SILICON TIMES REPORT ==================== INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE ============================= from STR Electronic Publishing Inc. November 05, 1993 No. 9.45 ====================================================================== Silicon Times Report International Online Magazine Post Office Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155 R.F. Mariano Publisher-Editor ----------------------------------------- Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM-4 PM EST STR Publishing Support BBS Network System * THE BOUNTY BBS * FIDO 1:112/35 ~ ITCNet 85:881/253 ~ FNET 350 ~ Nest 90:21/350 904-786-4176 USR/HST 24hrs-7 days 2400 -38.4 bps V.32-42 bis 16.8 Dual Standard FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM-6 AM EST ----------------------------------------- Fido 1:112/35 The Bounty STR Support Central 1-904-786-4176 FNET. 620 : Leif's World ................1-904-573-0734 FNET. 690 : PASTE BBS....................1-206-284-8493 FNET. 489 : Steal Your Face BBS..........1-908-920-7981 MNET - Toad Hall.........................1-617-567-8642 ______________________________________________________________________ > 11/05/93 STR 945 "The Original * Independent * Online Magazine!" """""""""""""""" - CPU INDUSTRY REPORT - DIGIZINE DEBUTS - ATARI sues SEGA - HP -> 600dpi - Compact PRO 1.34 - RETURN TO ZORK! - DOS 6.2 ships - Compaq CUT Prices - Thieves Sentenced - SONY GAME MACHINE - People Talking - STR Confidential! -* JAGUAR HOPES HIGH AS STOCK SOARS! *- -* TIME-WARNER -> CD ROMS! *- -* PANASONIC & MULTIMEDIA *- ====================================================================== STReport International Online Magazine The Original * Independent * Online Magazine -* FEATURING WEEKLY *- "Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information" Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information Hardware -Software -Corporate -R & D -Imports ====================================================================== STReport's BBS - The Bounty BBS, invites all BBS systems, worldwide, to participate in the Fido/PROWL/ITC/USENET/NEST/F-Net Mail Networks. You may also call The Bounty BBS direct @ 904-786-4176. Enjoy the wonder and excitement of exchanging all types of useful information relative to computers, worldwide, through the use of excellent International Networking Systems. SysOps, worldwide, are welcome to join the STReport International Conferences. The Fido Node is 1:112/35, ITC Node is 85:881/253 Crossnet Code is #34813, and the "Lead Node" is #620. All computer platforms BBS systems are welcome and invited to participate. ====================================================================== CIS ~ AOL ~ DELPHI ~ BIX ~ FIDO ~ PROWL ~ ITC ~ NEST ~ EURONET USENET ~ CIX ~ CLEVELAND FREE-NET ~ INTERNET ~ FNET ~ GENIE ====================================================================== COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME to the Readers of; STREPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine" NEW USERS; SIGN UP TODAY! CALL: 1-800-848-8199 .. Ask for operator 198 You will receive your complimentary time and be online in no time at all! "Enjoy CompuServe's forums; where information is at its very best! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > From the Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!" """""""""""""""""""""" As we continue to perfect our presentation and format, your much valued suggestions become more and more precious. The STReport of the future will be "put together" utilizing many of your positive hints. Thank you, each and every one of you. On the computing scene, not much is happening . Ok, so I looked at things a little different. The facts are a great deal is happening. Comdex is right around the corner, CES is coming up and all the manufacturers, publishers and VARs are getting set to bring in 1994 in a wonderfully robust manner. You may ask; "To whose benefit?" 'Tis a good question that deserves thoughtful consideration. However, to answer it briefly, its you who will reap the greatest benefits. The competitive atmosphere in product features, bundles and pricing will all be aimed at enticing and pleasing you the consumer. Last week, I made mention of my concerns over beta testers doing their "job" and not being beta testers simply to get the freebies. I said it and I meant it. While there may very well be some very conscientious testers out there, as always a few bad apples will often spoil the whole barrel. One program, one of a few a major programs, came through with the spell checker broken. The Spell does not work right at all. Not in any configuration. It fades away, produces errors or simply crashes. Another, came through with its optimizer broken. While the menus for the optimizer read right, and say all the right the things, it simply trashes the fat tables or does nothing at all! Another, very famous disk optimizer, is still "not quite right". In fact, if it reaches the limits of its memory management functions it flakes altogether and totals your data. These few examples are a selection across a few platforms. The point is, the beta testers should have picked these serious BUGS up. They did not. Now the programs are in release... cash paying consumers are now the beta testers. This is akin to suicide in the marketing world. You do not make your customers beta testers by default. The companies involved will have to go the "extra mile" now to keep these valued customers. Its very important to the major software publishers to find or have these 'undocumented features' discovered and corrected. After all, satisfied customers are the name of the game. If you have a software package that's giving you either fits or minor problems, call the publisher. They want to hear from you. Its the only way they'll ever know of these problems. If you have a friend that's a beta tester for the software you are working with, let the tester know too. Don't expect too much in the line of information from the tester, they're all bound by non-disclosure agreements. Do your part, even though it really is someone else's job. The least that can happen is a better program for all. The holidays are right around the corner, I certainly hope everyone is ready.... I know I'm not. Thanksgiving and then.. Christmas. The greatest time of the year. Next week the monitor series begins... Until next week.... Ralph... """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" STReport's Staff DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU! """""""""""""""" Publisher -Editor """""""""""""""""" Ralph F. Mariano Lloyd E. Pulley, Editor, Current Affairs Section Editors """"""""""""""" PC SECTION AMIGA SECTION MAC SECTION ATARI SECTION ---------- ------------- ----------- ------------- R.D. Stevens R. Glover R. Noak D. P. Jacobson STReport Staff Editors: """"""""""""""""""""""" Dana P. Jacobson Michael Arthur John Deegan Lucien Oppler Brad Martin Judith Hamner John Szczepanik Dan Stidham Joseph Mirando Steve Spivey Doyle C. Helms Randy Noak Contributing Correspondents: """""""""""""""""""""""""""" Tim Holt Norman Boucher Harry Steele Clemens Chin Neil Bradley Eric Jerue Ron Deal Robert Dean Ed Westhusing James Nolan Vernon W. Smith Bruno Puglia Frank Sereno IMPORTANT NOTICE """""""""""""""" Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc... via E-Mail to: Compuserve................... 70007,4454 America Online..................STReport Delphi......................... RMARIANO BIX............................ RMARIANO FIDONET........................ 1:112/35 FNET........................... NODE 350 ITC NET...................... 85:881/253 NEST........................ 90:21/350.0 GEnie......................... ST-REPORT """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > CPU STATUS REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS """"""""""""""""" IBM/POWER-PC/PC SECTION (I) =========================== > CPU STATUS REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS """"""""""""""""" Computer Products Update - CPU Report ------------------------ ---------- Weekly Happenings in the Computer World Issue #45 By: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr. ******* General Computer News ******* ** Atari Sues Sega ** Alledging that Sega's scrolling of displays in video games has viola- ted Atari's patents, has caused Atari to file suit against Sega of Amer- ica Inc. in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. Atari also claimed in the suit that Sega may have infringed two other Atari patents. Atari has been working on a Jaguar "interactive" video game system that will be produced by International Business Machines Corp. and be powered by 64-bit chip with over 16 million colors and produces three- dimensional shapes. Most current video-game players and games work on 16-bit chips. Sega, which has been challenging Nintendo for supremacy in the $5 billion U.S. video-game market, is a subsidiary of Sega Enterprises Ltd., Japan. Analysts believe Sega has taken away considerable share from Nintendo's lead due to its success with its 16- bit "Sonic the Hedgehog" games. ** Sony to Enter Game Market ** Sony Corp. is forming a new company, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., to enter the video game machine market next month. Reports say the new firm, to be set up jointly with Sony Music Enter- tainment (Japan) Inc., will unveil a next-generation game machine in Japan at the end of next year. The same reporst say, "The new machine will offer three-dimensional computer graphics, using several powerful microchips used in workstations," the wire service said, adding the initial year sales target is set at a million units. ** CD-ROM Software Sales Rise ** Computergram Internationl's recent survey showed that CD-ROM software sales in North America totaled around $56 million in the first half of this year. The sales are estimated to represent 2.3 million disks. Content-based compact disks represented 40% of sales and games 30%. "Presumably the balance is applications software and manuals as optical disk becomes more popular for distribution," says the newsletter. ** New Printers from Hewlett-Packard ** Hewlett-Packard Co. has introduced the lowest-priced true 600-dots- per-inch printers that it has ever offered: the $1,229 HP LaserJet 4P and the $1,729 HP LaserJet 4MP. The LaserJet 4P and 4MP printers are designed for business and home- office users who want a low-cost laser printer that produces high- quality, professional-looking output on a wide variety of media sizes and types. The LaserJet 4P and 4MP replace the LaserJet IIIP and IIIP PostScript printers, and are compatible with other printers in the LaserJet 4 series. HP also introduced its first ink-jet printers with desktop function- ality, color support and portability: the $379 HP DeskJet 310 for notebook PCs and the $379 HP DeskWriter 310 for Macintosh PowerBooks. ** Research Frontiers to Demostrate Flat-Screen Products ** Officials with Research Frontiers Inc. say the firm has agreed to acquire components for its active matrix flat-panel displays and will demonstrate the products for prospective licensees next year. The firm says its flat panels, for use in computers, televisions and other electronic devices, will use its suspended particle displays, which will compete against liquid crystal displays. ** North American Semiconductor Sales to Pass Japan's ** According to the Semiconductor Industry Association, worldwide semi- conductor shipments are expected to grow by 29% and reach $77.3 billion this year. The North American market is expected to rise to 34.5% to reach $24.8 billion in shipments this year, while the Japanese market, is expected to rise to 22.3% in 1993 to $23.7 billion, for the first time since 1985. By 1996, shipments in the North American market are expected to be $32.5 billion, while Japan's market is expected to reach $31 billion. ** New Generation of Intel Flash Chips ** A new generation of "flash memory" products designed for the mobile market has been unveiled by Intel Corp., which says new products are based on its fourth generation technology. They include the largest- capacity flash memories now in production. Intel said its new chips include 16-bit and 32-bit components and storage cards with capacities as high as 40MB. An Intel statement said, "Since it can be easily be erased and re- programmed, uses little battery power and offers much higher performance than magnetic disk media, flash memory is ideal for the new types of mobile and handheld products such as mobile companions and cellular phones." Flash memory chips currently have a market of about $200 million an- nually, but that analysts believe the revenues will grow ten-fold by 1995. Research firm Dataquest has said Intel held 69% of the "flash" market last year. ** Pocket Modems from PIICEON ** Piiceon has enhanced its Dispatcher line of proprietary-slot and PCMCIA data communication products with new pocket modems. The units are 2.25 inches wide, 4.25 inches long and less than 1 inch deep. They include MNP 2-5, V.42bis, comply with CCITT and Bell protocols and stan- dards, and are Hayes AT compatible. The 14.4/14.4 bps version includes MNP 10 (cellular error-correction) and and can transmit data at a top speed of 57,600 bps with a maximum 4-1 throughput. It's priced at $335. The 2,400/9,600 bps model costs $122. The units operate with IBM- compatible PCs and portables, as well as Macintosh systems and the Apple Newton MessagePad. All of the modems, with the exception of the Apple models, are bundled with Trio's data/fax communications software. Piiceon's Apple products are bundled with FaxSTF and Microphone LC. ** AT&T Product Can Send Graphics and Data With Voice ** A product that enables users to send and receive graphics and/or data while simultaneously talking on the phone has been announced by AT&T Paradyne Corp. Reports say the unit, called the AT&T DataPort 2001 Multimedia Sommunicator, uses a new AT&T Paradyne technology called VoiceSpan that "increases the capacity of existing telephone lines by splitting them into two bands, one transmitting high quality audio, the other transmitting high speed data, including images." ** Motorola Looks For On-Line Niches ** A new unit of Motorola called INFO Enterprises is searching out, and finding, small high-value niches in the on-line business. Spokesman Marilyn Teplitz discussed the strategy after the company announced EnGenius, a new database on electronic components aimed at product engineers. "It's run by a distributed network on Sun work- stations under Unix," she said. "It's a combination of technologies Motorola developed, which includes some patented technologies." Earlier, the company had rolled out LegaLink, a document conversion service for the legal community marketed by Arthur Andersen. "These are the first of what we hope are many services," she added. "We look at several issues when determining what vertical markets to enter into. We want to see a large number of information providers, and a large number of users with computers. The other key issue is a market where the data is mission-critical, where you have to have current information now, where the data is changing. There's lots of services with archival information," and Motorola isn't interested in that market. For EnGenius, Motorola is offering an introductory price of $20 per month, plus line charges, through March. After that the charge goes to $39 per month, but large firms can subscribe a wide area network for $65 per month. There is also volume pricing available, Teplitz said. ** Online Comment Leads to Lawsuit ** An Oregon biotech company called Epitope Inc. has filed suit because of derogatory electronic comments made about it last summer on the Pro- digy information service. Reports say the suit "stems from actions Aug. 2, when an individual called William Smith filed a message.. The message warned that the odds of Oregon biotech company Epitope receiving approv- al for a blockbuster product were lower than the odds of seeing Elvis in Malibu." Reportedly, the message said, "Be careful out there" and in- cluded a number of allegations, most of which Epitope denies. Epitope's suit alleges "William Smith" actually was A. Karl Kipke, a broker from Mission Hills, Kan., who, the company says, stood to make money if Epitope's stock price fell. Kipke, not Prodigy, was named in the suit. ** First Prison Sentence for Software Counterfeiting ** The U.S. District Court in San Francisco has imposed the first prison sentence for software counterfeiting in the U.S. Benny S. Lee was sen- tenced to one year of imprisonment plus one year of probation as a result of his guilty plea to a felony indictment for manufacturing and selling counterfeit MS-DOS operating system software. Benny Lee and co-defendant Norman Chan, both former employees of Ev- erex Systems Inc., were previously found liable by a jury in a civil trial for copyright and trademark infringement in June 1991. The defen- dants failed to honor the $5.3 million monetary judgment awarded to Microsoft and Everex in the civil suit, and the case was subsequently referred to the U.S. Attorney's office for criminal prosecution. Lee and Chan, in association with the original defendants, are esti- mated to have manufactured and sold at least 25,000 copies of counter- feit MS-DOS. Microsoft estimates that displaced sales from the counter- feit software had a street value of $1.8 million. ******* General PC News ******* ** Intel and AMD Trial Postponed ** A trial expected to start this week between Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. was postponed until Nov. 15. The trial, which will be centering on Intel's complaint that AMD unfairly copied microcode in its 287 chip, has been described as "pivotal" by experts but both parties are expecting a fairly quick decision. ** Compaq Cuts Prices and Unveils 46 new PC Models ** Compaq Computer Corp this week launched 46 new PC models and enhanced the performance of many existing models. Compaq also unveiled multimedia CDS models in the Presario 600 Series and the new Presario 800 Series of "ready- to-run" multimedia PCs with a built-in CD-ROM drive, microphone, speakers and more than a dozen pre-installed software and CD-ROM pack- ages. Compaq also enhanced the price/performance of its other PCs, announc- ing price cuts of 10 to 23% on Deskpro/M, ProLinea and Portable 486 families and 17 to 35% on portable options. ** Microsoft Introduces "DOS for Dummies" ** This week Microsoft Corp. introduced a new version of DOS -- for dum- mies! MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade for Dummies is a new version of the old disk operating system that is specially packaged for those who aren't too familiar with its crotchety ways. The dummies upgrade is bundled with a special edition of the best-selling computer book "DOS for Dummies," written by Dan Gookin. The upgrade has a retail price of $77.95, but will probably sell for about $50 in stores. The new DOS version will also be licensed to computer manufacturers to sell with their machines. ** Time Warner Interactive Joins in CD-ROM Craze ** This week Software Sorcery - known for producing games with detailed graphics and digitized sound effects, all intertwined with actual video and photographs - and Time Warner Interactive Group - a leading develo- per and publisher of interactive multimedia software titles for home entertainment and "edutainment" markets - announced a publishing agree- ment. It is hoped that the agreement will put Software Sorcery multimedia games on every CD-ROM platform. The initial three offerings will be "AEGIS: Guardian of the Fleet," "Fantasy Fiefdom" and "Dead Zone". Software Sorery's innovative, high-quality products have taken a technological edge in the software industry by incorporating multimedia techniques such as digitized video, voice and sound effects, rendered 3D sequences, hypertext and breathtaking VGA and SVGA graphics in the creation of exciting, interactive game play. ** IBM Stops ThinkPad 500 Shipments ** Due to customer reports of battery problems, IBM says it is stopping the shipmentments of its ThinkPad 500 subnotebook until it can fix the problem. IBM said the problem affects only the ThinkPad 500 model and not other computers in the ThinkPad line. According to an IBM spokesman the company is considering all its op- tions, including a recall of this model, which was launched in June. He said IBM should announce its plans by the middle of this month. ** Clarion Shipping Beta Version of Windows Database Developer ** Clarion Software has announced beta release 1.0 of its new Clarion Database Developer for Windows. The beta release is now available to users of Clarion Database Developer 3.0 or Professional Developer 2.1. The final release is set to begin shipping in mid-1994. Registered users of Clarion can purchase the product during the introductory period for $495. The final release of the product will be priced at $995. Run- time license fees or royalties aren't required. ** Tandy Increases Sales ** Tandy Corp. - the nation's largest retailer of consumer electronics, including personal comptuers - reported an 18% sales increase in its U.S. retail operations in October. Total sales were $317.1 million, com- pared to $268.7 million last year. ** AST Offers New Pentium System ** A new Premmia LX P/60 personal computer that uses Intel's Pentium 228 processor has been launched by AST Research. Reports say the 64-bit unit will carry estimated sales prices beginning at $3,325. "The Premmia LX P/60 line is available in the Model 3, which has 8 megabytes of random access memory expandable to 128MB, and Model 543W with 16MB RAM and a 540MB hard drive." ** Rasterops Offers Graphics Unit ** TrueVista Pro EISA, described as a professional quality frame buffer, has been unveiled by RasterOps Corp.'s TrueVision Inc. Officials of the company said this is the first of a number of products based on its new DVR architecture. Reports say the product is a broadcast-quality frame buffer for use in IBM/compatible PCs. ** Lexmark Demonstrates 'Microsoft At Work' Printer ** Lexmark International Inc. has demonstrated a high-resolution desk- top laser printer based on the Microsoft At Work printing software. The software, the same type used in the Microsoft Windows Printing System, makes the printing function a Windows- based application, delivering higher performance and improved ease of use. Lexmark says it worked closely with Microsoft to develop the demons- tration printer. Lexmark also announced that it will support the Microsoft At Work software in selected future printer products. Microsoft At Work software is designed to make office machines such as printers, fax machines, copiers, handheld systems and telephones easier to use, more cost-effective and better integrated with desktop computers and one another. Lexmark, the former IBM printer and typewriter division, showed the 600 dots-per-inch, 8 page-per-minute laser printer as a technology demonstration at a Microsoft-sponsored event. ** Microsoft Slashes Price Of Multimedia Encyclopedia ** Microsoft has cut the suggested retail price of its Encarta multi- media encyclopedia to $99 through December 31, 1993. The product has been priced at $395. Encarta is currently available for Microsoft Windows-based PCs. The company says it will release an Apple Macintosh version early next year. ** STB Intros Dual-Monitor Accelerator Card ** If you need to display two applications simultaneously and don't want to do it with Windows, you'll be happy to hear that STB Systems Inc., has released a dual monitor graphics accelerator card that can drive two monitors at the same time. STB says the card, designated the MVP-2X, integrates two video chan- nels versus the usual single channel. The card supports a full suite of Windows 3.1, OS/2, and DOS applications, including AutoCAD release 12. STB says the MVP-2X is based on two Tseng Labs ET4000-W32 video chips, and allows users to view two different monitors at the same time via two independent video ports. Windows and OS/2 uses can work in a virtual screen environment which provides one virtual screen across both monitors. Windows, OS/2 and DOS users can utilize a port switching mode that permits two different applications to run at the same time, one on each monitor. The card is backwards-compatible with all existing STB MPV video cards based on the Tseng ET4000 video controller chip. The cards come with drivers for Windows 3.x, Windows NT and OS/2. Panacea's DLD386-VGA Deluxe Autodesk drivers are available as an upgrade option for CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing) users. The MVP-2X will begin full production runs this month, and has a suggested retail price of $1,099. ** IBM Ready To Launch OS/2 Without Windows ** Unhappy at paying royalties to rival Microsoft Corp., IBM is prepar- ing to launch a version of its OS/2 operating system without built-in code to run applications written for Microsoft's Windows operating environment. The Windows-less OS/2 would let users run Windows applications provi- ded they already had Windows installed on their PCs. OS/2 would estab- lish where the Windows code was stored and would call on it directly when asked to run a Windows application. Sources said an announcement can be expected by mid-November. The Comdex/Fall trade show, which begins in Las Vegas Nov. 15, would be a likely venue. ** AMD Gets "Windows-Compatible" Logo, Intros New Chips ** Advanced Micro Devices has introduced two new members of its 486- based microprocessor line and said it has signed a licensing agreement with Microsoft Corporation that gives AMD the right to use the "Windows- compatible" logo on its 386 and 486-based chips. The company announced a 40 MHz 486DX-based microprocessor that in- corporates power management features, and a clock doubled 486DX2-66MHz chip. ******* General Mac News ******* ** New Apple Monitor ** Apple officials announced this week the launching of the new Apple Color Plus Display, a 14-inch monitor priced at $305. The 640 x 480 pixel display compliments its line of new, aggressively priced PCs. ** Apple Offers Powerbook Rebates ** Apple announced this week a $100 and $500 instant rebates on select Macintosh PowerBook computers and peripherals. Customers who purchase and take delivery of a PowerBook 165 or 165c will receive an immediate $100 rebate. Those who buy a PowerBook Duo 230 4/160 with a duo dock and express modem will receive an immediate $500 rebate. These prices are good only at participating resellers, while the supplies last, and thru January 31st, 1993. ** Apple's Fourth Quarter Profits Drop 97% ** Apple Computer Inc.'s fourth quarter profits dropped 97% to $2.7 million (or 2 cents a share), compared to $97.6 million earned a year ago. _____________________________________________________ > DIGIZINE STR InfoFile """"""""""""""""""""" *** New Product Announcement *** ** Substance Intercactive Media, Inc. "Pushes the Bounds..." ** Substance Interactive Media Inc., a new company pushing the bounds of multimedia interactivity, this week introduced 'substance.digizine', a multimedia "production" that explores the way technology affects culture using a combination of sound, video and animation. Available immediately on CD-ROM, the demo issue of 'substance. digizine' allows readers to navigate through a sophisticated interface to experience features on contemporary music, independent film produc- tion and the industry's first interactive advertisement. Aimed at computer-literate explorers in the 18-35 age demographic and designed for computers using Microsoft Windows 3.1, substance. digizine uses animated sequences, 16-bit digital audio samples and full-motion video clips to provide audiences with truly interactive access to information and music. "The digizine isn't a technical endeavor, it's an artistic endeavor," said Alex Ragland, principal and president of Substance Interactive Media Inc. "We are committed to providing audiences with multisensory ways in which to explore the world by bringing to market high-quality, interactive productions rich in content and design." Content Highlights in the demo issue of the digizine: -- an exploration of independent film company, C-OO, co-founded by REM's Michael Stipe; -- an exclusive interview with Trent Reznor of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails; -- a listening excursion into ambient dub music including samples from the ORB and Young American Primitive; -- an interactive advertisement from the ImagiNation Network, a Sierra On-line subsidiary; and -- four original songs by Substance Interactive Media's musicians that can be played in CD-Audio players. The demo issue of the digizine is $10.95 retail, compared to $50 to $80 for a typical CD-ROM title on the market today. Planned as a quarterly, subscriptions to the digizine are available directly from the company at $70 for 4 issues ($17.50 per disc). The disc will also be distributed by ThinkWare, a San Francisco-based dis- tributor whose main focus is on music-based software including Voyager's "Hard Day's Night." CONTACT: Substance Interactive Media Inc., San Francisco Rebecca Velten, 415/626-2147 or Copithorne & Bellows Dawn Echols or Lisa Hahn, 415/541-0873 _______________________________________________ > EMU8000 STR InfoFile """""""""""""""""""" *** New Product Announcement *** ** E-mu System's Audio Solution ** E-mu Systems Inc. announced the introduction of the EMU8000-based audio solution, a highly integrated hardware and software audio techno- logy developed for design-in on motherboard, add-in board and embedded application levels. EMU8000-based audio technologies offer comprehensive, CD-quality audio capabilities in a cost effective, easily installable package. Comprised of three separate elements -- EMU8000 Integrated Audio Digital Signal Processor (DSP), EMU8100 sound files (SoundFont Library) and EMU8200 control software -- EMU8000-based technologies deliver the most compre-hensive audio functionality available including full Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) compatibility, a wide selection of user definable down-loadable digitally sampled sound libraries, built-in digital effects processors, 32 voice polyphony, built-in audio filtering capabilities, digital sample rate conversion and audio pitch transposition. Optimized for a variety of end-user applications including games, karaoke, MIDI-file music playback, multimedia and other computer- controlled sound applications, EMU8000-based audio technologies will be available from E-mu Systems on an OEM and technology licensing basis in the Winter of 1993. For further information contact Anne Greene at E-mu Systems 408/438-1921. E-mu Systems is a leading manufacturer of digital sample-based musical instruments and audio solutions for multimedia. E-mu audio products are used extensively by professional musicians, sound designers and audio engineers globally. The EMU8000 chip, an Integrated Audio Digital Signal Processor (DSP), offers a high-quality, low cost complete DSP subsystem delivering MIDI music, audio mixing and digital effects. The EMU8000 combines several audio DSP functions on-chip. The device includes a programmable CPU interface; the proprietary E-mu "G-chip" 32- channel sound processor with resonant lowpass filters; an effects engine for reverb, chorus and digital equalization; an envelope generator; and a flexible input/output scheme including both synchronous and asyn- chronous digital audio input streams and various serial digital audio output formats. The EMU8000 is designed for the variable pitch playback of up to 32- channels of audio data from local sound memory. Envelope generator functions provide real-time varying pitch, filter and amplitude modifi- cation of each audio channel allowing for the creation of uniqu sound samples with complex patch control and minimal CPU overhead. Sound may be further enhanced by the on-chip effects engine, which controls pan, chorus and reverb on each channel, delivering expressive sound control to the user. The EMU8000 is intended for use with two local memory resources: small, inexpensive dynamic random access memory (DRAM) to support the effects engine, and sound memory. A total of 32 megabytes (MB) of sound memory can be supported as either read only memory (ROM) and/or DRAM. ROM-based sound memory typically contains a General MIDI bank, or SoundFont Library (EMU8100). Down-loadable DRAM sound memory can include any of a large variety of different SoundFont collections or user- defined sounds, and can be loaded with an application to add unique sound or sound effects. The EMU8000 can also filter, envelope and digitally mix audio signals from a variety of auxiliary sources. The stereo asynchronous digital audio input accepts any external stereo digital audio signal and converts it to a 44.lkHz sample rate. The synchronous digital audio input allows up to 32 audio signals to be filtered, enveloped, processed and mixed -- making it ideal for microphone input. EMU8100 sound files, comprising the SoundFont Library, are diverse collections of digitally sampled musical instruments and sound effects designed to work with the EMU8000 Integrated Audio DSP or other comparable audio DSP systems. The EMU8100 SoundFont Library is formatted for computer down-load and control via MIDI protocol or other audio event description langu-ages. Each E-mu SoundFont collection includes digital audio samples, with associated parameters, as well as interactive modulation informa-tion to enhance expressivity when played by a SoundFont engine such as the EMU8000 Integrated Audio DSP. SoundFont collections are offered in both machine-readable down-loadable files or ROM. EMU8200 control software is a complete suite of application inter- face (API) routines required to operate the EMU8000 Integrated Audio DSP and the EMU8100 SoundFont Library. The EMU8200 package enables develo- pers to create cost-effective, high-quality complete digital audio solutions. EMU8200 control software interprets and translates industry-standard MIDI messages into hardware controls. In addition, EMU8200 software includes the interactive table of modulation parameters used to control expressivity for each musical instrument or sound effect in real time. EMU8200 software responds to a standard MIDI stream and sends control information to the EMU8000 synthesis system. This is guided by the modu- lation table provided by a SoundFont. SoundFont collections may be loaded and maintained by the SoundFont loader software module that is part of the EMU8200 package. EMU8200 software is available in object- code format for Intel x86 (DOS and Windows) and Motorola 680x0 machines. SoundFont developer tools will be available in early 1994. CONTACT: E-mu Systems, Scotts Valley Robert Faulkner, Tel: 408/438-1921, Fax: 408/438-8612 _______________________________________________ > RTZ! STR Review "One of the very best!" """"""""""""""" RETURN TO ZORK ============== Infocom - Activision by R. F. Mariano From the Rafts to the Citadel Bridge, this RPG is, without a doubt one of the very best to come along. There is, "of course", the time proven.. rock, paper, throw, hit, etc... but this effort far surpasses any making light of these actions or their implementation. The structure of the game is such that the user can do most anything within the game's frame and not create any programming headaches. This structure is well thought out and graphically presented with the user in mind. The only situation that would have surpassed this setup is real time interfacing as in Dungeon Master by FTL. Into the program we go.... the keeper is amusing his demeanor is superb for openers. The humor written into the game is "on the ball" yet totally inoffensive. If you enjoy solid performing role playing adventures this is for you. To top off the entire scenario with another compliment, the entire adventure is environmentally correct and shys away from bloody violence. One must search for various pieces of a disc, that is to become The Flying Disc of Frobozz. They're to be found in the most unlikely places imaginable. Of course... the best part of the adventure is "Old Booser" with his ....."'Course you do!" Do you want to do Return to Zork? "'Course You Do!" Don't miss this fine piece of entertainment software. You'll never forgive yourself if you do. It is in the finest of ZORK traditions. Return to Zork is available at fine dealers everywhere! From CIS' Gamers Forum; Date: 10-23-93 (23:14) Number: 469114 From: Wendell Price 73467,3414 Refer#: NONE To: 70410,1270 Recvd: NO Subj: RTZ comments Conf: (10) 12:HOT/Return Dear Infocom: Since the introduction of the very first Zork, you've provided high adventure of the finest sort! You've provoked suspense, cunning, and reason. For the countless hours of frustration and wonder, and the fleeting moments of delight and glory, I thank you. I've just completed Return to Zork, the first graphics-based program of yours I've played, and I want to tell you what I thought of it. I enjoyed it, but I had some disappointments, too. Aside from a few minor bugs (which have been reported by others in this forum) the interface is beautiful, very elegant. I had no trouble expressing intentions or trying wild ideas. I've seen no GUI with a structure as versatile as this one. Giving the character a log book, camera and tape recorder was brilliant! It greatly reduced the notes I made, and eliminated the need to type in information found elsewhere when asking questions of other characters. This was a very clever and original approach. Most of the puzzles were quite challenging. I thought the clues were slightly too obvious, but I prefer that to crawling on my belly begging for hints. I enjoyed the storyline, but I was very disappointed with Zork and the adventures finale. In the text-based environment of past adventures, Zork was ancient and grand, full of peril and deception. It tolerated only the resourceful and quick-witted. The slow and the stupid perished without a trace. In this game, The Great Underground Empire consists of three shopkeepers, a couple of farms, and a cow. Further indignities include an economy where money grows on trees, being lead buy excreting bats through a forest that was simple to map, whimpering trolls, and having to pay a guy for the privilege of delivering his mail in a boat that would take me no where else. Sadder still was watching the world's greatest evil, the enslaver of Zork, self destruct in a tantrum over loosing a boardgame he couldn't possibly have won. The forests were more true to the spirit of Zork, but they were small, easily mapped, and provided little adventuring. The only familiar place was Flood Control Dam #3. Just as I had always imagined it. I was certain that once I stood atop the dam, the quest would begin in earnest. When I realized that this was the end of the line, I let out a sigh, mixed up my water and bat poop, and left. When I cracked the shell on the magic barrier, and a view of the stronghold opened up before me, I was ready to do some real exploring. At last, the Epic Adventure in the Great Underground Empire was at hand! I was surprised to discover that this massive complex was one step away and comprised of three rooms. Just when I thought things were going to pick up I was expected to throw all my belongings into the void and turn myself over to the enemy. That should have been my death. Lucky for me the enemy was too stupid to spot the flaw in the game. No Glory. The game was entertaining, the puzzles clever, and the production was great, best GUI I've seen, but it was no return to Zork. Still, I remain a loyal Infocom customer and one of your biggest fans. I look forward to the next installment. Respectfully, Wendell Price- ______________________________________________________ > Panasonic & Multi-Media STR InfoFile """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ** New Product Announcement ** ** Panasonic Bolsters Multimedia Capabilities ** Panasonic Communications & Systems Co. has announced an array of com- puter products targeted at businesses working in multimedia applications and electronic imaging -- six new optical data storage devices, a color scanner and a line of multimedia PC speakers. Included are three new optical disk drives, devices designed to store and retrieve large amounts of data. They are two new multifunction re- writable drives, the LF-7300A and the LF-7304, and one Write Once Read Many (WORM) drive, the LF-5300A. Panasonic is also debuting its latest line of "jukeboxes," optical disk autochangers that serve as digital file cabinets for accessing multiple optical disk drives. The three new jukeboxes -- the LF-J7324A, LF-J7328A and LF-J7350A -- can be used with both rewritable and WORM optical drive applications. The company is also making its first entry into two new product cate- gories, announcing its first multimedia PC speakers and color desktop scanner. The speakers, the EAB710P and EAB401P, combine Panasonic's expertise in both the home audio and computer peripherals markets and offer important features for use with PCs, including magnetic shielding and Panasonic's own Super Bass Exciter structure. The color desktop scanner, the FX-RS308C, is used to input color photography and other existing color images, as well as monochrome documents. The scanner comes bundled with sophisticated editing software that allows the user to manipulate the image's appearance or enhance its clarity. The optical drives will carry suggested retail prices ranging from $3,695 to $3,995; the jukebox optical disk autochanger line will range in price from $17,000 to $35,000; the multimedia PC speakers will carry suggested retail prices ranging from $145 to $249; and the color desktop scanner will sell at a suggested retail price of $1,395. General availability is planned for first quarter 1994 through Panasonic's network of value-added resellers, PC dealers and electronics superstores. CONTACT: Panasonic Comm. & Systems Co. Ron Tomczyk 201/348-7183 or Creamer Dickson Basford J.A. Frazer/Patrick Ward, 212/887-8075/8084 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" :HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT: _________________________________ Set your communications software to Half Duplex (or Local Echo) Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369. Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that). Wait for the U#= prompt. Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then, hit RETURN. GEnie Information copyright (C) 1991 by General Electric Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ___ ___ _____ _______ /___| /___| /_____| /_______/ The Macintosh RoundTable /____|/____| /__/|__| /__/ ________________________ /_____|_____|/__/_|__|/__/ /__/|____/|__|________|__/ /__/ |___/ |__|_/ |__|_/____ Managed by SyndiComm /__/ |__/ |__|/ |__|______/ An Official Forum of the International Computer Users Group *** STReport available in MAC RT *** ASCII TEXT FORMAT for ALL GEnie users! .____________________________________________________________________. | Help Desk - Having a problem with your Mac? Stop by the HD for the | | answers! In the RTC from 9pm to 12pm EDT in ROOM 1........ (605;2) | !____________________________________________________________________! .____________________________________________________________________. | A SyndiComm Round Table | | (Tom Weishaar & Kent Filmore) | |____________________________________________________________________| | | | Hosted by: | | Chief SysOp: (Unk) DAVE.REID | | | | -- SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS -- | -- SOFTWARE LIBRARY -- | | Education ....... (Rob) R.WHITELOCK | Chief Librarian: RANDY.SIMON | | Mac Hardware ..... (Nick) N.PASSINO | Asst Librarians: | | (J) W.GLENN1 | (Steve) S.MACK | | Games ............ (Bart) MAC.GAMES | (Anne) ANNE-INDA | | Telecommunity ........ (Kent) DRACO | (Phil) P.VALIQUETTE | | PowerBooks...... (Doc) D.E.JOHNSTON | | |_____________________________________!______________________________| | --- Weekly RTC Schedule --- | -- Help Desk Schedule -- | | (All Times Eastern) | | Educational Mac Mon 9:45pm Rm 3 | Mon-Fri 9:00pm-12:00am Rm 1 | | About PowerBooks Tue 9:45pm Rm 2 | Sunday 10:30pm-12:00am Rm 1 | | Telecommunity Wed 9:45pm Rm 2 | ___________________________ | | Macintosh Games Wed10:30pm Rm 3 | To enter GE-MUG RTC, type.. | | Macintosh Hardware Thr 9:45pm Rm 2 | MOVE 605;2 and choose room # | | Sunday Night Fight Sun 9:00pm Rm 3 |______________________________| |_____________________________________!______________________________| | **** IMPORTANT INFORMATION **** | | For COMPLETE information and TIPS on downloading, be sure | | to read item # 4 on page 605 -"About The RoundTable" | !____________________________________________________________________! MAC/APPLE SECTION (II) ====================== Randy Noak, Editor /--------------------------------------------------------------------\ | * GEnie-MUG NEWS * for the week of 11/01/93 - issue 34 | |--------------------------------------------------------------------| | What's Hot and Happening This Week In GEnie's Macintosh User Group | \--------------------------------------------------------------------/ GEnie-MUG News Editor: Eric Mueller (DLAND.ERIC) entire contents copyright 1993 by Eric C. Mueller WELCOME to the GEnie-MUG RoundTable newsletter! This quick bulletin gives you an idea of what's cooking in the GEnie Macintosh User Group (GEnie- MUG). I'm Eric Mueller, and I write this file every week so that you can find the action in GEnie-MUG: the latest controversy in the bulletin board, the hottest files in the library, and the hippest chats in the RTC rooms. I'm always interested in your comments on this file, and would love to hear them. If you're new to GEnie or GEnie-MUG, you can read about GEnie-MUG (including information on what GEnie-MUG has to offer and the layout of the system) by typing "M 605;4". Additionally, the GEnie-MUG help desk (a live hotline) is available in the GEnie-MUG RTC (type "M 605;2" then choose room 1). For more information and a schedule of times, type "M 605;4". APPROPRIATELY ENOUGH (for Halloween), GEnie-MUGGER Sue Fregien started a topic called "WriteNow Document from Hell!" WriteNow, a popular Macintosh word processor, has been giving her fits---it seems that every time she starts the program, an 8-page document that she worked on in the past appears on her screen! (Sounds like "Return of the Living Dead" to me!)If you've been having a problem like this with WriteNow, check out GEnie-MUG bulletin board category 2("SOFTWARE: Daily Business"), topic 31("WriteNow Document from Hell!"). LOTS OF NEW STUFF IN THE LIBRARY THIS WEEK, including a directory of library files! This directory of files, "done up" by none other than yours truly, is a special directory, designed to be imported into your favorite database (such as ClarisWorks, FileMaker Pro, Panorama, or 4D). What does this mean? It means you can download these files, and with a minimum of muss and fuss, have the entire GEnie-MUG software library directory at your fingertips! You can then search the directory without being connected to GEnie, saving time and money. Interested? The data is in six files; just trot right over to the GEnie-MUG library and download files #30823-30825 and files #30828-30830, ASAP! NOW GET UPDATED with two exciting updaters from Now Software: Now Compress Updater and Now Up-To-Date Updater. With them, you can bring your copy of Now Compress up to version 1.0.1 (fixing all known bugs in version 1.0), and you can bring your copy of Now Up-To-Date up to version 2.1 (adding support for Now Contact, the new contact-management utility from Now Software). Now Up-To- Date is one happenin' piece of time- management software that I recommend highly; this updater is a great addition if you already own it. Check out file #30817 (Now Compress Updater) and file #30804 (Now Up-To-Date Updater) in the GEnie-MUG library, now! NEW VERSIONS OF COMPACT PRO are always news, and Bill Goodman has been busy turning out the latest version of Compact Pro, now available in the GEnie-MUG library. Version 1.34 corrects all known bugs in version 1.33, adds a note feature, and includes a fabulous set of documentation which explains the whole package. Exciting, no? If you're interested in compressing your data into the tiniest little tidbits (veritable morsels; appetizers in the information buffet), check out #3077. And, for you francophiles (and that has nothing to do with Rocky Horror), check out file #30781, the French-language version (no kidding!). NEWTON FANS abound, which is just one of the reasons that I write about them every single week here in the GEnie-MUG RT News. Another reason is that they're fun little toys, and GEnie-MUG has a pretty good cache of software available for the Newton. The easiest way to find it all is to search the GEnie-MUG library for anything with the word "Newton" in the title; you'll find it all. To use the Newton software, you'll need to have a Macintosh, and a Newton Connection Kit (which allows you to move data from your Mac over into the Newton). One fun Newton program that I found is "Check Please!," a program to split a restaurant bill among several people and figure out an appropriate tip for the tab. If you carry your Newton with you everywhere (and what dedicated Newton owner doesn't?), you should have this gem. It's file #30716 in the GEnie-MUG library, ripe for the picking and waiting for your needs. THE STARTUP PROCESS is a mystifying thing. What exactly is your Mac doing when it's going through those gyrations after you turn it on? (Reminds me of a washer on spin cycle with a cat inside... you can't quite tell what's going on unless you lift the lid, but you don't want to do that or else the cat will scratch you. Or something like that.) Anyhow, the Mac does a host of tasks on startup, including getting your extensions extended, your control panels controlled, and your startup items, well, started up. 'Randy' Zeitman, GEnie-MUG dude and all-around fun guy, has written an article on the Mac startup process and is looking for your feedback. Check out his article---it's the first message in the topic--- and then if you want, leave your comments or remind him about anything he might have missed. It's neat and it's in category 28("MACINTOSH: General Questions"), topic 13 ("The Startup Process---an article"). WORD 5.1 IS ON THE STREET, so to speak, and people are starting to install it on their machines and really get down-and-dirty with it. If you're looking to do some serious word processing, there aren't many programs more powerful than Word 5.1. 5.1 also includes a number of features designed to make it "feature-compatible" with Word for Windows, Microsoft's popular IBM product. Got a favorite Word 5.1 tip, trick, or tidbit? Having problems with a feature; can't seem to make those darn even/odd margins mirror correctly? Check out category 2 ("SOFTWARE: Daily Business"), topic 3 ("MSWord 5.1") for all your needs. THAT'S ALL for this week. Until next week, continue to live out of bounds with Macintosh! ______________ MAC REPORT ---------- by Randy Noak This week we ll look at GraphExpo, check the mail, and see what else we can dig up. First of all, I d like to thank all those that sent comments concerning last weeks BBEdit review. I have no plans to, quit my day job , so those of you who told me to hang on to it, don t worry. GRAPHEXPO 93 GraphExpo s are trade shows for the Printing/Graphic Arts industries. This years show was held at giant McCormick Place in Chicago. Exhibited were giant printing presses, folding machines, stitchers, and much more. For a desktop publisher like me, it s a real interesting show. This year though, I was pretty bummed out. Oh, the show was fine, but, well, let me tell you what happened. First of all, I m not that fond of big cities. Oh sure, I ll go to Chicago to watch the White Sox, but, beyond that, I s just as soon stay out here in the famous Hoosier cornfields, so it was with great trepidation that I made my way to the Windy City. I hadn t driven to Chicago in quite some time, and decided to take the scenic Indiana Toll Road and Chicago Skyway to the Dan Ryan Expressway. The drive on the Toll Road was wonderful. Nice smooth road and it only cost me 65 cents. The Skyway was another story. Bumpy, loaded with Chicago Police, and it cost $2.00 one way! Highway robbery I say. No wonder no one uses that road. I grumbled but paid and was soon on Route 55 headed to Lake Shore Drive. McCormick Place s underground parking garage was full, so I had to park in the outside lot. $8.00 parking fee! That wouldn t have been so bad, but there was construction going on at the north end of the lot, and I had to walk about 2 miles just to get into McCormick Place. That wouldn t have been so bad, but they had installed a roof over the sidewalk that leaked water on anyone walking under it. For this I paid 8 bucks? Inside, the place was mobbed. I had to wait in line for over an hour to get registered. Needless to say, I finally got in and proceeded to the Apple booth as quickly as possible. Apple was sharing their booth with a bunch of software developers and those stations were packed with people, so I really couldn t see too much. I went to the Aldus booth and it was the same story. Wall-to-wall showgoers. What it boils down to is that I didn t get to see anything new in either booth. I did, however, manage to talk to Apple and Aldus reps that were standing outside each booth. I asked the Aldus rep when we could expect the new version of Freehand, and she smiled and said something like, A lot of people have asked that question today. Hmmm. Quantel was showing Printbox which is a suite of programs and hardware for scanning, image editing, layout managing and outputting. It looked fast and was impressive, but the interface was not the standard Mac interface, so I think they may have an uphill battle on their hands. Photo CD was everywhere, and it looks like it is becoming accepted by the graphic arts industry. For that matter, CD-ROM players were everywhere too. I checked out every 600+dpi printer in the place. It was funny to see all the middle-aged guys looking through the bottom of their bifocals to check the print quality. Funny until I caught myself doing the same thing. I came to no conclusions there, but I did bring back print samples of them all. The winner? I ll report that in a future column. Another interesting phenomenon was that, while Macs are the computer of choice in the graphic arts industry, most of the price estimating software is DOS or Windows software. Go figure. The big web printing presses filled the two big rooms upstairs. These babies are big and expensive. Most had Sold to tags on them, so I assume that the industry is starting to pick up again. Watching those big boys run is fascinating and the smell of a printing press in action is unforgettable. All-in all an interesting show. While Apple s and Aldus booths were crowded, that gave me the chance to visit the smaller booths and learn more about the graphics biz. Attendance at the show in general bodes well for desktop publishers and those in the graphic arts. ------------------- CompuServe s Mac Forums are lively places. Here s what s happening in the Mac Community Club Forum. MAC COMMUNITY CLUB FORUM ------------------------ News Flash Announcement: Welcome to MAUG(R)/Macintosh Community Clubhouse Forum JOHN SCULLEY resigns from Apple! Read message 69103 for full details. Also read message 69104 on Apple's latest, stated revenues. MAUG(R) now has a new suffix for self installing library files - .INS -- read message # 68404 here for complete information GO NEWTON to our newest Forum -- The Newton/PIE Forum! Once there read "A First Look: The Newton MessagePad -- Something To Hold Onto?" by Neil Shapiro the first independent, full-length feature review of this new technology from Apple. It's stored as NEWTN1.TXT in GO NEWTON's Library 1 database. Meet people from Apple's Newton and PIE (Personal Interactive Electronics) Teams! Talk about what the Newton is and whether to get one. And, should you have one shortly, meet with other Newtoneers! MACINTOSH MULTIMEDIA FORUM IS OPEN! Please GO MACMEDIA or GO MACMULTI or GO QUICKTIME all of which will take you to MAUG's exciting, newest Forum! This Mac Multimedia Forum features sections on QuickTime, video, graphics, sound, presentation software, HyperCard and much more! Please note that the QuickTime libraries from MACSYS are now duplicated on MACMEDIA and will be ERASED from MacSys Forum soon. Therefore, ALL NEW QUICKTIME uploads GO MACMEDIA. This also applies to Sound Tools from MACFUN and Graphic Tools from MACAP. We hope you will enjoy MACMEDIA! MAUG(R) is a trademark, owned by MCU Inc., and Registered in the U.S. Pat. and TM Office. _________________ > STR Mail Call "...a place for the readers to be heard" """"""""""""" STReport's MailBag """""""""""""""""" Messages * NOT EDITED * for content ----------------------------------- Well, let s see what the letter carrier has brought us this week. Mac Tools 3.0 is out. Mac Tools 3.0 is an all-purpose disk utility featuring: Anti-virus, DiskFix, Optimizer, Backup, FileFix, FastCopy, DriveLight, AutoCheck, and TrashBack. Mac Tools 2.0 worked real well for me, saving my hard drive when I screwed it up trying to install my Syquest drive so this is one upgrade I am really looking forward to. If you don t own a disk utility, I can whole-heartedly recommend Mac Tools 2.0 and Mac Tools 3.0 should be even better. Get it. I ll have A review in A future column. Call Central Point Software at 1-800-937-9842. Apple sends the latest edition of the Apple Catalog featuring computers, printers, clothing, and software. The Powerbooks have instant rebates, and, prices for the hardware reflect Apple s new pricing strategy. To get your free copy call 1-800-795-1000. ClickArt 2000; The Ultimate Desktop Publishing Solution? That s what the flyer says. 2000 EPS graphics for $59.95. Did I order this? Yes. I got the CD-ROM version. I ll let you know how I like this, and if I find the graphics useful. If you don t want to wait, call ClickArt at 1-800- 219-4166. Here s what s been going on in GEnie s GE-MUG RoundTable lately. > STR InfoFile """""""""""" Here s some good news; lower prices. Do you think if I leave this rebate list laying around the house my wife will get the message? Do you think I ve been good enough for Santa to bring me a Powerbook? OK then, what should I do with my lumps of coal? ORIGINAL RELEASE AND CORRECTIONS MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE AFTER 8:15 AM, EDT, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1993. APPLE USA ANNOUNCES REBATES FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON INSTANT REBATE APPLIES TO SELECT POWERBOOKS AND APPLE PERIPHERALS CAMPBELL, California--November 1, 1993--The Apple USA division of Apple Computer, Inc. today announced it will offer customers instant rebates on select Apple Powerbook computers and peripherals beginning today and continuing through January 31, 1994. Apple's "Does more. Costs less. Pays Now." holiday promotion will feature significant rebates on the following products while supplies last: Qualifying Products: Rebate: Apple Powerbook 145B $150 Apple Powerbook 165 $100 Apple Powerbook 165c $100 Apple Powerbook 180 $200 Apple Powerbook 180c $450 Apple Powerbook Duo 230 4/120 $350 Apple Powerbook Duo 230 4/80 bundle $350 (includes floppy adapter and external drive) Apple Powerbook Duo 230 4/160 $500 (includes Apple Duo Dock and Express Modem) Apple Duo Dock $150 Apple Duo Dock with 230MB HD $300 Apple Powerbook Mini Dock $100 Apple 16" Color Display $200 Apple Color Printer $300 Rebate Logistics Customers that purchase and take delivery of a qualifying product from a participating reseller between November 1, 1993 and January 31, 1994 will receive an instant rebate at the point-of-sale after signing a rebate verification form. Participating authorized Apple resellers can provide more information on the rebate. To locate an Apple reseller participating in the promotion, please call 1-800-538-9696. ---------- The prices just keep dropping. I wonder if this monitor is like the Performa Plus display? If so, it s not a bad monitor. MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE AT 8:15 AM, EDT, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1993. APPLE COMPUTER INTRODUCES HIGH PERFORMANCE 14" RGB DISPLAY Apple Color Plus Display Aggressively Priced for The First-time Buyer and Customers Who Require Performance and Value CUPERTINO, California--November 2, 1993--Apple Computer, Inc. today announced the Apple Color Plus Display, a 14-inch RGB display designed to complement Apple's new crop of aggressively priced personal computer models. Introduced at $305, the new 640 X 480 pixel display has a 67 Hz refresh rate that is ideally suited to customers who require performance and value. The Color Plus Display features a .28mm dot pitch and non-interlaced scanning technology that is designed to ensure minimum screen flicker while providing vibrant colors and crisp, easy to read text, even during extended use. The Apple Color Plus Display is designed to "plug and play" with all Apple Macintosh computers. The Apple Color Plus Display meets strict magnetic field emission guidelines and is shipped with a tilt & swivel stand. The Apple Color Plus Display is available immediately through Apple authorized resellers in the U.S. and in select markets in Europe and the Pacific. For further information, customers in the United States should call the Apple Referral Center at 800-538-9696. Education customers and customers outside the U.S. should contact their local Apple representatives for information. ---------- Apple and Texas Instruments are going to develop some new circuitry for high-speed data transmission. Does this mean that the PowerPC chip is too fast for existing peripherals or is the bottleneck the cables and interfaces? JOINT RELEASE; MAILED BY TEXAS INSTRUMENTS 11/1/93. Contact Texas Instruments Martha Brounoff Apple and TI Announce Agreement to Develop New Circuits for Multimedia Transmission Agreement Jointly Endorses Proposed High-Speed Serial Bus Standard. Dallas (November 1, 1993)--Texas Instruments (TI) and Apple Computer, Inc. (Apple) today announced an agreement under which TI will develop a new category of integrated circuits using technology developed by Apple . Based on Apple's new FireWire technology, these integrated circuits will enable computers to exchange information at very high speeds with a variety of electronic equipment via miniaturized connectors and low-cost cables. The new devices will help improve the performance of disk drives, scanners, printers and multimedia devices such as digital cameras, CD ROMs, VCRs, camcorders and audio/stereo equipment. The Apple FireWire technology, which is based on an emerging standard for information exchange (P1394 ), will enable a dramatic reduction in the number of connectors required, improves overall performance and allows plug-and-play addition of peripherals. Both TI and Apple serve on the committee, set up under the auspices of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), to formulate this proposed standard which is designated the P1394 standard for a high- speed serial bus. Under the terms of the agreement, TI is licensed to develop the new devices using the FireWire technology. As an authorized FireWire licensee, TI has been working with Apple to develop integrated circuits conforming to the P1394 standard that can be used across multiple system platforms. Existing bus interface solutions do not address many of the anticipated needs of future systems. Applications in multimedia may require the ability to transport large volumes of data in an isochronous* - or real time -manner. The P1394 standard provides this capability, as well as enable higher bit rates and significantly lower cable costs over what is currently possible. In addition, the proposed standard provides uniformity in input/output (I/O) connections, digital integration of data and control and improved system reliability. The emerging P1394 standard describes a serial bus driven by an advanced communication protocol for low system cost while still providing the data transfer rate needed for high performance peripheral devices. The P1394 specification provides straightforward, seamless connection between various types of equipment such as computers and peripherals. The cable specification gives customers great flexibility in how they connect devices together - including multiple daisy connections in a local area. TI and Apple believe that the proposed high-speed serial bus standard will provide a strong unifying element in the electronic systems and multimedia equipment marketplace. The companies view their joint development agreement as a means of underscoring their individual endorsement of the proposed standard. FireWire will give customers both considerably enhanced performance when working with different information types such as video and the ability to connect digital products together easily, which is crucial as we move towards increasing use of different forms of media on the desktop , said Jonathan Zar, Business Manager of the FireWire project for Apple. The P1394 standard, together with Apple s decision to license this technology provide a great basis for an industry standard connection for the digital world . This agreement is a natural outcome of the leadership demonstrated by both companies in the development and support of the proposed P1394 standard, said Bryan Bell, TI data transmission products manager. The performance and technical advances that our jointly developed devices promise to deliver will serve to bolster further acceptance of the proposed P1394 standard . ---------- > STReport CONFIDENTIAL "Rumors Tidbits Predictions Observations Tips" """"""""""""""""""""" - Rockville, MD MAC Interface? ------------- It looks like GEnie s long-rumored front end for the Macintosh is getting closer to fruition. A friend of a friend of a friend told me that one of the leaders in Mac telecommunications has a front end virtually ready-to-go, and is currently negotiating with the Powers-That-Be at GEnie. Let s hope this rumor is true. It sure would be nice to have that front end for Christmas! - Lake Placid FLORIDA GRID IRON FAN "WATCH" ----------- Another GEnie rumor concerns one of GE-MUG s assistant SysOps. It seems that this SysOp, who shall be nameless, is certain that the Seminoles will defeat Notre Dame. The question is: Will she be real upset when the Noles go down in defeat? Let s win one for the Gipper! That s it for this week. As always, be sure and send your comments to me at the following addresses. CompuServe: 70323,1031 GEnie: R.NOAK America OnLine: RandyNoak ********************************************************************** IMPORTANT NOTICE! ================= STReport International Online Magazine is available every week in the ST Advantage on DELPHI. STReport readers are invited to join DELPHI and become a part of a friendly community of enthusiastic computer users there. SIGNING UP WITH DELPHI ====================== Using a personal computer and modem, members worldwide access DELPHI services via a local phone call JOIN --DELPHI -------------- Via modem, dial up DELPHI at 1-800-695-4002 then... When connected, press RETURN once or twice and... At Password: type STREPORT and press RETURN. DELPHI's Basic Plan offers access for only $6.00 per hour, for any baud rate. The $5.95 monthly fee includes your first hour online. For more information, call: DELPHI Member Services at 1-800-544-4005 DELPHI is a service of General Videotex Corporation of Cambridge, MA. Try DELPHI for $1 an hour! For a limited time, you can become a trial member of DELPHI, and receive 5 hours of evening and weekend access during this month for only $5. If you're not satisfied, simply cancel your account before the end of the calendar month with no further obligation. If you keep your account active, you will automatically be enrolled in DELPHI's 10/4 Basic Plan, where you can use up to 4 weekend and evening hours a month for a minimum $10 monthly charge, with additional hours available at $3.96. But hurry, this special trial offer will expire soon! To take advantage of this limited offer, use your modem to dial 1-800-365-4636. Press once or twice. When you get the Password: prompt, type IP26 and press again. Then, just answer the questions and within a day or two, you'll officially be a member of DELPHI! DELPHI TOP TEN DOWNLOADS (11/3/93) (1) STREPORT #9.44 (2) ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE - VOL 2.18 (3) WINX 2.1/GEMRAM (4) DOCS FOR XCONTROL 1.31 (5) NEW AHDI FROM ATARI (6) THRONE11.LZH (7) 3D MAP OF THE EARTH (8) LIQPIXEL.LZH (9) CLOCK11A.LZH (10) GRAMMARIAN VERSION 1.0.0 DELPHI-It's getting better all the time! ********************************************************************** ATARI/JAG SECTION (III) ======================= .---. FALCON .---. / \ __ / \ / / \( )/ \ \ ////// ' \/ ` \\\\\\ //// / // : : \\ \ \\\\ // / / /` '\ \ \ \\ // //..\\ \\ ====UU====UU==== '//||\\` ''`` WHAT'S NEW IN THE COMPUSERVE ATARI FORUMS (November 5) ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM MERGES WITH PALMTOP FORUM The Atari Portfolio Forum has been closed as a separate entity. All activity and libraries have been moved to the PALMTOP FORUM (GO PALMTOP). We would like to welcome all Atari Portfolio owners to the Palmtop Forum. Section 9 and Library 9 are designated as the home base for continued Portfolio support. You'll find over 750 Portfolio files (most are DOS compatible) from the former Portfolio Forum available there. Owners of other DOS palmtops should check out these files as many are not Portfolio-specific and will run on your units. NEW FILES IN CODEHEAD SECTION OF ATARI VENDORS FORUM Download the following new files from LIBRARY 16 of the Atari Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN): W9380U.TXT - Press release describing version 3.80 of Warp 9 THRONE.LZH - A different sort of flying appliance... EASYUP.TXT - CodeHead makes it easier to upgrade Warp 9 CLOK11.LZH - New EOS Clock fixes config save bug CLOCK.LZH - Does anybody really know what time it is... DESKTOP FUN! Download file DESKFX.ARC from LIBRARY 14 of the Atari Arts Forum (GO ATARIARTS) for a picture Desktop, an Animated Mouse, and a font program in one(!). Personalize your color ST with any Degas pic you like instead of a green desktop, you can even create your own animated mice with ANIMOU.ARC (a separate download). Works in low and medium rez, resident while you work/play. __________________________________________________ > From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying It Like It Is!" by Dana Jacobson, Atari Editor Well, I guess I'm now a "veteran" after getting past my first "edition" as STReport's new Atari editor! The butterflies (and the rest of the bugs) are over and done with. They say it gets easier from now on. They all lied! So, with all of the pleasantries out of the way, let's get down to business. Some interesting tidbits coming our way this past week. most dealing with Atari's new Jaguar. I also have some comments that I'd like to share, and perhaps get your feedback. Earlier in the week, there was a post on Delphi from Gordie Meyer, one of the Atari SysOps, related to a couple of items that appeared in NewMedia magazine. They were of interest, so I thought that I'd share them with you as well. The first was in a column called "Clippings", a collection of short news items. It read, "Rupert Murdoch's The News Corp. is acquiring Delphi Internet Services, the chief provider of full Internet access to home users. The News Corp. plans to use Delphi's on-line service as the launching pad for electronic newspapers and interactive versions of its properties, including 20th Century Fox, Harper Collins books and TV Guide." The second item was in a sidebar entitled "Coming Down the Pike". It accompanied an article about CD Game Players. It said, "While you're mulling over the current generation of consumer platforms, the game companies aren't standing still. In an effort to win the market back from the Japanese, Atari has announced their new 64-bit true color Jaguar More? home system for release in the New York City and San Francisco markets in the late fall. The system, manufactured by IBM, will consist of a $200 cartridge unit, and a $200 CD-ROM add-on available next spring. Those of us who witnessed the first public demonstration in August agree that this machine produces the finest game graphics available. It features a throughput of 106.4 MB and delivers a blazing rendering speed of 850 million pixels per second. It remains to be seen what the real titles will look like, and whether Atari has the marketing skill to regain a leadership role." The preceding excerpts were posted with permission of NewMedia magazine. NewMedia is available from most major bookstores. For a one year (twelve issues) direct subscription, send a check for $48 to: Customer Service Department, NewMedia, P.O. Box 1771, Riverton, NJ, 08077-9771. The Jaguar is making the news in all forms of outlets these days. I'm sure that as we get closer to the launch date in a couple of weeks, the coverage will increase. I was even pleasantly surprised to read in this past Thursday's issue of USA Today, in the "Life" section, the cover story was partially devoted to the Jaguar. The article essentially tells readers that the video games market is no longer a 2-player game anymore. Today's new technologies (Atari's Jaguar, 3DO, Commodore, and Pioneer) are threatening the once dominant holds of Nintendo and Sega. It's nice to see Atari's name somewhere causing some "alarm" to some major companies! First it was Nintendo, and then Sega grew to challenge them. Seriously, there were no others, until now. I loved USA Today's Mike Snider's comment about Nintendo and Sega standing atop a hill, "the two stood precariously together - plumber vs. hedgehog - each trying to elbow the other off the peak." As he goes on, he says that while these two are fighting it out with each other, they both realize that there are others challenging them. Snider goes on to describe who those challengers are, ending with: "...even a 64-bit system from Atari, the brand that singlehandedly built the video game industry, and then all but killed it off." It's a new ball game as of today folks. Atari is in New York City; and by the time you read this, Atari will have announced that the Jaguar will be available in just a couple of weeks. Snider then goes on to describe the past efforts of some of these companies, and then what's in store for the future, including a brief description of the Jaguar. They even included a nice color picture of the Jaguar on the cover. For Atari, this is an exciting time. For those who are faithful Atarians, regardless of the product, it's also enjoyable to see Atari's name right up there with other headliners, for a change. I'm also excited, but at the same time, I'm concerned. Where will this all lead us, those of us who are the Atari computer users? Sure, some of us who use Atari computers also have earlier Atari video game machines such as the 2600 on up. Heck, my 2600 is still around although I haven't hooked it up in years only because I have no place to keep it! Many of us are using Atari's portable game machine, the Lynx. Some of us have 8- bit machines; and many of us still have an ST, STe, or TT in full use. Some, are using the latest available machine, the Falcon. Will the success of the Jaguar mean the death of the computer side of Atari? Some say yes while others say no. Some, like myself, have no idea what might happen. Atari has said that the Jaguar is on the front burners for the present, and the Falcon will remain on a back burner somewhere, for now, as well as a focused new development of future Falcons. I'm concerned that the computer side may die out. I'm concerned that remaining software developers might not be willing to wait out the Jaguar campaign and drift further away. I'm concerned that those waiting for a more powerful Falcon may decide not to wait any further, and move on. Just imagine if you will, what might have happened if the Falcon got the same type of devotion and coverage as the Jaguar is enjoying these days; _and_, it came out on schedule?! The circumstances are almost identical. The Falcon, when it was first announced, was miles ahead of the competition, and much cheaper. The Falcon was a dream machine that no one was close to at the time. Unfortunately, there were too many production problems and not enough publicity. Unfortunately, Atari's name with regard to computers, had long ago faltered after its initial successes with the 520 ST. What's saving Atari this time, with the Falcon, at least so far, is that they're getting the word out much better, they've got the IBM name behind them, and they're apparently right on target for release. Why didn't that happen with the Falcon, or perhaps even with the TT or MegaSTe? It really saddens me to see the computer line losing what I considered to be a huge edge at the time. Well, perhaps if the Jaguar is as successful as the media gives its potential, Atari will have the resources to come out with a version of the Falcon that will outclass the competition and Atari will have TWO major products on the market at the same time. I guess that all any of us can do for the present is to hope for the Jaguar's success and that we can reap some of the benefits somewhere down the foreseeable future. Let's hope that the future comes quickly. On to other things.... I want to express my thanks to the many readers who have sent me mail this past week. Most of the mail consisted of well wishes and hopes that STReport will have some fresh new ideas to help fill the void of Atari magazines. And, some mail offered suggestions as to what readers would like to see in future issues. I hope to incorporate some of those suggestions in the near future. My concerns right now are to establish some realistic goals, and work toward them. My immediate goals are to provide more coverage of the online services that support Atari computers. These would include Delphi, CompuServe, and yes, even GEnie. I'm looking for a few volunteers who are willing to put together a weekly, or even bi- weekly column similar to Joe Mirando's "People Are Talking". There is a lot of interesting ideas, questions & answers, problems & solutions, etc. that come from the online services that can benefit the entire userbase. I need people to help put that information together. I'm not looking for enormous columns as too much would not be a good idea. I'm also looking for one or two people to keep our readers up-to-date on the new public domain and shareware scene. Next to message forums, new software is always on the minds of the userbase. It helps to get some ideas as to what's available to keep the readers informed. It can also save needless download time and fees; or, to make the best of it. Again, I'm not looking for hundreds of programs to have mini- reviews each week; nor does it have to appear every week. If you're interested in either of the above; or even if you're interested in doing new product reviews, please get in touch with me as soon as you can. You can either send mail to any of the STReport online accounts listed at the top of this issue; or send mail directly to me. I can be easily reached on the following services: Delphi - DPJ, CIS - 71051,3327, or GEnie - D.JACOBSON2. I can also be reached on my BBS, Toad Hall, at (617)567-8642. Think about it. Here's a golden opportunity to write about things related to your favorite computer and at the same time help out your fellow users with information. Also, if you're a developer and have a new product coming out, please make sure to send us any product announcements so that we can include them in STReport. User groups, please make sure to include us for any upcoming events in your area that may be of interest (shows, etc.). Online services SysOps also, please keep us informed of upcoming events such as online conferences or special events. You'll be helping the rest of the community! Until next week.... _____________________________________________________ > READYTEMPLATES! STR InfoFile Ready Templates! """""""""""""""""""""""""""" Effective Immediately FALL, 1993 : : : Spar Systems Is Proud To Announce The Release Of : : : : ************************ : : * ReadyTemplates * : : ************************ : : : : For PageStream 2.0 : : : : For Use With PaperDirect Preprinted Papers : : : o ReadyTemplates are predesigned templates designed specifically for PaperDirect preprinted papers. There's no fussing with spacing, tabs, borders, columns and margins, because it's all done for you. Additionally, each template is designed with PaperDirect graphics. Your text will look great, your graphics will look fantastic, your work will look marvelous! o Create professional looking brochures, business cards, diskette labels, paper frames, post cards, and more with style & ease. Getting expert results from your printer has never been easier. o All templates are designed for PageStream 2.0, and are as easy to use as 1-2-3! By opening the correct template; replace the sample data in the place-holders provided; load the paper the template was designed for in your printer and print! o Each template can be easily modified to create other designs. o The package includes over 150 predesigned templates, manual, one double sided diskette and a PaperDirect catalog. Available For Both Atari And Amiga Suggested Retail Price Is $39.95 See your Atari dealer or order from us. Include $2.00 for shipping and handling, and mail to: Spar Systems 381 Autumn Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11208 For addition information ring us at (718)-235-3169 Other New Products Will Be Available Soon """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" STReport's "EDITORIAL CARTOON" """""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > A "Quotable Quote" "...Of BIG Cats & Things" """"""""""""""""" "This Jaguar "thing" might just have a real GO at it all!" ..overheard on Wall Street """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > DEALER CLASSIFIED LIST STR InfoFile * Dealer Listings * """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" --------------- ABCO COMPUTER INC. ================== P.O. Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155 Est. 1985 1-904-783-3319 INTEL 32 BIT 486 Tower DX/SX 25 -> 66 PLUG-IN UPGRADABLE PENTIUM READY 4MB ram upgradable to 32MB 1MB * SVGA VIDEO CARD DOS 6 - Windows 3.1 - 256K CACHE 1.44/1.2 FLOPPY 150-225MB ide hd - 2 SERIAL, 1 PARALLEL, 1 GAME PORTS 250W POWER SUPPLY - DESKTOP/TOWER SYSTEMS from $795.95 S&H incl. NEW! Will meet or beat any advertised price! Other high power packages available or, design your own! Call for pricing! Call: 904-783-3319 Mon-Sat 10AM - 5PM Image Systems 24" DuoChrome SVGA BigScreen Monitor Original Carton - Recently Upgraded by Image Systems Compatible with PC - CLONES - MAC - TT030 - MegaBus - Mega4-2 SVGA Card Input/Output - Compatible with SVGA all Still under Warranty $450.00 S & H incl UPS FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER MAIL ORDER SERVICE WORLDWIDE IBM/MSDOS-PC-CLONES-MAC-AMIGA-ATARI CUSTOM, MADE TO ORDER HARDWARE SOFTWARE, SUPPLIES & INSTRUCTION """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" COMPUTER STUDIO =============== WESTGATE SHOPPING CENTER 40 Westgate Parkway -Suite D Asheville, NC 28806 1-800-253-0201 Orders Only 1-704-251-0201 Information FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" EAST HARTFORD COMPUTER ====================== 202 Roberts St. East Hartford CT. 06108 1-203-528-4448 FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" MEGABYTE COMPUTERS ================== 907 Mebourne Hurst, TX 76053 1-817-589-2950 FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" SAN JOSE COMPUTER ================= 1278 Alma Court San Jose, CA. 95112 1-408-995-5080 FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" CompuSeller West ================ 220-1/2 W. Main St. St. Charles, IL., 60174 Ph. (708) 513-5220 FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" (DEALERS; to be listed here with your specials, please drop us a line.) """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" STReport International Online Magazine -* [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport *- AVAILABLE ON OVER 20,001 PRIVATE BBS SYSTEMS """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" STR Online! "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" November 05, 1993 Since 1987 copyright (c) 1987-93 All Rights Reserved No.9.45 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 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, STReport and/or portions therein may not be edited in any way without prior written permission. STR, STReport, at the time of publication, is believed reasonably accurate. STR, 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. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""