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Silicon Times Report Issue 1149
Silicon Times Report
The Original Independent OnLine Magazine"
(Since 1987)
December 08, 1995 No.1149
Silicon Times Report International OnLine Magazine
Post Office Box 6672
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STR Electronic Publishing Inc.
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R.F. Mariano, Editor
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12/08/95 STR 1149 The Original Independent OnLine Magazine!
- CPU Industry Report - Internet on a Chip! - Thumbs Plus 3
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- Mr T's CATnips - People Talking - Jaguar NewsBits
Feds Probe Win 95 Again!
End Taligent Work!
Survey Sees Multi-PC Homes!
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From the Editor's Desk...
The number of days left before Christmas is closing in fast..
Microsoft is preparing for the glut of user assistance calls to be generated
by Santa's delivering all those copies of Windows 95. They're bringing in
additional help and keeping the help line open through the Holidays. All
the new Software and hardware is selling like there is no tomorrow. This is
truly going to be a technology Christmas Sales Season.
Would you believe.. The D.O.J. is starting up AGAIN with their crazy
nonsense of hounding Microsoft over Windows 95?? What happened here didn't
somebody get the right complimentary copy or are the political contributions
not flowing fast enough?? The latest has to do with allegations that the
Plus! Package for Windows 95 cripples the Internet software that competes
with Windows 95. This is pure HOGWASH!! As a matter of fact, back when we
were beta testing Windows 95 . I installed a competitive package and it,
incredibly.. Replaced the standard Winsock.dll with its own and effectively
crippled Windows 95's Internet dialer!! That software folks, was WinCim
1.4. Now I'm not saying the replacement of the standard Winsock.ddl was
deliberate but I AM saying that the allegations are somewhat enigmatic and
should read that Windows 95 was being victimized by those who felt
threatened by MSN. Yes, that's right, the same old bugaboo raising its ugly
head again. The existing services being paranoid to the extreme over MSN.
This tripe is getting old fast. What the criers don't realize it makes them
look extremely immature in the business, incapable of competing, convinced
they're outgunned and outclassed and most of all, whipped before the
starter's pistol is ever fired!
These outfits have simply got to face the facts that Windows 95 is here
to stay for the duration and will evolve into the graceful Swan its intended
to be. Can you say Cairo?? There ..I thought you could. The bottom line
is really quite clear. the operating system is for the users, clearly a step
above anything out there or even contemplated at this time. Win95 has taken
the drudgery out of everyday computing and at the same time, put the "fun"
back in. Sooner or later the "criers" will wake up and realize that Windows
95 has proven it is helping their business's grow not shrivel. But of
course, they'll have to stop with the drivel long enough to see that growth
instead of feeling sorry for themselves.
The US Department of Justice. let's see. they're headed up by Janet
Reno. Odd isn't it that the USA is on the verge of a Drug Epidemic with a
NEW Glamour DRUG that at this time is ravaging Europe.. What is Janet & Co.
doing?? Chasing Microsoft again!!?? Ecstasy is about to hit the USA in a
big way and the great guardians of law and order in Washington State and
Washington DC are busy tilting at Windmills, killing US Citizens, harassing
the parents of a lost child in Coconut Grove.. offering lame excuses to
Senate Investigating Committees. When is the utter non-sense going to stop
and the real Department of Justice re-appear?? Janet Reno & Co., should
be very busy with the implementation of effective drug interdiction
programs, rehab programs and most of all, the investigation, arrest and
incarceration of the BIG MONEY PEOPLE BEHIND the Drug Smuggling and
distribution empires within the continental United States. not harassing US
Businesses like Microsoft that more often than not, PAY more in annual taxes
than the Department of Justice spends in Drug Enforcement. Not to mention
all the taxpayers (US Citizens and voters) that Microsoft both directly and
indirectly puts bread on their tables and money into their family's futures.
It's high time the Justice Dep't. began to hear from the US population
as a whole both directly and through our elected officials. if each and
every person who also is able to see the terrible picture being portrayed
above. the DOJ's warped and totally insane sense of priorities.. were to
reach out and "touch" their elected representative and perhaps a postcard or
two to Janet Reno's office asking HER what is going on with the persecution
of MS?? This would serve to let them all know we are sick and tired of
watching the constant hounding and badgering of Microsoft. While the
country is on its way to hell in handbasket filled with illicit drugs, the
DOJ is busy trying to hurt LEGAL Businesses ! Talk about cabinet members
that are total embarrassments to the President. Hey Janet!! Smell the
coffee yet??
Now back to our regularly scheduled editorial. and magazine.
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STReport Headline News
LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Feds Launch Windows 95 Probe
Word on the street is federal investigators are asking whether
Microsoft Corp. intentionally set up digital roadblocks in its Windows 95
operating system to disable rival companies' Internet access programs.
According to the Wall Street Journal this morning, the Justice Department
has issued subpoenas to CompuServe, Netscape Communications Corp., and
Netcom On-line Communications Services Inc.
The paper says federal investigators are focusing on whether Windows 95
and its related Internet software improperly disable rival programs that let
users access the Internet's World Wide Web. As noted, a number of online
companies, including CompuServe and Netscape, complained about the Windows
95 program when it made its debut in August, saying the software and an
accompanying product called Plus!, which provides Internet access,
essentially wiped out rival access software.
Microsoft executives contend the problem was caused by weakness in the
other companies' software, saying it has helped rivals fix any snags
affecting their products and that any problems created by its programs were
unintentional. Michael Conte, Microsoft's group manager for personal
systems, told the paper his employer would not deliberately make Windows 95
incompatible with rival products because such glitches would detract from
the popularity of its product.
Packard Bell Denies Money Woes
Despite worries among investors, computer maker Packard Bell
Electronics Inc. is denying speculation it is having financial trouble. On
the contrary, "Packard Bell is having a great year," says President/CEO Beny
Alagem. As reported earlier, analysts this week attributed a reduced order
at chipmaker Cirrus Logic Inc. and some financial juggling at Intel Corp. to
difficulties at Packard Bell.
The Wall Street Journal has quoted some observers as saying the company
may have built too many PCs that use the 75 MHz version of Intel's Pentium
chip while most of the consumer buying has been for PCs with Pentium chips
that run at speeds of 100 MHz and 133 MHz.
However, reporting from the firm's Sacramento, California, offices, the
Associated Press quotes Alagem as saying the company's inventory is
balanced, adding, "We have no excess of Pentium 75s. The opposite is true.
We are seeing high demand for that configuration as well as for Pentium 100s
and 133s. In fact, after the Thanksgiving weekend, several retail chains
called to reorder Pentium 75s for Christmas."
AP notes Alagem's statement did not directly address its relationship
with Intel. As noted, Intel's most recent quarterly financial filing with
the Securities and Exchange Commission reported it was owed $476 million by
one of its five largest customers and had converted some of the debt into a
loan. Intel didn't identify the company, but a number of industry analysts
said they believed it to be Packard Bell.
Packard Bell is privately held and so isn't required to disclose
financial data the way publicly owned companies are, but Alagem said his
firm had record sales in October and that its 1995 revenues will be about
$4.6 billion, 45 percent higher than last year. He added, "We see no
slowdown for the fourth quarter."
IBM, Apple, HP End Taligent Work
Taligent Inc. -- a software joint venture by IBM, Apple Computer Inc.
and Hewlett-Packard Co. -- is being dissolved. More than half the staff is
being laid off and Taligent's technology is being moved to IBM. That is the
word in The Wall Street Journal this morning, where reporter Bart Ziegler
writes of a new arrangement that has Apple and HP continuing to have rights
to use Taligent's technology, called CommonPoint, but placing its control
with IBM.
"The venture will be renamed the Taligent Object Technology Center,"
adds Ziegler, "and will continue to operate from its base in Cupertino,
California." Quoting industry executives close to the decision, Ziegler
says the move is designed "to cut costs at the venture, which devised new
software technology but failed to gain much acceptance for it in the
industry."
The ending of Taligent comes just two weeks after IBM and Apple ended
another joint software venture, Kaleida Labs Inc. Both Kaleida and Taligent
arose from the surprise 1991 IBM-Apple alliance which was intended to
challenge Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. as industry standard-bearers.
Says the Journal, "Taligent, like Kaleida, fell victim to conflicting
agendas and differing product timetables among the parent companies,
according to former employees. While it created interesting technology, only
IBM has firmly committed to using it in its products."
Originally Taligent was to create a new PC operating system based on
"object" technology (software written in small reusable chunks so that new
programs can be created more easily), but, says Ziegler, "faced with the
onslaught of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows, it scaled back its plan and became a
maker of software 'tools' that are used to create programs."
CompuServe Seeks FEC Clarification
CompuServe Inc. says it will ask the Federal Election Commission (FEC)
for an advisory opinion on its previously announced plan to offer free
access to the Internet, the World Wide Web and the CompuServe Information
Service to all federal and state political candidates through CompuServe's
Election Connection '96 online area.
CompuServe wants to know if it is simply furthering the process of
public discourse by opening cyberspace to all candidates, or whether the
free access represents an in-kind corporate contribution to candidates.
"This is an area where we expect the law is already sufficiently flexible to
accommodate the reality of cyberspace as an important and fast-growing
medium for political debate," notes a statement from
CompuServe President and CEO Bob Massey. "A recent survey done for our
product development group shows that as much as 27 percent of the U.S.
population has access to online services. That represents the potential
involvement of millions and millions of voters. "Because our offer includes
access to CompuServe's Home Page Wizard (CompuServe's software tool for
building home pages) we are opening up two-way communication between the
candidates and anyone who has access to cyberspace," continues Massey. "This
seems to us to be a prime example of democracy in action. By opening up
access to all the candidates and their views, we help voters become better
informed in the months leading up to the election."
CompuServe says it decided to request the ruling after conflicting news
stories appeared questioning the offer to federal candidates. State
candidates will not be affected by the ruling.
While it isn't illegal for CompuServe to offer candidates online
access, the company is asking for the ruling to assure federal candidates
that it is legal for them to accept the service. And with the 1996 elections
rapidly approaching, the company is asking that a ruling be made as soon as
possible.
Multimedia Firms Set Merger
Two pioneering multimedia CD-ROM publishers have signed a letter of
intent to merge in a transaction estimated at $39.05 million. The deal
between Graphix Zone Inc. and StarPress Inc. is subject to various
conditions, including regulatory approvals and the approval of the
shareholders of each company. A definitive merger agreement is expected by
Dec. 31 and the merger set to close in March.
Holders of StarPress common stock will receive approximately .15 shares
of Graphix Zone common stock for each share of StarPress stock.
Approximately 4.4 million shares of Graphix Zone common stock will be
exchanged for StarPress stock, valuing the transaction at approximately
$39.05 million, based on Graphix Zone's closing stock price of $8.875 on
Dec. 1. Upon consummation of the merger, current StarPress shareholders will
own approximately 54 percent of the combined company. Graphix Zone is a
producer of interactive music and entertainment CD-ROMs. StarPress is a
publisher and developer of reference and entertainment software products.
Apple's 'Pippin' Comes Next Year
Pippin -- Apple Computer Inc.'s new multimedia device, a hybrid between
a television-based computer game player and a stripped-down but speedy
computer -- is expected to be introduced next year, first in Japan and later
in the United States. So said Apple CEO Michael Spindler during
presentation at the annual Personal Computer Outlook conference in
Burlingame, California, where the device was demonstrated yesterday. The
Reuter News Service notes Apple has licensed its Pippin technology to
Japanese game maker Bandai Co. Ltd., which will market the system in Japan
under its logo. Apple officials in Japan recently discussed Pippin plans.
Spindler did not discuss pricing, but Stephen Franzese, director of
business development for Apple's entertainment and new media division, told
the wire service Pippin is expected to sell for about $500. Franzese added
three U.S. licensees have lined up -- he declined to identify the licensees,
saying it is up to the partners themselves to make any announcements -- and
that Pippin should be on store shelves in the United States in autumn 1996.
Spindler told those at the conference that licensees will initially sell
Pippin under their own logos in the U.S., but that eventually Apple may sell
them under its own label.
SoftKey Buys Compton's, Learning
For $106.5 million in stock, software distributor SoftKey International
Inc. has agreed to buy Tribune Co.'s Compton's NewMedia Inc. and Compton's
Learning Co. Under the deal, SoftKey also will assume $17 million in debt.
In exchange, says United Press International in a report from SoftKey's
Cambridge, Massachusetts, headquarters, Tribune has agreed to make a
conditional $150 million investment in SoftKey, a move UPI says "reflects
the rising stakes in the booming personal computer industry."
Compton's, based in Carlsbad, California, is best known for its
Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia and other educational multimedia titles
on CD-ROMs. UPI says the Chicago-based Tribune's investment will consist of
bonds convertible to SoftKey stock, "but that deal will occur only if
SoftKey is able to complete its $570 million bid to buy educational software
publisher Learning Co."
Note, though, that Learning Co. is spurning the offer in favor of a
$470 million buyout by Broderbund Software Inc. "Following the announcement
of the deal with Tribune," says UPI, "SoftKey said it was considering
revising its offer for Learning Co. but it gave no further details." The
wire service notes that if SoftKey can win the battle for Learning Co.,
Tribune will wind up owning 8 percent of SoftKey. The firm also has agreed
to buy Minnesota Educational Computing Corp.
Sun, Netscape Unveil JavaScript
JavaScript, a new programming language for customizing software
applications on computer networks and the Internet, was unveiled today by
Netscape Communications Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc. The language is to
be distributed free on the Internet, a move the Reuter News Service says
could enable Netscape and Sun "to set the next generation of software
standards for the Internet, where rival Microsoft Corp. is also investing
heavily."
The wire notes in a report from Mountain View, Calif., that Microsoft
this week is expected to outline its plans for future Internet products.
However, Netscape and Sun say 28 companies have agreed to adopt JavaScript
as a standard and provide it in their products.
Marc Andreessen, vice president of technology at Netscape, told the
wire service, "This broad industry support for JavaScript will fuel rapid
development of an entire new class of live online applications." Analyst
Laura Coniglario of Prudential Securities said the support of JavaScript "is
definitely an effort to take a position counter to Microsoft," adding, "From
an offensive point of view, many companies are finding their strategies and
business models cut off by what Microsoft has done or is likely to do."
Shareware Group Opens Net Sites
The Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP), the international
trade organization representing "try-it- before-you-buy-it" software
developers, has established two new Internet sites. The ASP has created a
home page on the World Wide Web (http://www.asp-shareware.org) that offers
shareware industry news, new shareware programs produced by ASP members and
links to Web pages operated by ASP members, among other resources.
Additionally, the organization has opened an FTP site (ftp.asp-
shareware.org) that contains copies of shareware files included on the CD-
ROM published monthly by the ASP. "We're extremely excited that our two
Internet sites are up and running," says Richard Harper, the ASP's
president. On CompuServe, the organization runs the ASP/Shareware Forum (GO
ASPFORUM) and the ASP CD-ROM Forum (GO ASPCD).
Program Checks CD-ROM Compatibility
TouchStone Software Corp. has joined forces with Blockbuster Video to
publish a program that lists all CD-ROMs available at Blockbuster outlets
and automatically indicates which titles are compatible with a shopper's own
PC. The software, Blockbuster PC MatchMaker, is designed to take the hassle
out of renting or buying CD-ROMs by minimizing the likelihood that customers
will bring home titles that won't run on their PCs. The program is a
customized version of TouchStone's WINCheckIt utility.
"Our aim is to make buying or renting software simple and easy for our
customers," says Mike Clarke, Blockbuster's vice president of purchasing.
We're excited about PC MatchMaker's debut because it will simplify our
customers' CD-ROM buying decisions for the holidays.
Blockbuster PC MatchMaker, which is supplied on a 3.5-inch floppy disk,
inventories and analyzes its host PC's configuration. The program then
compares the PC's capability to the Blockbuster inventory of CD-ROM titles.
Once a title is selected, a content description of the CD-ROM appears on the
PC's screen along with a status box indicating whether or not the software
will run on the system. If the title and the PC are incompatible,
Blockbuster PC MatchMaker explains what steps can be taken to effectively
use the software.
The rollout of Blockbuster PC MatchMaker is scheduled for Dec. 4. The
software's shelf price will be $9.99, but will be available at no charge to
customers renting or purchasing a CD-ROM title at Blockbuster. As the
Blockbuster Video CD- ROM inventory changes every two months, a software
upgrade will become available.
CompuServe Names WOW! Editor
CompuServe Inc. has announced the appointment of Howard Blumenthal as
editor-in-chief of Project WOW!, the company's major new online venture.
Blumenthal will lead the editorial direction and content development of
CompuServe's consumer-targeted online service. Project WOW! will be unveiled
next spring. CompuServe notes that under Blumenthal's direction, the service
will deliver multimedia programming designed and packaged for all members of
the family.
"Howard's appointment marks an important milestone in the development
of Project WOW!" says Scott Kauffman, vice president of CompuServe's
consumer markets business. "Howard has been involved in developing award-
winning family-oriented content for more than 20 years. His addition
underscores our aggressive focus in developing the first service designed to
meet the needs of the next generation of online consumers."
Blumenthal was the creator and senior producer of the Peabody and Emmy
award-winning PBS television series Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?
In addition, he was one of the creators and production consultant of MTV's
Remote Control series. As senior vice president of Kidsoft, Inc., he was
responsible for all aspects of production for the company's quarterly CD-ROM
magazine and oversaw the development of the company's online presence. He
has also been involved in new media projects on behalf of TCI, Hearst New
Media and Technology, Warner Communications, HarperCollins, Mindscape,
Parker Brothers, RCA, Minolta, EMI, Atari, Gruppo Fininveste, WGBH and the
Cartoon Network.
Blumenthal has authored 11 books about new media. His journalistic
achievements include a nationally syndicated consumer electronics and
personal computer column called High Tech Home that has appeared regularly
in the Chicago Sun-Times, St. Louis Post Dispatch and The Cleveland Plain
Dealer. He has contributed to many publications, including TV Guide, Family
Circle, Games Magazine, Video Review, American Film and various Scholastic
magazines.
Wired Threats Shut Down Web Site
The Hollywood Network, an entertainment industry-oriented site on the
Internet's World Wide Web, has been shut down by the operators after actress-
director Jodie Foster attracted some death threat messages on its chat room.
The Daily Variety newspaper reports this was not the first time some
threatening comments were made on the site, "but," adds United Press
International, "the serious nature of the comments prompted the site's
operators to make a report to the FBI." Said the wire service, "Authorities
believe Foster, who won Oscars for her roles in 'The Accused' and 'The
Silence of the Lambs,' never was in real danger." Her attorney, Matthew
Saver, shrugged off the incident, telling Variety, "I think what we've got
is a bunch of 12-year-olds with a modem."
Apple, Graham to Host Net Party
Teaming with rock promoter Bill Graham Presents, Apple Computer will
host a San Francisco New Year's Eve party that will be broadcast worldwide
over the Internet's World Wide Web. The firms said yesterday that while as
many as 15,000 people are expected to pay $72.50 to attend the event in
person, another 30 million people worldwide probably will access the concert
free through an Apple Computer Web site.
United Press International quotes Apple Vice President Satjiv Chahil as
saying the Net concert will include a wide range of offerings. Digital
cameras would be passed out and record the event, and video, sound and
images would frequently be transmitted to computers via "webcasting."
He said only users with a 64-bit operating system will be able to pick
up the real-time video, but others will have easy access to digital still
pictures and real-time sound, adding, "We hope to get across some of the
exhilarating feeling of a live event. The Web is about all of us coming
together to create a new society."
Says UPI, "In addition to jazz, comedy and live music from such groups
as Carlos Santana and the Gin Blossoms, party-goers will be able to
participate in a technology and media fair with Internet access, chat lines
and QuickTime cameras." And John Marks of the San Francisco Visitors and
Convention Bureau said other websites that can be accessed from the concert
will include a virtual-reality tour through the city. Says Marks, "There are
few cities that could pull (the Internet event) off, but San Francisco has
the reputation and icons to pull it off and draw people in."
Magazine Warns of Sexist Software
PC World magazine is warning parents to beware of "sexist" software.
In its December issue, the publication says some "edutainment" software may
be promoting gender stereotypes. In most children's computer programs, the
male characters embark on exciting adventures while the females watch, wait,
and support them, according to the article. Experts insist that the gender
stereotypes may have far-reaching effects as children identify with the
characters.
Only 28 of 344 edutainment titles reviewed by a prominent children's
software newsletter featured an active female lead, notes the article. And
while animal characters may be portrayed as gender-neutral, they are many
times obviously male. Software companies claim they are simply following the
tradition of children's books and toys through the licensing of existing
characters.
"Parents must be aware of the subtle and not-so-subtle stereotypes in
the computer games their children play," says Roberta Furger, PC World's
consumer editor. "Children may identify with characters, fulfilling
stereotypical expectations that boys be aggressive and girls passive and
pretty. Fortunately, many manufacturers are breaking through the
stereotypes by developing strong female characters, including Carmen
Sandiego and Millie the Cow, says the article. In notes that the strong and
smart
Carmen attracts boys as well as girls; Millie helps do away with the
idea that "girls don't do math." To combat sexist software, PC World
suggests that parents screen their children's programs for products that are
less violent, more open-ended and offer many paths toward a final goal. If
the child is exposed to sexism in software, parents should discuss the roles
and make sure the child understands that the stereotypes are wrong.
Cyberporn Bill Compromise Seen
Capitol Hill watchers expect Republican leaders of a House effort to
overhaul telecommunications laws to support a budding compromise that would
make it a federal crime to transmit by computer pornography judged to be
harmful to children. The Associated Press quotes Rep. Michael Oxley of
Ohio, a senior Republican on the House Commerce subcommittee on
telecommunications and finance, as saying the proposal should help assure
passage of the telecommunications bill before year's end. And Rep. Jack
Fields, R-Texas, the subcommittee's chairman, also reportedly supports the
proposal.
However, notes AP, "there was no immediate indication from Senate and
House advocates of much tougher prohibitions on computer pornography whether
the proposal by freshman Republican Rep. Rick White is sufficient for them."
AP says White, whose Washington state district includes the headquarters of
software giant Microsoft Corp., drafted the proposed compromise language in
response to demands by the Senate and conservative Christian groups for
strict criminal sanctions against so-called cyberporn.
As reported, the Senate's telecommunications bill, approved earlier
this year, includes provisions to impose prison sentences and fines of up to
$100,000 on people who make indecent material available to children. The
measure is opposed vigorously by civil liberties groups and online computer
service providers and was not included in the House bill.
AP says White's proposal softens the Senate bill's prohibitions by
limiting the ban to only material judged harmful to children, graphic or
explicit sexual matter without redeeming value. "It also offers a defense to
online services if they make a good-faith effort to keep pornography out of
the reach of children," the wire service says.
Survey Sees Multi-PC Homes
A new survey says that for PC makers to achieve sales growth they
increasingly must rely on consumers who are buying a second or third
machine. The research by Link Resources Inc. of New York also found PC
sales growth is moving faster in Europe and the Pacific Rim than in the
United States. According to the Associated Press, Link's survey suggests
the U.S. market is almost saturated, "partly because America adopted
computers for home use much sooner than other countries," the wire service
says. "It also indicates more people update their machines every few years."
The research also finds:
ú There is more than one computer in 30 percent of PC- owning households
in the United States.
ú About 35 to 40 percent of all U.S. households are expected to have a PC
by the end of this year, with around 11 percent owning at least two.
ú Worldwide PC sales to consumers this year should reach 21.2 million
units, including 9.45 million in the United States, up from 16.3 million,
7.5 million in the United States, last year.
ú In 1996, 26.8 million PCs are forecast in sales to consumers, with
11.1 million in the United States.
ú Consumers account for about 45 percent of all PC sales, followed by
businesses, government and educational institutions.
Link analyst Andy Bose, who led the research, told the wire service,
"PC manufacturers are going to have to depend on current PC households for
much of future growth. When you get to 55 to 60 percent penetration range,
it's going to be difficult to get any new first-time buyers." AP says the
survey found similar behavior in 12 other countries, particularly Australia,
Singapore and Hong Kong, where PC sales also are in nearly one-third of all
households. In Europe, PCs are now in about one-fourth of all households.
Corel Monthly Newsletter STR Infofile
Corel December News!
Greetings from Corel and best wishes for the holiday season. We've just
completed our fiscal fourth quarter and I'm pleased to report that our
company is riding a wave of new product momentum. Since September, we have
shipped German, French, Spanish, and Swedish versions of CorelDRAW 6. In
November we launched CorelVIDEO and shipped new products like CorelXARA and
Corel PrintHouse. We shipped a Windows 95 version of CorelFLOW and Photo-
Paint 6. New CD Home titles including Interactive Alphabet, The Complete
Herman Collection, Internet Mania and World's Greatest Classic Books are now
available in general distribution.
December is destined to be another very busy month! We have scheduled the
release and shipment of Italian, Brazilian Portuguese and Dutch language
versions of CorelDRAW 6. We are shipping separate Windows 95 and Macintosh
versions of CD Creator 2, an updated version of CorelSCSI and new CD Home
titles including Yellow Hippo, Hollywood Pinups and our first title in the
Medical Series on Epilepsy.
Internet Mania, a valuable collection of utilities for anyone who has
Internet access, is the first productivity title in the Corel CD HOME
series. Internet Mania carries a suggested list price of $24.95 US. It
includes:
1/ Web Page Update Notifier
The Web Page Update Notifier checks for updates to Web pages. It
accomplishes this task by going to those pages every day when you log on (or
at scheduled times), and compares the content with the previous version. If
the page has changed, the user is notified.
2/ Lycos( Web Search
The Lycos Catalogue of the Internet contains the largest catalogue of World
Wide Web pages and over 400,000 of these are included in Internet Mania.
Searching is integrated with Windows( 95 Explorer and is accessible from the
Start menu.
3/ Web Catalog
The Web catalog is another front end for the Lycos database whose interface
is organized by pre-defined categories. It includes a hierarchy of topics,
each is similar to the format in the Yellow Pages.
4/ NewsScan
NewsScan acts as a filter to search through news groups of interest.
NewsScan regularly searches through the news groups that you define and
builds a list of messages that satisfy your criteria.
5/ Corel FTP
Corel FTP is a program that fits right into Windows 95, has the ability to
work like a traditional graphical FTP client and provides non-frustrating
access to busy FTP sites.
6/ Personal Web Server
The Web Server provides a simple way for users to put information on the
Web. Anybody with a Web Browser and the name of a user's machine can read
these files. The server tracks the number of times files are downloaded and
the user can stop sharing the document at any time.
7/ Home Page Author
The Home Page Author is an easy, step-by-step way to create World Wide Web
pages. Knowledge of HTML and how the Web works is not needed to create
professional looking pages.
8/ QuoteScan-A Personal Stock Ticker
QuoteScan allows user to track the prices of 5 company stocks. Information
displayed includes price, units that have changed hands and price change on
the day. Data is updated every 5, 10, 30 or 60 minutes, or daily, with
delayed data of 20 minutes.
Corel has developed a CMX Plug-in Viewer for Netscape's web browser
Navigator 2.0 that lets users view vector file formats on the World Wide
Web. The plug-in viewer makes it possible for Internet users to view Corel
CMX files (vector format) online as opposed to the traditional GIF or JPEG
files (raster format) that are currently associated with Internet use. It is
a self-extracting .exe file that is available now for downloading from
Corel's Home Page at http://www.corel.com/corelcmx/. Corel will also make
the viewer available free of charge to any third-party Internet site that
makes it available for general use.
The CMX Plug-in Viewer delivers the benefits of vector file formats to
Internet users who have previously only been able to use raster file
formats. The advantages include the following:
ú Reusable: Vector images are reusable and scaleable to any size.
Resizing images in vector formats does not result in the jaggies created by
resizing pixel-based raster images.
ú Rich Presentation: Vector-based images consist of objects with defined
properties while raster-based images rely on pixels for their structure.
Vector formats allow for a richer and fuller representation of the object.
ú Transparency: The background for vector graphics is automatically
transparent. There is no need to rely on masking tools to remove unwanted
backgrounds.
ú Worldwide Usage: Vector formats such as CMX or CDR are used
extensively worldwide. Corel's user base alone is estimated at 3 million
people.
ú Economical format: Depending on the type of graphic, (logos, maps etc)
vector file formats such as CMX or CDR can take significantly less bandwidth
than raster formats such as GIF.
Corel plans to continue development of the CMX Viewer Plug-in over the next
several months. Further enhancements will continue to highlight the
capabilities of vector graphics for the Net.
The Corel Professional Photo Series consists of 490 individual titles, 13
Volume Sets and 2 Stock Photo Libraries. In the month of December we are
adding these new photo CD-ROMs: Ireland II, International Cuisine, Sand &
Pebble Textures, Zion National Park, Prince Edward Island, Botanical Prints,
Sierra Nevada Mountains, Bark Textures, Colors & Textures, Patterns In
Stone, Textile Designs, Steam Trains II, Great Works of Art: The Orient,
Great Works of Art: Studies Of the Masters, Great Works of Art: Landscapes,
Great Works of Art: Art of Antiquity, Jewelry, EMS Rescue, People at Work,
War, Great Works of Art: Groups & Figures, England, Alien Landscapes,
Recreational Activities, Transportation, Seasons, Fabulous Flowers, Men of
the World, Flower Beds, Hanover, Germany, Museums of Ottawa-Hull, Special
Effects.
More than 3,500 works of fiction, short stories, plays, poetry, historical,
political, religious and scientific documents are now available on CD-ROM
with the release of The World's Greatest Classic Books. This reference CD-
ROM is Corel Corporation's newest addition to its CD HOME line. It carries a
suggested list price of $24.95 US and features the works of over 200
renowned authors.
All text is complete and unabridged and each literary work can be read on-
screen or printed for reading away from the computer. An adjustable
automatic scroll mechanism is available for on-screen viewing and The
American Heritage dictionary is linked to the text for quick definitions of
problem words. The title includes 200 biographies, over fifteen minutes of
full motion video from classics like Treasure Island and Pygmalion and more
than 300 illustrations. It also includes a number of useful tools that will
make research work quicker and easier.
The minimum system requirements include Windows 3.1, a 486 33, 4 MB of RAM,
a double-speed CD-ROM drive and a mouse.
Corel is shipping Corel ArtShow 6, the color coffee-table book with
companion CD-ROM. ArtShow 6 displays over 3,000 full color images selected
from over 7,800 entries submitted to the Corel $2,000,000 World Design
Contest. The designs in the anthology represent the work of artists in more
than 60 countries.
The Corel ArtShow 6 coffee-table book and companion CD-ROM carries a
suggested list price of $49.95 US and runs on Windows 3.1, Windows 95 and
Macintosh platforms. The companion CD-ROM is also available in jewelcase
format at a price of $24.95 US.
Corel's 7th Annual $3,000,000 World Design Contest runs from September 1995
through July of 1996. This year, eight monthly winners will be chosen in
the categories of People, Plants and Animals, Landscapes and Landmarks,
Technical Drawings and Graphs, Corporate Identification, Page Layout,
Abstracts, Specialty and Goodwill Poster. These winners compete for Best of
Show and individual Grand Prize honors during the 'Academy Awards of
Graphics' Gala scheduled for October, 1996.
Corel is participating in several trade events including the Winter Consumer
Electronics Show. Come see the latest CD Home products at Corel's booth in
the Sands Convention Center, January 5-7 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
CorelDRAW 6 for Windows 95 swept the product awards presented in November at
Fall Comdex by winning the " MVP Award" from PC/Computing in the category of
business graphics, an "Editor's Pick" award from Home Office Computing in
the Illustration category and a "Best Buy" award from Computer Shopper
magazine.
We are pleased to announce that both Ventura 6 for Windows '95 and Windows
NT and CorelCAD have entered the beta test phase of our development process.
Both products are scheduled for release in the spring of 1996.
CorelVIDEO is going into production! Imagine full-motion picture quality
video in a local campus environment and connected to wide area networks at
home or satellite offices via the H.320 protocol.
CorelVIDEO has traditional telephone features but also goes beyond
conventional features with new and innovative features that only video can
provide. The per seat cost of CorelVIDEO is $499 US excluding the Corel
camera. CorelCAM with a suggested list price of $499 is a fully featured
camera with dual lenses, tilt and swivel lens head, video and audio mute,
and ergonomically designed for optimal eye contact.
CorelVIDEO is currently in field trials at two separate sites. It will be
installed across all divisions at Corel by the end of 1995. This means 600
employees will use this product on a day to day basis.
Since this is my last newsletter this year, I'd like to take this
opportunity to express my appreciation to you, our business partner for the
support and service you have provided to our company during 1995. We are
excited about the future and the new technological directions our company is
taking. We hope you will continue to be an integral part of our 1996 plans.
This newsletter is available electronically via the Internet. If you would
like to subscribe and receive your copy automatically, please contact the
CorelNET home page at http://www.corelnet.com and subscribe by sending an
email to cnd-sub@discuss.corelnet.com.
Best regards for the new year,
Arlen Bartsch
Director, Sales & Marketing
Thumbs Plus 3 STR Focus
ThumbsPlus 3.0-S Beta Release 2 Notes
Available NOW... where ever quality Graphics Utilities are found.
Installation ThumbsPlus 3.0-S Beta release 2:
Editor Note.
FYI, this program, among many other powerful features, produces the
sharpest, best looking Thumbnails of your Graphics Libraries.. BAR None!
Try this program.. you'll never look back. This is GOOD STUFF!!
All necessary files for Windows 95 and Windows NT (3.5.1 or later) are
provided as a single ZIP file (TP30SB2.ZIP). There is another zip for
installing Win32s 1.3 if you need this to run on Windows 3.1/3.11.
ú Create a new directory (DO NOT install on top of version 2!).
ú CD to the new directory.
ú PKUNZIP TP30SB2.ZIP
ú Create a program manager icon (NT/3.1) or shortcut (95) for THUMBS.EXE.
ú If you're running Windows 3.1, be sure you have the latest Win32s
release (1.3) before running ThumbsPlus. It will not run properly with
earlier releases.
ú If there is an older version of the 32-bit PhotoCD library
(PCDLIB32.DLL) on your system, you may have to rename it or replace it with
the version supplied with ThumbsPlus.
Notes on testing the beta shareware release:
ú This is a pre-release (beta) version of ThumbsPlus. There ARE problems
in it! Do not expect it to be a fully-functional, complete product.
ú This is a pre-release of the SHAREWARE version. As it is being made
generally available, we cannot provide registrations to everyone who tests!
Also, we will provide the beta of the registered version only to registered
users. If you wish to test the registered version, you must be a registered
user.
ú There is no conversion provided for the old-style ThumbsPlus database
format (.TUD). There is too much additional data stored in the new database
which was not collected for the old format. You must re-scan any files or
directories.
ú Do not install this beta into the same directory as ThumbsPlus version
2. You need to continue using version 2 for production work; only use this
beta for testing.
ú There will be additional toolbar buttons (and maybe icons) available in
the final release. If you design any you would like to share with us, please
feel free to send them. They may be true-color or 256-color bitmaps. Please
do not send JPEG files - the loss (error) makes them inappropriate for the
toolbar.
ú If at all possible, please use the Beta Accuracy Report Form (BARF) at
http://www.cerious.com to send beta reports and suggestions. These are
received via e-mail and can be imported directly into our problem database.
Reports sent by regular email, fax, voice, etc. must be manually typed in.
If you simply have a question about the beta, please send e-mail to
'pcrews@cerious.com'.
There is also a downloadable BARF form, which you can fill in offline and e-
mail (ftp://ftp.cerious.com/barftemp.txt).
Problems known or reported by 11/27 but not yet corrected:
ú The quick-dithering used for displaying 24-bit images on 8-bit (256-
color) displays is not working properly in Windows 95. It does work on NT,
and we're investigating what the difference is.
ú Toolbar buttons are always shown as light gray (rather than the current
background color) on Win32s and Windows 95. This will be corrected (at least
for 95).
ú Some PNG formats are not yet working properly. (Verified)
ú Directories do not always have the proper folder colors. (Verified)
ú File->Register is not functional. (Verified)
ú Changing the size of the thumbnail using Options->Preferences->(File
List) does not work. You CAN, however, change the size of the stored
thumbnails by creating a new database (File->New Database). (Verified)
ú Picture->Annotate does not work; however, you can modify the annotation
in the database using Picture->Properties->(Database). (Verified)
ú The Browse dialog box (for finding a directory to move to, copy to,
etc.) sometimes or always (?) causes a GPF on Windows 95. (Not yet
reproduced)
ú When moving a file to a floppy, the program deletes the source file
even if the operation fails. (Not yet reproduced)
ú Some files on network drives will not be loaded, though the same file
on a local drive is loaded properly (Not yet reproduced)
ú Minimizing crashes system; background mode crashes system (on Win32s)
(Not yet reproduced).
ú In the "Save As" dialog box, selecting a file type from the file type
drop-down does not update the file name. (Verified)
ú The HELP files are not yet provided because they are not finished.
Some of the problems fixed since Beta 1:
ú The appearance of many confirmation and input dialog boxes was updated
to be consistent with the other dialog boxes.
ú Tree->Indicate Expandable Dirs. now works properly.
ú The taskbar entry for the initial (splash) screen now has "ThumbsPlus"
rather than being blank.
ú Saving pictures was not creating thumbnails for the new file, and
sometimes caused a GP fault.
ú Removing thumbnail tree (Thumbnail->Remove Tree), removing orphans
(Thumbnail->Remove Orphans) and automatic orphan removal (from Options-
>Preferences->(General) now work properly.
ú Many accelerator keystrokes were added or corrected.
ú Many menu help items (in the status bar) were added or fixed.
ú Contact sheets now put the images on the sheet (I broke it when getting
the catalog print working on the day before I posted beta 1!)
ú Disk volume discrimination is better (it no longer confuses drives as
far as I can tell.)
ú The directory list is updated when you create or remove directories.
ú File->Delete Directory works properly.
ú You can now set the database attributes on Windows 95 (from File->New
Database), such as thumbnail size and color depth.
ú Spurious "Database error: Unable to retrieve volume information for
drive X:\" were fixed.
ú View windows and slide show would retreat behind the main window when
the toolbar was used. This was fixed.
ú Several memory leaks were eliminated, and memory handling was made more
efficient.
ú Several resource leaks were eliminated. These were generally benign on
Windows 95 or Windows NT, but would cause Windows 3.1/3.11 to lock up or
crash.
Note:
-----
Many other problems have been identified and fixed. If a problem you
reported is not listed above, I may have categorized it with one of the ones
listed, or it could be related to one. Please try the function again on beta
2 and report again if it is not corrected.
MANY, MANY THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!
EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed
TOP STORIES
Compromise On Cyberporn Legislation
Internet Demand Exceeds Supply At Many Schools
Taligent Goes The Way Of Kaleida
Web May Alleviate High-Tech Obsolescence
Sun Plans Java-Like Microkernel
EIA Endorses Smart-Radio
Kids On The Web
High-Tech Labor Crunch In Austin
Canada Lags In Technology
Bell Asks To Kill Long-Distance Price Cuts
Italy Telecom Wins Bid For Russia's Phone System
Navigation By Corel
Canadian Internet Books
AOL Drops Restriction On Word "Breast"
Edupage In German
Does English Dominate The Internet?
LSI Logic's "Internet On A Chip"
24-Hour News Field Getting Crowded
NRC Calls For New Budgeting Process For R&D
Intuit To Offer Banking Services Over The Internet
UnGame Software
Motorola Does Chinese
Tokyo Exchange Says Internet's Too Fast
Netcom Spins Its Web In Canada
Quebec To Get Virtual Shopping
Survey Of Educational Leaders
Rx For Sick Buildings
Congress Wars On Cyber "Indecency"
Microsoft Flirts With Java; IBM Commits To Relationship
Online Services Should Take A Note From Cable
Linking Up For Distance Learning
Florida No. 1 In Computers In The Classroom
Internet Phone Has Pluses, Minuses
Loans By Phone
Software Keeps Trains On Track
Time Warner, AOL Target Health And Fitness
Signal-To-Noise :-)
COMPROMISE ON CYBERPORN LEGISLATION
The fears of online service providers and civil liberties advocates
that new federal telecommunications legislation would be too heavy-handed in
its effort to keep "filthy," "lewd" and "indecent" material off of the
network have been mitigated by compromise wording in the proposed
legislation. The new language, offered by Washington State Republican
congressman Rick White, restricts penalties of fine or imprisonment to
persons who transmit material that is "harmful to children" (such as images
of frontal nudity) rather than a more broadly worded target against making
"indecent material" available to children. The compromise would give legal
protection to online information and service providers who made good-faith
efforts to keep restricted material away from children. (New York Times 2
Dec 95 A1)
INTERNET DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY AT MANY SCHOOLS
Recent efforts by professors to make greater use of information
technology in their course work have resulted in long lines at computer
centers at many colleges across the country. One University of Texas at
Austin student complained he has to wait a half hour or more to read his e-
mail, and the lines are lengthening. "By the end of the semester, you've
got people waiting three hours so they can type a term paper that's half
their grade. Professors are requiring students to use the Internet more
with their classes, but we're not getting more computers. It's becoming
difficult to get your work done." Meanwhile, Bill Graves, associate provost
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, notes, "In one year's
time, we've gone from 8,000 e-mail accounts to 26,000 e-mail accounts."
Many university officials privately agree that the only solution is to
require students to purchase their own computers, but with the pressure on
to hold down tuition costs, they say it's impractical to suggest such
changes now. (Chronicle of Higher Education 1 Dec 95 A31)
TALIGENT GOES THE WAY OF KALEIDA
IBM, Apple and Hewlett-Packard have agreed to dismantle Taligent Inc.,
their software joint venture, and transfer its technology to IBM. Apple and
HP will retain rights to use Taligent's CommonPoint technology. Like
Kaleida Labs, Taligent fell victim to conflicting agendas and differing
product timetables within the parent companies. Of the three partners only
IBM remained committed to using Taligent software in its products, while the
others developed competing products as a hedge against Taligent's failure.
(Wall Street Journal 1 Dec 95 B8)
WEB MAY ALLEVIATE HIGH-TECH OBSOLESCENCE
Just as a new generation of computers and software is driving an
unprecedented wave of upgrades, industry observers are saying that the Web
may put an end to this "treadmill of bigger, better, faster." Instead of
waiting two years for the next huge update to a suite of business
applications, software makers could distribute the latest features instantly
over the Net. And just-in-time software will allow people to rent
applications that they only use occasionally. "I really think that Windows
95 marked the zenith of the personal-computer industry," says Oracle CEO
Larry Ellison. (Business Week 4 Dec 95 p78)
SUN PLANS JAVA-LIKE MICROKERNEL
Sun Microsystems is already working on a microkernel-like operating
system to run low-tech "Internet appliances." Dubbed Ja
va OS, Sun's chief
technical officer Eric Schmidt calls it the "natural next step" for Java.
The new software will "take the Java classes and put them on the minimum OS
functionality you need. You can add additional functionality by writing in
Java," he says. It will require only 4 to 8 Mbytes of memory, and will not
support Windows applications or other programs that make large demands on
system memory. "This thing doesn't come with Sound Blaster and speakers.
If you need a PC, buy a PC," says Schmidt. (Information Week 4 Dec 95 p104)
EIA ENDORSES SMART-RADIO
The Electronics Industries Association is launching a $1-million
campaign to install hardware encoders that would allow specially equipped
PCs to receive stereo radio along with digital text and data from
broadcasting stations in the top 25 radio markets in the U.S. "The EIA is
taking the lead to make (Radio (Broadcast) Data System) a standard feature
of U.S. radio broadcasting," says the president of the Consumer Electronics
Manufacturers Association. "We plan to equip several hundred radio stations
with the R (B) DS signal, reaching 85% of the American radio listening
audience." (Broadcasting & Cable 27 Nov 95 p98)
KIDS ON THE WEB
A Jupiter Communications/Yahoo! survey posted on the Yahoo! Web site
resulted in responses from 60,000 initial responses with in-depth feedback
from 10,000 of those. Most of the respondents had been on the Internet for
less than a year, with 85% saying they had some access from home. The
average user was online about 20 hours a week. More than 4,000 of the
respondents were under 18, with 84% of them male. These respondents were
more likely to define themselves as online experts and heavy users of the
Web. The highest percentages of online minors were found in the Midwest and
Mid-Atlantic states, and the fewest in the South Central states. More
children are using the Internet in non-metropolitan areas than in large
cities. The most popular online activity was surfing (35%), followed by e-
mail (28%). (Digital Kids Report Nov 95 p1)
HIGH-TECH LABOR CRUNCH IN AUSTIN
If you're a techie looking for work, it might behoove you to head south
-- to Austin, where the high-tech boom has led to a skilled labor shortage
that threatens to spread to other Texas cities with a high concentration of
technology industries, according to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of
Dallas. Although the shortages are forcing up wages for software engineers,
computer programmers and lower-skilled manufacturing jobs, the companies
don't seem to be "complaining too loudly," says one of the study's co-
authors. "The companies are doing so well and are so optimistic about
future growth, I don't think they mind as long as they get good employees."
(BNA Daily Labor Report 29 Nov 95 A4)
CANADA LAGS IN TECHNOLOGY
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warns that
Canadians' living standards are threatened because of a failure by industry
to innovate through science and technology, and by relying too much on low-
tech industries. This week, the Ontario government, in its economic
statement, abolished many of the provincial programs that support technology
and export marketing partnerships with industry. (Toronto Star 1 Dec 95 E2)
BELL ASKS TO KILL LONG-DISTANCE PRICE CUTS
Seven of Canada's largest phone companies petitioned federal regulators
to quash a set of three long-distance price reductions planned over the next
two years, arguing that their very survival is at stake. (Toronto Globe &
Mail 1 Dec 95 B5)
ITALY TELECOM WINS BID FOR RUSSIA'S PHONE SYSTEM
A $639-million bid by Italy telecommunications company Stet (Societa
Finanziaria Telefonica) to buy 25% of Russia's state phone system
Svyazinvest has prevailed over a competing bid from a group made up of
France Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, and a Russian unit of U S West. (New York
Times 2 Dec 95 p17)
NAVIGATION BY COREL
Corel launched its info-highway navigator and expects to sell 100,000
units in December at $24.95 each. With eight utilities, the CD-based
Internet software includes a scanning tool to search through news groups, a
web page update notifier which solves the hassle of having to check manually
for updates, and a stock ticker which allows users to monitor the prices of
up to five stocks. (Ottawa Sun 1 Dec 95 p58)
CANADIAN INTERNET BOOKS
Prentice Hall Canada has released two new Internet books for Canadians
- the 1996 edition of the Canadian Internet Handbook and the 1996 Canadian
Internet Directory. The 1996 Handbook includes a foreword by the Canadian
Prime Minister and the results of a recent Angus Reid study on the
demographics of Internet users in Canada. The books are available in
bookstores across Canada or by calling Prentice Hall Canada at 1-800-567-
3800. A Web site has been set up for the books at <http://www.handbook.com
>. (Toronto Globe and Mail 1 Dec 1995 A14).
AOL DROPS RESTRICTION ON WORD "BREAST"
America Online, which has been making efforts to police its own service
by purging obscene or vulgar expressions deemed to be offensive, has changed
its mind about the word "breast" and reinstated it as an acceptable term of
discussion. A contributor to a breast cancer bulletin board had called the
purging of the word breast "outrageous and potentially life-threatening."
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution 2 Dec 95 F7)
EDUPAGE IN GERMAN
We are pleased to announce a German edition of Edupage, which will be
produced and distributed by STERN magazine, Germany's largest general-
interest weekly, as part of its online services. Welcome to our German-
language readers of Edupage! Wir begruessen unsere deutschspraechigen
Edupage-Leser! Um die deutsche Ausgabe von Edupage zu abonnieren, genugt
eine E-Mail an: infomat@stern.de mit der Betreff- oder Textzeile "STERN
Online Edupage". (In addition to English and German, Edupage is now
available in French, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish
versions.)
DOES ENGLISH DOMINATE THE INTERNET?
At the Francophonie summit in West Africa, French President Jacques
Chirac contended the info-highway imperils the French language and culture
and warned that the English threat on the Internet applies to Arab nations,
Russia, India, China and Japan. Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien
countered, however, that the French language "must make its own way or be
left by the wayside." Microsoft CEO Bill Gates dismissed fears that the
Internet will be dominated by English, emphasizing that pluralism is
guaranteed by the nature of computer-information networks. (Toronto Globe &
Mail 4 Dec 95 A1)
LSI LOGIC'S "INTERNET ON A CHIP"
LSI Logic has developed a new computer chip it's calling "Internet on a
chip," which combines a Silicon Graphics microprocessor with electronic
circuitry for digital signal processing, high-speed communications modems,
video and audio transmission and 3-D graphics. The company hopes its new
$50 chip will be used as the brains for the so-called "$500 Internet device"
that's recently been touted by Oracle and Sun Microsystems. "I think
companies will be rolling out boxes in the third quarter, and they will be
the Cabbage Patch Doll sensation of Christmas 1996," says LSI's executive
VP for product strategy. (Wall Street Journal 4 Dec 95 A3)
24-HOUR NEWS FIELD GETTING CROWDED
A week after Rupert Murdoch announced his intention to start a 24-hour
news channel to compete with Turner Broadcasting's CNN, Capital Cities/ABC
is expected to declare similar intentions. The new service, to debut
sometime in 1997, will be delivered to viewers by a mix of cable, telephone
or new technologies, according to people familiar with the situation. ABC's
service is expected to carry more local news than CNN, provided by its 200-
plus affiliate stations. (Wall Street Journal 5 Dec 95 A3)
NRC CALLS FOR NEW BUDGETING PROCESS FOR R&D
The National Research Council released a report Nov. 29 calling for a
single budget that combines all sources of federal funding for science and
technology projects, saying such a change is necessary if the U.S. is to
remain the world leader in R&D. "Such a process would allow trade-offs to
be made across agencies, programs, and research institutions, freeing funds
for new initiatives by reducing or ending projects that have become a lower
priority or for which there are better alternatives," says the report. For
starters, NRC calles for changes in accounting procedures: "Almost half (of
the annual federal R&D budget) is spent on activities -- such as
establishing production lines and developing operational systems for new
aircraft and weapons systems -- that do not involve the creation of new
knowledge or technologies." Eliminating funding for these activities would
free up $35- to $40-billion a year for R&D. (BNA Daily Environment Report
30 Nov 95 A3)
INTUIT TO OFFER BANKING SERVICES OVER THE INTERNET
Financial software company Intuit, maker of Quicken, will offer banking
over the Internet -- a shift from its previous strategy of using private
networks to facilitate customer transactions with their banks. Microsoft is
expected to announce a competing Internet banking strategy. (New York Times
5 Dec 95 C6)
UNGAME SOFTWARE
Irvine, Calif.-based DVD Software Inc. has a new product that takes the
fun out of playing PC games at work. Called UnGame, the software finds and
eliminates games on network servers and hard drives. It can identify 3,100
kinds of games, even when their file names have been disguised. DVD's
president estimates game-playing at work costs the U.S. some $50 billion a
year in lost productivity, assuming 40 million users spend 30 minutes a week
playing games, at an average cost of $50 an hour. (Investor's Business
Daily 4 Dec 95 A6)
MOTOROLA DOES CHINESE
Motorola has developed what it says is the first highly accurate
Chinese-character recognizer. Its handwriting-recognition technology, which
it hopes will open up Asia's potentially vast PC market, allows users to
input 13,000 Chinese characters into Windows 95 programs. (Miami Herald 4
Dec 95 p35)
TOKYO EXCHANGE SAYS INTERNET'S TOO FAST
Because of "insider trading" restrictions that ban company officials
and media representatives from dealing in securities for 12 hours after they
learn earnings results, the Tokyo Stock Exchange wants companies to stop
sending such results over the Internet right after they're announced in news
conferences. (Financial Times 5 Dec 95 p8)
NETCOM SPINS ITS WEB IN CANADA
Netcom, the largest American Internet access provider, announced plans
to take Bell Canada's new Sympatico Internet service head-on by the end of
this month. The move could spell bad news for Bell, which is hyping its
service as a way for computer neophytes to surf the Web, since Netcom has
both financial clout and expertise to quickly become a major player.
(Toronto Financial Post 5 Dec 95 p1)
QUEBEC TO GET VIRTUAL SHOPPING
Quebecor Multimedia and Cogeco Cable announced they will work together
to develop and test a multimedia platform for a virtual shopping mall and
other interactive applications. (Toronto Financial Post 5 Dec 95 p9)
SURVEY OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERS
A survey by the Alliance for Converging Technologies of 2000 U.S. and
Canadian executives in 10 industries (including 239 from education) found
that 86% of the education leaders believe that multimedia and the
information highway will redefine their sector, and 90% identify "absence of
funds" as a barrier to success. The survey predicts a sharp rise in the
number Internet users, from 5% of education staff today to 34% by 1997.
(Info: act@actnet.com)
RX FOR SICK BUILDINGS
Canada's National Research Council and the U.S. National Institute of
Standards and Technology have jointly developed new air-quality software to
help architects and designers to calculate air quality before building
construction begins, hopefully ending the recent plague of sick buildings.
The program will measure airborne chemicals given off by construction
materials and indoor furnishings, and how various changes in building design
can affect them. (Toronto Globe & Mail 5 Dec 95 A12)
CONGRESS WARS ON CYBER "INDECENCY"
Rejecting compromise language more narrowly targeted to stop online
depiction of graphic sexual material that would be "harmful to minors," a
House-Senate conference committee has agreed in principle on language that
would prohibit transmission of all "indecent" material over computer
networks. Penalties for offenders would include fines of up to $100,000 and
prison terms of up to five years for people who make such "indecent"
material available to minors. Civil liberties groups have objected to the
indecency standard because of its vagueness, and a spokesman for Prodigy
calls it "problematic": "No one knows what it means. It's overbroad and it
will be challenged in the court for years. In our view, it is a giant step
backwards." The indecency standard covers words as well as images, and
until now has been applied only to TV and radio broadcasting. The American
Civil Liberties Union says the proposed law is a violation of First
Amendment rights to free speech. (New York Times 7 Dec 95 A1)
MICROSOFT FLIRTS WITH JAVA; IBM COMMITS TO RELATIONSHIP
Microsoft is considering licensing Sun Microsystems' Java software, says
Netscape CEO James Barksdale. "We believe Microsoft will probably adopt
Java and JavaScript," Barksdale announced at a meeting in Aspen, Co.
yesterday. Meanwhile, Microsoft CEO Bill Gates is a little more coy: "I'd
say we haven't reached a firm conclusion on that. Java has certain merits."
(Investor's Business Daily 7 Dec 95 A8, A9) But IBM has already decided
to license Java, and plans to install it both in browsers and various
operating systems, including Microsoft's Windows 3.1. A Sun spokesman said
that "the fact that IBM would take on one big challenge that we haven't had
time for is great news for us." (New York Times 7 Dec 95)
ONLINE SERVICES SHOULD TAKE A NOTE FROM CABLE
America Online Services' president says to be successful in tomorrow's
online market, online providers should follow the example of cable
companies, creating new content for niche services and offering them in low-
cost packages. "It wasn't Rolling Stone that created MTV. It wasn't Sports
Illustrated that created ESPN. It wasn't CBS that created CNN. It was
young wild-eyed entrepreneurs that created new brands and mega franchises."
In addition to new content, online providers should concentrate on fostering
"community" -- "No one goes to a bar for a beer. They go for the bartender
and the people at the bar you talk to." Finally, he joked that AOL's new ad
slogan should be, "Just a little less pathetic than the other guys."
(Broadcasting & Cable 4 Dec 95 p83)
LINKING UP FOR DISTANCE LEARNING
New alliances among regional educational institutions are paving the way for
increased cooperation when it comes to distance learning. Last week the
Western Governors Association met to discuss ways to promote distance
education, including the possible establishment of a degree-granting
"virtual university." "The word is getting out that everybody is expected
to make these investments, and the more-progressive-thinking academic
officers are saying, `Let's look at what others are doing,'" says Western
Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications director Sally Johnstone.
(Chronicle of Higher Education 9 Dec 95 A21)
FLORIDA NO. 1 IN COMPUTERS IN THE CLASSROOM
A survey of 1,000 randomly selected elementary school teachers across
the country shows Florida teachers ranking first in terms of using computers
as part of the classroom instruction, with 73% using computers for teaching
at least three hours per week, compared with 51% nationally. Florida also
ranked first in training, with 68% of teachers receiving formal computer
training, compared with a national average of 58%. Florida spends about 30%
of its technology dollars on training, as opposed to a national average of
about 4%. The survey was conducted by Denver, Co.-based Quality Education
Data. (Miami Herald 6 Dec 95 A6)
INTERNET PHONE HAS PLUSES, MINUSES
A Consumer Reports review of VocalTec's Internet Phone software gives
it high marks for value -- a long distance call is only the cost of a
(usually) local call to an Internet access provider -- but cautions that the
ensuing conversation is a little different from one conducted over a
telephone device: "Sound quality varied unpredictably, from good to badly
garbled. The calls also entail a delay before you hear your caller respond.
Transmissions are `half-duplex': only one person can call at a time."
(Consumer Reports Dec 95 p755)
LOANS BY PHONE
Unisys has a new product based on Natural Language Understanding
technology that enables mortgage loan-seekers to receive most of the loan-
related information they need via the telephone without talking to a human
being. The system responds appropriately to different types of questions
regarding the same topic; for instance the question "What is an adjustable
rate mortgage?" would trigger a different response than "I'd like to apply
for an adjustable rate mortgage." Several large banks are testing the
system, which is scheduled for release next year. (Investor's Business
Daily 7 Dec 95 A8)
SOFTWARE KEEPS TRAINS ON TRACK
Next month Union Pacific and the Burlington Northern Railroad Co. will
test a satellite-based computer system to monitor locomotives' speed and
location. The software flashes a warning to crew members when a train
exceeds a safe speed, and if the advice is ignored, the system activates
robotic technology to apply the brakes. When fully implemented, the system
could save railroads $30 million a year by preventing accidents caused by
human error, plus whatever additional savings are realized through more
efficient tracking by dispatchers. (Investor's Business Daily 6 Dec 95 A6)
TIME WARNER, AOL TARGET HEALTH AND FITNESS
Time Warner and America Online are forming a joint venture to develop
an online service that focuses on health and fitness issues. The service
will be available both on AOL and on the Web, and will provide access to
healthcare experts and support groups, as well as information from Time's
Cooking Light and Martha Stewart Living magazines. The new service will
compete with similar offerings recently announced by IBM and AT&T. (Wall
Street Journal 6 Dec 95 B3)
SIGNAL-TO-NOISE :-)
Internet World's new "Best and Worst of the Net" edition says: "The
Net's signal-to-noise ratio may be deteriorating, but the amount of signal
is still growing. Some excellent publications, such as Edupage and
Innovation (innovation-request@NewsScan.com, with the message "subscribe"),
are available only on the Net, and new information services like Newspage
and Ensemble are important steps towards truly personalized information
services." (Internet World Jan 95 p46)
Edupage is written by John Gehl (gehl@educom.edu) & Suzanne Douglas
(douglas@educom.edu).
Voice: 404-371-1853, Fax: 404-371-8057.
The next issue of Edupage will be 28 Nov 95.
Technical support is provided by the Office of Information Technology,
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE
The CAUSE organization's annual conference on information technology in
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conference will bring together administrators, academicians and other
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A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N
FARGO PRIMERA PRO COLOR PRINTERS - 600DPI
For a limited time only; If you wish to have a FREE sample printout sent to
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A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N
Apple/Mac Section
John Deegan, Editor
ISDN Q & A STR Focus Good Information from the ISDN Forum
on CIS
From the ISDN Forum on Compuserve
ISDN Information
Some good questions about ISDN..
Question:
The documents from IBM on the 7845 TA says it supports 5 call
appearances. Does this mean I can have 5 unique telephone numbers on
channel 2? How can I attach an analog phone, an analog fax and an analog
modem all to channel 2 and have them all work correctly? Can you please give
me a simple definition of call appearances vs. separate phone numbers vs
distinctive ring?
Answer:
A simple definition probably starts with an explanation of the ISDN
concept. In addition, it gives me an opportunity to climb upon my soap box
and preach to all of you folks who view ISDN as nothing more than a slightly
faster way of transmitting data. ISDN is a fundamental change in the way the
telephone system functions at the end user level.
Telephone switches have evolved, over many years, from mechanical
devices which physically connected wire pairs to very sophisticated
computers programmed to switch telephone calls. During this period the
analog telephone has remained basically the same device put into service on
day one. The switches are capable of delivering a broad range of services
which the analog phone is not capable of accepting due to its limited
ability to "talk" to the switch.
ISDN introduces two new elements. The first element is the D-channel
which allows the exchange of sophisticated command elements between the
telephone and the switch. The second element is the digital set, which is in
fact a computer programmed to be a telephone. ISDN allows us to create an
environment in which a computer is speaking to a computer for the purpose of
delivering telephone services.
Now to your questions.
The easiest way to understand the concept of a call appearance is to
relate it to the call waiting service which is available to you on an analog
phone. You have a phone number, which in ISDN terms would be your Primary
Dial Number (PDN). If you are active on the phone, and someone attempts to
call you the switch will check your line, determine that it is busy, and
signal the calling party that your number is busy. You have one Call
Appearance (CA) of your PDN in the network. If you subscribe to call waiting
the switch checks your line and signals ringing to the calling party, while
advising you of another incoming call by breaking into your active call with
a short burst of dialtone. If you want to accept the call you signal the
switch, with a short depression of the hookswitch on your phone, and the
switch puts your first call on hold in the switch and cuts the new call
through to your phone. Call waiting creates a second appearance of your PDN
in the network. In ISDN terms you have two CAs of your PDN.
ISDN capable switches can provide between six (DMS100) and 16 (5ESS)
CAs of a single DN. An ISDN telephone provides you with multiple buttons,
indicator LEDs, and an LCD display to aid you in managing these multiple
CAs. The 7845 will provide you with 5 CAs of a single DN on one of your
analog ports. You are limited by the signaling capabilities of your analog
set and your ability to effectively manage more than two CAs will be limited
(unless you have a pad of paper next to the phone and keep very good notes).
Distinctive ringing is an attempt to provide additional DNs associated
with the same physical wire pair. In the ISDN world we would refer to these
additional DNs as Secondary Dial Numbers (SDN). In the analog world we
indicate the various DNs by changing the ringing pattern generated on the
wire pair. The call processing element (you or your distinctive ring switch)
makes a decision based on the ringing pattern and processes the call
appropriately. Analog signaling usually limits you to three ringing patterns
or in ISDN terms one PDN and two SDNs. An ISDN switch can provide between 64
(DMS100) and 256 (5ESS) DN assignments to a single wire pair . The usable
amount is limited by the telco tariff and the number of buttons available on
an ISDN set.
The majority of my work involves designing and implementing multi-
station ISDN centrex systems for office environments. I have not worked with
the 7845 so I can only answer your questions in general terms. The ISDN
switch is capable of providing the DNs and the signaling necessary to
accomplish what you wish. I do not know if the 7845 is capable of
translating these D-channel messages into the analog signals necessary to
accomplish your needs.
If the 7845 is capable of generating distinctive rings on one of its
analog ports based on the incoming DN then you could attach your analog
devices just as you would to an analog line. You would need to associate
each analog port with a unique PDN and SPID to direct the SDNs to the proper
port. You can have the multiple CAs but managing the calls will be
difficult.
A better approach would be to attach an additional ISDN TA to the S/T
port on the 7845. (This approach will require three SPIDs and can only be
supported by a 5ESS or Siemens EWSD.) You could then have your FAX on one of
the analog ports, your phone on another, and the modem operating through the
additional TA. You only have two B-channels so only two of the devices could
be active at the same time. Each device could have a unique DN for call
management.
The 7845 is an attempt to accommodate existing technology in a changing
world. As with all accommodations, it has its limits. I hope the above is a
help to you. If you have additional questions, please ask.
Question:
COULD someone explain SPID to me ?
Answer:
An ISDN interface consists of an NT1 connected to the telephone company
and up to eight unique devices connected to the NT1. Each of these devices
is intelligent and needs a way to sort out messages intended for itself as
opposed to the other seven devices. The addressing concept is similar to
that used on a LAN. All messages have an destination address for a specific
device, are heard by all devices, but are responded to by the device with
the matching address. The Service Profile ID (SPID) provides the mechanism
for the telco switch to initialize and manage this addressing scheme.
SPID formats vary between protocols and telcos but are always built
around the telephone number associated with a specific device (If a single
physical device has more than one interface it might use one SPID per
interface). The telco will tell you what the proper SPID or SPIDs are for
your ISDN line and you must enter the SPIDs into the appropriate devices.
As soon as you attach your ISDN device to the phone line the switch
will sense its presence and request that it transmit its SPID. The switch
will examine its data base and assign the subscribed services to the device
that you have just connected. It will go through an initialization dialog
with the ISDN terminal and set up the necessary addressing scheme for the
device.
One of the concepts behind the development of the SPID was service
portability. Some of the ISDN switches have the ability to automatically
reassign services to different wire pairs based on reading the SPID
transmitted by a newly connected device. This service is not active on any
switch that I am aware of. A simple example of this would be moving from
cube to cube in an office. You would disconnect your ISDN phone from your
existing location and plug it into your new location. The switch would then
recognize the fact that you had changed wire pairs and automatically
reassign your phone number and subscribed services to your new location. The
concept can work equally well for residential moves.
The reason that it is not active is that the interface between the CO
switches and the Telco maintenance systems is not very good. The switches do
not automatically update the maintenance systems and if Automatic Service
Reassignment (ASR) were allowed the Telco would lose track of where your
phone was physically located. You would place a trouble call and the service
rep would be sent to the wrong location to repair the wrong circuit. I
suspect we will see ASR eventually as a cost cutting measure for the Telcos.
Hope the above answers your questions.
Raymond Oschger & Associates, 708-292-0192, ISDN Application Design &
Maintenance.
Editor Note;
Normally, I find myself glossing over explanations. But the above answers
to the question were so eloquently done with such precise clarity. I
couldn't resist. Raymond Oschger frequents the ISDN Forum on Compuserve, if
you have a question about or relative to ISDN stop by and have an
informative chat. GO ISDN.
Kids Computing Corner
Frank Sereno, Editor
NFL Math
separate CD-ROM & floppy versions for Windows and Macintosh
ages 8 to 12
suggested retail $39.95
from Sanctuary Woods
1825 South Grant
San Mateo, California 94402
415-286-6110
Program Requirements
IBM Macintosh
CPU: 486 CPU: Color
Macintosh
RAM: 8 megs RAM: 5 megs
OS: Windows 3.1 OS: System 7.0
Video: 640 by 480 with 256 colors Video: 256
colors
Hdisk: 8 megs Hdisk: ?
CD-ROM: Double-speed recommended CD-ROM: Double-speed
recommended
Misc.: Sound card, printer optional
by Frank Sereno
The crowd cheers as the teams break from their huddles. Anticipation
builds as the play is about to begin...but first a math question? NFL Math
attempts the difficult merger of a graphically-intense football simulation
with a math instruction program. The result is a completion that will
involve fathers and children in a fun and absorbing learning experience but
comes up short of being a touchdown.
Children are given the task of answering math and trivia questions. In
addition, they must guide their football team to victory. If they can win
six games in a row on the Road to the Super Bowl, then they will receive a
free Super Bowl ring from Sanctuary Woods. The game has math questions in
four categories with four levels of difficulty. Rapid Fire consists of a
timed round of mental math problems. Brain Teasers are word problems.
Charting and graphing problems are presented in Stats & Stuff. Numbers and
concepts are learned in Number Fun. To keep the learning fun, a trivia
category is also available. Answers to the trivia questions can be
researched in the player and trivia databases. The player information is
presented as football cards which can be printed.
The program features a point-and-click interface. The main screen has
several options. The Pre-Game Show is actually a complete guided tour of
the program which includes directions for playing. Game Controls allows the
player to set difficulty levels, to play a single game or Road to the Super
Bowl series, length of quarter and choose sound options. The player can
choose to Resume Game or Start New Game. The Coach's Corner has a listing
of all the math concepts covered in the program. Click on a category and
the coach will explain the concept while an animation is shown on his
blackboard.
The football simulation is very rudimentary. Players only have a few
play selections. Success depends on correctly answering the math questions
and on the powerbar ratings for the team. Offenses are rated on running,
passing and blocking while defenses are rated on run defense, passing
defense and tackling. These skills can be increased by playing Powerup
games before the game and between quarters. These games require moving a
character on the screen using the cursor keys and using the spacebar as a
fire button. The control is very imprecise and would have benefited from
joystick or mouse control.
After a play is chosen, then the player must answer the math or trivia
question. Once that is done, the play's results will be shown in a dramatic
animation. NFL Math has 33,000 play animations to keep your child's
interest. End zone celebrations and circus catches are among the visuals
included. The animations can be replayed in reverse or forward motion.
NFL Math features 3D rendered animations and animations to provide an
eye-pleasing experience. A shortcoming is that the animations do not
feature authentic uniforms and helmets. The animations are also displayed
in a small window which is disappointing. The sounds are first-rate. The
voice samples are very good and also include a bit of "trash-talking" (g-
rated, of course) to lend the game intensity and authenticity. The music
used is similar to that used in NFL television broadcasts.
The interface is very simple and easy to use. The guided tour is very
helpful for new players. The manual is very brief but it is sufficient.
Troubleshooting information is included in a readme file included with the
program. A mouse would be a better input device for the powerup games
rather than the cursor keys.
Play value will depend upon your child's interest in football and his
level of expertise. If he is far advanced in playing football either
electronically or physically, he will probably be disappointed in the lack
of complexity of the football simulator. Children who like football but who
are just learning about its intricacies will find this program quite
appealing.
Educational value is good. A greater variety of questions would have
increased the value. Also, practice problems in the Coach's Corner would be
a good addition. Perhaps more than one example of each concept could have
been presented to ensure the child understood it.
NFL Math should sell for between $30 and $35. Sanctuary Woods backs it
with a 30-day, no questions asked moneyback guarantee. Trying this program
is virtually risk-free. The program also qualifies for Sanctuary Woods'
"Buy One, Give One" program which allows your local school system to get a
copy of the program for the cost of shipping and handling. If you have a
young football fan, NFL Math is a good choice.
Ratings
Graphics ....... 9.0
Sounds ....... 9.0
Interface ........ 9.0
Play Value ..... 8.0
Educational Value .. 8.0
Bang for the Buck .. 8.5
Average ...... 8.58
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EARTHWORM JIM ZAPS ONTO COMPUTER DESKTOPS
Upcoming Windows 95 Title Includes Unique Customizing Feature
Los Angeles, CA - Avid fans of Earthworm Jim can customize their computer
desktops using a unique accessory package which will be a key feature of
Activision's upcoming Windows 95 title, Earthworm Jim. One of the first
games ever to include desktop theme capability, Earthworm Jim is slated for
a December release.
An enhancement for Microsoft Plus, the Earthworm Jim desktop will bring the
game's wacky sense of humor to everyday computing tasks. Users can
wallpaper their desktops with Jim's cybernetic physique; select a rotating
Jim icon to replace the Windows 95 standard hourglass animated cursor; use
Jim's rapid-fire ray gun as a mouse pointer; choose the quirky Jim cow as
the Network icon; discard files into a can-of-worms Recycle icon; and be
greeted by the bleat of sheep when they start Windows 95.
Activision is a registered trademark of Activision, Inc. c 1995
Activision, Inc. All rights reserved. Earthworm Jim and related character
c 1994 Shiny Entertainment, Inc. Characters created by Doug Ten Napel.
Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation in the United States or other countries.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Edmark Introduces Strategy Games of the World
Innovative New Educational Software
That Helps 8 to 14 Year Olds Develop
Problem-Solving Strategies for Everyday Life
REDMOND, WA - Edmark Corporation, a leading developer of educational
software for children, today announced the shipment of Strategy Games of the
World, innovative new educational software designed to help 8 to 14 year
olds develop a variety of problem-solving strategies they can use every day.
Centered around three classic games that are fun and easy to learn- Mancala,
Nine Men's Morris and Go-Moku-. Strategy Games of the World also features
inspiring strategy-building components including interactive Strategy
Coaches, Real World Videos, Multimedia Game Guides and more. Strategy Games
of the World is available on CD-ROM for Windows 95, Windows 3.1 and
Macintosh computers. As a limited time introductory offer, customers who
purchase the product will receive any other award-winning Edmark title free.
"We are thrilled to offer 8 to 14 year olds an unprecedented educational
software program that will help them build a rich personal set of strategies
they can use to solve problems in academic subjects and throughout life,"
says Sally Narodick, Edmark CEO. "Timeless games that have taught
strategies for centuries provide the venue for kids to encounter and
practice a variety of problem-solving strategies. Educators often say that
when kids know a number of ways to solve a problem they will persist, try
those strategies and greatly increase their chance of success; that is the
ultimate goal of this program, to help kids learn new ways to solve problems
successfully throughout their lives."
Three Classic Games That Teach Lifelong Strategies
At the heart of this program is a collection of three fascinating and
engaging games. Games offer kids highly interactive and goal-directed forms
of play in a rich and motivating environment where they can encounter,
practice and master strategies. The educators at Edmark carefully selected
Mancala, Nine Men's Morris and Go-Moku because these games can be learned
quickly, they can be played at many levels of challenge, they do not involve
chance and they've stood the test of time- challenging players for thousands
of years.
These games, and the program's additional features, help kids learn to:
ú Identify and analyze problems
ú Look for patterns and sequences
ú Plan ahead
ú Predict outcomes
ú Eliminate options known to be incorrect
ú Test hypotheses
ú Break problems into smaller parts that can be solved individually
Go-Moku: Brought to Japan from China almost 1500 years ago, Go-Moku is a
variation of Go, which has had a profound impact on Japanese life,
influencing religion, philosophy and popular culture. Go is played and
enjoyed by millions of people around the world.
In Go-Moku, players quickly scan the board and find ways to place five
pieces in a row before the opposition. The first player to get five stones
in a row- horizontally, vertically or diagonally- wins the game. Complex
and interrelated patterns emerge as skilled players learn to balance
offensive and defensive moves and to create intricate webs of control. With
as many as 324 pieces in play at one time, it's essential to learn which
information to use and which to ignore.
Nine Men's Morris: The earliest traces of Nine Men's Morris were found in
Egypt; game boards have also been found in the ruins of Troy, Sri Lanka,
Stone-Age Ireland and in England, carved into cathedral pews. This game
challenges kids to shift and adapt strategic frameworks. Kids need one set
of strategies when placing pieces at the beginning of the game and a very
different set when they move pieces to block or capture their opponent. The
game can be won in two ways: by capturing all but two of the opponent's
pieces or by blocking the opponent from being able to move.
Mancala: This is the name given to a family of board games played throughout
Africa, the Middle East and the South Pacific. Thousands of variations of
this game are played. In Africa, Mancala boards often reflect the handiwork
of the tribal culture, and some are revered as religious artifacts. This
fine craftsmanship is reflected in the product's game board scenes and is
also depicted and explained in depth in the Multimedia Game Guide, a
multimedia presentation that lets kids sample the rich cultural history of
each game. The ambient sounds in the background of Mancala, make players
feel as if they've traveled thousands of miles away to play.
Mancala provides kids with a pure exercise in strategic thinking. In this
game, players' own positions instead of pieces. Kids use a range of
strategies to put stones in the board positions around the board. The board
is simple enough to allow players to fully think through each move; however,
the board state can change immediately as players open holes, capture stones
and distribute stones around the board. The game is over when all the
stones are gone from one player's side of the board. Whoever has the most
stones wins.
Many Levels of Challenge and Strategy in Every Game
Game Masters: Nine Game Masters challenge kids in Mancala, Nine Men's Morris
and Go-Moku with different playing styles and strategies of their own. As
kids compete against the Game Masters at any level of difficulty, they learn
a variety of strategies, develop and test their own and eventually build the
personal strategies that works best for them.
Challenge Levels: Similar to the Grow Slides in Edmark's award-winning
Thinkin' Things Series, the Challenge Levels in Strategy Games of the World
automatically advance as kids win games. As they advance several levels,
the screen changes to a new scene and a new opponent. There are many levels
of difficulty in each game.
Strategy Coaches: If kids ever need advice, they can simply click on their
Strategy Coach. Strategy Coaches provide tips, help kids learn the rules of
the games and offer alternate strategies. When the Strategy Coaches look
especially excited or anxious, it means they have something to say!
Applying Strategies to Everyday Life
Real-World Videos: Strategy Games of the World includes more than 80 video
examples of how people from all walks of life use strategies to solve
problems in their daily lives. These Real-World Videos include an
astronaut, a marathon runner, and a television news anchorperson and many
others who talk about their personal strategies. For example, a doctor says
her strategy is to take all the information from a patient first, then
eliminate extraneous information and pay attention only to what is pertinent
to making a medical diagnosis. Kids will find some of these strategies
helpful when devising their own set to use whenever they face a problem.
Historical and Cultural Information about the Games
Multimedia Game Guides: Included with Mancala, Nine Men's Morris and Go-Moku
is a Multimedia Game Guide that lets kids sample each game's rich cultural
history. In the guides, complete with beautiful, high-quality graphics and
sound, kids will earn about the Vikings, Viking artifacts, the Maasai tribe
of Africa, Japanese culture and more.
Insights for Parents
With Edmark's special Dear Parents Video Presentation, parents get helpful
insights into the educational framework of the program. Edmark Vice
President Donna Stanger, award-winning software designer and a teacher for
twenty years, shares thoughts about the use of strategies, building a
personal set of strategies and the three games in Strategy Games of the
World.
System Requirements
Windows System Requires: Windows 3.1 (enhanced mode), Windows 95 or later; 8
MB of RAM required; CD-ROM drive (double-speed or faster recommended);
486DX/33MHZ (or better); Super VGA, 640 x 480 (256 colors required); Hard
drive; Mouse; Windows-compatible sound-output device. Optional: Edmark
TouchWindow.
Macintosh System Requires: Color Macintosh (256 colors required); 8 MB RAM;
CD-ROM drive (double-speed or faster recommended); System 7.0.1 or higher;
Hard drive; 13" monitor or larger. Optional: Edmark TouchWindow.
Product Availability
Strategy Games of the World is available at major software retailers and
through software catalogs for approximately $40. For a limited time,
customers who purchase the product will receive any award-winning Edmark
title free. For more information, interested customers may call Edmark's
Customer Service Department oat 206-556-8484.
Edmark Corporation, located in Redmond, Washington, is a leading developer
and publisher of educational software and materials, with 25 years of
experience applying proven educational concepts to the development of
educational products for children. The award-winning line of educational
software includes: KidDesk Family Edition, Millie's Math House, Bailey's
Book House, Sammy's Science House, Trudy's Time & Place House, Thinkin'
Things Collection 1, Thinkin' Things Collection 2, Thinkin' Things
Collection 3 and the Imagination Express Series.
# # #
Edmark, the Edmark logo, TouchWindow, Millie's Math House and Bailey's Book
House are registered trademarks of Edmark Corporation. Strategy Games of
the World, Sammy's Science House, Trudy's Time & Place House, Thinkin'
Things Collection 1, Thinkin' Things Collection 2, Thinkin' Things
Collection 3 and Imagination Express are trademarks of Edmark Corporation.
Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Windows is a
registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Read, Write & Type
CD-ROM for Windows or Mac
Ages 6-8
Estimated Retail Price:$60.00
The Learning Company
6493 Kaiser Drive
Fremont, CA 94555
(800) 852-2255
Program Requirements
IBM Macintosh
CPU: 486/25MHz or better CPU: 68040 or
better
RAM: 4 megs RAM: 4 megs
OS: Windows 3.1 OS: System
7.0.1
Video: 640 by 480 with 256 colors Video: 256
colors
Hdisk: 1.4 MB Hdisk:
?
CD-ROM: Double-speed CD-ROM: Double-
speed
Misc.: Sound card
by Angelo Marasco
What do you want your children to learn today? You want them to learn
phonics? You want them to do some reading? You want them to learn a little
typing? You want them to get a little more familiar with your computer and
pick up a few useful computer skills in the process? Well, they can
accomplish all of this and have a ton of fun doing it if they are using
"Read, Write & Type" on CD by The Learning Company.
Although the first word that comes to mind when I think about "Read,
Write & Type" is WOW!, I can't base a whole review on that one word. But
WOW! is what describes this program best. I was simply amazed by its quality
of sound, graphics and content from the moment I first started the program.
Normally for me, $60 is a little pricey for a program for my computer. After
I finished running this program for my review, I began to wonder how $60
covers so much!
Installation was simple and the program set up an icon in a program
group called "The Learning Company." There was no "help" or "important
information" icon installed in the program group so I was a little concerned
about problems that might arise. No such problems ever popped up. The
operation of the program was smooth, with absolutely no glitches or crashes.
The only concern I had was that the loading times for different activities
were a little excessive. Since the program is constantly changing
activities, this can begin to get a little nerve-wracking after a while.
Perhaps it runs more quickly on a computer with 8 MB of RAM. Mine only has 4
MB for now.
The program opens with a "virtual computer" on the screen and the
appearance of the "helping hands," Lefty LaDee and Rightway McKay. They will
stay with the child through the entire program, helping him or her by
explaining what is required in an exercise. They will show what keys must be
used, come to the rescue if the wrong key is pressed or congratulate the
child for successfully completing an exercise. The exercises are fairly
short and are varied, which keeps the attention level very high. Lefty and
Rightway nearly always have smiles and their voices are always cheerful.
When keyboard activity stops for several minutes, they do several amusing
things, like falling asleep or whistling. Rightway's voice is reminiscent of
Jimmy Durante's.
At the start of the program, Lefty and Rightway introduce the keyboard
and the storytellers who live in each key. In the background is "Home City,"
which contains all of the activities that the child will experience while
using the program. This is the main screen for the program.
The keyboard is split by right-hand and left-hand keys and the two
halves are dressed up as houses. This makes it easy for the child to figure
out which hand will be used for each key. There are twenty-six storytellers,
far too many for me to list in this review. Rest assured that each is
interesting and attractive to children.
At this point we are introduced to "Vexor the Virus." He is a nasty
little green character who is reminiscent of Oscar the Grouch of Sesame
Street fame. His attitude is grumpy and he always looks upset. Vexor
immediately scares the storytellers, causing them to close their window
shades. Then Vexor steals the sounds from all the keys. Vexor states in no
uncertain terms that he hates stories and he will not return the sounds
unless the helping hands play a game with him in which they have to type the
sounds. Since the helping hands aren't real and, therefore, can't type, they
invite the child to do the typing for them. From the very beginning the
child is made a part of the story.
The basic pattern throughout the program is the same. Vexor produces a
stolen sound, then the child follows him to one of three places: the
theater, the video store or the fair booth. Vexor usually requires the child
to go through a combination of two places to get the sound back. This way
the child gets to play with the sound in the beginning, middle or end of a
word. After the child successfully saves the sound from Vexor, the sound
returns to the keyboard house where the child replaces the sound on its
proper key. Then Lefty and Rightway introduce the storyteller associated
with that key. The storyteller leaves for the Story Tree but must cross the
playground, tea garden, topiary garden, lake or rose garden to get there.
Vexor is waiting with typing exercises, hoping to block the storyteller from
reaching the tree. After successfully completing the typing exercises, the
storyteller makes it to the tree and the child must type the names of
pictures which the storyteller thinks about. After this, the story begins.
The stories the storytellers tell are typed by the child. A pleasant
voice tells the child what to type and simultaneously the words are typed
out. Then the child types those letters, words and, eventually, sentences,
depending on the level the child is at. After the story is told and
animated, the storyteller returns to the keyboard house it lives in with its
written story in hand. The child returns that storyteller to its rightful
home and the game continues.
Let's look at the game in a little more detail. In the theater, Vexor
shows the child pictures. If the picture starts with the featured sound,
then the child types that letter. If the picture does not start with that
sound, then the child types a space. When the child wins, Vexor loses his
temper and something bad inevitably happens to him.
In the video store, the sound must come in the middle of the word for
it to be typed. Vexor shows his pictures. If the sound does not come in the
middle of the word then the space key is typed. Again, as in the theater,
Vexor loses his temper when he loses and he pays for it.
At the fair booth, the sound always comes at the end of the word. Vexor
again shows pictures. If the featured sound comes at the end of that word
then the letter is typed. If the sound does not come at the end of the word
then the space bar is pressed.
These three exercises serve a double purpose. First, they teach
phonics. Second, they are typing exercises. The child is typing either the
letter or sound combination or a space. Now, I don't know about you, but
when I learned to type, my first exercises were to find a key, then type it
in a series with spaces between. This program uses what I would characterize
as "stealth learning." The child never knows that he or she is learning to
type!
After beating Vexor at this activity, the sound returns to the keyboard
house and the child places it in the proper key. The window shade opens and
the storyteller is revealed. Lefty and Rightway introduce the storyteller
and send it off to the Story Tree to tell its story. However, to get to the
Story Tree the storyteller must safely cross through the playground. In
later levels this changes to a tea garden, topiary garden, lake and,
eventually, a rose garden. These backdrops are colorful, interesting and a
pleasure to see, especially the rose garden.
In this exercise the child must type the words or phrases given them.
Where the first activities helped to build phonics and basic typing skills,
this activity begins to build more advanced typing skills. Here, Vexor waits
at the end of the three screens for the child to make a typing mistake. Make
enough mistakes and the storyteller gets blown back to the beginning. If a
mistake is made, a "back arrow" appears which gives the child the chance to
redo the exercise with no mistakes. After successfully crossing the screen,
Vexor blows off stage. If the child gets the storyteller across with no
mistakes, Vexor has a little virus fit which always costs him in the end.
Now comes the Story Tree. But before the storyteller will share its
story, the child must type the names of several pictures. This is a great
vocabulary builder. The nice thing is that, if the child doesn't know what
the picture is, they need only click on it with the mouse and a pleasant
voice tells them what it is.
At the Story Tree, the storyteller is featured in a little animated
story that runs for four lines. The narrator narrates a line of the story
while the program types it out. Then the child is asked to type the line in.
As the child advances through the levels and saves more sounds, the stories
become more complex and begin to rhyme. Initially the stories are a little
lame, but what can you expect when you're trying to tell a story with one or
two letters?
After successfully completing the Story Tree activity, the storyteller
returns to the keyboard house with its typed story in hand. It's really neat
to think that the storyteller is holding what the child has typed! The child
now places the storyteller back in its key where it does a little animated
trick before settling down.
I was a little upset with the fact that, at this point, the animation
lags behind the sound enough to be very noticeable. The same is true of the
sound and image for the helping hands and Vexor. It is obvious that someone
at The Learning Company went to a great amount of trouble to make the
helping hands and Vexor shape every sound and word properly with their
mouths. To me, it is a crime that the sound and animation don't stay
together. It's like watching a movie with a poorly synchronized sound track.
It may be that it's the fault of my slower 486SX33, but my computer does
meet the minimum requirements for the program to run. I would expect such
an expensive piece of software to perform flawlessly.
After the show is over, the letter or letter combination is shown on
the "Hall of Fame." After four sounds are saved, the Hall of Fame produces
an award that the child can print if he or she chooses. In all there are ten
levels. It is a lot of work to complete all ten levels and I think that this
keeps the program challenging enough to hold the child's interest for
extended periods. At the same time, the levels are fairly short, having only
four sounds in each. This makes the levels short enough so that the child
won't lose interest by being bogged down in a long, drawn-out game that
never seems to end.
In level two, things really begin to get interesting. First,
construction begins on the "E-mail Tower" after the first sound is saved on
this level. Construction ends at the completion of level three. Second, the
"Bonus Blimp" appears after the second sound is saved.
The E-mail Tower turned out to be a really exciting innovation. When
its construction is completed, it becomes a place where the child can write
stories and letters and communicate with the whole "world." This activity
fosters creativity and gives the child a reason to create written works. The
E-mail Tower contains a simple word processor with many normal word
processor commands and e-mail capability. The first time the child enters
the E-mail Tower, they are taken on a tour that explains how to open, write,
save and send an e-mail letter. The child also receives an e-mail letter
back fro
m the country that their e-mail is sent to.
Now, parents, don't panic! The e-mail isn't really being sent! Your
phone bill isn't about to put you into bankruptcy! The E-mail Tower sends
the completed work to its virtual radar dish where the letter is sent to a
virtual satellite which sends the letter to a randomly chosen country. Then
a return e-mail letter is received, which the child opens and reads. The
program contains 84 different e-mail letters written by real children. One
interesting thing about the E-mail Tower is that it won't allow the child to
write a very short letter and send it or to re-send a letter which has
already been e-mailed. This activity requires thought and creativity by the
child.
The E-mail Tower activity operates at three different reading levels:
first grade, second grade and third grade and up. The level is adjustable
from what is called POP, the Program Options Pad. POP is always available
from the Home City screen. It is also used to sign in new players, to enable
or disable the printer, to show a short document on the educational benefits
of the program, to exit the program and to show the keyboard. From the
keyboard option the child can see the names of all the storytellers and can
see the "power-up" positions of Lefty and Rightway. The power-up position is
the home position on the keyboard for a typist's hands.
The Bonus Blimp allows the child to choose a vowel, letter combination
or storyteller to use. The selection is then used by the program to pick an
activity for the child to go through again. Successful completion earns the
child points which are displayed on the certificate for that level. I
suppose that it could be associated with "extra credit" work.
Last, but not least, is the "Power Fountain." The Power Fountain helps
the child to improve typing accuracy and speed. This is another activity
whose level is adjustable through POP. The Power Fountain is a really
amusing activity. Here, Vexor the Virus is seated on a swing above a water
fountain. The child must type words or phrases accurately and with enough
speed to keep the water flowing. If the child types accurately and quickly
enough, nasty, but amusing, things happen to Vexor. This continues for as
long as the timer is running. At higher levels the timer runs longer and the
words and phrases are bigger and longer.
From the Home City screen the child can click on any area and take part
in that activity or exercise. Not having to constantly follow the routine
creates more interest. No matter how interesting a program is, it can get
boring real fast if the child has to constantly follow a routine. Lefty and
Rightway actually counsel the child occasionally to "cool their jets" and to
take some time out for other activities in the program.
Overall, I found "Read, Write and Type" to be an exciting, colorful,
rich program that should hold the attention of children for a long time. My
seven year old lit up when I first ran the program and the opening story. My
nine year old fired the program up every day for a week after school and we
had trouble peeling him from the computer long enough for me to do this
review. Even my twelve-year-old enjoyed the program. I certainly know that I
enjoyed using it and never grew tired of it.
The graphics are absolutely fantastic. I didn't rate them a perfect ten
is because of the delays I experienced when the sounds really needed to
match up to the movements. However, most of the time they ran closely enough
that it didn't make a difference. Plus, the extent that The Learning Company
must have gone to make sure that Lefty, Rightway and Vexor formed their
sounds properly deserved better than the 9.0 I would have given them
otherwise.
The program is loaded with a variety of high quality sounds that make
the experience of playing with this program a real pleasure. The sounds are
very accurate and realistic. For instance, at one point Hug the Hamster is
bouncing in his plastic travel ball in the back of Will the Wagon. You can
actually hear the sound of a plastic ball bouncing in a metal wagon!
Authenticity like this deserves a great rating.
The interface also deserves a high rating. My children could use the
program with no help from me. Lefty LaDee and Rightway McKay are helpful and
always present to jump in and help or amuse. Everything was easily
understandable.
Play value also deserves a high rating. The program is not only
educational but is a lot of fun. Children don't learn very well when they're
falling asleep. That will never happen with this program. There are plenty
of activities that are attractive to children. The only problem I had with
the program was that I would have liked to see the Bonus Blimp use different
activities or even some type of game rather than repeat the exercises.
However, I suspect that there is some good reason for the Bonus Blimp to use
the same exercises so I saw no reason for the play value rating to be lower.
There is no question about the educational value of the program. I
don't see any reason that a young child cannot learn something from it. I
expect my children to learn a lot from it and have already seen a difference
in the way they approach and use the keyboard.
"Read, Write and Type" deserves a very high bang for the buck rating.
There is a lot packed into this CD. I don't think that I saw everything that
this program has to offer. It just keeps coming up with new surprises, new
pictures and new sounds. I am sure that my children will not tire of this
program anytime soon.
I can definitely recommend "Read, Write and Type" for your children.
You'll know you made the right purchase when you see their faces light up!
Ratings
Graphics ....... 9.9
Sounds ....... 10.0
Interface ........ 9.9
Play Value ..... 9.9
Educational Value .. 10.0
Bang for the Buck .. 9.5
Average ...... 9.86
# # #
That wraps up another edition of the Kids' Computing Corner. Please send
any comments or suggestions to fsereno@matrix.uti.com. Angelo and I would
sincerely like to thank you for reading.
Portable Computers & Entertainment Section
Marty Mankins, Editor
SONY PLAYSTATION
Game Listings
(38 Titles - Updated 12/01/95)
(c)1995 John Ricciardi
This is a complete listing of all Sony PlayStation games that have been
released to date. Updated frequently. Any comments, e-mail me at
<75162.2212@compuserve.com>.
NEW ADDITIONS SINCE 11/30/95
-Criticom (Vic Tokai/Fighting Action)
-CyberSpeed (Mindscape/Racing)
-NHL Face Off (SCEA/Sports)
Title Publisher #/Players Genre
Rating
3D Lemmings Psygnosis 1 Puzzle
K-A
Agile Warrior F-IIIX Virgin 1-2
Shooter T
Air Combat Namco 1-2 Shooter
K-A
Battle Arena Toshinden SCEA 1-2 Fighting Action
T
Criticom Vic Tokai 1-2 Fighting Action
T
CyberSpeed Mindscape 1 Racing
K-A
Cyber Sled Namco 1-2 Action
K-A
Defcon 5 Data East 1 Action K-
A
Destruction Derby Sony Interactive 1-2 Racing
K-A
Discworld Sony Interactive 1 Adventure T
DOOM Williams 1-2 Action M
ESPN Extreme Games SCEA 1-2 Racing
K-A
FIFA Soccer '96 Electronic Arts 1-8 Sports
K-A
Jumping Flash! SCEA 1 Action
K-A
KILEAK: The DNA Imperative SCEA 1-2 Action T
Mortal Kombat 3 SCEA 1-2 Fighting Action
M
NBA JAM T.E. Acclaim 1-4 Sports K-
A
NFL GameDay SCEA 1-2 Sports K-A
NHL Face Off SCEA 1-2 Sports
K-A
Novastorm Sony Interactive 1 Shooter
K-A
Off-World Interceptor Extreme Crystal Dynamics 1-2
Action M
PGA Tour '96 Electronic Arts 1-4 Sports
K-A
Power Serve 3D Tennis Ocean 1-2 Sports
K-A
Rayman Ubi Soft 1 Action K-A
Ridge Racer Namco 1 Racing
K-A
Space Griffon VF-9 Atlus 1 Action
K-A
Street Fighter: The Movie 1-2 Fighting
Action T
Tekken Namco 1-2 Fighting Action
T
The Raiden Project SCEA 1-2 Shooter K-
A
Theme Park Bullfrog 1 Simulation K-
A
Total Eclipse Turbo Crystal Dynamics 1
Shooter K-A
Twisted Metal SCEA 1-2 Action T
Viewpoint Electronic Arts 1
Shooter K-A
Warhawk SCEA 1 Shooter K-
A
Wipeout Psygnosis 1-2 Racing K-
A
WrestleMania: The Arcade Game Acclaim 1-2 Action
K-A
X-COM: UFO Defense MicroProse 1 Strategy K-A
Zoop Viacom Newmedia 1 Puzzle
K-A
ESRB Ratings are as follows:
EC Early Childhood (Ages 3+)
K-A Kids to Adult (Ages 6+)
T Teen (Ages 13+)
M Mature (Ages 17+)
AO Adults Only (Adults Only)
For more information on ratings, please call the ESRB at 1-800-771-3772
For the record.
Sony Sells Over 300,000 Playstation Units
More Than One Million Pieces of Software Sold In Six Weeks Since Debut
Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has announced that 300,000
Sony PlayStation game consoles have been sold since the system's landmark
introduction on September 9 of this year. Additionally, high software sales
of more than one million game titles have resulted in an unprecedented 4:1
tie ratio (four titles per game console).
"This is phenomenal news -- exciting for everyone involved in the
launch of the PlayStation, especially our retailers and consumers," said Jim
Whims, senior vice president, SCEA. "Several retailers are still in a sold-
out situation, and demand for software continues to increase as the
installed base grows. Our goal is to gear up for what we anticipate will be
a fabulous Holiday Season."
With record sales of more than a quarter of a million units in just
over six weeks, SCEA is anticipating that the PlayStation will be this
year's leader among the next-generation video game platforms.
According to Peter Roithmayr, merchandising director at The Electronics
Boutique, "The Sony PlayStation continues to be the dominant video game
hardware at our stores, by far outselling the Sega Saturn. Every new piece
of PlayStation software we get goes straight to the top of our sales charts.
We are ecstatic with the sell-through."
Sony Computer Entertainment America, a division of Sony Interactive
Entertainment Inc., is based in Foster City, Calif. The company markets the
PlayStation for distribution in North America, publishes PlayStation
software for the North American market, and manages the U.S. third party
licensing program. Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of
Sony Corporation of America, is headquartered in New York.
Atari Jaguar/Computer Section
Dana Jacobson, Editor
From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
Well, it's been a fairly exciting week for me personally, with regard
to the computing side of things Atari. It's All Relative has just released
a few new CDs and I managed to get my paws on a couple of them: Electronic
Spinster Graphics "PD Clipart Collection" and "All Things Falcon". Both are
an excellent collection and I'll be spending even more time with them and
giving you a quick review of what I've found. IAR's Greg Kopchak happened
to mention online recently that someone is in the process of writing a
QuickTime player for Atari users which should generate a number of new CDs.
I'd be one of the first in line to grab a few of those! If you've been
considering adding a CDROM to your existing Atari set-up, I'd highly
recommend it! Below, you'll find a short synopsis of a few of the latest CD
offerings from It's All Relative.
Until next time...
All Things Falcon CD - Rev 1.0
A Collection of PD and ShareWare
Software for the Falcon030 computer!
The All Things Falcon CD has been compiled specifically for use with the
Atari and C-Lab Falcon 030 Computer Systems. All the files contained on
this CD are either Falcon Specific, or are (to the best of our knowledge)
100% Falcon compatible. Every effort to make this CD as hassle free for
Falconers as possible, ST programs that kinda work on the Falcon are NOT
included. Programs that require "Compatibility Modes" are NOT included.
All Things Falcon was released December 1995 by STF Publishing of
Independence, Missouri.
Electronic Spinster Graphics
Electronic Spinster Graphics has long been providing quality clip art to the
Atari market. Now, for the first time, their graphic collection is available
on one CD. Unlike other clip art CD's, this CD is aimed at the Atari
market. All images are provided in IMG, CVG, or GEM format for use with
Atari or C-Lab Falcon applications. The ESG Collection contains 6,000 IMG
files and over 1,000 CVG files covering a broad range of topics. Electronic
Spinster Graphics was released in December of 1995 by Electronic Spinster
Graphics of Olathe, Kansas.
The Crawly Crypt Archives
Get all of Volume 1 and 2 of the Crawly Crypt series on one CD. All files
are compressed and BBS ready. Standard BBS file lists are on the CD for all
files. This is a great CD for club librarian, BBS operator or anyone looking
for 1.2 gigabytes of Atari files on one CD. The Crawly Crypt Collection was
released December 1995 by the Crawly Crypt Corporation of Webb City,
Missouri.
We offer All Things Falcon or ESG Graphics at a special price of $19.99
each.
We offer the Crawly Crypt Collection for the special price of $39.99.
Get all three of these new CD's for $79.97 and we will include a free Corel
Photo CD with 100 images in Kodak Photo CD format.
Send a check or money order in U.S. funds to:
It's All Relative Software
2233 Keeven lane
Florissant MO 63031 USA
(314) 831-9482
All orders are shipped postpaid, worldwide, add $3.00 for second day
delivery in the US.
Write or call for a copy of our new Winter 1995 newsletter and price list.
CD 12 Pack
Electronic Spinster Graphics by the Electronic Spinster
Includes:
ú Corel Photo CD Disc featuring 100 Kodak Photo CD images
ú Batik Designs MediaClips
ú Business Backgrounds MediaClips Full Bloom MediaClips
ú Jets MediaClips
ú Majestic Places MediaClips Money, Money, Money MediaClips Props
MediaClips Vintage Aloha MediaClips
ú Wild Places MediaClips World View MediaClips
All 12 CD's for $59.99
The Media Clips series by Aris features BMP and TIF images along VOC and WAV
sound files that can be reused in your print materials and presentations as
long as no more than 20% of a CD is used in one project. Payment in US
funds. We ship worldwide, postpaid. Add $3.00 for second day delivery in the
US.
STR Mail Call "...a place for our readers to be heard"
STReport's MAILBAG
Messages * NOT EDITED * for content
Fm: James Thornhill, Jr. 102172,2761
To: Ralph@STReport 70007,4454
Ralph,
Both yourself and Dana are very welcome. STR or as I like to call it
(Simply True Reporting) is one heckuva of a well done product. I bet all of
those newsstand magazine publishers just shake their heads when they get a
glimpse of STR and wonder how in the world you all do it. :)
Please don't just start lurking around the forums Ralph, I depend on you for
my unbiased and accurate Atari information and I believe alot of others do
as well but just may be afraid to admit it. Please keep bringing us the
latest up to date Atari information. I for one really appreciate it.
Jim
Jaguar Section
Defender 2000 Update!! CATnips!
Milestone! Activision News!
And more!
From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
Is it me, or do things seem to be slowing down rather than increasing
as we get closer to the holidays? 16 shopping days until Christmas...and
counting! Where are all of the games? Television ads? Has anyone seen
that infomercial? Whatever happened to the TV schedule that was promised by
Atari's Ron Beltramo at the conference on CompuServe, the day before
Thanksgiving? Was the infomercial a success, or a bust?
I was actually looking forward to giving our publisher a good poke in
the ribs with an "I told you so" comment about this year's holiday season
being an exception to "the rule", but it doesn't appear that I'll get the
chance. Turn about fair play, I guess; I'll eat those words!
The games are coming, at a trickle. Missile Command 3D has arrived and
getting rave reviews. Mine's on the way as well as our review copy. We're
also expecting about 5-6 other games shortly; our reviewers are chomping at
the bit to get their hands on them for review.
Speaking of reviews, Ruiner Pinball, Pitfall, and Highlander are in
various degrees of completion expect them soon. The weeks between the two
major holidays is typically hectic for everybody; and it's taking its toll
on our reviewers as well, myself included. Stay tuned for those and other
reviews in the coming weeks! Defender 2000, according to Jeff Minter, is
essentially completed. It should hit the production line soon; maybe hit
the streets in late January if all goes well? Let's hope so.
As I mentioned, things are fairly quiet on the Jaguar front at the
moment. Here's hoping that the Jaguar sees 3-5 new releases a week up to
the holiday. And, perhaps we'll start to see some sort of media blitz these
last few weeks (well, I can dream, can't I?).
Until next time...
Jaguar Catalog STR InfoFile - What's currently available, what's coming
out.
Current Available Titles
CAT # TITLE MSRP DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER
J9000 Cybermorph $59.99 Atari Corp.
J9006 Evolution:Dino Dudes $19.99 Atari Corp.
J9005 Raiden $29.99 FABTEK,
Inc/Atari Corp.
J9001 Trevor McFur/
Crescent Galaxy $19.99 Atari Corp.
J9010 Tempest 2000 $39.95 Llamasoft/Atari
Corp.
J9028 Wolfenstein 3D $29.95 id/Atari Corp.
JA100 Brutal Sports FootBall $69.95 Telegames
J9008 Alien vs. Predator $69.99 Rebellion/Atari
Corp.
J9029 Doom $69.99 id/Atari Corp.
J9036 Dragon: Bruce Lee $29.99 Atari Corp.
J9003 Club Drive $29.99 Atari Corp.
J9007 Checkered Flag $19.99 Atari Corp.
J9012 Kasumi Ninja $29.99
Atari Corp.
J9042 Zool 2 $19.99 Atari Corp
J9020 Bubsy $19.99 Atari Corp
J9026 Iron Soldier $29.99 Atari Corp
J9060 Val D'Isere Skiing $39.99 Atari Corp.
Cannon Fodder $49.99 Virgin/C-West
Syndicate $69.99 Ocean
Troy Aikman Football $69.99 Williams
Theme Park $69.99 Ocean
Sensible Soccer Telegames
Double Dragon V $59.99 Williams
J9009E Hover Strike $39.99 Atari Corp.
J0144E Pinball Fantasies $59.99 C-West
J9052E Super Burnout $59.99 Atari Corp.
J9070 White Men Can't Jump $49.99 Atari Corp.
Flashback $59.99 U.S. Gold
J9078E VidGrid (CD) Atari Corp
J9016E Blue Lightning (CD) $59.99 Atari Corp
J9040 Flip-Out $49.99 Atari Corp
J9082 Ultra Vortek $69.99 Atari Corp
C3669T Rayman $69.99 Ubi Soft
Power Drive Rally $69.99 TWI
J9101 Pitfall $59.99 Atari Corp.
J9086E Hover Strike CD $59.99 Atari Corp.
J9031E Highlander I (CD) $59.99 Atari Corp.
J9061E Ruiner Pinball $59.99 Atari Corp.
Dragon's Lair $69.99 Readysoft
Missile Command 3D Atari Corp.
Available Soon
CAT # TITLE MSRP DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER
J9069 Myst (CD) $59.99 Atari Corp.
...Mutant Penguins $59.99 Atari Corp.
J9091 Atari Karts $59.99 Atari Corp.
Battlemorph $59.99 Atari Corp.
Breakout 2000 $49.99 Atari Corp.
Supercross 3D $59.99 Atari Corp.
Fever Pitch TBA Atari Corp.
I-War $49.99 Atari Corp.
Max Force $59.99 Atari Corp.
J9089 NBA Jam TE $69.99 Atari Corp.
J9021 Brett Hull Hockey $69.99 Atari Corp.
J9055 Baldies $59.99 Atari Corp.
Hardware and Peripherals
CAT # TITLE MSRP MANUFACTURER
J8001 Jaguar (no cart) $149.99
Atari Corp.
J8904 Composite Cable $19.95
J8901 Controller/Joypad $24.95 Atari
Corp.
J8905 S-Video Cable $19.95
CatBox $69.95 ICD
Inc.
J8800 Jaguar CD-ROM $149.99 Atari Corp.
J8908 JagLink Interface $29.95 Atari
Corp.
J8910 Team Tap 4-Player Adapter) $29.95
Atari Corp.
J8907 Jaguar ProController $29.95 Atari
Corp.
J8911 Memory Track $29.95 Atari Corp.
J8909 Tempest 2000: The Soundtrack $12.99
Atari Corp.
Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News!
ACTIVISION SIGNS OEM AGREEMENT WITH IBM
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI)
announced today that it has granted IBM Corporation (NYSE: IBM) the right to
include the Windows(R) 95 versions of Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure and
Earthworm Jim with its new line of Aptiva and ThinkPad computers.
"Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure and Earthworm Jim are the perfect vehicles to
showcase the advanced multimedia capabilities of IBM's new Aptivas and
ThinkPads in combination with Windows 95," stated Bobby Kotick, Chairman and
CEO, Activision, Inc. "We are very excited to be associated with IBM in
this new venture."
"Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure and Earthworm Jim will be more fun than ever
running on IBM's Aptivas and ThinkPads," adds Jose Garcia, general manager,
IBM's consumer desktops. "These machines use the latest sound and video
technology which, when combined with powerful 32-bit operating systems,
makes for great entertainment."
One of the best-selling video game series of all time and one of the first
action titles to be released on the Windows 95 operating system, Pitfall:
The Mayan Adventure features Harry Jr., son of the original Atari 2600
Pitfall Harry, swinging, pit-hopping, crocodile-dodging, bungee-jumping and
boomeranging through 13 levels in a perilous attempt to rescue his father
from an evil Mayan warrior. Players face ferocious crocodiles, deadly
jaguars, possessed rain forest animals, killer skeletons and wicked warriors
as they race through the jungle adventure. Older game fans will enjoy
uncovering a playable version of the entire original Atari 2600 Pitfall!
game hidden within one level of the new game.
A humorous action-adventure game, Earthworm Jim is a simple earthworm who
suddenly finds himself endowed with super-human qualities when an
indestructible cybernetics suit falls out of the sky and lands on him.
Defending his right to wear the suit, Jim battles a variety of enemies and
undertakes a quest to save princess What's Her Name.
During Christmas 1994, Earthworm Jim became an instant hit on both the Super
Nintendo and Sega Genesis video game systems. Earlier this year, it won
Sega Product of the Year at the 1995 Consumer Electronics Show, after
selling over 500,000 units. The game's popularity has been translated into
a new toy line which will be introduced by Playmates Toys, Inc. this
Christmas. Additionally, MCA Universal recently launched an animated
cartoon series which airs on Saturday mornings.
CONTACT:
Naomi Rosenfeld or Andrea Mabel, 212-850-5600
or,
Miriam Adler, media, 415-296-7383,
all of Morgen-Walke Associates
Activision, Inc. is a publicly held developer and publisher of interactive
entertainment software for Microsoft(R) Windows and MS-DOS(R)-compatible,
Macintosh and other computers, as well as Nintendo, Sega, 3DO, and Sony
PlayStation game systems. Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in
London, Tokyo and Sydney, the company sells and markets products under the
Activision and Infocom trade names.
Game Publisher Passes Milestone
Interactive Magic, a privately-held developer and publisher of entertainment
software for CD-ROM and online networks, says it has achieved over $7
million in revenue in its first six months of product sales. The company,
based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, publishes the Apache flight
simulation game and three other PC CD-ROM titles.
"This year's sales have demonstrated that a small company with great product
and great distribution can quickly make an impact in this exciting
multimedia market," says Interactive Magic Chairman J.W. Stealey. "My first
company, MicroProse, took six years to achieve this level of sales. Two of
our first four games have received editor's choice awards and we have
shipped more than 240,000 copies of our games to retail outlets around the
world. For 1996, we have nine additional titles and expect to achieve our
first Internet/commercial online revenues."
BBS to Pay Sega $600,000 Fine
Sega of America Inc. will be paid $600,000 by two Californians who
distributed the company's video games through a computer bulletin board
system. Marqui Labatore of Crockett, California, and Kurtis Buckmaster of
Clyde, California, agreed to the settlement with the Redwood City company
last week to resolve the two-year-old lawsuit, the Associated Press reports.
Documents filed with the U.S. District Court in Oakland allege the pair
distributed Sega games to BBS members for a fee or on a barter and trade
basis for other games. The Sega games included Jurassic Park, Sonic Spinball
and Shining Force. The wire service says Labatore contended in court papers
that nobody profited from the service. Buckmaster, a refinery operator with
Tosco Corp., said he might be unable to pay. Sega spokeswoman Angela
Edwards told the wire service, "We need to tell people we will go after you
if you do this sort of thing. It is our property. It is copyrighted and is
rightfully ours. It's not a public domain."
Jaguar Online STR InfoFile Online Users Growl & Purr!
CATnips... Jaguar tidbits from Don Thomas (95.12.06)
Many stores are replenishing supplies of CD-ROM units if they can get them.
Atari is still on backorder and fulfilling them as fast as possible. If you
were waiting for the CD-ROM... get it now! A new wave of Memory Tracks are
shipping also. Memory Track cartridges enable CD game scores and options to
be saved for recall at another time.
Here's some updates to software in production. Since the people who schedule
these and the people responsible to take them in when they arrived are all
eager, the dates are subject to changes. (What's new, right? <g>)
Missile Command 3D (cart) is in stores NOW. Dragon's Lair (CD) is by
ReadySoft and also in stores now.
Myst is expected to begin shipping to stores on December 14. NBA Jam-
Tournament Edition is expected to begin shipping on December 27. Zoop is
expected to begin shipping on January, 5. Attack of the Mutant Penguins is
expected to begin shipping on December 29.
Atari Karts is expected to begin shipping on December 22. Supercross 3D is
expected to begin shipping on December 20. Fever Pitch Soccer is expected
to begin shipping on December 15. I-War is expected to begin shipping on
December 15. Other games pending conclusive dates and in production include
Baldies and Battlemorph. Note that this list does NOT include third-party
releases.
Last Saturday and Sunday were particularly popular days at Toad Computers
where they held their "TOAD COMPUTERS HOLIDAY FESTIVAL '95"; billed as "the
premier Atari event". Toad Computer has been a leader in customer
orientated retailing of Atari products for many years and the Atari
Festivals they host have become anticipated annual events for three years
now.
In attendance were:
ú Tom Harker, ICD (BattleSphere, Catbox & Link II)
ú Hyper Image (Phase Zero)
ú Rob Perry, System Solutions (ASH, Digital Arts, etc.)
ú Dan Wilga, Gribnif (Neodesk, Geneva & More!)
ú Steve Cohen, Wizztronics (Falcon Rack, Cartmaster)
ú Charles Smeton, Author of STraight FAX!
ú Greg Ondo, Steinberg Jones U.S.
ú Darek Mihocka, Branch Always Software (Gemulator)
ú Matt Norcross, Floating Fish Studios (Demoing Expos=82, Apex Media)
ú Kent Kordes, Systems for Tomorrow
ú Ben Aein, Lapcat Pro Joystick for Jaguar
This was be the first show ever where people got a chance to play
BattleSphere over the network with full weapons. The game is nearing
completion and supports up to 8 players in an all-out action-packed space
adventure! Attendees met developers, won door prizes, saw new products and
drank free hot apple cider!
For more information on the event or directions to their store or a copy of
their new catalog, contact Toad Computers at (410) 544-6943 or send E-Mail
to info@toad.net.
Kim Trampus sent me this from the Internet...
Toad Fest Blast!
This article submitted by David Phillips
(davidp@nais.com) on 12/6/95.
I don't know what an HTML tag is buddy but the Toad Fest was a BLAST!!!
The Battlesphere developer was there and talking with everyone! The game is
going to be great and he said up to 16 Jags can be Catbox Linked to play
with 16 players at once!!! (happy, happy, joy, joy, no joke!:) And a Jaguar
games demo tape was played and was AWESOME! The latest and the greatest
Atari is offering looked even better than Paystation and Blattern! Atari is
doing better now than ever. With Toad Fest still going strong, next years
should be even bigger and better, so ya better go guys and support the
Atari.
Jennifer was smiling and everyone was in an excited mood all day and
night. More developers should come to the next show if we ask them to be
there. The music in Battlesphere is great and the graphics and gameplay are
superior! A lot of effort is going into this game. I bought the Catbox
(these are the people developing Battlesphere) and null cable and the Lap
Cat Pro six button arcade quality joystick and it RULES! No more tired
thumbs!:) Thank you.
Anyway, everything Atari was there and then some with people coming
from a thousand miles and more. We all played Battlesphere all day and night
till the end and everyone tried it. Other monitors were displayed under wall
poster of future releases coming soon. CD's and Cart games were played at
request. Everyone had a good time, hope to see you all there next year.:)
-- David.:)
Here's a Prodigy comment... (keep in mind those gamers on Prodigy are
demanding! <g>)
Board: VIDEO GAMES BB
Topic: ATARI JAGUAR
Subject: BOUGHT JAG AGAIN
To: ALL
ALL,
I RECENTLY POSTED A NOTE SAYING THAT I TRADED MY JAG FOR A SATURN. BOY, WAS
I WRONG TO DO THAT JAG IS MUCH BETTER THAN ANY A SATURN. SO THE DAY AFTER I
GOT MY SATURN I WENT OUT AND GOT ANOTHER JAG. I CAN'T WAIT FOR JAG CD. IT
SHOULD BE A REAL WINNER.
...another Prodigy observation...
To: atari@genie.geis.com
Date: 11/29/95
ID: 3085624
From: XGVJ70B@mail.prodigy.com
Subject: Thank you
I went out yesterday (11-28-95) and bought a Jaguar and I'm very happy with
the graphics to me Its better then Sony's Playstation. So far I have
Cybermorph and Iron Soldier, but I'm planning to get more. I think Atari is
a great company. Both games are 3d and that's why I love my new Atari
Jaguar. Thank you, Don Thomas and all the Atari staff.
P.S. I got my Jaguar from Radio Shack for $200.00 it came with 2 games 2
controller's and monitor cables.
Bye please keep in touch with game and hardware prices put me on your
mailing list
My spy on the Internet, Frans Keylard, sends me...
In rec.games.video.atari, neuralog@Starbase.NeoSoft.COM (Neuralog) wrote:
Hi,
Boy, the Jag sure has increased it's exposure as far as I'm concerned! Just
this weekend I saw Rhonda playing T2k on USA Up All Night. (That was Friday)
Saturday, I went and rented Pitfall and FlipOut from a new MicroPlay where
the clerk was really pro Jag! (And there was a sign on the wall by the Jag
games talking about a Jag enthusiasts group/BBS) Then on Sunday, I take my
family to Wal*Mart to get an air filter (am I fun or what?) and to my
surprise they have a Jaguar section with a stack of Jaguars! Moral of
story? Nay sayers shut up!
BTW, Pitfall showed me a great gaming time from the word go! I liked it much
more than Rayman because of the faster action. FlipOut didn't show me much,
however I wasn't in the mood to have to think too hard. It's nice to be
able to rent a Jag game for $2 to try it out. Now I know to spend $$ on
Pitfall and not FlipOut.
Your Mileage May Vary,
--Ken Land
Great new place to check out Atari news...
Join Extreme on the World Wide Web!
HTTP://OURWORLD.COMPUSERVE.COM/HOMEPAGES/_EXTREME
Frans is still finding raves on ubi Soft's Rayman!
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 09:28:49
From: ST923277@PIP.CC.BRANDEIS.EDU To: Multiple recipients of list
<jaguar@bucknell.edu>
Subject: Discussion of the Atari Jaguar and video gaming industry
Hi folks! Sorry about the posts to this list that were meant for the server.
I sure feel stupid (cuz I used to laugh at the people sending their
unsubscribe requests to the list), but I guess I've been uncloaked from lurk
status.
OOTR: I had the chance to play Rayman on all three next-gen platforms, and
IMH(and unbiased)O, the Jag version is by far the most fun. It is somewhat
lacking in the unnecessary graphics effects department, like intros spooled
from CDs, wipes between levels and sparkles and animated electoons. And
while the soundtrack certainly isn't as hi-fi as a CD can be, it doesn't
suck like some rags would have you believe. The Jag version is also missing
the cheesy voices that really ruin the fantasy setting.
The level designs are also different. The side scrolling mosquito level is
no longer speedy shooter. You can only punch with your fist (no 'skito snout
shooting) and you can imagine how poky that is on an auto scrolling level.
No one who has played the Jag version of the level would prefer the slower
paced one.
Most important, though, is the control and playability. The Jag version is
much tighter and more responsive, and the characters don't move as if they
existed on a plane separate from the graphics. Maneuvers feel more like
chores on the other platforms, at least until you get used to it. Control is
such an intangible that I am afraid most people would not put much stock in
these observations, which is a shame, unless they have had the benefit of
trying all three.
Bottom line: If play is the thing, Jag is best. If you're very concerned
with audio/visual presentation, the CD versions go one better than the Jag's
already excellent sights and sounds. Though I haven't finished any of these
I expect a fancier ending in the CD versions, which may be important to some
people. Oh, and the cart is also more expensive (but no load time!), only
Jag has breakout bonus game, and I've yet to find any cheats for the Saturn
version.
Whew! How is that for a debut post? Thanks for listening.
Check out the Wave Magazine section of an on-line publication group.
Browsers can click on the Atari logo and go to the latest reviews of Atari
products.
The address is tipub.com/TIP/ if you want to check it out.
Happy Holidays!
--Don Thomas
From CompuServe's Atari Jaguar Forum, by way of the Usenet, comes the latest
status of Defender 2000:
Sb: Re: Message from YaK!
Fm: Keita Iida 75271,122
To: All
To all,
I would just like to share with you guys a message posted by Yak himself on
the Internet. I don't know how to paste outside documents, so I will
tediously retype his message. It's worth it, though. Here goes ----
In article <4a2dc1$376@ixnews8.ix.netcom.com>, llamaman@ix.netcom.com(YaK)
writes:
"Okay, here it is, the post I have been longing to write for weeks:
D2K is code-complete this afternoon and released to manufacture...
Anointed of God: Williams had to scrutinize it before release, and the
scrutineer was none other than the Very Holy Eugene Jarvis Himself, Original
Creator. YaK bows his horns humbly before his Deity and thanks Him for
looking favourably upon his code. Now, I am buggering off to Hawaii for a
week to recover from this whole period of my life...after I go out for a
celebratory curry with my test crew and producer tomorrow night."
ICD's Jaguar CATBOX STR Review A Necessity or, an expendable add-on toy?
CATBOX
NOTICE, 12/08/95:
This review is re-posted for benefit of those who missed it the first
time it appeared in STReport's Issue # 1143. Correspondingly, it's
presented once again to affirm STReport's support for the fine
accomplishment our staff member and reviewer Dominick J. Fontana achieved in
reviewing this ICD product. When this review first appeared in issue 1143,
ICD's Tom Harker raised such a pugnacious fuss along with a few of his
fellow Jaguar developers and a user or two, that it was decided to re-review
the Catbox. In all fairness to both Dominick J. Fontana and ICD's Tom
Harker, we asked that the very same Catbox reviewed by Dominick be sent to
me for a re-review.
Truthfully speaking, after having set-up and tested the Catbox, using
my humble setup along with a pair of Telex earphones and a pair of Koss
Denims with an adapter, no fault was found with Dominick's review. In fact,
I felt his review was quite favorable toward the Catbox and at the same
time, extremely truthful for our readers. Thus, this re-print of his
excellent review. The Catbox will be shipped back to ICD the first of the
week.
In all probabilities, this effort may not have been undertaken at all
had it not been for a series of hateful E-Mails having been sent to both
myself and Mr. Fontana. Uttered by none other than Tom Harker himself!!
Harker's use of vulgar language in making wild and irresponsible accusations
of my not being capable of writing and of Dominick's incompetence as a
reviewer was the final straw! I must admit, this unusual and thoughtless
behavior, by a corporate executive and officer of an Atari Jaguar developer
group, is a pitiful disgrace. We, at STReport, are ashamed for and of Tom
Harker. We've never been witness to such unprofessional and equally
capricious behavior. Except of course, the scandalously contrived tirades
we endured at the hands of the leaders of a previous "professional" Atari
developer group. (must be a sick tradition).
Mr. Fontana's credentials far exceed those of most reviewers. Aside
from the number of technical articles written for the MIDI/Music forum on
Compuserve, he is an accomplished reviewer for a number of well established
Professional Musician's Publications such as Quarter Notes, a music software
newsletter, and now, for MIX Magazine, the Bible of the Sound Industry.
Additionally, Mr. Fontana, a fully accredited member of the New York Bar, is
a highly successful Corporate Attorney with enviable credentials. Mr.
Fontana is also contemplating the creation of a legal column for Mix
magazine in the near future.
In closing I present forthwith, Dominick J. Fontana's excellent and
highly informative review.
Available Now
by: Dominick J. Fontana
(CompuServe: 74766,2154 or CIS:Fontana)
(Internet: Fontana@CIS.CompuServe.com)
Date of Review: October 26, 1995
BASIC INFORMATION:
Hardware : Expansion device for Atari Jaguar
Manufactured by : ICD, Incorporated, Rockford, IL.
List Price : $69.95
OPENING COMMENTS:
The CatBox (CB) is a hardware expansion device for the Atari Jaguar.
It is claimed to add nine features to the Jaguar: three audio, three video,
and three communications. The unit is housed in an attractive heavy duty
silver-colored metal case and plugs into the DSP and AV ports on the back of
the Jaguar. You then connect the audio, video, and communications cables to
the back of the CB. No separate power supply is required for the CB, since
it draws its power from the Jaguar. The unit has "CatBox" in red lettering
and a picture of a black cat. Two red LEDs are used as eyes for the cat and
they light up steadily when the Jaguar has power applied to it and they
flash when communications data is being received. There are also two
internal jumpers that can be used to enable or disable two of the CatBox's
functions. The CB comes with a temporary owner's manual, which consists
of three photocopied, typewritten pages, with printing on both sides of each
page, for a total of six pages, and a Warranty Registration Card. However,
the type, conditions, and length of the warranty are never mentioned. The
temporary manual states that the final manual will be mailed to purchasers
in May or June 1995, but to date, the final manual has not been completed
and mailed out. A copy of the temporary manual can be downloaded, at the
user's expense, from CompuServe and GEnie.
WHAT IT HAS:
The CatBox has the following connectors and controls on its panel,
which are grouped here according to the nine functions that the CB provides:
Audio:
1) Two line level RCA (phono) jacks for left/mono and right stereo audio.
2) RGB Monitor Audio, which is carried on Pin 9 of the Analog RGB
connector (to be discussed shortly). This is a mono audio signal.
3) Two stereo 1/8 inch (mini-phone) headphone jacks and volume control
knob.
Video:
1) Composite Video RCA (phono) jack for composite video output.
2) S-Video 4 pin round mini DIN jack for S-Video output.
3) Analog RGB female DB9 jack for Analog RGB video and mono audio output.
Communications:
1) Two 6P4C RJ11 telephone type jacks for CatNet (network) communications.
A three position communications toggle switch lets you select which of the
three communications ports you want to use. An RJ11 telephone connector
terminator plug is also included.
2) DB9 male RS232 port for serial communications between two Jaguars or
between one Jaguar and a standard modem.
3) DSP pass through port for future expansion.
WHAT IT DOES:
The CatBox is designed to allow you to connect various audio, video,
and communications devices to the Atari Jaguar. The Audio section is pretty
straightforward. You can use standard RCA (phono) cables to connect the
Jaguar, via the CatBox, to any line level audio inputs, such as on your TV,
monitor, or stereo receiver/amplifier. There are left and right stereo
outputs, or you can use a mono output by just connecting a cable to one
output. However, the "manual" is unclear as to which output is the mono
output. In the "Line level audio" section it states that "the white colored
jack passes either left or mono audio." But in the "RGB monitor audio"
section it states that the RGB monitor mono audio signal "is automatically
disconnected when an RCA cable is plugged into the right/mono (red) audio
jack." It's no big deal, but the manual should be corrected to avoid
confusion. The bottom line is that you can get either stereo audio or mono
audio from the CatBox's line level outputs.
The two mini-headphone jacks allow you to connect two sets of
headphones and regulate the volume with the volume control knob. Whenever a
headphone is plugged in, all other audio outputs are muted. The third audio
output is meant for use with Atari SC1224 or SC1435 monitors, or any other
monitor that receives mono audio through its monitor signal cable. That is,
in certain instances, you can connect a monitor to the CatBox Analog RGB
connector and have the monitor both display RGB video and play mono audio.
However, you can still opt to use the line level stereo output jacks for the
audio with these monitors, instead of the mono audio that passes through the
Analog RGB connector.
The mono signal is automatically muted whenever you hook up cables to
the stereo audio outputs or to the headphone jacks. The mono audio output
can also be muted by removing jumper J1 (to be discussed shortly).
The Jaguar console just provides basic RF output, which connects to a
TV's antenna input, to provide picture and sound to your TV. You can also
get Composite Video and S-Video outputs from the Jaguar by purchasing
special cables from Atari. These cables connect to the Jaguar by the means
of a special connector on one end, that plugs into the Jaguar's AV port.
While Atari doesn't directly sell Analog RGB cables, they can be purchased
from Redmond Cable in Washington, but they are quite expensive.
The CatBox provides three types of video outputs: Composite Video, S-
Video, and Analog RGB. These three outputs and the standard Jaguar RF output
may all be used at the same time or in any combination to connect multiple
video displays. The quality of the video outputs, from best to worst is:
Analog RGB; S-Video; Composite Video; standard Jaguar RF.
The Composite Video and S-Video outputs can be used with any video
displays that have Composite or S-Video inputs. With the CatBox you can just
use a standard, and cheaper, Composite or S-Video cable, instead of the more
expensive specialty cables that Atari sells. Note that with these video
outputs, you still need to connect the line level audio outputs to your
display device or to a receiver/amplifier, so you'll also need a pair of RCA
stereo cables for the audio.
I would have preferred that the Composite Video output was physically
located next to the line level audio outputs, since they all use RCA cables.
Normally a composite cable has three RCA cables that are attached to each
other, so it would have been nice to connect them to the CatBox all in a
row. But the CatBox has the line level audio outputs located next to the S-
Video jack, followed by the RGB jack, and finally the Composite Video jack.
The Analog RGB output can only be used with monitors with a Horizontal
Sync rate of 15.75 kHz. These kinds of monitors are not too common today.
The Atari ST and Amiga color monitors both supported this H-Sync rate. In
addition, even if you have a compatible monitor, you might also need a
special monitor cable adapter, so that you can plug the monitor cable into
the Analog RGB output on the CatBox. You can purchase these adapters
directly from ICD or have them make a custom adapter for you. You can also
make your own cable adapter, and the manual providesthe pin connections
you'll need to know.
There is also an internal jumper in the CatBox labeled J7, which allows
you to select Vertical Sync or Composite Sync. If the vertical screen on
your monitor is rolling, then set this jumper to the other position. You can
also disable the mono audio signal which normally comes through the Analog
RGB connector by removing the internal audio jumper J1. To change either of
the jumpers inside the CatBox, you have to disassemble it. The manual tells
you how to do this, but dip switches would have been better. The manual also
provides a list of some of the Analog RGB monitors you can use with the
CatBox, along with the adapter you'll need and the suggested jumper
settings. Twelve monitors are listed and nine of them require special
adapters.
On the communications side, the CatBox provides DSP pass through,
CatNet, and RS232 communications. The DSP pass through will allow you to
connect future devices to the Jaguar's DSP port, while the CatBox is
connected to the Jaguar. You use a three-position toggle switch to determine
which port you wish to use.
For some time now, Atari has been touting the JagLink capabilities of
the Jaguar. This will allow you to connect two Jaguars together for multi-
player games. However, the game must have JagLink capability built in. I
believe that, to date, only "Doom" has this capability, but at the time of
"Doom's" release, Atari still had not released the JagLink cable. However,
within the past few weeks Atari has finally released the JagLink cable.
However, this is an expensive cable, since the cable has the equivalent of
an RS232 port built into it.
There has also been talk for some time about using the Jaguar with a
voice-modem. However, this still has not materialized. The communications
ports on the CatBox are meant to be used to perform similar network and
modem capabilities. CatNet was developed for ICD by Black Cat Design to
provide network capabilities similar to JagLink. The RS232 port is to allow
multi-player games between two Jaguars or over a standard modem, but without
voice. So you can play games with your friends over the modem, but you can't
talk to them while you are doing so. However, just as with the Atari
protocols, you cannot use CatNet or the RS232 port, unless the game is
specifically designed to allow it.
As of this writing, only "Doom" has a two player head to head mode that
supports the CatBox RS232 port using a null modem cable. This cable is
cheaper than Atari's special JagLink cable. "Aircars" was also supposed to
support the RS232 port as well as CatNet, but the future of that product is
now in limbo.
What all this means is that you can connect two Jaguars together for a
multi-player game by connecting a simple IBM AT type null modem cable
between the CatBox RS232 ports on each Jaguar. Again, this will only work if
the game supports it, and each person must have a Jaguar, a CatBox, and a
copy of the game, plus you'll need a null modem cable. You can also use an
IBM AT type modem cable to connect the CatBox to a standard modem. As of
this writing, I don't believe there are any Jaguar games that support
reliable modem play.
CatNet is a network standard that allows up to 32 Jaguars to play in a
local network type environment. CatNet uses the 6P4C RJ11 telephone type
connectors on the CatBox. However, these are not for connection to a modem.
Again, I don't believe any games support this feature at this time. It is
also meant as a replacement for JagLink. The manual also contains a list of
the cables and adapters, with their prices, which are available from ICD.
OPINION:
I wasn't able to test all of the functions of the CatBox. Actually, I
was only able to test two of the audio functions, one of the video
functions, and none of the communications functions. I have heard of others
who have used the remaining audio/video functions successfully, but I cannot
verify that information. Also, I cannot offer an opinion on how any of the
communications functions operate.
Audio:
I used the stereo line level outputs connected to an RCA Dimensia TV
and the TV was connected to a Pioneer stereo receiver and a pair of Technics
speakers, and it sounded fine. However, it didn't sound any better than
using Atari's Composite Audio-Video cable connected the same way. My
biggest disappointment was with the headphone jacks. The output level was
extremely low in volume. I used five different sets of headphones with the
CatBox and they all produced the same results. The following are the
headphones I used:
ú Sennheiser HD400: Excellent on-the-ear large phones.
ú Sennheiser HD250 Linear: A $299 top-of-the-line closed-back set of
phones.
ú Sony MDR-07: Excellent on-the ear small phones.
ú Realistic Nova '30: An old set of closed circumnaural phones.
ú Aiwa: A small set of on-the-ear phones that came with Aiwa's top-of-the-
line "Walkman."
With all of the above phones, the volume level coming from the
headphone jacks on the CB was extremely low. Sometimes, it was barely
audible with the open phones, since they let in ambient sound. Also, the
headphone jacks were placed too closely to the volume control. With the
headphone plug inserted, it was very difficult to turn the volume knob.
Also, the volume knob does not have a 0 position. That is, you can lower the
volume, but you can't turn the sound off completely. However, the quality
of the sound through the headphones was very good. Listening to stereo music
and effects through the phones provides a different experience than
listening through speakers. It brings you into the action more and is quite
exciting. It also allows you to play in silence, so as not to disturb
others. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend using the headphone jacks on the
CB, since the volume was too low. I've used headphones before by connecting
them to my stereo receiver and the results could sometimes be breathtaking.
Not so with the CB because of the low volume level. The inclusion of
headphone jacks on the CB was a good idea that was not implemented properly.
I was not able to test the RGB monitor audio.
Video:
I used the Composite Video output connected to a 27" color RCA Dimensia
TV/Monitor. It produced a nice sharp picture with vivid colors. However, it
didn't look any better than using Atari's Composite Audio-Video cable
connected to the same TV/Monitor. I was not able to test the S-Video or
Analog RGB outputs.
Communications:
I was not able to test the RS232 and CatNet ports or the DSP pass
through. When I finished testing the CatBox I asked myself who would
benefit from owning such a device. It is claimed to provide nine different
functions. But as a practical matter, it does not provide nine functions for
the average user. It may provide the choice of using nine different
functions, but most people will not use all nine. You'll basically use the
best video display you can with it and forget about the other video options.
Let's break down the nine functions by groups:
ú Audio:
If you want to connect a monitor that will accept mono audio, then you
will use the RGB monitor audio; otherwise you will not use it. So for most
people, the CatBox provides stereo line level outputs and two headphone
outputs. But you can also get the line level outputs with Atari's Composite
Video and S-Video cables. And if you hook up those outputs to a stereo
receiver, you can plug a set of headphones into the receiver or two sets
with a Y adapter. Still, the inclusion of two headphone jacks with volume
control on the CatBox was a nice touch. Many people don't connect the line
level outputs to a receiver and therefore can't use headphones with the
Jaguar. And a receiver only provides one headphone jack, unless you use a Y
adapter, which is not suitable for two-player games. Plus, having the
headphone jacks on the back of the Jaguar makes it easier to connect
headphones and control their volume.
So being able to plug two sets of headphones into the back of the
Jaguar, via the CatBox, and control their volume is a good idea.
Unfortunately, the low volume level of the headphone jacks is a drawback.
Given the choice between using the headphone jack on a stereo receiver or
on the CB, I would chose the receiver. But if you don't have that choice,
then you might be happy with using the headphone jacks on the CB.
ú Video:
Everyone can use the RF output on the Jaguar as standard. And you can
also use Composite Video or S-Video outputs, if you buy one of Atari's
cables. You can also connect the Jaguar to an RGB monitor, if you buy a
specialty cable from Redmond Cable. As such, the CatBox does not really
provide any new video options. So if you already have a Composite Video or S-
Video cable from Atari (which both include line level stereo audio outputs),
then from an audio/video standpoint, all you gain with the CB is the two
headphone jacks and volume control.
I think one of the better uses of the CatBox is if you want to connect
the Jaguar to an Analog RGB monitor or if you want to have more than one
video display connected to the Jaguar at the same time. As I previously
mentioned, you can connect an RGB monitor to the Jaguar with a special cable
from Redmond Cable, but that cable is quite expensive. Plus with all the
different types of monitors, you have to be sure that you get the proper
cable from Redmond. But it appears quite easy to connect a monitor to the
CatBox with just the purchase of the proper adapter from ICD (if your
monitor needs an adapter), and they are quite knowledgeable about which
adapter you'll need. Plus, you'll get RGB mono audio, for those monitors
that support it.
ú Communications:
The DSP pass through isn't really a function, so that leaves the CatNet
and RS232 ports. So what do you do with the CatNet and RS232 ports? Well,
right now, not much, but that is because there's really no software support
for these features in the Jaguar games. And even if future games do contain
such support, you have to ask yourself if these are features that you will
use.
For networked games, you need at least 2 Jaguars, 2 CatBoxes, 2 copies
of the same game, and another person to network with. However, you have that
capability right now with the recently released JagLink cable. With the
CatBox, you can either connect two Jaguars by their RS232 ports with a null
modem cable (cheaper than the JagLink) or connect up to 32 Jaguars with
CatNet, using inexpensive telephone cables.
Modem play is still not available on the Jaguar, since Atari has yet to
release its voice-modem. Modem play is accomplished on the CatBox by using a
standard modem cable with a standard modem. However, you will not have voice
capability, so you can't talk to your opponent while you play. But modem
play is virtually a moot point, until there is enough software that supports
it. If that software appears, and especially if you already own a data
modem, then you're ready to go if you have the CatBox, since all you need is
a simple modem cable. That alone could justify the cost of the CatBox,
although you won't have voice capability. The price of Atari's voice-modem,
with headset/microphone, if it's ever released, will most likely cost more
than the CatBox.
So the CatBox is a very cost effective solution for Jaguar
communications, but unfortunately there is virtually no software support for
it. Now that the JagLink has been released, we may see more networkable
software. But it's unknown whether we'll see modem support in future
software if Atari doesn't release its voice-modem.
CLOSING COMMENTS:
It would have been nice if all the ports on the CatBox had been
incorporated into the back of the Jaguar as standard, but they weren't. So
if you just purchased the Jaguar and only have the RF output, then
purchasing the CatBox might be a good investment. You'll be able to utilize
better audio and video outputs, you'll be able to use two sets of
headphones, and you'll have communications options for networking and modem
play for the future. And you'll have all this at a potentially much cheaper
cost than if you purchased Atari's products (special audio/video cable(s),
JagLink, and voice-modem, if it becomes available). And the CatBox is even a
better value if you want to connect the Jaguar to an Analog RGB monitor
(with mono audio), since Atari doesn't directly support monitors, requiring
you to buy an
expensive custom made cable from Redmond Cable.
On the other hand, if you have already purchased a special A/V cable,
then right now the CatBox really doesn't offer you much. For instance, many
people have home theatre systems or have their TV connected to their stereo
system. Let's assume that you already bought the Composite Video cable from
Atari and you have the Jaguar connected to the composite audio/video jacks
on your TV. The Jaguar's graphics are sharp and colorful and its stereo
audio is playing through your stereo system. You can use two sets of
headphones by plugging them into your stereo receiver and using a Y adapter
and you can control the volume from your receiver.
If you purchase the CatBox, you'll retire your Composite Video cable
from use and simply use the line level audio outputs and the Composite Video
output of the CatBox to make the same connections that you already had.
There will be no improvement in audio or video quality. And instead of using
a Y-adapter and two sets of headphones with your stereo receiver, you can
use the two headphone jacks on the CatBox, but the volume will be much
lower. You probably won't need or use the S-Video or Analog RGB outputs or
RGB monitor audio. The DSP pass through isn't really a function, though it's
comforting to know it is available for future expansion. And the CatNet and
RS232 ports are of limited utility right now, for networking and modem play,
because of the lack of software.
So in this scenario, you literally don't add any functionality to the
Jaguar by purchasing the CatBox, and the headphone output won't be as good.
And you'll still have to purchase a standard composite audio/video cable and
possibly 1/4" to 1/8" adapters for your headphones. Of course, you could
then sell your Atari Composite Video cable in order to recoup part of your
investment in the CatBox. I don't own the Jaguar CDROM unit, but I was
assured by ICD that the CatBox and the CDROM unit can both be connected to
the Jaguar without any problems, except that the CDROM unit will probably
make it difficult to see when the LEDs light up in the cat's eyes on the
CatBox.
The final point I would like to make is that the connection between the
CatBox and the Jaguar is very loose and tentative. Connecting the CatBox is
simple, but it is not a set-and-forget proposition. Although the manual
cautions you to disconnect the CatBox when you move the Jaguar, I originally
thought that would only apply if you were transporting the Jaguar outside of
your house. I was wrong. Its impossible to move the Jaguar and Catbox
leaving them connected.
So if you keep the Jaguar near your TV and then want to carry it to
your sofa or coffee table to play, you have to disconnect the CatBox, carry
the CatBox and the Jaguar to your playing position, and then connect the
CatBox to the Jaguar again. Then, you have to do the same thing when you
return the Jaguar to its place near the TV. It's a real nuisance. Plus, the
CatBox can sometimes come loose if you move the Jaguar while playing.
Between the flimsy CatBox connection in the back and the infamous flimsy
joystick connections in the front, it makes the Jaguar console feel like a
toy rather than a piece of high tech gear. Fortunately, it's very simple to
connect the CatBox to the Jaguar. It simply plugs into the A/V ports on the
back of the Jaguar. Also, remember to buy long enough cables for use with
the CatBox.
RATINGS (based on 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest):
Functionality: 8.5
Usefulness: 8 or 3 (see Comments)*
Sturdiness: 9.5
Ergonomics: 6
Manual: 7
Reviewer's Overall Rating: 7
QUICK RATINGS COMMENTS:
ú Functionality: The CatBox basically works as advertised, but the
headphone output volume was way too low, even with the volume turned all the
way up.
ú Usefulness: *8 If you haven't already purchased any special cables for
the Jaguar and you want to hook it up to an Analog RGB monitor, or S-Video
or Composite Video inputs and/or stereo audio inputs, then the CatBox is a
good way to start. You can accomplish your audio/video hookup and have some
communications options for the future. If you already have the audio/video
hookup that you want, then it's probably better to wait to see if future
Jaguar software supports the CatBox's communications options before you
purchase it.
ú Sturdiness: Extremely well made and robust. It's built like a tank.
ú Ergonomics: I didn't like the flimsy connection between the CatBox and
the Jaguar and I didn't like that the volume control was placed so close to
the headphone jacks. I also wish that the Composite Video output was placed
right next to the stereo line level audio outputs. And although the CatBox
is an attractive piece of hardware, it doesn't match the Jaguar console and
actually looks a bit funny when connected to it.
ú Manual: The manual was reasonably well-written and I only found one
typo, but the way it was presented was poor. Using three photocopied
typewritten pages is something I would expect from a computer shareware
product and not from a Jaguar hardware product.
Reviewer's Overall Rating:
The CatBox is a good product, but with a limited audience. If it had
been released sooner, that is, shortly after the Jaguar's release, then
maybe it would have seemed like a more viable product. But now that the
Jaguar hasn't sold well and most of its early adoptees have already
purchased special cables for their audio/video setups, it makes the CatBox
look like it is offering too little, too late.
SUMMARY:
Is the CatBox a good product and does it do what it claims? Yes, the
CatBox does what it's supposed to do, except that I thought the headphone
outputs were too low in volume level. But it doesn't really offer anything
new, since you can accomplish what the CatBox does with other products. But
it does give you many audio, video, and communications options in one
compact, convenient, and sturdy product, and at a cost that is less
expensive that if you purchased separate products to do the same thing.
Whether or not you have a need for a product such as the CatBox depends
greatly on what special cables you have already purchased and on the
communications support in future Jaguar software.
The bottom line is; "if you've just purchased the Jaguar, you might
wish to consider the CatBox instead of a special Audio/Video cable and hope
that more software supports the CatBox's communications options in the
future." But if you already have the audio/video setup that you want with
the Jaguar, then it's probably better to wait until there is some software
that takes advantage of the CatBox's communications options before
purchasing the CatBox.
ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
On CompuServe
compiled by
Joe Mirando
73637,2262
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. HMI update.... CIM is the pits! I've
been "breaking in" a 90 MHz Pentium with Windows '95 for my boss and, with
all the talk the past couple of weeks about CIS eventually (please remember
the "eventually" part) dropping ASCII support, I thought it'd be interesting
to put in so more time on CompuServe's CIM.
I had always attributed the vexing lack of speed that CIM (CompuServe
Information Manager) displayed was due to the fact that I had "test flown
it" on an old, slow, '386...
Not so folks. That slowdown is still evident on the Pentium. It has
to do with the fact that under HMI (Host/Micro Interface, CompuServe's
protocol of choice), your computer does a lot of the work that their
computer does in "ASCII mode" (including Vidtex). While a CIM-running
computer gets the host computer's command to draw a box with a slider,
acknowledges the command, complies with the command, tells the host computer
that it has complied, asks for the text options to put into the box, puts
the text options into the box, tells the host that it has put the text into
the box, etc., etc., in ASCII mode you can tell the host to go directly to
your favorite forum, read the description of the latest files, and be half
way through downloading it.
Eventually you won't even notice the extra communication because modems
(both phone and cable) will get faster and faster, but for right now, I'll
keep my venerable terminal program, thank you very much.
Now don't get the idea that I'm down on CompuServe... I'm not. CIS is
still my favorite service. This is the direction the industry is taking.
Using this type of protocol reduces the work the host computer has to do,
and that enables them to do what they do for a lower price. But I still
wish it weren't so.
Well, let's get on with the reason for this column... All the great
news, hints, tips, and info available every week right here on CompuServe.
From the Atari Computing Forums
On the subject of PGP encryption, I post:
"PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) version 2.62b is now available for Atari
680x0 computers in the NCSA Forum here on CompuServe. (I know cuz I
uploaded it)
PGP is a Public Key encryption system that allows for encryption,
decryption, and digital "signing" of files to ensure that the data or
text cannot be read by "unauthorized" eyes. "Signing" insures that the
file came from where it says it came from.
Since Big Brother, in the form of the U.S. government, cannot "break"
the encryption, it has decided, in all its wisdom, to classify this
program in the same category as ammunition and explosives! Big B would
much prefer that we use "Clipper", the brainchild of the National
Security Agency which it holds a master key to. This way, Big B can
decide that you must be hiding something and get the key out of legal
escrow and "crack" your data. Can you say J. Edgar Hoover?? I knew
that you could.
Because of the classification, this program may not be exported
outside of the U.S. or Canada.
For this reason, PGP for the Atari ST is available in the NCSA forum
instead of the Atari Computing Forum. To get this file, you must first
JOIN the NCSA forum (GO NCSAFORUM, then JOIN), and request via e-mail
that you be given access to Library 12, which is where the programs of
this nature are located.
There is also a shell program located in the archive to make PGP easier
to use."
Mark Kelling tells me:
"Gee, they want to make getting a copy of PGP almost as difficult as
getting the plans to an atomic bomb!"
I reply to Mark:
"That's just about the idea. I can understand their point, but the
fact is (to steal a line from the NRA), If PGP is outlawed, only
outlaws will have PGP.
It's too bad that the government has taken this stance, because PGP is
really a cool program. It isn't as intuitive as I'd hoped, but then
again, it's basically free, so for the price it's golden.
I think that every computer user should have a copy... just in case!"
Carl Barron adds:
"You can always import it via the internet. Does Canada have this
dumb export law too? If not it shows the stupidity of the politics in
DC. Strange indeed."
I post to Carl:
"...I wonder if it would be worthwhile to start either a message base
or a library somewhere with public keys from people in the Atari
community. I've collected lots of keys just to see if I've got the
process down right, but none of them are people I have any reason to
send e-mail or files to.
"The only way they'll get my PGP is to pry it from my cold, dead,...
Hard drive!" <grin>
Carl replies:
"It will probably be worth while to start/find a library of PGP public
keys, as this place and possibly 'the larger atari place' will go with
proprietary software shortly. The only computer friendly place will be
BBS's and possibly the internet, it you have a souped up atari. WWW
does not look to promising [but is possible] on a 8mhz m68000. PGP is
a must for private communication on the internet. Without it there is
no privacy."
I ask Sysop Ron Luks:
"...BTW, what do _you_ think about opening up a library for PGP public
keys?
I know that storage space is tight, but the keys don't take up too
much room."
Ron replies:
"Naw. I don't want to get messed up in the PGP privacy mess for
anything. We'll pass. Thanks anyways."
Well, to each his own, I guess. Meanwhile, John Francis asks for HMI
information:
"I'm updating a file of information about CIS offline readers. Can you
tell me whether an HMI-compatible version of QuickCIS has been released
or is planned, and if the latter, approximately when it will be
released?"
Sysop Keith Joins tells John:
"No HMI version of QuickCIS was released and there won't be any HMI
program for the Atari line as things now stand."
James Wright asks about accessing the Internet through CompuServe
with an ST:
"There is a World-Wide-Web Browser Package for the Atari ST family of
computers at ftp://ftp.toad.net/pub/atarist/internet/www_latest.zip.
This package is free.
My question is, How can I access the internet through CompuServe with
my Atari to get this browser? I asked the SYSOP in the internet new
users forum and he didn't know the answer."
Sysop Bob Retelle, a very knowledgeable guy, tells James:
"That's what is known as a "Catch 22" situation...
You can do ftp file transfers from CompuServe, but only if you're
running a system that supports the CIM software (PC and Mac). You
could get it from the WWW but only if you already have a browser.
Another way would be to have the file sent to you in e-mail by a mail
server (which unfortunately I doubt Toad can do).
I'm going to make a note to try to download the file and upload it
here in our software libraries if it's different from what we have
already... to help ease the "Catch 22"..."
Carl Barron adds:
"The latest www is www108.zip, possibly www109.zip. It does not
support PPP and will be useless for CIS. NOS will work for ftp [last I
knew] if you also dl and change the phone #/password data of another
file in these libs. NOS is a tos program and not very user friendly
but it worked, the last time I had consistant modems from CIS.
I have www108.zip some place. If its not here, when I find it I will
upload it. tcp/icp protocol, web browser, and something else included
requires SLIP, not CSLIP or PPP. At the current state www*.zip will be
useless on CIS itself.
Computer Direct is supposedly importing some commercial web/internet
stuff, don't have details yet."
Denis Postle tells Carl:
"I understand from Denesh Dhbuta who looks after support for the www
package that a substantial new version is imminent. the tcp end of
already works fine with a slip connection but the browser leaves a lot
to be desired. Like any gifs that don't have 256 colours crash it.
The new brower will even handle forms. Any day now I gather. I'll post
a message when I receive my copy."
Geoff Cryer posts:
"I guess this is heresy on this forum, but...
My son would like to run his ageing ST games etc on his PC (DX4/100).
Is there a suitable emulator around? Preferably (v) low cost!!"
Sysop Jim Ness tells Geoff:
"There is a product called GEMULATOR, which is a hardware card you
install in your PC. It includes a set of Atari ST rom chips, which
contain the Atari operating system, and also includes the software
necessary to emulate an Atari computer.
Some other members here own GEMULATORs, and may be able to tell you
more about them."
Simon Churchill adds:
"As mentioned Gemulator could be used but this is mainly for
application software and not Games. Due to some code within ST games
the PC is incapable of handling all instances and will crash. To PLAY
ST Games have an ST, to use ST Application's consider the Gemulator.
(It's the direct screen access and sound/music in games that cause the
main problem's.)"
Mary Hall sends up an SOS:
"Help!!!!! I'm having a Bxxch of a time with Gemul8r. Toad has helped
as much as you could but BraSoft has not at all. Might as well shout
down a well for the help I got there.......
my problems.......
at home ... 486SX clone w/Win 95, TOS 2.06, QEMUL8R4. Boot up seems
fine til I get the Atari screen. All the drives are there but mouse is
dead. I can use the 2.06 short cuts to open drive directories but
that's as far as I can get. No nuffen after that except Control-F11 to
get out of there.
at work ... 486DX clone w/Win 3.1, TOS 2.06, GEMUL8R3.02. All seems
fine. Use HDX pgm's to install virtual.dives, etc. Transfer all files
over from my ST, do what ever I'm going to do. shut down every thing.
Next time all is booted up, run the HDX pgm's again to find the virtual
drives. Normally all is still there when I loctae tham but once I lost
EVERYTHING! Between all the boards, chips, etc., I've spent close
around $300 and don;t have a working GEMUL8R! And I'm locked out of my
ST files! Least at home. I still have the ST up and running at work but
need to shut it down and quit fooling around. Don't have time to mess
with two computers......... At home, it's just an inconvenience,
unless at tax time I have to get into some thing!"
Beth Jane Freeman asks:
"Has anyone with a 1040 ST every experienced this problem? I turn on
the machine (after turning on the hard drive, monitor and external
disk drive) and the computer issues a high pitched whine, but the
screen remains black. The monitor is connected. One time I jiggled the
power cable at the spot where it connects to the computer, and that
started the computer booting, but did I really solve the problem, or
was it just a fluke?
Please let me know what's really what."
Sysop Jim Ness tells Beth:
"There is a wire, or connection, in the monitor cable that determines
whether you are booting in high rez or medium/low rez. Since you are
having trouble booting, it sounds as though this wire may have gotten
frayed or broken, and is touching something else.
Try pulling the cable out entirely and see if the computer seems to
boot (the hard drive does its stuff, etc.). You may have to buy
another cable."
Well folks, that's it for this time. 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
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