughout time, has given us the few moments of solitude that we need to keep from killing those that, even though by our own choice, we are forced to live with and remain cordial, if not nurturing, to. My wife doesn't use my computer. In fact, she won't even step foot into my computer room. (I think that it's because by doing so she can truthfully tell the FBI someday that she had no idea what I had been doing... so much for blind love ) What is this "_true_ internet access" you mentioned? Can I assume that you are talking about using a dedicated ISP instead of accessing the 'net via CIS or GEnie or Delphi? I could do that now with the ST. I have an ISP just around the corne rthat can supply SLIP, CSLIP, and PPP connections. I'm sure that I could get one of the available packages for the ST to access it without problems but I simply don't have the time (or the extra $20.00 a month) to play around with an ISP when I have only minimal needs for the 'net at the moment. What I need from the net, be it newsgroups, FTP, or WWW, I get quite easily and efficiently from a text-based browser provided by another service. No, it's not glitzy... it doesn't show its importance by monopolizing memory, hard drive space, or modem time with all of the pretty pictures, but I get what I need, get it quickly, and without a lot of overhead. I just wish I could also get it via CIS. Your case is a bit different from mine: When my machine decided to take a dirt-nap, I played Dr. Frankenstein and brought the sucker back to life. I bought my dealer I bought my dealer's inventory of ST repair parts a while back (got 'em for a song) and have been using them from time to time for my own machines and those of a few friends. When the parts run out, sure, I'll make a switch. But until then, I have to make do with what I've got (probably that old Yankee ingenuity thing). You're probably thinking that since I've used the ST for so long that I'm ignorant of the PC world... NOT. Aside from being a production worker, I also handle all of my company's computer system needs. This includes networking, software integration, front-end interfaces, data conversion, and employee training. I'm well versed in DOS, WINDOWS 3.1(1), and Win95.... I'm currently looking at setting up online inventory control (both for customers and suppliers), and perhaps a web page in the future. I'd probably like WIN95 a bit more if it didn't do so many things to slow down the CPU (wouldn't you like to be able to turn off that damned graphic during a file copy?). Oh, and by the way, I doubt that it will be Apple that surprises the PC world. More likely, it'll be someone new, innovative, and willing to take the ultimate corporate risk: going in a different direction. Apple, while still driven, is an old company as far as the computer industry goes. I keep thinking about what Thomas Edison said about the invention of the light bulb... 'If I had known anything about electricity, I wouldn't even have tried it because I would have known that it wouldn't work'." Lloyd decides to kid around a bit too: "You must have one of those modern marriages. My wife is the old fashioned type that believes in the old adage, 'What's mine is hers and what's hers is hers'... [When I say _true_ internet access,] I'm talking about logging onto STReport's web site and seeing all of the graphics, colors, hearing all of the sound, and what ever other whiz-bangs Ralph has installed over night. What about the many (majority?) of the sites that don't have a text only option anymore?" I reply: "Quite true. That's why I usually go into the graphic-oriented areas. Using Lynx, I get markers where there are graphics. If they look like something that I'd be interested in, I download 'em. If not, I just zip right through the page, selecting the links that I want/need to get where I'm going (without the transfer time spent on the graphics). The only thing that I've ever missed is being able to use forms, and I can do that quite easily now. On occasion, I do use Netscape or Mosaic on one of the shop's PCs, but by and large I prefer using Lynx." Julian Church posts: "I've just obtained a couple of old SCSI hard drives from a music friend from inside some old Akai Samplers - they're fairly standard SCSI devices and I think they require parity. I was hoping to use them to replace the drive in my SH204 (apparently this is possible if you get the right kind of drive and throw away the RLL drive and it's huge encoding circuit board and only use the atari SCSI host adapter you'll find in there). Anyway I tried this and it didn't work, assumedly due to the atari host adapter requiring parity free devices ( I know the drives work, because they worked flawlessly when tested with my Akai sampler). So it seems the way to go would be to replace the Atari host adapter too. So what I need is a bare host adapter circuit, that can fit inside the SH204's huge but sturdy casing together with both the drives. I've only ever seen the Link II for sale here in the UK, but I'm hoping you make something that will make these parity drives talk Atari DMA. If so, do you know where in the UK I could obtain one of these devices?" Tom Harker, of ICD, tells Julian: "Sure Julian, the Link 2 * does * talk DMA. The SCSI end plugs into the SCSI bus. The other end is then DMA and plugs into the back of the ST DMA port. If you want a PCB board that will fit inside the SH204 case, you could mount the Link 2 inside and just have the one DMA plug showing on the outside or you could get one of our AdSCSI Plus ST (may be too large), AdSCSI ST or AdSCSI Micro boards but they are a bit harder to find since we don't make them anymore. We do have a few in stock left over and you might give System Solutions/Atari WorkShop a call since they order them from time to time. But I do strongly recommend the Link 2 over all other host adapters. They are more reliable (nearly bullet proof) and a bit faster than the rest." Simon Churchill posts some sad news about an ST magazine: "Well after the loss of Atari World and other magazines, the last UK Glossy ST magazine has called it a day. ST Format has closed it door's on issue 86, after 7 year's the magazine has brought us many wonderful item's from news, view's and it's cover disk program's. It is a great loss to our community and to those who I know look for this mag around the world. I can at least be happy as I now have the complete set of 86 issues. Apart from BBS's, on-line area's and the smaller mini mag's, the Atari arena is lossing it's grip, however with the Medusa Hades system reviewed in the mag it's worth hunting for this collector's edition in your local shop's. I would like to bid a fond farewell to a mag that has given me more than just the Computer side, but one which has given hummer, Star Trek and personal answer's to it's reader's. Which the likes of Intel and Micro$oft will never achive in there computer system's." Jon Sanford tells Simon: "I haven't seen ST Format for a couple of issues. I often wondered why I was willing to pay 8$ US whenever I found it. The answer is it had a good humor and goofy attitude. I got a lot out of the period when they were being very rude answering letters. Very funny..." Well folks, that's about it for this week. Normally I don't like bringing up my own posts because it seems kind of self-serving, but the exchanges with Lloyd were quite refreshing to me and I thought you might enjoy excerpts. Be sure to tune in again next week, same time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying when... PEOPLE ARE TALKING EDITORIAL QUICKIES VJ DAY - 51st Anniversary VICTORY over JAPAN "Never have so few done so much... for so many." STReport International OnLine Magazine [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport HTTP://WWW.STREPORT.COM AVAILABLE through OVER 200,000 PRIVATE BBS SYSTEMS WORLDWIDE 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" August 16, 1996 Since 1987 Copyrightc1996 All Rights Reserved Issue No. 1233