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Silicon Times Report Issue 1212
Silicon Times Report
The Original Independent OnLine Magazine"
(Since 1987)
March 22, 1996 No. 1212
Silicon Times Report International OnLine Magazine
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03/22/96 STR 1212 The Original Independent OnLine Magazine!
- CPU Industry Report - Net Hate Real - Zip Drive 1m Sold
- MCI vs. AT&T - Virtual University - Canon Kyosei?
- LapTop Sales Up - AOL WebSite #1 - Blaster 8X Kits
- Internet Radio - People Talking - Atari Final Report?
FTC TARGETS INTERNET FRAUD
Telecom Bill Trial Begins!
USR Offers Speakerphone
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The Staff & Editors
Florida Lotto - LottoMan v1.35
Results: 3/16/96: 5 of 6 numbers with 3 matches in 1 play
From the Editor's Desk...
Yessir. these are interesting times we live in. AT&T seems to feel they
have an earth shattering idea in their "ever so special" free Internet Access
offer. The truth is the majority of users who've taken advantage of AT&T's
extraordinary offer haven't a clue about the "unlimited access" each and
every month many of the ISP's offer. Besides, most have no idea what an ISP
is to begin with. AT&T's approach to the Internet has been checkered with
typical "Bell-Head" thinking.. Its no wonder the "alternatives" have managed
to catch up to them and in some cases run rings around them. Can you say
MCI??
People need to take a moment or two out of their perceived busy
schedules and take a good look around the industry. For example; some of my
PET PEEVES.
ú If Netscape doesn't wake up over the grief they're causing with this
constant "In Beta COW" they call a browser.. its huge and if some one were to
"uninstall" it. it cripples the system by taking system dependent files along
with it on its way out. Great programming. One can see an implosion at
Netscape if they don't get off their collective pompous butts and begin to
listen to the general userbase.
ú Of course there are a number of other, very prominent companies
suffering from the same height sickness. That is they're sitting far too
long on their ultra high ivory pillars of "we know best" or, "we've
outsourced that product and must now wait for our contractor to deliver".
Two situations, in particular, come to mind.
1. What's with the number of either dumb or simply arrogant programmers who
insist upon installing everything to drive "C" and in a "Program Files"
folder on top of that! It is bad. how bad is it?? How about ..if one were
to tell the installer program to go to the second hard drive in the IDE drive
chain. Care to wager that the program loses its data files, can't find them,
won't write to a partition on a drive that "far out" from "Drive "C"? No
jokes here, this is serious and quite true. The very same program when
installed on Drive "C" behaved perfectly. When this factoid was brought to
the programmer's attention back in early January, we were told at that time;
"this issue would be addressed in the next update". Has there been an
update? Not Yet. One can only wonder how many others are finding "strange
problems" with this software.
2. When is one of the more enterprising software geniuses going to come up
with a truly strong, accurate and easy to use Registry Maintenance, Backup
and Editing Program for Win95/NT?
3. One of the biggest names in the camera, printer, scanner business is
really behind the proverbial "eight ball" at this time with no relief in
sight. There is an article in this issue about this matter. Don't miss it.
Spring Comdex is not too far off. The new products this year tend to be
aimed toward speed, speed and more speed. Memory prices are dropping and an
entirely new level of high performance motherboards are about to hit the
shelves. Summer may be for the outdoors lovers but I'm willing to bet a
good deal of them will be indoors a bit more building their new "bleeding
edge" machines for the coming year.
Got any "Pet Peeves" of your own?? Let us know about them. We'll put in
our Pet Peeves area.. you can be certain the "powers that be" will be looking
to see what they can do to alleviate the "Peeve Levels".
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R.F. Mariano J. Deegan D. P. Jacobson
Portable Computers & Entertainment Kid's Computing Corner
Marty Mankins Frank Sereno
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STReport Headline News
LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
House to Hear Net Ban Compromise
Legislation designed to ease those controversial restrictions on what can be
sent over computer networks has been introduced in the U.S. House of
Representatives by Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-California. The Dow Jones News Service
characterizes the move as a response to provisions in a sweeping new
telecommunications law, which prohibits making material deemed "indecent"
available to minors.
As reported, online services and civil libertarians have filed federal suits
that will challenge the provision in court. Meantime, the government has
agreed not to investigate suspected violations. Dow Jones says Eshoo's
legislation seeks to replace the indecency language with a "harmful to
minors" standard, adding, "Critics of the indecency standard say it is
overly broad, and could be used to ban such works as 'Catcher in the Rye' and
frank discussions about birth control
and sexuality."
As noted, the harmful-to-minors standard was introduced during negotiations
between House and Senate members who were trying to draft a compromise
telecommunications bill. The language was narrowly defeated. Eshoo's bill
also could strengthen the control parents have over what their children see
online by promoting the use of labeling systems to
restrict access to online materials.
In a statement late yesterday, Eshoo said, "I'd rather have mom and dad
monitoring their children's online viewing habits than the government.
Technology offers the best opportunity for parents to manage what their kids
have access to." The news service says the act "would protect online users
and providers from liability if they use labeling or segregating systems, or
other effective methods that restrict access to online materials."
Telecom Bill Trial Begins
A major lawsuit that could set new standards for free speech on computer
networks goes to trial today in a federal courtroom in Philadelphia. A
panel of three federal judges will hear witnesses on the suit that contests
the 6-week-old Communications Decency Act, a controversial act that would
punish by fines and as much as two years in prison the distribution to
minors of obscene or indecent material on the Internet and commercial online
services.
As reported, the suit was filed Feb. 8 -- the same day President Clinton
signed the act into law -- by the American Civil Liberties Union and other
groups who say the law would limit discussion on computer networks of a wide
range of information, such as AIDS prevention. Later, major computer and
online firms, including CompuServe, filed a separate
suit that was combined with the ACLU action.
Opponents contend the new law is unconstitutional and unenforceable and would
drastically restrict speech in cyberspace, which "is in fact a whole new
forum of speech that is at least as broad and democratic as anything we've
seen before, and so deserves at least the same broad protections as print,"
Sydney Rubin of the Citizens Internet Empowerment Coalition told reporter
Randall Mikkelsen of the Reuter News Service. But, as Mikkelsen notes, the
federal government argues the provisions are essential to shielding minors,
and computer networks should be more strictly regulated, like television,
because young people can easily obtain indecent material from them.
In a brief defending the law, the Justice Department wrote, "A large and
growing amount of pornography is presently available online and easily
accessible to children in the home, far exceeding anything available prior to
the advent of online computer services," adding, "Given this fact, Congress'
bedrock concern for the protection of children takes on paramount
importance."
Last Feb. 15, U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Buckwalter temporarily blocked
the prohibitions against indecent materials, and let the obscenity
provisions stand. Later, the Justice Department agreed not to enforce the
indecency provisions until the court ruled on the case. The trial that
begins today is to determine whether a preliminary action should be imposed
against the act. Provisions in the law banning obscene speech are not being
challenged, Reuters adds.
ACLU attorney Christopher Hansen says arguments will focus on the nature and
value of the prohibited speech and on the feasibility of the restrictions.
In a brief filed in the case, the Commercial Internet eXchange Association, a
trade group of Internet firms, said the act places an impossible burden on
providers of access to the Internet, where some 100,000 messages are posted
daily to the roughly 15,000 discussion groups accessible to Internet users.
And the Newspaper Association of America adds in its brief that the act
hampers the ability of the newspaper industry to develop and offer online
content, due to the need to screen content that could legally appear in
newspapers but not online. In addition, opponents contend effective software
controls exists as an alternative to the law, programs that enable parents
to restrict a minor's access to material, without imposing general
limitations on all of cyberspace.
Reuters says the panel -- including Judge Buckwalter, U.S. District Judge
Stewart Dalzell and Dolores Sloviter, chief judge of the 3rd District U.S.
Court of Appeals -- will hear plaintiffs' witnesses today, tomorrow and April
1, subject to cross-examination on testimony submitted in writing to the
court. Government witnesses are to testify April 11, 12 and 26. "A decision
by the panel is expected sometime after the final hearing date," Mikkelsen
reports. "Any appeal of the ruling would be made directly to the U.S.
Supreme Court, under expedited provisions written into the act."
Court OKS Boss's E-Mail Snooping
A federal court in Pennsylvania has reaffirmed that employers can read
electronic mail sent over their computer systems, even if their workers
don't know about it. Writing in The Wall Street Journal this morning,
reporter Raju Narisetti says the court ruled Pillsbury Co. could legally
fire a manager who used e-mail to lambaste some bosses as "backstabbing
bastards." Says Narisetti, "Company executives, who saw the message on a
printout, decided to read all the employee's e-mail and then fired him."
The district court ruled Pillsbury had the right to read the e-mail, adding,
"The company's interest in preventing inappropriate and unprofessional
comments" outweighed any privacy rights the employee had. The Journal
observes the decision is in line with two earlier California cases that
allowed company searches of e-mail. Meanwhile, the paper notes some 36
percent of 500 executives recently surveyed by the Society for Human
Resources Management, in Alexandria, Virginia, said they look at employee e-
mail.
MCI Challenges AT&T on Internet
Challenging AT&T in a cyberspheric turf war, MCI Communications Corp. said
today it will triple the capacity of its Internet network and take other
steps to expand the service. For instance, the Reuter News Service quotes
MCI officials as saying the telecommunications giant will offer its long-
distance customers five free hours of Net access a month, or unlimited access
for $19.95 per month. The program is similar to AT&T's WorldNet service
announced earlier this year.
MCI said to qualify for a year of the five free monthly hours of Internet
access, customers must sign up by May 31. They will pay $2.50 an hour for
each hour of service beyond the five hours. An MCI spokesman told Eric
Auchard of Reuters that after the five-free-hours offer expires May 31,
customers could pay $9.95 a month for a five-hour service plan.
(AT&T's Net deal includes five free hours a month for a full year for any
long-distance customer who applies for its service in 1996.) MCI Vice
President Vint Cerf, one of the Internet's founders, said that with the
initiative called MCI Internet 2000, his employer plans to keep pricing for
its Internet access services competitive, adding, "MCI's pioneering efforts
in the Internet market have resulted in a $100 million business that we
expect to grow to a $2 billion business by the year 2000."
Adds Cerf, "The explosive growth of the Internet has led to rush hour traffic
conditions for many users. MCI's network expansion is the equivalent of
opening a new high-speed interstate highway for internetMCI users."
MCI also said it will:
ú Expand its local dial-up Internet service to 250 U.S. cities by summer,
and to 300 U.S. cities by year-end.
ú Offer customers a higher-speed ISDN (Integrated Services Digital
Network) access service by May.
ú Broaden marketing of Internet services it provides businesses like web
page hosting, secure commerce, content creation and intranet managed
services.
ú Form an advanced applications unit to focus on developing emerging
Internet applications for its customers. The unit will report to Fred Briggs,
MCI's chief engineering officer, and Cerf, senior vice president-data
architecture, Reuters says.
Novell Licenses Sun's Java
Novell Inc says it has reached an agreement with Sun Microsystems Inc. to
license the Java development platform for use with its NetWare network
operating system. The agreement will allow Novell to offer its developers
and customers access to the complete Java platform, including the core power
of Java -- the Java Virtual Machine. Novell says it will use Sun technology
to create an execution environment on NetWare servers for Java applications.
Novell adds that NetWare users will be able to access and distribute Java
applications across business intranets and the Internet, regardless of the
client platform.
For its part, Sun has expanded its licensing arrangement for Java. It will
give Novell the right to provide full Java functionality to third-party
software application developers. Novell will embed the Java Virtual Machine
into Novell's NetWare operating system, enabling third-party software
developers to create Java applications within NetWare. "We see Java as the
catalyst in the paradigm shift from the old desktop-centric computing model
to the vision of network computing," says Alan Baratz, president of Sun's
JavaSoft unit. "To carry that shift through, Java must be freely available -
- it must become ubiquitous.
This agreement will make the power of Java accessible to a broad new group of
users directly through Novell, long considered a visionary leader in
networking. "Java and NetWare make a powerful blend," notes Drew Major,
Novell's chief scientist. "NetWare and Java will provide developers with a
complete foundation of network services on which to build distributed
applications. Our ability to distribute the complete Java platform as an
integrated part of the Novell Operations system will position us as the
leader in offering exciting new options and opportunities to our developer
community. Java will provide the next-generation application execution
environment for NetWare, and NetWare will provide the next major application
platform for Java."
U.S. Robotics Offers Speakerphone
Modem market leader U.S. Robotics has unveiled ConferenceLink CS1500, its
first PC-adaptable tabletop conference speakerphone. Users can connect the
$499.95 ConferenceLink to their computer to use as a speakerphone peripheral
in videoconferencing and Internet telephony applications, the Reuter News
Service reports from Robotics' Skokie, Illinois, headquarters. Reuters
notes the new phone is second in the series of U.S. Robotics' ConferenceLink
telephony products, and the company said it plans to continue to expand the
line to provide small offices and home-based professionals with information
access products. The unit -- which features three built-in microphones,
integrated keypad, mute and redial keys, status lights and any-key answer --
is to ship later this year.
Zip Drive Hits 1 Million Milestone
Iomega Corp. reports that it has shipped more than one million Zip drives and
10 million 100MB Zip disks in the product line's first year of availability.
Iomega's also says it has reached an agreement with Escom to become the first
European manufacturer to offer computers with built-in Zip drives. Escom
expects to begin shipping systems containing the internal Zip drive in the
second quarter of 1996. In the U.S., Iomega recently completed separate deals
with Hewlett-Packard and Micron Electronics for installing Zip drives in
selected PC models.
"The Iomega Zip drive started as an industry phenomenon and is now a
potential replacement for the floppy," says Stan Corker, director of
removable storage research for International Data Corp. "With new games,
graphics and online services demanding so much storage space, the current
floppy is a sub-standard solution for saving, backing up and sharing
computer information. Zip is changing that almost overnight." Available for
both PC and Macintosh computers, the Zip drive began shipping last March.
The unit sells for $199; the disks cost about $15 each.
Digital Stock Falls on Report
Stock in Digital Equipment Corp. tumbled 17 percent yesterday after the
computer maker warned it won't meet analysts' expectations for profits
because of flat PC sales. In reaction, shares in other PC makers also fell.
Business writer Evan Ramstad of The Associated Press notes Digital was
hoping for PC revenue growth of 30 percent in the quarter that ends March 31,
"and analysts thought Digital would meet the sales predictions because it
rejuvenated the PC operation last fall."
But, he adds, "the trouble is demand has slowed for PCs among North American
businesses and wholesalers and distributors have become clogged with
inventory. So, PC makers have been forced to cut prices and profits."
Digital stock fell throughout the day yesterday, closing down $11.25 to $56
on the New York Stock Exchange. Meanwhile, Compaq Computer Corp. stock
finished down $2, IBM closed down $4.75, Hewlett-Packard Co. was down $3.62,
Dell Computer Corp. was down $1.12, Microsoft Corp. fell $2.25 and Intel
Corp. was down $3.25.
Ramstad says these declines surprised some analysts. Said John Jones of
Salomon Brothers, "What I think is happening is there's a lot of momentum
players in the stock and they're choosing to immediately go someplace else
and those actions put more pressure on through the day." He cut his profit
forecast for Digital last week in part because of the slower PC growth Compaq
and others had signaled.
Gateway Unveils 'Big Screen PC'
Gateway 2000 has introduced what it describes as the first "big screen PC."
The direct market PC maker says its Destination system "combines the impact
of high-quality, big-screen television with the intelligence of a computer."
The company adds that the product combines the best elements of a state-of-
the-art multimedia computer with the visual drama of home theater systems.
Gateway notes that it holds and is applying for more than 20 patents on the
31-inch- screen system.
"Destination brings the interactive power of computers to the world of
consumer electronics, giving consumers more options for home entertainment,
education and communications," says Gateway Chairman and CEO Ted Waitt.
"Because it is based on state-of-the art computer technology, Destination
offers consumers more flexibility and sharper images than traditional single-
function consumer electronic devices, and can be upgraded as technology
changes," says Waitt. "The system allows users to easily watch television,
surf the Internet, shop at home and play games. The Destination big screen
PC also gives businesses a dramatic new way to make presentations and schools
a cost-effective tool to provide interactive instruction."
Gateway says the system is compatible with consumer electronics components,
including VCRs, stereo systems and laser disc players. Destination can take
video feeds from cable television systems, antennas or other video devices.
Audio signals from the Destination system can be channeled through home
stereo systems to offer surround sound capability. Prices for the
Destination models will range from $3,499 to $4,699, depending on
configuration. Customers can place orders for the system beginning April 8.
Survey Sees Slower Home PC Sales
New research suggests PC sales growth to consumers will slow down this year
and next, and actually decline in 1998. It also predicts PCs won't be used
in most U.S. homes by the end of this decade and even questions whether such
a goal will ever be reached. Some PC makers expressed shock at the report
from renowned market watchers at Dataquest Inc., though business writer Evan
Ramstad of The Associated Press notes the same industry officials "have long
said it would be difficult to sustain sales growth that's been as high as 40
percent in the past few years."
The Dataquest report, based on a survey of 10,000 U.S. households, says:
ú Growth of PC sales in the U.S. consumer market, which reached 42 percent
in 1994 and 22 percent last year, will ease to 7.6 percent this year and less
than 1 percent in 1997.
ú In 1998, the group forecast a sales decline of 2.3 percent among U.S.
consumers.
ú Overall PC industry will grow more strongly because of expanding markets
overseas, but sales growth to U.S. businesses, schools and government
agencies already has slowed.
"That market is now shaped by broader economic conditions instead of the
prospect that PCs can offer some new value to a work process," says AP.
Ramstad reports Dataquest found 29 percent of the surveyed homes had at least
one PC at the end of 1995. It projected that number will jump to 32.6
percent by the end of this year but reach just 38 percent by the end of the
decade, "far short of many executives' expectations," he commented.
Dataquest analyst Scott Miller told AP, "We are running out of households
that can afford to buy new PCs." AP says a key reason is "the industry's
inability to reach lower-income households with less pricey machines."
Dataquest also found PCs are in:
ú 65 percent of homes with more than $60,000 in annual income, probably a
saturation point.
ú But only 12 percent of households with less than $30,000 in annual
income.
"That is up just slightly from 10 percent in a similar survey Dataquest
performed 10 years ago," Ramstad writes. Meanwhile, United Press
International quotes the new Dataquest report as estimating the number of
computers in use will hit 47.4 million by the end of the year, 55.3 million
at the end of 1997, 62.3 million in 1998 and 69.2 million in 1999.
Analyst Miller told UPI the relatively slow gain in the percentage of
households means that many of the new PCs are going into households that
already have a computer operating, adding, "With the maturing of the U.S.
home market through the end of the decade, vendors must choose their battles
carefully, and they must execute on existing opportunities with more
targeted segmentation work."
Added Miller, "The lucrative markets going forward are repeat customers and
new high-income buyers, in that order." UPI says new unit shipments will hit
7.94 million this year in the United States and edge up to 8 million next
year, then fall to 7.81 million in 1998 before jumping to 8.41 million in
1999. AP notes competing research firm Computer Intelligence InfoCorpornia,
of La Jolla, Calif. reported last week that sales growth of PCs had been
consistent at all income levels for the last two years. It said PCs were now
in 35 percent of U.S. households.
And earlier this month, Odyssey of San Francisco also said PCs were in 35
percent of the nation's homes, "but it reported a similar gap to PC usage
between high-income and lower-income households," notes Ramstad.
Portable Sales to Jump This Year
New research says the market for portable computers will grow twice as
quickly this year as in 1995, when the industry was slow to change over to
new Pentium-based machines. Reporting from San Jose, Calif. the Reuter News
Service quotes a report by Dataquest Inc. as saying that due to the tougher
transition to laptop and notebook computers using Intel Corp.'s faster
Pentium chip, the worldwide portable market grew 15 percent in 1995, more
slowly than had been expected early in the year.
However, Dataquest researchers say to watch for the portable PC market to
grow 30 percent in 1996 as the changeover to the new Pentium-based systems
has been largely completed. In fact, says Reuters, "laptop, notebook and
even smaller 'subnotebook' machines are quickly becoming more popular with
executives and other professionals who travel frequently for business."
The report also said:
ú Toshiba Corp. of Japan held the spot as the largest portable computer
vendor, Compaq Computer Corp. stayed at No. 2, while Japan's NEC Corp.
slipped past IBM into third place. Apple Computer held onto fifth place,
followed by Fujitsu Ltd., Dell Computer Corp., AST Research Inc., Texas
Instruments Inc., and Zenith Data Systems.
ú A total of 9.9 million portable computers were shipped worldwide last
year, up from 8.6 million in 1994.
Analyst Mike McGuire told the wire service, "As the market completes the
progression to the Pentium architecture this year, we expect a major shift
in product mix for the top vendors in the form of a major emphasis on 'value'
notebooks." Reuters says "value" notebooks typically are priced from about
$1,800 to $3,000 and have fewer features than so-called "premium" portable
machines, which can cost $3,000 or more.
Microprocessor Generation Surveyed
If you're a member of the "Microprocessor Generation" - someone born after
the 1971 invention of the microprocessor -- chances are you're quite
attached to your personal computer. According to a recent survey of more
than 3,200 visitors to the "America's Smithsonian" exhibition in Los
Angeles, more than 60 percent of the people under 25 believe that the
computer will be the most important device in their lives by the year 2000,
far ahead of other technologies such as the automobile, television and
telephone.
The Intel Corp. sponsored survey also finds that if given $2,000 to spend on
electronic products, 48 percent of the "Microprocessor Generation" would
spend it on a personal computer system, in contrast to 29 percent on a big
screen TV/home entertainment system or 16 percent on a stereo system.
According to the study, 72 percent of people under 25 have a personal
computer at home today, which they use almost equally for both
fun/entertainment and work/school.
Seventy percent of the respondents under 25 first used a computer before they
were 10 years old. Of those under 11, 29 percent learned how to use a
computer before reaching 5. Sixty-six percent of the respondents under 25
consider themselves either "intermediate," "expert" or "power users." Twice
as many males as females claim to be expert computer users. Seventy percent
of the women under 25 also began using computers before they were 10.
Most of the "Microprocessor Generation" is wired, finds the survey. Fifty-
nine percent believe that by the year 2000 they will receive most of their
news via the Internet, as opposed to radio/TV (31 percent) and print (10
percent); 55 percent are already Internet users. People under 25 describe
computers as "cool" (58 percent), "useful" (57 percent), entertaining (52
percent) and "fascinating" (44 percent).
"For the 'Microprocessor Generation,' computer literacy is a basic skill
along with reading, writing and arithmetic," says Dennis Carter, Intel's
vice president of marketing. "Every generation has a love affair with
technology that gives them a distinctive stamp and cultural perspective. For
'In-Betweeners' who grew up between the two World Wars in the 20s and 30s,
it was the automobile, movies and radio. And for 'Baby Boomers' of the 40s,
50s and 60s, television, rocket ships and the electric guitar helped define
a generation. Today, we have the 'Microprocessor Generation,' for whom the
personal computer is a totally natural way to work, learn, play and
communicate."
Study: CD-ROM Medium of Choice
Multimedia title publishers are making it clear that CD- ROM is their medium
of choice, finds a new study compiled by Simba Information of Wilton,
Connecticut. According to the market research firm, the average multimedia
publisher generated 84 percent of its revenues from CD-ROMs in 1995, as
opposed to cartridge, floppy disk or online formats. Individual publisher
responses ranged from 10 percent of revenues from CD-ROM to 100 percent.
Fifty-seven percent of publishers generate 100 percent of their revenues from
CD-ROM titles. Only 13 percent generate less than half of their sales from
CD-ROM titles.
"If you're considering publishing a multimedia title in the next few years,
CD-ROM is the medium to do it on," says Tom O'Reilly, editor of Multimedia
Business Report, a Simba publication. "Floppy and cartridge are on their way
out and Digital Video Disc (DVD) is still at least five years from becoming
a mass market medium for computer publishing."
Publishers are bullish on developing titles for Microsoft's Windows 95
operating system. About 97 percent of publishers told Simba they're
developing Windows 95 titles in 1996, up from 85 percent in 1995. Windows (84
percent) and Macintosh (84 percent) are the other major platforms for 1996,
according to the survey. "Windows 95 may not have lived up to the
incredible hype surrounding its release last year, but publishers are
obviously giving it their approval as the platform of choice going forward,"
O'Reilly says.
Kids Thrillers Debut on Web
Random House Inc. is joining with the Yahoo! World Wide Web search engine to
publish an interactive Internet thriller series for young adults. Called
The Lurker Files, the project is the first series from Random House to be
published on the World Wide Web prior to book publication. The Lurker Files
debuts today on both the Random House Web site
(http://www.randomhouse.com) and on Yahooligans!,
(http://www.yahooligans.com/entertainment), a new directory for kids from
Yahoo!
Written by author Scott Ciencin, The Lurker Files is a cyberspace thriller
series set at the fictional Wintervale University. Each story in the series
features unsuspecting college students who enter the Ratskeller, a campus
chat room, and become entangled in the web of the Lurker, whose identity
remains a mystery. New episodes will be published twice a week, on Tuesdays
and Fridays.
In addition to reading the episodes online, kids will be able to enter the
Ratskeller and talk about what is happening in the story. Episodes for
ensuing weeks will reflect conversations from the chat room. "Random House
has made a number of successful alliances in the CD-ROM marketplace that
have enabled us to expand our publishing efforts beyond print," says Randi
Benton, President of Random House New Media. "This partnership with Yahoo! is
extremely important as we focus on producing new properties for the Web."
Hearst to Provide Content to WOW!
CompuServe Inc. has signed a deal with Hearst New Media & Technology to bring
contents from Hearst's HomeArts World Wide Web site
(http://www.homearts.com) to WOW! from CompuServe, the new home-oriented
online information service. Visitors to HomeArts will be able to access
magazine articles from such Hearst titles as Redbook, Good Housekeeping,
Country Living and Popular Mechanics, as well as original content designed
especially for the HomeArts site. HomeArts will also provide WOW!
members with a link to its innovative Recipe Finder, a service that matches
customized recipes to whatever ingredients users may have in their homes.
"HomeArts is already experiencing very high traffic on the World Wide Web --
over 1.7 million page views per month, and growing quickly," says Brian
Sroub, vice president of marketing at Hearst New Media & Technology. "By
partnering with WOW!, we now have the opportunity to bring HomeArts to
millions of additional American families." HomeArts will be available on
WOW! when the service launches on March 25th. WOW! subscribers receive
unlimited access to WOW! and the Internet for $17.95 per month.
To become a charter member of WOW!, call 1-800-9GETWOW.
Boy Rescued From Net Kidnapping
A Chicago boy has been rescued unharmed from a Florida man who is accused of
abducting the 13-year-old after making contact with him through the
Internet. Federal officials told the Reuter News Service the boy and his
accused abductor were taken into custody as they stepped off a bus late
Friday night in Louisville, Kentucky. James Burns, the U.S. attorney in
Chicago, told the wire service the boy had been corresponding over the
Internet with a man known to him as Richard Romero of St. Petersburg,
Florida. At one point, the teen's mother discovered the correspondence and
called the man, telling him she was concerned and that her son suffered from
a learning disability.
"Last Friday the boy failed to show up at school in Mount Prospect, a
northwestern Chicago suburb, and his parents found that he had dismantled
his computer and placed the components in his backpack," Reuters writes. "In
searching around the house, the boy's mother found the number of a motel in
Mount Prospect and police later found that a man calling himself Romero had
been there."
According to an indictment released late yesterday, the man, who was charged
with kidnapping, carried a Venezuelan passport without a valid entry stamp
at the time of his arrest. It is not clear if Romero is his real name.
Reuters says he was identified in the indictment as "John Doe, known as
Richard Romero."
Thanks for the Thoughts, Bill...
Next time you get e-mail from Bill Gates, ask yourself, is it real... or is
it just Gates' macro key? Computergram International this morning carries
the tale of David Applefield, editor of an electronic guide to Paris for
Anglophones, and his electronic mail exchange with the famed Microsoft Corp.
chief. Applefield sent an electronic letter inviting Gates to speak to a
conference of editors of literary journals from 50 countries on the merits of
cyberspace for wider dissemination of literature.
In "about 90 seconds," says CI, Applefield got a reply, saying "Thank you
very much, David, for your thoughts. This is something I've been giving a
lot of consideration of late. Sincerely, Bill." Miffed, Applefield sent
another e-mail, Take a Hike Turkey," to which the response was: "Thank you
very much, David, for your thoughts. This is something I've been giving a
... "
Win95 SCANNER DRIVERS STR Spotlight Nine Months and Counting..
True Corporate Philosophy or.. Superb SmokeScreen??
By R. F. Mariano
(from Canon's Internet Web Site)
The Kyosei Ideal
"The cornerstone of Canon's operations is the ideal summed up in the word
Kyosei living and working together for the common good. It is a philosophy
that seeks understanding and harmony with individuals, society and the
environment. And it looks toward a world of effective communication, well-
being and affluence. For a company, this pursuit begins with respect for
people, cultures, countries, regions and the environment."
"These are the principles that have guided Canon international expansion in
recent years. Equally important, they are a map for further contributions in
the next century."
NEXT CENTURY??? How about this month??? Where are the thirty two bit
drivers for Windows 95 and Canon's IX-4015 and IX-4025 Color Scanners.
Excuse after excuse and still .since last August.. NO drivers and expected
delivery date. Is this really CANON??? What is going on? Has Canon CHOKED?
"I do not have any official release date of the driver. I'm sure the
developers are doing the best they can."
. CCSI support person
CCSI 1-714-438-3000 driver support
Canon USA Inc. 1-516-488-6700, H. Murase Pres.
Canon Worldwide - Fujio Mitarai Pres.
YOU WANT IT WHEN????
Are these people (CCSI) for real??? Does Canon actually expect the folks
who've purchased the IX-4015 and the IX-4025 Color Scanners and at the same
time faithfully bought into the "Canon Support Philosophy believe this
"Kyosei THING?"
CANON should and MUST be held accountable for this gross incompetence!
Windows 95 was announced as "the coming thing" almost two years before its
actual release to the purchasing public. Where was Canon during all this
time?? They claim they were on the Beta Team for Win95. Therefore its
fairly obvious Win95 didn't come as any "surprise". Unfortunately, by all
indications the entire support picture is somewhat cloudy and should perhaps
be "re-organized". There are serious problems in more than just the Scanner
Driver area.
The CCSI response cited above is exactly what Canon does not need. It allows
Canon's "loyal consumers" to know exactly what their sorry position is even
at this very late date. Canon's people, (CCSI), must be made aware there are
other means to gain the support necessary and deserved. Canon's customers
must be afforded a means to continue with the productive use of their NEW
Canon made scanner products. The corporate execs must react in favor of the
consumers. Even if... it puts their "precious positions" on the line.
Canon should be highly responsive to its customer needs. Especially since
its mostly import product. As such, they come under close Government
Regulation. Canon obviously, by their performance in this scanner driver
debacle, has yet to realize the customer must come first. Product support is
the "Golden Key" key to any level of successful customer relations. If there
are problems in this division, could it be there are similar incidents of
arrogance and complacency in other of Canon's divisions? Like its printer
driver problems??
Nobody but nobody. is disputing the fact that Canon is a highly reputable
company. What is being plainly stated is very clear and simple... why has
it taken Canon so godawful LONG (seven months + and still counting) in
attempting to get their act together when in the FACE of other reputable and
highly competitive companies. Epson and Hewlett Packard, have their updated
32 bit TWAIN drivers released!! All Canon has come up with are lame excuses.
Canon has, without a doubt, obviously fallen flat on its face in the support
department. The users have been beating their heads against a WALL over the
scanner drivers for the past SEVEN MONTHS asking, pleading, and finally
begging for the better 32bit drivers. Canon's reaction? "We're trying"..
The drivers Canon's customers are FORCED to use with what this reporter
considers to be the very best Color Scanners made in the one thousand or less
dollar category... IX-4015 and IX-4025, are sadly, two year old original 16
bit drivers (clunkers). Many Canon customers have had to resort to very
fancy and elaborate footwork to keep their scanners in consistent and
reliable use under Windows 95.
Almost every other MAJOR hardware and software manufacturer has updates
and/or patches available for Windows NT and/or Windows 95. Canon has nothing
for NT and excuses for Win95. In this modern world, timing is everything.
People are investing in a NEW operating system, one that has been "in the
NEWS and the main topic of discussion" for well over two years.
Canon, like every other major hardware supplier, enjoyed ample advance
warning of its release and expected high market penetration levels. Most all
in the marketplace heeded the signals and prepared in advance. Did Canon??
Obviously if so, its either been in STEALTH mode or on a different planet.
Consumers hear little or nothing from Canon at this time. Yet Windows NT has
been in release for how long??? Where in heaven's name is the support for
NT?? The vast majority of suppliers have responded positively with driver
updates etc., for BOTH NT and 95. Canon is unfortunately, still telling the
world's Canon Color Scanner marketplace to wait. Are they THAT strapped for
programmers?? Or, are they in desperate need of real programmers?? NT is
32bit as is Windows 95.
Its a sorry state of affairs for Canon. What with the rumors of "Class
Action Suits" and Severe Damages being sought from consumers at all points
of the Globe, Canon's CCSI had better wake up and wake up FAST. All the
excuses in the world will not make the scanners run any better or perform any
better!! NEW, 32bit DRIVERS WILL. Where are they?? Better yet... WHEN will
they be REAL?
Its truly time for Canon's top Executives to come down hard in dealing with
those responsible for the 32bit drivers for the Color Scanners IX-4015 and IX-
4025. The current litany of excuses since August 24 1995 has become the
laughing stock of the computing industry. Much like ..a shame filled Comedy
of Errors.
UPDATE:
Since this reporter began investigation this situation and after having
placed a number of interrogatory calls to Canon's various numbers. A return
call from a member of Canon's CCSI Support Group has been received. To make
a long story short. Unfortunately, there is no "drop dead date" for the
thirty two bit Twain drivers for use with Win95. The entire world is waiting
in earnest for Canon to release this software.
Further, it was brought to our attention by the person who called that,
incredibly, Canon does not write these drivers at all. They "outsource"
them. Well now, so much for having control over the support software that
makes your hardware operate properly for your customer base.
There you have it folks. While the person that called was continually
expressing what sounded like a very sincere concern for the consumer, the
bottom line is there was no definitive answer as to when these much needed 32
bit Twain drivers for the Canon IX-4015 and IX-4025 would become available.
Instead of Kyosei, Canon's real slogan should be..
You want it when????
Ps; my suggestion is to call the numbers listed above repeatedly until these
people in charge WAKE UP. Class Action efforts are interminably long and
will appear foolish for its for certain the drivers will be in release before
the action goes before a judge.
Creative Introduces New Line of 8x Multimedia Upgrade Kits
New Kits Extend Award-Winning Line
With
The Latest In CD-ROM And Audio Technology
Singapore -- March 4, 1996 -- Creative Labs, Inc., a subsidiary of Creative
Technology Ltd. (NASDAQ: CREAF), today extended its award-winning line of
multimedia products with three new 8X-speed CD-ROM drive upgrade kits. The
new kits include the latest in CD-ROM and audio technology, that combined
provides the consumer with a more realistic and immersive multimedia
experience. Targeted at the first-time buyer, and at multimedia PC users
looking to upgrade their older technology, the new kits deliver premium
performance at an affordable price.
Creative's new family of multimedia upgrade kits includes the BlasterT CD 8X
kit, for an estimated street price of $249.99; the Sound Blasterr Discovery
CDT 8X kit, for an estimated street price of $379.99; and the Sound Blaster
PerformanceT 8X kit, for an estimated street price of $449.99. The 8x
multimedia upgrade kits will be available in March through Creative's
extensive network of distributors and retailers.
"Our 8x kits provide the hottest audio and CD-ROM technology which
dramatically increases the user's multimedia experience, " said Sim Wong
Hoo, CEO and president of Creative Technology, "Our patent pending technology
is engineered to deliver the highest degree performance in 8x CD-ROM drives
for our customers."
Blaster CD 8x
Creative's Blaster CD 8x includes Creative's own 8x IDE CD-ROM drive.
Designed with a unique patent pending feature that permits the 8x drive to
detect the optimum speed the CD-ROM requires for playback, and adjusts its
spin rate to provide smooth playback of CD-ROM titles. It also includes CD-
EXTRA support that reads CD's with digital audio and data. The Blaster CD 8x
delivers a typical access rate of 230ms, a 1200 KB transfer rate, and
features 256KB memory buffer. Also included in the package are Papyrus'
NASCARr Racing; CyclomaniaT from Accolade; The 1996 Grolier Multimedia
Encyclopedia; Quick CD player utility; and a plug-and-play interface card.
Sound Blaster Performance 8x
Sound Blaster Performance 8x kit is Creative's top-of-the line offering. It
includes the Creative 8x CD-ROM drive; a Sound Blaster 32 PnP wave table
sound card based on the EMU8000, Creative's 3D stereo enhancement for a
deeper richer sound experience, and the ability to upgrade with additional
memory to take advantage of SoundFontsr and E-mu's 3D Positional Audio. The
kit also includes a set of high-performance, amplified, 2-way, 20 watts per
channel stereo speakers valued at $100 that complete the high-quality audio
experience; and the latest in CD-ROM multimedia titles including:
LucasArts' The Dig, Star Warsr Rebel Assault IIT Special Edition; Accolade's
Unnecessary Roughness '95; 21st Century Entertainment's Pinball Dreams
Deluxe; Interplay's Cyberia Mission Norway, Virtual PoolT Straight/8, Dorling
Kindersley's Eyewitness Encyclopedia of Science, David Macaulay - The Way
Things Work; Mindscape's The 1996 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, Voyetra's
Midi Orchestrator Plus for Windows; Creative Soundo'LE; Creative WaveStudio,
Creative TextAssist, Creative Mixer, and Creative Multimedia Deck.
Sound Blaster Discovery CD 8x
The Discovery CD 8x kit includes the Creative 8x CD-ROM drive; a Sound
Blaster 32 PnP audio card that provides great wave table sound based on the
EMU8000; amplified stereo speakers; and 12 titles: Lucas Arts' Full Throttle
and Star Wars Dark Forces Special Edition; Accolade's Unnecessary Roughness
'95; 21st Century Entertainment's Pinball Dreams Deluxe; Interplay's
CyberiaT Mission Norway; Humongous Entertainment's Freddi FishT and the Case
of the Missing Kelp SeedsT, Putt-Putt Joins the ParadeT, Putt-Putt and Fatty
BearT's Activity Pack, Let's Explore the FarmT; Dorling Kindersley's David
Macaulay - The Way Things Work; Mindscape's The 1996 Grolier Multimedia
EncyclopediaT; Voyetra's MIDI OrchestratorT Plus for Windowsr; Creative
Soundo'LET, Creative WaveStudior, Creative TextAssistT, Creative Mixer, and
CreativeMultimedia DeckT.
Creative First to Deliver Direct3D Support
Creative's 3D Blaster Supports Microsoft's New Direct3D API
Now Has Broadest Software Support In The Industry
SINGAPORE - March 4, 1996 - Creative Technology, Ltd. (NASDAQ: CREAF), the
leading provider of multimedia products for personal computers, announced
today that its 3D Blaster, the first consumer level 3D accelerator, fully
supports Microsoft's newly announced Direct3D API. Long recognized for
establishing the standards for PC sound, Creative has been working closely
with Microsoft and other industry leaders to define the standards for 3D
graphics. Microsoft's newly released beta of the DirectX SDK includes
Direct3D drivers for Creative's 3D Blaster product line.
"The announcement of Direct3D by Microsoft represents a significant step in
validating the great potential of the 3D market," stated Hock Leow, vice
president of the Video and Graphics Product Group at Creative Labs, the U.S.
subsidiary of Creative Technology. "As we did with our Sound Blaster sound
cards, we're excited to be working with Microsoft to ensure our customers
have the broadest software support in the industry."
Creative plans to have all 3D Blaster products support multiple 3D graphics
APIs, including Creative's own Creative Graphics Library (CGL) and
Microsoft's Direct3D API. By working with both standards, the 3D Blaster
supports more titles and libraries than any other PC-based 3D accelerator,
providing the end user with the broadest access to new 3D titles.
In addition to running under Windows 95, CGL is distinguished from Direct3D
in that it is also available for DOS. This makes CGL useful immediately, and
also makes it an ideal development platform for developers with legacy DOS-
based applications. Creative currently has over 200 registered developers in
its 3D Developer program, with more than 50 titles announced with support
for CGL. In addition, Creative has licensed CGL to 3D Labs for use on the
Permedia line of 3D accelerators.
"We believe Creative Labs has the technology know-how and marketing muscle
necessary to make true high-performance 3D games a reality for home PC
users," said Mike Duffy, chief technical officer at Mindscape, Inc. The 3D
Blaster is currently available for VL-Bus systems and has an estimated street
price of $349.99. A PCI version is planned for shipment in early Summer.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Theresa Pulido Karen Gordon
Creative Labs, Inc. Copithorne & Bellows
Sound Blaster and Discovery CD are registered trademarks and Blaster,
Performance, Creative Multimedia Deck, and TextAssist are trademarks of
Creative Technology Ltd. E-mu is a registered trademark of E-mu Systems, Inc.
and ShareVision is a registered trademark of ShareVision Technology, Inc.
All other products mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective
owners and are hereby recognized as such.
Creative Technology Ltd. develops, manufactures and markets a family of sound
and video multimedia products for IBM- compatible PCs. The company's Sound
Blaster sound platform enables IBM-compatible PCs to produce high-quality
audio for entertainment, educational, music and productivity applications,
and has been accepted as the industry standard sound platform for PC-based
software.
Creative Technology Ltd. was incorporated in 1983 and is based in Singapore.
Creative Technology's subsidiaries include Creative Labs, Inc., E-mu
Systems, Inc., and ShareVision Technology, Inc. Creative also has other
subsidiaries in the U.S, Europe, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia and
China. The Company's stock is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol CREAF
and on the Stock Exchange of Singapore.
EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed
Edupage
Contents
FTC Targets Internet Fraud
Iomega Stock Volatility Blamed On
AOL Postings
AT&T Free Internet Access Offer Is Big Hit
Compaq Looks For Pennies From Heaven
FSU Tests Internet Smart Cards
Videoconferencing In The Outback
Software Lets Blind "Read" Newspapers
Internet Radio
TV Rating System Deadline Set
AT&T Cutback Narrowed
Microsoft Is Tied To The Net
Net Hate
E.U. Sees Universal Phone Service As A Civil Right
MCI Battles AT&T In Headline War Over Free Internet Access
Computer Industry Seeks Free Trade
Home PC Growth To Stall Next Year
AOL And HP Want To Manage Your Net
Microsoft Targets Online Banking
Novell's Internet Strategy
Sleeping With The Enemy Is A Way Of Life On The Net
Hubbard Supports One-Channel Digital TV Transition
Job Seekers Dispute Shortage Of Software Workers
French Book Banned, Then Pirated
Canadian TV Rating System Studied
Virtual University
Gingrich Urges Top-To-Bottom Change Of Education
Nynex Antes Up In Internet Access Game
Technical Fix May Resolve Online Copyright Issues
Disney Town To Offer Online Healthcare
AOL Site No. 1 In Web Survey
Stock Traders' "Rap Sheets" On The Net
AT&T Takes Notes On The Net
FCC Warns Canada
Laptop Sales On The Rise
Generation X Should Be "Generation PC"
Spies Who Came In From The Cold
Wit-Trade Suspends Stock-Trading On Web
Clendenin Rates BellSouth's Programs To Aid Education
Information "Highway Of Babel"
FTC TARGETS INTERNET FRAUD
The Federal Trade Commission is conducting a "wholesale crackdown" on
perpetrators of allegedly deceptive marketing schem
es that are advertised in
Internet news groups or on the World Wide Web. Charges were filed against
nine individuals or companies accused of misleading the public, and agency
officials say this is only the beginning: "The Internet opens a world of
opportunities for consumers. Unfortunately, it also presents opportunities
for scam artists. We intend to monitor the Internet rigorously and act
decisively when we see deceptive and misleading marketing," says the
director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. (Investor's Business
Daily 15 Mar 96 A4)
IOMEGA STOCK VOLATILITY BLAMED ON AOL POSTINGS
Iomega, maker of high-capacity removable disk drives, is the focus of
controversy on America Online's Motley Fool bulletin board. Company
officials have complained to the SEC that postings on Motley Fool and other
BBSs have contained false information and may be contributing to the
volatility of its stock. Online exposure has "raised the visibility of some
stocks as well as the interest in those stocks," says an outside spokesman
for Iomega. "At the same time, we're very concerned about how online
services can be used to attempt to drive stock prices higher or lower
through misinformation." Postings about Iomega escalated to flaming and
physical threats last month, causing Motley Fool to pull some of the more
offensive ones, but critics of online BBSs note Iomega's problems are a
result of the practice of using "screen names" and the lack of verification
of information that's posted. "You don't know if the person is a Ph.D. or
in Sing Sing," says one critic. (Wall Street Journal 15 Mar 96 A5C)
AT&T FREE INTERNET ACCESS OFFER IS BIG HIT
AT&T has been swamped with more than 200,000 requests for start-up software
that will allow its customers up to five hours of free Internet access. AT&T
said the number of requests so far for WorldNet Internet access is four times
what it had expected. (New York Times 15 Mar 96 A1)
COMPAQ LOOKS FOR PENNIES FROM HEAVEN
Compaq is planning to work with others to eventually offer homeowners
videoconferencing and Internet access, as well as networking for any machine
in the home that has a computer chip. One company executive says that
"consumers are looking for products that are ready to go, with services,
applications, and hardware ready to use every day. Say we'll have an
appliance that connects to a network for 6 cents a day. Compaq gets a piece
of that 6 cents." And Compaq's chief strategist says: "We have to do
something for the consumer until the phone companies can deliver bandwidth
access. We're going to do that using satellites." (Fortune 1 Apr 96)
FSU TESTS INTERNET SMART CARDS
Florida State University plans to issue new I.D. cards that will enable FSU
students to access the Internet, check grades, request transcripts or use
online course materials. The "smart cards" will debut next fall, and
business conducted with the cards will be encrypted to ensure secure
transactions. (Chronicle of Higher Education 15 Mar 96 A23)
VIDEOCONFERENCING IN THE OUTBACK
Since 1993, aborigine communities in Australia's Northern Territory have been
using videoconferencing as the primary medium for personal and business
communications among each other and other sites in Sidney, Darwin and Alice
Springs. The Tanami Network, which uses PictureTel videoconferencing
equipment, is favored over the telephone or radio because it can convey the
extensive system of hand gestures used by aborigines while speaking. Most of
the videoconferences held are personal or ceremonial in nature - paid for in
large part by mineral royalties and community funds. Other aborigine
videoconferencing networks include the Mungindi Project, which uses Cornell
University's CU- SeeMe software to link four remote schools. (Technology
Review Apr 96 p17)
SOFTWARE LETS BLIND "READ" NEWSPAPERS
The National Federation for the Blind is sponsoring a computerized system
that translates newspaper stories and then "reads" them over the phone to
visually impaired people. Stories are available from The New York Times, USA
Today and the Chicago Tribune; the program is running in Baltimore, Baton
Rouge and Minneapolis, and is slated for 100 more cities by next year.
(Tampa Tribune 16 Mar 96 A8)
INTERNET RADIO
Bell Canada announced a partnership with 3WB Corp. to create new commercial
services for the Internet that include radio networks that allow businesses
a multimedia presence on the Net. Customers will receive the Internet radio
using software provided free by 3WB. < http://www.cfra.com/ > (Toronto
Financial Post 15 Mar 96 p6)
TV RATING SYSTEM DEADLINE SET
Canada's federal regulator has given broadcasters until September 1 to
develop a rating system to allow parents to screen programs using V-chip
technology. Since it is unlikely Canada and the United States will ever
agree on a rating system, Canada's will be imposed on American cross-border
signals. (Toronto Globe & Mail 15 Mar 96 A1)
AT&T CUTBACK NARROWED
The number of AT&T workers involuntarily separated from the company may turn
out to be much lower than the 40,000 layoffs announced three months ago, as
part of AT&T's reorganization plan to divide into three separate companies.
Because more employees accepted the company's buyout offer than was
anticipated, and because some of the workers marked for termination were
able to find jobs in other parts of the organization, the company's "latest
best estimate of people who will have to be involuntarily let go is about
18,000." (New York Times 16 Mar 96 p17)
MICROSOFT IS TIED TO THE NET
Dataquest analyst Chris LeTocq says Microsoft's Internet strategy will
include making its major application programs, Word and Excel, tie into the
Net (and into internal corporate intranets), and letting its customers use
all popular Internet technologies, even those from competitors, such as Sun
Microsystem's Java language. ''They don't want to give people any reason to
move away from Windows,'' says Montgomery Securities analyst David Readerman.
(San Jose Mercury News 16 Mar 96)
NET HATE
B'Nai Brith says anti-Semitic harassment in Canada is on the rise because of
an "exponential growth of cyberhate." The Canadian Solicitor-General says
the problem is difficult to cope with because it crosses several public and
government jurisdictions. (Toronto Globe & Mail 15 Mar 96 A6)
E.U. SEES UNIVERSAL PHONE SERVICE AS A CIVIL RIGHT
The European Commission is proposing that all citizens to have the right of
access at affordable prices to phone, fax, and computer lines, with
"affordability" decided by the member states themselves. The idea will be
supported by the French government, which is under pressure from public
sector unions to protect public services, and opposed by Germany and the
United Kingdom. The Commission intends to allow the concept of universal
service to evolve with technological changes, but says that it is at this
moment premature to define the full scope of universal service, because
enlargement of the concept to include such things as Internet service might
cause many people to pay for service they neither need nor use. (Financial
Times 15 Mar 96 p2)
MCI BATTLES AT&T IN HEADLINE WAR OVER
FREE INTERNET ACCESS
Accusing AT&T of "building its Internet service out of newspaper headlines,"
MCI senior vice president Vint Cerf asserts that "MCI's service is built on
a foundation of fiber" and that his company will triple the capacity of its
network, expand consumer services, give MCI customers five free hours of use
each month through the end of May (in contrast to AT&T's free offer that
lasts through the end of the year), and match AT&T's offer of unlimited
Internet access for $19.95 a month to its own long-distance customers. MCI
also indicates that Microsoft's Explorer software will be the Browser of
choice on its service, and that it plans to offer editorial content from
Microsoft Network. (New York Times 19 Mar 96 C1)
COMPUTER INDUSTRY SEEKS FREE TRADE
The computer industry is pushing for a broad, multilateral agreement on free
trade of computers and components, with the eventual goal of achieving zero
tariffs. Japan already has zero tariffs and Europe's are fairly low at 4%,
but the big challenge is in countries such as Korea, Taiwan and the South
American countries that make up the Mercosur customs union, which maintain
high tariffs to keep U.S. products out. Other industries are taking notes,
hoping that the computer companies will lead the way for sectors such as
automobiles and steel. (Wall Street Journal 18 Mar 96 A1)
HOME PC GROWTH TO STALL NEXT YEAR
Growth in the home PC market is expected to slow significantly this year, to
8%, and by 1998 could actually be declining, according to market research
firm Dataquest Inc. Growth for 1997 is predicted to be flat, at about 0.7%.
The U.S. home market grew 22% last year, and 42% in 1994. The decline is
blamed on market saturation among households earning more than $100,000, the
group most likely to buy a PC. (Investor's Business Daily 19 Mar 96 A9)
AOL AND HP WANT TO MANAGE YOUR NET
America Online, its subsidiary ANS, and Hewlett-Packard have established a
partnership to jointly market Managed Intranet Solutions to corporate
customers. The service will provide an end-to-end network based on HP Unix
servers and workstations, ANS's TCP/IP network infrastructure and AOL's end-
user support. "AOL is constantly trying to expand its revenue pie, and
business-to-business is the next logical step -- especially when companies
have millions to spend on technology and there still isn't an established
revenue model in the consumer online market," says a senior analyst at
Jupiter Communications. Some critics say this definitely isn't a match made
in heaven: "If AOL's billing department is any indication, I pity anyone
who needs to make use of the help desk." (Information Week 11 Mar 96 p20)
MICROSOFT TARGETS ONLINE BANKING
Microsoft is now targeting Intuit's lead in home banking, announcing new
initiatives to provide banks and service companies a secure way to process
online transactions. Up until now, banks that use Intuit's Quicken or
Microsoft's Money programs use Intuit Services Corp. to process the
transactions. Microsoft's new plan, called Open Financial Connectivity,
would allow banks to deal directly with Money users, without involving ISC or
Visa. Intuit chairman Scott Cook discounts Microsoft's latest move, saying
he thinks banks would rather deal with one organization that provides the
software and the processing capability: "When you don't have a complete
solution you try to turn that negative into a positive. Value in this
business comes not from the technology, but can customers actually use it."
(Wall Street Journal 18 Mar 96 B5)
NOVELL'S INTERNET STRATEGY
Novell Inc. has agreed to license Sun Microsystems' Java software for use
with its NetWare operating system. The company also recently licensed
software for conducting electronic business transactions from Open Market
Inc. "The question now is: Is it too late for Novell to catch up," says an
analyst with Bear Stearns & Co. Other industry observers contend that
Novell has a head start in some areas, such as its network directory for
managing corporate data. "I think they have got a good 12 months and maybe
longer" to implement their Internet strategy, says a Smith Barney analyst.
(Wall Street Journal 19 Mar 96 B3)
SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY IS A WAY OF LIFE ON THE NET
In the wake of last week's news stories on America Online's simultaneous
courtships with Netscape, Microsoft, and finally AT&T, too, industry
observers are reaching the meltdown point on trying to track the incestuous
nature of Internet alliances. "It's driving me nuts. My head hurts right
now," says research expert Gary Arlen. "Everybody wants to find his place
at the orgy, and if you don't get your mattress staked out now, you may miss
it completely." Nick Donatiello, president of Odyssey Ventures, says: "It's
like watching weddings on a soap opera. Everybody's marrying and divorcing
and remarrying within the space of 10 days." And CompuServe VP Scott
Kauffman quips: "It's awfully bigamy to even talk about monogamy at a time
when everyone seems to be sleeping with everyone." (Wall Street Journal 18
Mar 96 B4) The view from AOL? "In our view, everybody is a potential
partner -- until they shoot at us," says AOL CEO Steve Case. (Information
Week 11 Mar 96 p10)
HUBBARD SUPPORTS ONE-CHANNEL DIGITAL TV TRANSITION
Stanley Hubbard, chairman of Hubbard Broadcasting, says the current flap in
Congress over whether to charge broadcasters for the extra channel they'll
need to make the transition to digital programming could be a moot point.
Hubbard's top engineer confirmed last week that he had concluded preliminary
testing on whether digital and analog signals could be combined in a single
6 MHz channel. "Conceptually, I think it's possible," he concludes. Hubbard
advocates combining the signals on one channel, and suggests that television
manufacturers could build sets with both analog and digital receivers,
allowing broadcasters to decide on their own when to turn off their analog
signal. (Broadcasting & Cable 18 Mar 96 p12)
JOB SEEKERS DISPUTE SHORTAGE OF SOFTWARE WORKERS
Frustrated by extensive yet unsuccessful job searches, 75% of callers to the
Software Human Resources Council disputed claims made in a report that tens
of thousands of placements for software workers go unfilled. The job seekers
say companies limp along for six months without in-house systems people
because they are looking for the perfect applicant. (Toronto Star 19 Mar 96
F3)
FRENCH BOOK BANNED, THEN PIRATED
The book "Le Grand Secret," banned by a French judge on the grounds that it
violates the privacy of the family of the late French President Francois
Mitterand, has turned up on various Web sites in violation of copyright law.
One publishing executive says, "Just as we teach our children not to steal
toys, just as we teach our children not to plagiarize, we have to get across
the message that you don't steal from the Internet." However, French
government officials are less than enthusiastic about aggressively enforcing
copyright protection for a book that has been banned. (New York Times 18
Mar 96 A1)
CANADIAN TV RATING SYSTEM STUDIED
Washington officials want to study the Canadian approach to rating television
programs. Similarly, Britain is looking to Canada for help in its fight
against violence on television following last week's massacre of small
children in Scotland. (Ottawa Citizen 19 Mar 96 A6)
VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY
The Open University of Catalonia now has a pilot group of 200 students,
scattered throughout northern Spain, connected to lecturers, tutors, and
learning materials via electronic communications and studying business or
educational psychology using the Catalan language. By 2000 there will be
11,000 students. < http://www.uoc.es >. (Financial Times 16/17 Mar 96)
GINGRICH URGES TOP-TO-BOTTOM CHANGE OF EDUCATION
Suggesting that the quality of elementary and secondary education is dragging
down the quality of higher education, House of Representatives Speaker Newt
Gingrich challenged a group of university presidents by saying: "None of you
would accept from your suppliers what public education sends you. You would
fire them, or you would sue them, or you would insist on a new standard."
Tinkering won't work, because "the problem you are trapped into is that you
can't change anything unless you change everything." The Speaker also urged
the presidents to sharpen their focus on "lifetime learning," because of the
increasing need for people to re-educate themselves to accommodate multiple
career changes. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 19 Mar 96 D1)
NYNEX ANTES UP IN INTERNET ACCESS GAME
Nynex will join AT&T, MCI in offering Internet access to residents and
businesses. "It's going to end up becoming a normal part of a package that
all telephone companies have to offer," says an analyst at CS First Boston.
Meanwhile, Bell Atlantic is putting the finishing touches on its Internet
access plan, and several other Baby Bell brethren plan announcements soon.
(Investor's Business Daily 20 Mar 96 A7)
TECHNICAL FIX MAY RESOLVE ONLINE COPYRIGHT ISSUES
In the next year or so, distributors of electronic information will be able
to include encryption devices that prevent customers from passing usable
copies onto other unauthorized users. Other software under development will
create hidden digital "watermarks" that automatically attach themselves to
a file, enabling providers to identify all users. "Copyright law will start
to take a back seat to technology," says an intellectual property consultant.
"Anything that you do with a piece of content" will be traceable.
(Chronicle of Higher Education 22 Mar 96 A23)
DISNEY TOWN TO OFFER ONLINE HEALTHCARE
The planned community being built by Walt Disney Co. in central Florida will
provide its residents online access to basic health advice and medical
files, and eventually will offer telemedical conferencing that would allow
patients, physicians and pharmacists to exchange information. "It's pushing
the envelope of health empowerment," says the CEO of Celebration Health, as
the medical network is called. (Tampa Tribune 20 Mar 96 B&F1)
AOL SITE NO. 1 IN WEB SURVEY
America Online's home page ranked No. 1 as the most popular Web site among
U.S. consumers last month, according to a PC-Meter Sweeps survey by NPD
Group. The next most popular sites were various search engines, with Prodigy
and CompuServe ranking sixth and seventh , respectively. University of
Michigan came in eighth for its popular weather database. PC-Meter offers
Web site research and analysis, complete with demographic data on online
users. (Investor's Business Daily 20 Mar 96 A6) Meanwhile, officials at
AOL have terminated a member's account after it was used to disseminate
obscene images in a children's area. The area was already routinely being
monitored by AOL staff, but the company says it will beef up its scrutiny
and is examining stronger controls for parents. (Wall Street Journal 20 Mar
96 B4)
STOCK TRADERS' "RAP SHEETS" ON THE NET
The National Association of Securities Dealers has plans to post an enormous
database containing information on all Wall Street brokers and their firms
on the Internet, possibly as early as next year. Investors will be able to
get detailed information on 505,000 brokers, including any censures, fines
and settlements from arbitrations or court decisions. Until the Web site is
available, investors can call 1-800-289-9999 for broker information. (Tampa
Tribune 20 Mar 96 B&F8)
AT&T TAKES NOTES ON THE NET
After ditching the proprietary AT&T Network Notes service last month, AT&T
has announced it will integrate a new, open standards release of Lotus Notes
server software with its Internet service. The new Network Notes software
will be compatible with other software, including Web browsers made by
Netscape and Microsoft. (Investor's Business Daily 21 Mar 96 A19)
FCC WARNS CANADA
The Federal Communications Commission warned Canadian companies could face
trouble breaking into the newly- deregulated American communications market
because of the federal government's attitude toward U.S. investment in
Canada. Commissioner Scott Harris said Canadian restrictions on foreign
ownership of domestic telecommunications companies could be met with similar
reciprocal actions in the U.S. He pointed out cultural issues like the
recent actions against the Canadianized Sports Illustrated magazine and
Country Music Television have created a feeling in Congress that Canada is
treating the U.S. unfairly. (Toronto Star 21 Mar 96 D3)
LAPTOP SALES ON THE RISE
After moderate (in computer market terms) growth last year of 15%, the
worldwide laptop market is expected to increase by 30% in 1996, according to
Dataquest Inc. Up until now, most laptops have been sold with a 486
processor, but Dataquest expects the transition to Pentium chips to be
completed this year. The top seller last year was Toshiba, with Compaq,
NEC, and IBM following. (Investor's Business Daily 21 Mar 96 A17)
GENERATION X SHOULD BE "GENERATION PC"
A survey of 3,200 respondents by Custom Research Inc. shows 99% of people
born after 1971 had used a computer before the age of 10. More than 66% of
those under age 25 called themselves "intermediate," "expert" or "power"
users. Of those born after 1971, only 7% had used a computer before age 10,
and only 19% rated themselves "intermediate" or above. The survey was
conducted via an electornic kiosk that's part of a traveling Smithsonian
exhibit. (Investor's Business Daily 21 Mar 96 A8)
SPIES WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD
Activision's computer-based spy adventure features real-life spooks William
Colby, former head of the CIA, and Oleg Kalugin, the former Soviet KGB
chief, as part of the interactive game. The company is sponsoring a Spycraft
Online Spy Hunt sweepstakes as a promotion, and players can search for clues
on America Online, CompuServe, and at the Company's Web site
<http://www.activision.com/ >. The grand prize is a trip to Washington, DC.
(Information Week 11 Mar 96 p12)
WIT-TRADE SUSPENDS STOCK-TRADING ON WEB
The Spring Street Brewing Company, which was the first company to have
attempted to sell stocks through a World Wide Web page, has suspended its
activities, pending a review by the Securities and Exchange Commission to
decide whether the trading system should be registered as a broker-dealer
under the 1934 Securities Exchange Act. (New York Times 21 Mar 96 C10)
CLENDENIN RATES BELLSOUTH'S PROGRAMS TO AID EDUCATION
Giving a "report card" to his company's $239.5 million support of education
since 1991, BellSouth CEO John Clendenin awarded it an A for effort and a C+
for impact. "The complexity of dealing with this array of problems affecting
America's education system is really overwhelming, no question. So you make
little dents. There's no one solution, no brass ring sitting out there."
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution 21 Mar 96 E1)
INFORMATION HIGHWAY OF BABEL
Most PBS stations will broadcast a "Firing Line" debate Friday night (22 Mar)
on the issue: "Resolved: The Government has the right to regulate the
Internet." Participants in the debate include William F. Buckley, Arianna
Huffington, Cathy Cleaver, Reid Hoffman, Esther Dyson, Ira Glasser, Susan
Estrich, John Perry Barlow. TV critic Walter Goodman screened the show and
judged it to be a "Highway of Babel." (New York Times 21 Mar 96 B3)
Edupage is written by John Gehl (gehl@educom.edu) & Suzanne Douglas
(douglas@educom.edu).
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Frequently Asked Questions for the EPSON Zip Drive
WHERE DO I GET THE ACCESSORIES FOR THE ZIP DRIVE?
Call EPSON at 1-800-922-8911.
CAN YOU CONNECT A PRINTER IF YOU HAVE THE PARALLEL MODEL?
Yes, the parallel ZIP model has a second port that lets you connect to your
printer.
CAN THE ZIP DRIVE BE DAISY-CHAINED WITH OTHER SCSI DEVICES?
Yes, The SCSI model can be put in a SCSI chain just like any SCSI device.
WHAT IS THE SHELF LIFE FOR A ZIP DISK?
Zip disks have a 10-year shelf life.
IS COMPRESSION USED IN THE ZIP DRIVE?
As with a hard disk drive, you can compress a Zip drive using commercial
software compression packages, including Stacker and backup software.
However, the drive does not automatically perform any data compression during
write or read operations.
WHAT ZIP DRIVE MODELS ARE AVAILABLE?
SCSI and parallel. The SCSI model can be used with a Macintosh or a PC that
has a ZIP-compatible SCSI adapter. The SCSI model has two 25-pin SCSI ports
(for connection to the host and for daisy-chaining), a SCSI ID switch, and a
SCSI termination switch. You can use the parallel model only with a PC.
WHICH SCSI ADAPTERS CAN BE USED WITH THE SCSI ZIP MODEL?
Adaptec, Iomega, or other ASPI-compatible SCSI adapters with SCSI driver
software.
WHY IS THE DRIVE CALLED ZIP?
Zip indicates speed, mobility, simplicity, and security.
IS AN INTERNAL ZIP DRIVE AVAILABLE?
No, it is an external drive only.
DOES ZIP USE BERNOULLI TECHNOLOGY?
NO. Zip uses a different design.
WHAT IS INCLUDED WITH THE ZIP DRIVE?
The Zip package contains the drive itself, cable, power supply, operating
software, and a 100MB starter disk containing Zip tools software.
WHAT OPERATING SYSTEMS ARE SUPPORTED?
MS-DOS 4.x or greater, DR/NOVELL DOS 6.0 or greater, Compaq DOS 3.31 or
greater, Windows 3.1, and Windows 95. OS/2 version 2.0 or greater, with the
purchase of the optional Iomega OS/2 driver software package (OAD For OS/2
version 2.33 or greater). Macintosh System 6.0.7 or greater (System 7 or
greater is required for full functionality).
WHAT ARE THE MINIMUM COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS?
IBM PCs and compatibles must use DOS 4.x or greater and have 640K RAM.
Windows 3.1 requires a minimum 2MB RAM (4 or greater is recommended).
Macintosh computers must use System 6.0.7 or greater (System 7 or greater is
required for full functionality) and have 4MB of RAM. The hardware must be a
MAC SE or greater.
IS THE ZIP DRIVE COMPATIBLE WITH THE POWERBOOK MACINTOSH?
Yes, a optional cable adapter is needed for attachment.
WHICH IS FASTER ON THE PC -- SCSI OR PARALLEL?
The SCSI model is 2 to 5 times faster, depending on the system configuration.
The parallel model is easier to connect and compatible with nearly all PCs.
CAN YOU SET THE ZIP DRIVE IN THE VERTICAL POSITION?
Yes, the drive's rubber feet support both horizontal and vertical positions.
CAN YOU READ A REGULAR 3 1/2" DISKETTE IN THE ZIP DRIVE?
No, only Zip disks are compatible.
ARE THE DISKS RUGGED?
Yes, they can withstand an 1000 G shock (an 8 foot drop) without any harm to
your data.
ARE HIGHER CAPACITY ZIP DRIVES POSSIBLE?
In the future.
HOW IS POWER PROVIDED TO THE ZIP DRIVE?
It uses an EPSON AC power adapter.
WHAT ARE THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE ZIP DRIVE?
Performance
ú 1.4MB/second maximum sustained transfer rate
ú 29 millisecond average seek time
ú 32K buffer size
ú 60MB/minute SCSI throughput
ú 20MB/minute parallel throughput
ú 3/3 second average start/stop time
ú 15-minute long format time (surface verify) for disk
ú 5 second short format time for disk
ú Software selectable drive auto spin down
Reliability
ú 10 errors in 10 (13) bits (hard errors) drive data bit transfer
ú 8ft/1000 Gs disk drop height/shock tolerance
ú 10-year estimated disk estimated shelf life
ú 100MB (or 25MB) disk storage capacity
ú MS-DOS, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, MAC, and OS/2 compatibility
Physical Specifications Temperature ranges:
ú Operation -- 50 to 90 degrees F (10 to 32 degrees C)
ú Storage --8 to 126 degrees F (-22 to 52 degrees C)
ú Shipping --40 to 140 degrees F (-40 to 60 degrees C)
ú Fixed or removable operational mode
ú Horizontal or vertical orientation
ú 5-year service life for drive
ú 1 year warranty on drive
ú Limited lifetime warranty on disks
Dimensions:
Zip Drive
Height -- 1.5 in.
Width -- 5.35 in.
Length -- 7.26 in.
Weight -- 1.05 lbs.
Zip Disk
Height -- 25 in.
Width -- 4 in.
Length -- 4 in.
Weight -- .09 lbs.
ú SCSI or parallel interfaces available
ú 5 V, 1 Amp continuous drive power requirements
ú 1.7 Amp peak
Specifications depend on your system.
Installing a SCSI Model ZIP Drive on a
Computer that Uses MS-DOS or Windows
This document expains how to install a Zip drive with a SCSI (Small Computer
System Interface) interface on a PC that uses MS-DOS or Windows. If you
still have problems after reading these instructions, see the SCSI Zip
Troubleshooting Web Pages or "Troubleshooting" in the EPSON Zip
Installation/User's Guide.
SCSI Requirements:
The PC must have a SCSI interface adapter with an external connector for the
Zip drive. (EPSON's Zip drive is compatible with Adaptec SCSI adapters and
most other major brands that use an ASPI device driver.)
Follow the steps below to install the drive:
1. Unpack your Zip drive and accessories.
2. Turn the computer OFF. (Be sure the computer is turned off whenever you
connect the Zip drive to it.)
3. Connect one end of the Zip data cable to the Zip connector on the back
of your drive. (Only the correct end of the cable will fit the drive). When
the cable is connected, tighten the connector thumb screws.
4. Connect the other end of the cable to the computer SCSI connector. Be
sure the connector you use for the Zip drive is a SCSI connector and not
the parallel (printer) port connector. Some SCSI adapter connectors are
similar in size and shape to the parallel port, but the parallel port will
not work with this Zip drive. If the adapter in your computer has a 50-pin
SCSI connector, connect the Zip drive using a 25-to-50-pin SCSI cable or a
cable converter. If you need a cable or converter, call your computer dealer
or contact EPSON at 1-800-922-8911.
5. If you want to, you can connect your Zip drive to another SCSI device or
another Zip drive by using another SCSI cable (usually a 25-to-50-pin
cable). Instead of connecting the Zip drive to the computer, you could
connect the Zip drive to the connector on the device at the end of an
existing SCSI chain using a 25-to-50 pin SCSI cable or a using cable
converter along with the Zip data cable. When you connect the Zip drive to
another SCSI device, check the SCSI Guidelines section of the EPSON Zip
Installation/User's Guide to make sure the SCSI ID and termination on the Zip
drive are set correctly.
6. Connect the external power supply. (The power cord fits in the groove on
the side of the Zip drive.)
7. Caution: Use only an EPSON-approved Zip power supply. Other power
supplies may damage the drive. Also, to make it easier to move your Zip
drive between home and work, you may want to purchase an extra power supply
and cable. Call 1-800-922-8911 to order Zip accessories.
8. Check the green power light to make sure the power supply is OK. If the
power light does not come on, refer to "Troubleshooting" in your EPSON Zip
Installation/User's Guide.
9. Turn your computer ON and insert the 100MB Tools disk into the Zip
drive. Always make sure the green power light is on before inserting (or
ejecting) a Zip disk. When you insert a Zip disk, the amber data light on the
Zip drive flashes momentarily.
10. Insert the Install disk for Windows/MS-DOS into the computer's diskette
drive.
11. Start the Setup or Install program as described below and follow the
screen instructions to install your Zip software.
Windows 3.1 Users:
1. In the Windows Program Manager, select the File menu and choose Run.
2. In the Command Line box, type a:setup (or b:setup if you are using drive
B), then click OK or press Enter.
MS-DOS Users:
1. At the DOS prompt, type a:guest (or b:guest if you are using drive B),
and press Enter.
2. Notice the drive letter Guest assigns to your Zip drive. If the drive is
assigned to drive letter D, type d:\scsi\install, and press Enter. If the
drive is assigned to drive letter E, type e:\scsi\install, and press Enter,
and so on.
If you need help, see the SCSI Zip Troubleshooting Web Pages or
"Troubleshooting" in the EPSON Zip Installation/User's Guide. There is also
troubleshooting information on the Zip Install disk in the README.TXT file.
Windows 95 Users
1. Open My Computer, and double click the diskette drive icon. Then double
click Setup95.
Note: If the system runs slowly after you install Tools 95, reboot the
computer.
2. Access Zip Tools by clicking the drive icon in My Computer or Windows
Explorer with the right mouse button.
EPSON tools available on the drive shortcut menus include:
Copy Machine
Lets you copy one disk to another quickly and easily, using a single drive or
two different drives on your system.
Format
Includes a short format option for erasing a disk quickly and a long format
option for verifying the disk surface. You can also choose to make the disk
bootable or assign a volume name.
Protect
Lets you select software protection options and password security for a Zip
disk.
Status
Gives you quick access to information about your drive and disks.
Properties
Provides special information about the Zip drive and the installed disk. This
tool also lets you set startup preferences and drive sleep time. Properties
also contains diagnostics for the drive. In addition to the tools listed on
the drive shortcut menus, Copy Machine, Guest95, and the Zip help files are
available from the Tools 95 Program Group. Just click the Start button and
point to Programs, then Tools 95.
Guest95
Allows you to move your Zip drive from one computer to another one with ease,
so there is no need to reboot the system when you add a Zip drive. Simply
attach the Zip drive to any compatible PC and run the Guest95 program to
assign a drive letter. Any time you install new Zip hardware on your system,
you can use Guest95 to load the drivers needed by Windows 95. You can run
Guest95 from the Tools installation disk or from the EPSON Zip Tools Program
Group. Refer to the Guest95 Help file for detailed information.
Note: The Zip Tools disk contains files in both Windows 95 and Macintosh
format. As soon as you load the Tools disk on a Windows 95 system, the
Macintosh-format files become unusable. However, the disk does not
automatically release all the Macintosh space so it can be used in Windows
95. To release this space, you must remove the write protection on the disk
and "Reclaim" the tools disk, using the steps below.
1. Double click the My Computer icon.
2. Double click the C: hard drive icon.
3. Double click the Tools 95 icon to open the folder.
4. Double click the Reclaim icon to run the program.
Fixing Conflicts with the Adapter
If there is a conflict with the SCSI adapter, Setup95 will not be able to
install the Tools 95 software. In this case, you will see a message from
Guest95 telling you how to reconfigure adapter settings to resolve the
conflict. The procedure below, which is also included in the Guest95 Help
file, tells how to resolve the conflict.
1. Quit the Setup95 program.
2. Click the Start button on the computer Desktop and point to Settings,
then Control Panel.
3. Double click the System icon and choose the Device Manager tab.
4. Select SCSI Controllers; then choose the adapter you are using and click
Properties. (Windows 95 may be able to mark the adapter that needs to be
reconfigured.)
5. Choose the Resources tab and change the resource settings as needed to
eliminate any conflicts Windows 95 identified. Refer to the documentation
that came with your adapter for information on optional settings.
6. Shut down the system, open the computer, and adjust the adapter's switch
or jumper settings to match the resources set in the System Control Panel in
step 5. Refer to the adapter's documentation for detailed instructions on
changing adapter settings. If you need to reconfigure a plug and play
adapter, you must see the computer's ICU program to change the adapter
settings. Check the manual that came with your computer or contact your
computer manufacturer for information on how to resolve the conflict.
7. Restart the system and rerun Setup95.
Congratulations!
When the software installation is complete, your Zip drive is ready to use.
You can use the Zip drive just like any other drive on your system. Store
and copy files to and from Zip drive in the same way as for your other
drives. For additional information on using your new drive and Zip Tools
software, refer to the EPSON Zip Installation/User's Guide.
If you want to use your Zip drive on a Macintosh as well as on your PC, the
GUEST program on the Install diskette for Macintosh provides temporary
access for the Zip drive on any Macintosh. For full Zip benefits, call 1-800-
922-8911 to order a copy of Zip Tools software for Macintosh.
Zip SCSI Installation Problems
If you have problems installing the Zip SCSI drive, the EPSON Zip
Installation/User's Guide contains Troubleshooting and SCSI Guidelines
sections to help you install the Zip drive properly. The following
information will help you with some of the most common installation
problems.
If the computer is not recognizing the Zip drive or the EPSON Zip Software
cannot find the Zip drive:
1. Check the Zip power supply connection. Make sure the green power light
on the drive is ON.
2. Check the connection for the Zip drive data cable, and verify that every
cable connection is straight and secure. Tighten all the connector screws
completely.
3. Make sure the Zip drive is connected to the SCSI connector on the
computer.
4. Set the Zip drive to an unused SCSI ID and make sure the termination is
set properly.
If the EPSON SETUP or GUEST utility hangs the system:
1. Make sure data cable connections are straight and secure. Tighten all
connector screws completely.
2. Be sure the Zip drive is connected to a compatible SCSI adapter.
3. Read the GUESTHLP.TXT file on the EPSON DOS/Windows Install diskette for
help.
Setup Could not Find the EPSON Zip Tools Disk [ SCSI Model Zip Drive ]
This page provides general diagnostics to help resolve the problem. Before
answering the questions below, be sure that the Zip drive is connected and
plugged in. Then, after you have tried to install the driver and Tools
software, check the items below.
ASPI Device Drivers for SCSI Adapters
EPSON Zip drives are compatible with most SCSI controllers. However, the SCSI
adapter must have an ASPI, or 100%- compatible device driver. If you do not
have an ASPI device manager, contact the adapter manufacturer for more
information. If an ASPI device manager is not available for this model SCSI
adapter, use another SCSI adapter for
full compatibility.
If the controller is fully compatible, continue with the troubleshooting
checklist below:
If the Green Power light on the front of the drive is lit, check the items
below:
1. Check the data cable.
2. Make sure the Zip drive is connected to a SCSI controller connector (not
the parallel port), or to a SCSI connector in a chain with other devices.
3. Try reconnecting the cable, and make sure that all connections are
secure.
Q: Is your Zip drive attached to an ASPI-compatible SCSI adapter?
If so:
1. Reboot the computer.
2. Insert the EPSON Zip Install diskette, and type a:guest info and press
Enter at the MS-DOS prompt.
Q: Is the Zip drive assigned a drive letter?
If your answer to the question above was [Yes], can you read the Zip Tools
disk?
If Yes:
Run Setup again. If it runs successfully, the Tools are installed and ready
to run.
If No:
The SCSI controller may have an incompatible ASPI driver. Try the drive with
another SCSI adapter.
Q: If the Zip drive was not assigned a drive letter, are you using an ASPI-
compatible controller?
1. Make sure the ASPI manager for your controller is loading.
2. Did GUEST report any information about your SCSI controller? If GUEST
reported information about the SCSI controller, the problem is caused by
cabling, SCSI termination, or SCSI ID. Reconnect the hardware. If GUEST did
not report information, it could not load the ASPI manager for your SCSI
adapter. This may be caused by a port address or IRQ conflict. Refer to the
SCSI adapter manual for information on how to change these settings.
If the Green Power light on the front of the drive is lit, check the items
below:
1. Is the Zip Drive is receiving power? Make sure that you are using an
EPSON Zip Power Supply. Check all power cables and connections. Make sure
that the power supply is plugged in to a working outlet.
Q: Does the green light come on now?
If not, either the drive or the power supply are damaged. Contact your
computer dealer or EPSON at 1-800-922-8911.
Zip SCSI Troubleshooting
The Green Light on the EPSON Zip Drive is Not ON
ú The Zip drive may not be receiving power. Make sure you are using an
EPSON Zip power supply and that it is connected to the Zip drive as shown in
the EPSON Zip Installation/User's Guide. Check all power cables and
connections. Be sure the power supply is connected to a working outlet.
ú Is the green power light still off? If so, disconnect all cables from
the Zip drive except the power cable. If the green light still is not ON,
stop. The drive or power supply may be damaged.
ú If the green light is lit when all other cables are disconnected except
the power cable, is the Zip drive connected to the computer's SCSI port
correctly? Make sure the data cable for the Zip drive is connected as shown
in the EPSON Zip Installation/User's Guide, and that the cable connections
are straight and secure. Tighten all connector screws firmly and evenly.
Verify the connection both on the Zip drive end and the computer end.
ú Make sure the Zip drive is connected to the connector for the SCSI
adapter -- not to the parallel port.
ú If you have connected other SCSI devices to your Zip drive, make sure
that each one has a different SCSI ID number (no duplicates). If you need
to change a SCSI ID setting, turn the computer off and power down all
devices, change the conflicting SCSI ID, and power up again.
ú Make sure the SCSI chain is properly terminated at each end and that
termination is OFF (or removed) for other devices in the chain. Only the
first and last devices in the SCSI chain should be terminated.
ú Make sure the SCSI adapter card is installed in the computer correctly.
ú Although most SCSI adapters work with the EPSON Zip drive, some do not.
The SCSI adapter must use an ASPI or 100%-compatible device driver.
Software Configuration and Options
After verifying all steps above, use the following software options are
available to help solve and debug problems.
Is the Zip driver loading properly?
Verify the Zip driver software has been installed. Two files are required to
use a Zip drive. GUEST.EXE and the appropriate ASPI manager for the SCSI
adapter being used. (For your convenience, the EPSON provides drivers for
some common SCSI adapters.) Verify that the following files are located in
the ZIPTOOLS directory:
ASPIPPA3.SYS - ASPI manager for the PPA-3 Adapter & Parallel Port Zip.
ASPIPC16.SYS - ASPI manager for the Zip Zoom & PC1600 adapters.
ASPI1616.SYS - ASPI manager for the Iomega PC1616 adapter.
ASPIPC8.SYS - ASPI manager for the Iomega PC800 adapter.
ASPIPC2.SYS - ASPI manager for the Iomega PC2x adapter.
ASPIPC4.SYS - ASPI manager for the Iomega PC4x adapter.
See the GUESTHLP.TXT file on the Windows/DOS Install diskette for help using
GUEST with a SCSI adapter.
Verify that the AUTOEXEC.BAT file contains a line to start GUEST.EXE.
For example: C:\ZIPTOOLS\GUEST.EXE
If you complete the steps above and there is still no drive letter for the
Zip drive, use the INFO command line switch in the GUEST utility to debug
the problem. The INFO switch causes GUEST to display the ASPI information.
Check what the ASPI manager reports. The following steps outline how the
GUEST driver operates, and how to determine where the problem is located.
1. GUEST attempts to load the ASPI managers and looks for an adapter and
drive to support. If no information is displayed, verify the ASPI managers
are located in the \ZIPTOOLS directory or on the Windows/DOS Install
diskette.
2. When the ASPI manager attempts to load, it will display information
about the adapter and any devices attached to it. If the ASPI manager finds
no adapter, this may indicate conflict in the a port address or IRQ. Verify
that both the port address and IRQ settings on the adapter board are set to
unused settings.
3. If the ASPI manager finds the adapter but not the attached devices, this
generally indicates a connection problem. Check all cable connections for
the Zip drive and any other devices and make sure they are straight and
secure. Tighten all connector screws completely.
Known Problems and Solutions
GUEST Locks up when Loading
If GUEST locks up when loading or if drive C: no longer accessible, are you
booting from a SCSI adapter? If you are booting your machine from a SCSI
adapter, and GUEST hangs the system when it tries to load, the ASPI manager
for the SCSI adapter needs to be loaded in the CONFIG.SYS file.
For Example:
DEVICE=C:\SCSI\ASPI2DOS.SYS -- ASPI manager for the Adaptec 1520
After rebooting with the SCSI ASPI manager loaded, rerun SETUP or GUEST.
GUEST Locks up the System
If GUEST locks up the system when it is loading from either the AUTOEXEC.BAT
file or the MS-DOS prompt, GUEST might be scanning for different SCSI
adapters from the one you are using. To solve the problem, edit the GUEST.INI
file and insert a semicolon (;) as the first character in the lines
containing ASPI managers that are not being used. (This makes the software
treat these lines as remarks.) The GUEST.EXE program uses the GUEST.INI file
to load ASPI managers.
Below is the default GUEST.INI file:
[----Scan for existing ASPI managers---]
SCAN=ON
[----Load ASPI managers----]
ASPI=ASPIPPA3.SYS SCAN /INFO SL360=NO SMC=NO
ASPI=ASPI1616.SYS SCAN /INFO
ASPI=ASPIPC16.SYS SCAN /INFO
ASPI=ASPIPC8.SYS SCAN /INFO
ASPI=ASPIPC2.SYS SCAN /INFO
ASPI=ASPIPC4.SYS SCAN /INFO
If you are running the Zip drive from the Zip Zoom accelerator you will need
to insert a semicolon (;) in front of all other ASPI managers, except the
ASPIPC16.SYS manager that controls the Zip Zoom adapter. You also should turn
the SCAN option OFF. Here is the edited GUEST.INI file:
[----scan for existing ASPI managers---]
SCAN=OFF
[----Load aspi managers----]
;ASPI=ASPIPPA3.SYS SCAN /INFO SL360=NO SMC=NO
;ASPI=ASPI1616.SYS SCAN /INFO
;ASPI=ASPIPC16.SYS SCAN /INFO
;ASPI=ASPIPC8.SYS SCAN /INFO
;ASPI=ASPIPC2.SYS SCAN /INFO
;ASPI=ASPIPC4.SYS SCAN /INFO
Once you have made these changes the GUEST program should load without error.
Using GUEST with ASPI Managers
The GUEST utility uses ASPI managers to communicate with the devices
connected to a SCSI host adapter. The Install diskette for Windows/DOS
includes a set of ASPI managers for some adapters. If you have a host adapter
that uses ASPI manager software not contained on the diskette, you may need
to edit the GUEST.INI file and add a line for this ASPI manager. (If the
adapter does not have an ASPI manager, GUEST will not be able to operate.)
Edit the GUEST.INI file as described below:
Use a text editor to open the GUEST.INI file. The GUEST.INI file is a text
file on the Install diskette for Windows/DOS. You can use the Notepad in
Windows, the DOS EDIT program, or any other ASCII text editor to edit the
GUEST.INI file.
Add a command line for the ASPI manager, using the following syntax:
ASPI=<full path for ASPI manager><ASPI manager filename>
The following line is an example for an ASPI2DOS ASPI manager located in the
directory C:\ASPI:
ASPI=C:\ASPI\ASPI2DOS.SYS
If you do not know the path or filename for the ASPI manager, see the
documentation that came with the adapter or ASPI software. Save the changes
to the GUEST.INI file and exit the text editor. If you are using an editor
that has a variety of file formats, be sure to save the GUEST.INI file as
ASCII text or MS-DOS text.
Moving GUEST.EXE Before the Windows Start Command in the AUTOEXEC.BAT File
1. Use a text editor to open the AUTOEXEC.BAT file in the C:\ directory.
2. Find the line: C:\ZIPTOOLS\GUEST.EXE. This line should be the last line
or near the bottom of the file.
3. Find a line similar to one of the following: WIN or C:\WINDOWS\WIN.
This line starts the Windows program when the computer boots.
4. Move the line C:\ZIPTOOLS\GUEST.EXE above the line that starts Windows.
(Use Cut and Paste to move the GUEST.EXE line.)
5. Move the line that loads Smartdrive (e.g., C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE)
immediately after the GUEST.EXE line.
6. Verify that the line that loads MSCDEX.EXE is before the GUEST.EXE. If
not, move it before GUEST. (Make sure there is only one GUEST.EXE line in
the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If there are two GUEST.EXE lines, delete the one
below the WIN command.)
7. Save the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, exit the editor, and reboot the computer.
Recovering After Zip Tools Setup Fails
Problem:
If Zip Tools fails to install properly, or if the system hangs or was powered
down during setup, the Windows Startup group will contain a Zip Setup icon
that will attempt to run each time Windows is started.
Solution:
Delete the Zip Setup icon in the Windows Startup group and reinstall the Zip
Setup program.
Conflicts with the SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI Files
SYSTEM.INI Conflicts
ú Problem: When you use the Windows Printing System and Zip parallel
drive, the system freezes when the drive is accessed from Windows. The drive
functions normally under MS-DOS.
ú Solution: Disable the line WPSLPT1=1 in the SYSTEM.INI file, under the
section [386ENH] by placing a semicolon (;) in front of the line, as shown
below. Printing is not affected by this change. ;WPSLPT=1
ú Problem: When Ram Doubler is installed, the Copy Machine command reads
very slowly, and when the operation finishes it reports the wrong files and
wrong number of MB copied. Also, the icons for the source and target disks
and the computer in the middle never appear.
ú Solution: Boot Windows with both shift keys held down. This is a
temporary fix, which you will need to do whenever using Copy Machine.
ú Problem: When you use WinPrint 1000, the system locks while accessing
the Zip drive in Windows. The drive operates normally under MS-DOS.
ú Solution: Select the WinPrint Manager Icon; select Options; then DOS
Print Settings. Change the options from LPT1 to NONE.
WIN.INI Conflicts
ú Problem: When you load the LBUTTONS mouse driver for Compaq computers,
the system may hang in Windows and write errors occur when you try to copy
files.
ú Solution: Disable LBUTTONS in the WIN.INI file by placing a semicolon
(;) in front of the line, as shown below. ;LOAD=LBUTTONS.EXE
If these measures do not solve the SYSTEM.INI or WIN.INI conflict, call
Technical Support at 1-800-922-8911 and have a copy of your current
SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI files ready to discuss.
Kids Computing Corner
Frank Sereno, Editor
The Kids' Computing Corner
My Very First Software
Hybrid format Windows/Macintosh CD-ROM
for ages 2 to 5
msrp $29.95
T/Maker Company
1390 Villa Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
415-962-0195
Program Requirements
IBM Macintosh
OS: Windows 3.1 OS: System 6.0.7
CPU: 486 or higher CPU: LCIII series or higher
HD Space: 1 MB HD Space: 1 MB
Memory: 4 MB Memory: 4 MB
Graphics: 640 by 480 with 256 colors Graphics: 256 colors, 13" monitor
CD-ROM: Double-speed recommended CD-ROM: Double-speed recommended
Audio: 8-bit Windows compatible sound card
Other: printer optional, mouse Other: printer optional
review by Frank Sereno
My Very First Software is a friendly and educational package that will
delight younger children as they learn important computer skills. Filled
with eye-catching graphics and excellent audio, this assortment of activities
will maintain your child's interest for many fun-filled hours.
The package consists of three programs on a single CD-ROM. Cybee, a friendly
and enthusiastic robot coach, is the host for each program. My Very First
Software One teaches basic mousing skills. Program Two focuses on more
advanced skills such as double-clicking and dragging with the mouse. The
third program encourages children to interact with the keyboard. Each
program has three unique activities and each has Word Fun, a multimedia
glossary of computing terms. The terms are different for each program.
The activities use a very simple interface. Upon beginning any activity,
Cybee will instruct the child on his mission. Each activity is played on a
pad with four control buttons. The question mark button starts Cybee Help.
Cybee explains how to use the mouse or keyboard for that program. A printer
button will print a line art picture of the current pad screen. These
printed pictures are especially suitable for coloring. A large arrow will
cause the pad to scroll to the next screen in the activity. A large button
at the bottom of the pad will take the child back to the main screen. He can
also click on Cybee to hear the instructions for the current activity again.
My Very First Software One's three unique activities are Flip Flop, Peekaboo
and Find It. In Flip Flop, your child removes tiles covering a picture by
moving the cursor over them. Cybee will say a short rhyme describing the
picture after the picture is revealed. To succeed in Peekaboo, your child
must find hidden images on the screen by moving the mouse around while
looking for visual cues and listening for audible cues. When he finds a cue,
he clicks his mouse button to see the new image. Find It will develop
children's skill in auditory discrimination. He will see an image filled
with objects that make noise. He will then hear a sound and he must click on
the object that makes that noise.
Double Click, Color Stamps and Drag and See are the activities in My Very
First Software Two. In Double Click, your child will see a grouping of three
objects. These are hidden somewhere in the picture behind doors, under
blankets, etc. Your child must double-click the mouse on the correct areas
to find the hidden objects. Color Stamps is a creativity toy. Your child
can use thirty-six colorful stamps to create his own pictures. He can place
the stamp on the screen by clicking the mouse or he can create hallucinogenic
effects by dragging the stamp around the screen. Drag and See teaches
children the mouse technique of dragging and dropping. He will drag and drop
toys onto an X-ray machine to see what is inside. Some x-rays are realistic,
such as the skeleton of a fish or the gears of a clock, but others are
whimsical such as a real mouse inside a computer mouse.
My Very First Software Three teaches children about the keyboard through Key
Crazy, Juke Box Numbers and Key Sketch. In Key Crazy, your child will see
images placed randomly on the screen and hear sounds by pressing keys on the
keyboard. Unfortunately, the pictures do not seem to relate to the letters.
For example, the program places a cow on the screen when your child presses
the letter D. Juke Box Numbers teaches familiarity with the location of
numbers on the keyboard. Your child will hear different songs by pressing
the number keys. He can gain a little music appreciation by pushing the
arrow button to hear the songs in traditional, country, jazz or rock musical
styles.
Each program has Word Fun. This multimedia glossary teaches children about
one dozen computer terms through written, audio and animated definitions.
Each word will be written and defined in text. The narrator will pronounce
the word, spell it and then read the definition. A short animation will then
demonstrate the technique or the purpose of the object.
The program teaches computer skills to children in a very friendly
environment. Cybee is a very enthusiastic coach who praises your child often
as he plays. The positive feedback will encourage him to use the program
more often. I do feel the programs are short on content. The program
doesn't contain enough pictures (most activities only have ten screens) or
randomize them for more interactivity. The glossary should have been
larger. Key Crazy would be a better learning tool if the pictures generated
had the same first letter as the key pressed. Pressing a number could show a
picture with that number of objects. However, the program will get younger
children enthusiastically involved with computers.
The program is reasonably priced and includes a free mouse pad.
Unfortunately, T/Maker only warranties the product against damaged media.
Once you open the package at home, it is yours unless your vendor has liberal
return policies. I like this package, but it could have been better if it
had added more depth. It's a nice first program, but your child will quickly
outgrow it.
Ratings
Graphics . . . . . . . . . 9.5
Sound . . . . . . . . . . . 9.0
Interface . . . . . . . . . 9.5
Play Value . . . . . . . . 7.5
Educational Value . . . 6.0
Bang for the Buck . . . 7.0
Average . . . . . . . . . . 8.08
Comic Creator
available separately on CD-ROM for Windows and Macintosh
for ages 8 and up
approximately $30
published by Hearst New Media & Technology
created by Spark Interactive
112 West San Francisco St.
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Program Requirements
IBM Macintosh
OS: Windows 3.1, Windows 95 OS: System 7.0
CPU: 486D
X/33 CPU: LC III
HD Space: 10 MB HD Space: 10 MB
Memory: 4 MB Memory: 8 MB
Graphics: 640 by 480 with 256 colors Graphics:
256 colors, 13" monitor
CD-ROM: Double-speed CD-ROM: Double-
speed
Audio: 8-bit Windows compatible sound card
Other: printer, mouse Other:
printer, mouse
reviewed by Frank Sereno
For the last sixty years or so, boys and girls of all ages have loved comic
books. The flights of fantasy inspired by comic books have not only created
endless hours of enjoyment, but they have also inspired children to take
interests in science, technology and even writing. Comic Creator provides an
ideal tool for youngsters to create beautifully illustrated comic books that
they can share with others as files or by printing.
You can build comic books of up to twenty-five pages. The procedure is very
easy. Simply choose a background and then place characters and objects upon
the screen by dragging and dropping. The program includes a wide variety of
heroes, villains, backgrounds and accessory objects. Each character has
dozens of poses from which to choose. You can add bubbles for thoughts,
balloons for speech and boxes for a written narrative, then simply click and
enter your text. You can import BMP and PIC images into the program if you
wish. Images can be enlarged or shrunk with the Zoom button, but imported
images may suffer from "jaggies" if enlarged too much.
Each hero and villain has a name and biography. These can be used for
inspiration and continuity or you can create your own histories for these
characters. These characters are not famous but they are drawn and developed
well. If the characters do not inspire you, you can click on the Idea Dice
and the program will display a series of story lines.
The interface is very simple, but reading the manual does reveal many
shortcuts and tips that will make creating your comic much easier. It does
include a help option that opens a dialog box containing a text explanation
of each step. This text may be beyond the reading level of many second-
graders (8-year-olds), so be prepared to assist children under ten years. It
would have been a great addition for younger users if audible help had been
available. Technical assistance is available by a toll-free call.
As an added bonus, the program is supported by a site on the World Wide Web
at http://comicnation.com/. Here you can get additional technical support,
read comics written by other users and even download new poses for use in
Comic Creator. The program's author, R. A. Montgomery, also posts comics
that were made with the program. You can even enter your comics into a
contest to win prizes.
Comic Creator is a great tool for expanding your child's imagination. Anyone
can create professional-looking comics with ease using this program. This is
a great program for adults to use alone or with their children. Comic
Creator can be fun for the entire family. Perhaps the only major drawback of
this program is that it will use most of the perishables for your printer, so
stock up on paper, ribbons, ink cartridges, etc. Then stand back and be
amazed by your child's creativity.
# # #
Another person has joined the staff of The Kids' Computing Corner. I think
you will enjoy his reviews and commentary. He believes in telling it "just
like it is." Please welcome Mr. David H. Mann to The Kids' Computing Corner
and to the Silicon Times Report.
Hello. My name is David H. Mann. I am 39 years old, happily married for 22
years, and have three kids. I have been an electronic technician for 14 years
and have repaired and upgraded computers for ten years. I own or have owned a
TI-994a, Atari 400-800-800xl-65xe, Commodore 64, and an IBM 8088-286-386sx25-
486DX266. I own a monochrome, cga, ega, monochrome vga, vga, multi-sync, and
multi-mode monitors. I also own the gamut of applications, games, and
utilities for those systems. I have lots of experience in games and
applications and I only hope I can express my experience in writing. I know
what I like and dislike and I'm not afraid to say it.
Yours truly, David H. Mann
Torin's Passage
Windows/ DOS CD-ROM
MSRP $59.95
for ages 6 and up
Sierra On Line
3380 146th Place SE. Suite 300
Bellevue WA. 98007
Program Requirements
OS: Windows 3.1
CPU: 486SX/25
HD Space: 2 MB
Memory: 8 MB
Graphics: 640 x 480, 256 colors
CD-ROM: Double-speed
Audio: Windows-compatible sound card
Other: mouse
reviewed by David H. Mann
Torin's Passage is a new interactive adventure game from designer Al Lowe (of
Leisure Suit Larry fame) of Sierra On Line. But hold on all you depraved
members of society, this one is for kids. That is not to say that adults will
not enjoy the game too. The puzzles alone are enough to challenge most.
The story starts with a wonderfully animated intro of a wizard entering the
bed chamber of a sleeping King, Queen, and child. The wizard cast an evil
spell that vanquishes the King and Queen, but alas the child is spared.
Unknown to the wizard, the chambermaid has taken the child for a late feeding
and flees when she learns of his evil plan. After the intro the story picks
up on a pseudo medieval farm with Torin tending the fields. His parents are
suddenly turned to stone and sucked into the earth. A witness to this event
explains to Torin how to retrieve his parents. And so begins the adventure.
The games consist of five distinct nested worlds (worlds within one another
from surface to center). Each one has enough challenges, characters, and
pitfalls so that even the most experienced gamer will not be bored. It has a
"cockpit" interface that allows the user to recall text of conversations
between characters, examine objects, and get on-line hints (no more shelling
out extra cash for the hint book). The "cockpit" interface gives the user the
feel that they are in total control of the game, while giving an excellent
view of the action. It has "VCR" controls that let the user rewind, pause, or
fast forward action.
The game also has a "smart cursor." It lights up on objects you need to
examine or collect, characters you need to talk to, as well as controlling
the actions of Torin and other characters. One of those characters (Boggle,
Torin's shape shifting cat) will become invaluable as the game progresses.
The items collected, and actions taken lead to a "surprise" ending.
Torin's Passage has beautifully animated characters and backgrounds that give
the feel of other worlds. The digital music and speech (a sound card is a
must) bring life to each situation and character. The "velocity controlled"
action, lets each user play at their own pace. The save game function is a
plus (Torin can die, but there is no gore, and you get to start again with no
points lost). Touch everything, talk to everyone and collect all that lights
up on the cursor. Gameplay is limited in that there is only one way to win,
but with the puzzles, whimsical characters and silly situations you will have
fun all the way to the end.
# # #
Press Release
HEADBONE DELIVERS PROGRAMMING TO STRUCTURE THE WORLD WIDE WEB FOR KIDS-
PARENTS-TEACHERS
"Elroy's Netscapade" seen As 'Net Curriculum'
SEATTLE, WA -- Headbone Interactive, publisher of original children's CD-
ROMs, is extending its award-winning content to the World Wide Web. Coming
this Spring, the company will pilot Internet programming for children, giving
parents and teachers a framework to replace what is often aimless surfing
around "the Net."
A recent survey by FIND/SVP--recounted last week in Interactive Week Magazine-
-found that 64 percent of Net surfers had visited fewer than 50 sites.
Headbone intends to alter those numbers significantly, by producing fun and
engaging "Net Curriculum" that gives parents and teachers directed activities
for their kids to research in the classroom and at home.
"According to the Department of Education, 50% of US schools have access to
the Internet today--up from 35% in 1994. Add to that President Clinton's
announcement that $2 billion would be invested in getting every classroom
connected by the year 2000, and we think there is a definite opportunity for
us to produce creative programming for the Internet," said Headbone
President, Susan Lammers..
Beginning in May, "Elroy's Netscapade" will debut as the company's initial
effort to provide a fun and directed vehicle for exploring sites on the Web.
Designed as a thought-provoking treasure hunt --complete with prizes for
individuals and classrooms--Headbone's Internet learning adventure will run
between May 1-May 15.
The program takes the form of a cartoon mystery in seven episodes, released
over the period of a week. In every episode, players will be presented with a
comic strip story segment which leads to an intriguing puzzle. Kids, parents
and teachers will need to delve into the Web to solve the story-problem and
ultimately help Elroy solve his mystery. Contest players can register at the
Netscapade web site (http://techweb.cmp.com/elroy) until April 30.
"Elroy's Netscapade" is based upon Headbone's animated character, Elroy, and
his ever-present dog, Blue, The characters were popularized in the award
winning CD-ROM released last year, Elroy Goes Bugzerk. The second episode in
the Elroy Series, Elroy Hits the Pavement, will be released in April.
"Elroy's Netscapade is a great way for families and classrooms to jump safely
into the Internet and discover for themselves what an incredibly resource-
rich place it is, said Barry Hoonan, fifth grade teacher at Emily Dickinson
Elementary in Redmond, Washington. "The 'Net', the biggest library in the
world, can be difficult to find your way around in because the hallways and
bookshelves aren't organized for the daily browser. It's more maze than
amazing. Headbone has created a unique introduction to using the Internet
that places fun, exploration, research and discovery at the fingertips of
kids."
The prizes are nifty too: Co-sponsored by Home PC magazine, Excite!, Bill Nye
the Science Guy, Micron Electronics, Intel, Compaq, Egghead Software,
Farallon, The Edutainment Company, and Family Planet, the grand prize
individual winner will get multimedia computer, $1,000 and an appearance in
the next Elroy CD-ROM, and the grand prize class team will win a Micron
laptop computer and Farallon "Netopia" ISDN router for the school (an
expensive tool that provides the ultimate Internet connection). Hundreds of
additional prizes will be given to individuals and schools based on their
scores at the conclusion of "Elroy's Netscapade".
Headbone Interactive was formed in 1993 with a goal of becoming the premier
producer of original, energetic, off-beat programs for home consumers. In
addition to the Elroy titles, the company has a line of CD-ROMs for the
preschool set, entitled The Gigglebone Gang series (Alpha Bonk Farm, and
Pantsylvania) The company intends to gain a share of the growing multimedia
market through its compelling products and creative sales and marketing
efforts, which includes an exclusive distribution partnership with Sega of
America. For more information, call Headbone Interactive at 1-800-267-4709,
or visit their Web Site: http://headbone.com
# # #
3D Movie Maker
Windows 95 CD-ROM
approximately $35
for ages 8 and up
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98502-6399
206-882-8080
Program Requirements
OS: Windows 95
CPU: 486/50
HD Space: 12 MB
Memory: 8 MB
Graphics: 640 x 480, 256 colors,
local bus or PCI bus video
CD-ROM: Double-speed
Audio: 16-bit sound card
Other: mouse, microphone optional
review by Frank Sereno
Computer animation has fascinated people for many years. Recently Toy Story
was the first feature-length computer animated movie, but computer shorts
have been amazing people for years. Unfortunately, the capabilities of home
computers were not adequate to the task of creating computer animations or
the programs were so complex that only an expert could get good results. But
that has changed with the advent of today's lightning-quick home PC's and the
creation of Microsoft 3D Movie Maker. Your entire family will enjoy the
fascinating experience of creating your own computer movies.
3D Movie Maker includes twelve three-dimensional sets that include numerous
camera angles for added creative expression. You can choose from forty
actors and there is a wide array of costumes and props. Each character has
at least twenty motions and expressions. Over three hundred sound clips are
available, but you can also record your own sound effects, dialog and music.
You are in complete control of this creative environment.
The program is hosted by McZee, a friendly dude who is constantly cracking
jokes. McZee will lead you on a tour of 3D Movie Maker building and explain
many features. He is available to help users in most sections of the
program. The program includes extensive animated help sequences to explain
the use of the editing tools and how to do different tasks. The tools are
very powerful and complex, but an explanation is only a mouse click away.
Another way to get help is to visit Melanie in the Projects Room. This young
woman is an expert on movie-making. She will guide you step by step through
the completion of six movies and the making of an animated logo. Her
friendly and enthusiastic persona will enchant all and make the learning
process much easier.
The program has numerous useful features. The Ideas Room is the place to go
when you need creative inspiration. Just click on the Splot Machine for a
story idea. The Talent Book contains detailed information about the
abilities and hopes of your cast. Unfortunately, our host McZee lost pages
from the book. You can find the lost pages by exploring the building. If
you find all the pages, you get an extra tool as a reward. You can view your
movies in the Theater Screening Room. You can even share your movies with
distant friends if they have 3D Movie Maker.
The graphics in this program are amazing. The images are rendered and three
dimensional. The animated sequences with McZee and Melanie are truly
astounding, but even more remarkable is the fact that you can create
sequences of equal quality. Building a movie is as simple as choosing a
background, selecting a lead character and then dragging him about the scene.
With the dozens of tools available, you can create unbelievable action
sequences, character dialog, switch cameras like an expert director for
maximum effect and more. With 3D Movie Maker's animated help and
instruction, you'll be a master of these tools in very little time.
This is an outstanding program. Children will expand their imaginations and
creativity by making their own movies. It is a program that will grow with
children because they will learn to use more tools and refine their movie-
making techniques as they use it more. I believe most children will spend
endless hours exploring and experimenting with this program. It's so cool
that parents will enjoy it too! Microsoft 3D Movie Maker is fun for the
entire family.
Ratings
Graphics . . . . . . . . . 10.0
Sound . . . . . . . . . . . 9.5
Interface . . . . . . . . . 9.5
Play Value . . . . . . . . 9.5
Educational Value . . . 9.0
Bang for the Buck . . . 9.5
Average . . . . . . . . . . 9.5
Portable Computers Section
Marty Mankins, Editor
Micrografx Announces QuickSilver Internet Plug-In
for ABC Graphics Suite
Free Plug-In Available at micrografx.com Delivers Blazing Interactive
Graphics
Tucson, Arizona, (March 18, 1996) - Micrografx, Inc. (NASDAQ: MGXI), a
leading graphics software publisher, today announced QuickSilver, a software
plug-in for Netscape Navigator 2.0 that extends the Micrografx ABC Graphics
Suite, allowing users to place, view and interact with object graphics inside
Web pages. QuickSilver's new object graphics technology makes creating and
viewing dynamic Internet graphics easier and faster. QuickSilver is the
first component of the Micrografx Internet strategy to enable greater freedom
to communicate ideas through the use of graphics on the Internet/IntraNet.
In June, the complete QuickSilver Pack will ship with full support for both
Netscape 2.0 and Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0. The QuickSilver beta is
currently available for download at
http://www.micrografx.com/quicksilver.html
Unveiled at PC Forum, QuickSilver is being showcased on ForumWeb, the
conference's Intranet, as an interactive visual guide to the exhibits. "With
QuickSilver, Micrografx has developed something that has been missing from
the Internet far too long -- object graphics," said Jerry Michalski,
managing editor of the newsletter Release 1.0 and Forum co-host.
"QuickSilver's object graphics will transform the way Internet and Intranet
users interact with dynamic information. The ForumWeb, a dynamic conference
map created with QuickSilver, enables conference attendees to preview
exhibits and sessions, follow web links to additional information, and
intelligently plan their time at the conference. QuickSilver enables
attendees to interact with information in ways not previously possible."
Solving Internet Issues Today
Used in conjunction with Micrografx ABC Graphics Suite, QuickSilver makes it
easy to create and interact with compelling object graphics for the Internet
while minimizing the use of HTML editing. Object graphics may be associated
with a wide range of properties that enable actions, including linking
directly to URLs. When creating and editing Web pages, customers can easily
move object graphics without losing associated properties, thereby avoiding
intensive and time-consuming graphics editing, including re-drawing of images
and re-coding of HTML paths or hot-links. Object graphics may be re-used,
enabling Internet users to leverage their work and to build graphic libraries
of images.
"Micrografx is embracing and extending the Internet by empowering people to
plug-in their imaginations," said J. Paul Grayson, chairman and CEO of
Micrografx. "We're focused on solving customer needs by offering real-world
solutions based on cutting-edge technology. With our tradition of award-
winning graphics technology innovation, Micrografx is uniquely positioned to
help people express their ideas visually on the Internet."
Micrografx research reveals three key needs for customers utilizing graphics
on the Internet/IntraNet: increased speed and editability; ability to use pre-
defined web page designs to reduce lengthy creation time; and ability to use
existing software applications to reduce training time. QuickSilver is the
first implementation of Micrografx's Internet strategy, designed specifically
to meet customer needs.
Advancing Visual Communication
By adding object technology to the extensive graphics offerings currently
available in the ABC Graphics Suite, Micrografx has provided an easy way to
create fast Web graphics. QuickSilver supports file formats including DSF,
DS4 and DRW, allowing customers to leverage existing content. Customers can
extend the use of QuickSilver to a wide range of more than 55 popular graphic
formats supported by ABC Media Manager in the Micrografx ABC Graphics Suite.
ABC Graphics Suite is an integrated offering of award-winning diagramming,
flowcharting, clipart management, painting, image editing, 3D capabilities
and drawing tools designed for Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows NT.
"While companies are working with static graphics today, it is our belief
that the use of active or interactive graphics is a logical choice for
customers in the future," said Darryl Worsham, senior product manager for
Micrografx. "Corporations using Intranets will find the added functionality
of QuickSilver coupled with the breadth of ABC Graphics Suite to offer
unmatched versatility and ease-of-use. Microsoft Windows 95, Windows NT, and
Office 95 users looking for a graphics package that's tightly integrated with
their other software and meets a variety of graphics needs -- including
Internet-ready graphics -- will find the benefits and performance of ABC
Graphics Suite and QuickSilver compelling."
To help people using QuickSilver, Micrografx has provided HTML documents
available for downloading at http://www.micrografx.com, including "What is
QuickSilver," "Overview of Creating a Web Page," and "Graphics for the
Internet." In addition to QuickSilver and HTML documentation, Micrografx has
also made samples of object graphics available for free downloading to give
Internet/IntraNet users a real-world look at QuickSilver benefits.
MICROGRAFX LAUNCHES COOPERATIVE RETAIL SALES
PROMOTIONS WITH MICROSOFT
"Solid Ties Between Customers and Windows 95-based Products
Create Strong Retail Marketing Relationship"
Richardson, Texas (March 12, 1996) Micrografx, Inc. (NASDAQ: MGXI) today
announced two aggressive retail programs created in conjunction with
Microsoftr Corp. to provide compelling Windowsr 95 operating system product
offerings of business and creativity software. Effective immediately, these
promotions provide outstanding value for people buying Micrografx ABC
Graphics SuiteT with Microsoft Office 95 upgrades, or Micrografx Windows
Drawr with any Microsoft Value Pack.
The first promotion offers customers $100 in combined mail-in rebates when
purchasing a Microsoft Office for Windows 95 upgrade and Micrografx ABC
Graphics Suite together. This promotion is valid through August 31, 1996.
The second promotion gives customers a free Micrografx Windows Draw via a $40
mail-in rebate with the purchase of any Microsoft Value Pack at selected
retail locations, valid through July 1, 1996. Both promotions are designed
to provide an appealing value for purchasers of Micrografx and Microsoft
Windows 95-based products.
Retailers participating in the cooperative promotions include Best Buy,
Computer City, CompUSA, Egghead, Media Play, MicroCenter, Office Depot,
OfficeMax and many others. Reseller participation in the cooperative
promotions range from complete floor stack displays with ABC Graphics Suite
and Microsoft Office 95 combination packs at Computer City, to a full-page
OfficeMax ad in USA Today promoting the Windows Draw and Microsoft Value Pack
promotion.
"The combination of Microsoft Office and Micrografx's ABC Graphics Suite,
especially with a $100 rebate, is an excellent value for customers," said
Jon DeVaan, Vice President, Microsoft Office Product Unit. "Micrografx's
participation in the Office Compatible program enables them to provide
customers with a consistent Office user interface, integrated Office Binder
support, and an overall product that works seamlessly with Microsoft Office -
- this combination is advantageous to customers."
"By working together, Microsoft and Micrografx have been able to deliver
even more value to our retail customers," said Jim Hamilton, VP and General
Merchandising Manager with Computer City. "Their technology is tightly
integrated and they share a common group of customers. It just makes sense
to tie their quality products together and make the purchasing decision even
easier for the customer."
Micrografx Titles - A Perfect Fit with Office 95 and New Microsoft Value
Packs
The ABC Graphics Suite is an integrated offering of award-winning
diagramming, flowcharting, clipart management, painting, image editing, 3D
capabilities and drawing tools, all with an interface designed for Microsoft
Office 95. Micrografx ABC Graphics Suite provides unlimited creative
capabilities to PC users worldwide, by employing a "use what you know" SM
metaphor that helps Microsoft Office 95 users easily access Micrografx's
powerful tools to create, enhance and place graphics in a familiar,
productive setting. With an Office 95-based interface, multithreading
technology, Binder support and OLE 2.0 automation, ABC Graphics Suite is
tightly integrated with Office 95.
Windows Draw 4.0 is the fun, fast and friendly graphics software for home PCs
running Microsoft Windows 95. Offering powerful graphics capabilities that
are easy to use for non-artists, Windows Draw features pre-designed templates
and is packed with content, including clipart, fonts and photos.
"We continue to work with Microsoft to produce integrated products and
compelling marketing programs," said John Dearborn, vice president and
general manager of Micrografx's US Subsidiary. "Together, Micrografx and
Microsoft have designed win-win promotions with our Windows 95-based titles
for resellers and customers alike. We anticipate that the market will see the
clear value in these aggressive promotions."
Estimated retail prices of the products featured in the cooperative
promotions are: Microsoft Office 95 Standard CD-ROM upgrade - $299.00;
Microsoft Office 95 Professional CD-ROM upgrade - $399.00; Microsoft
Word/Publisher Value Pack - $129.00 and Home and Small Business Value Pack -
$249.00 with $40 mail-in rebate from Microsoft. Micrografx ABC Graphics Suite
Upgrade - $149.95; Windows Draw - $39.95 (special reduced price for promotion
at select accounts). Promotion offers are valid only in the U.S. and Canada.
Micrografx is the global leader in developing and marketing graphics software
which enhances visual communication and empowers creative expression.
Founded in 1982, Micrografx has become a leading software publisher by
responding quickly to customer and worldwide market needs. The company's
U.S. operations are based in Richardson, Texas with a development office
located in San Francisco. International subsidiaries are located in Canada,
the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia and
Japan.
# # #
Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of
Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
All other products mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective companies.
Atari Interactive - software/Jaguar/Computer Section
Dana Jacobson, Editor
From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
Spring is here, but from my vantage point, it hasn't sprung yet! Cold
and rainy weather in the northeast; and parts of the country that should be
sunny and warm have just received some snow (better them than us!). The
weather is depressing; and that's no mood for an editor to be in while
writing an editorial! Not much happening on the home front this week. So,
what I thought I'd do is reminisce and see what was happening at this time
last year.
ACE '95, the Toronto Atari show was about to be held, with a wide range
of exhibitors. It was a great show from all reports that I read. I wonder
if there will be an ACE '96... Atari was distancing themselves from the
computer market by selling off its parts inventory to Best Electronics.
Seems like an old habit is hard to kick; Atari recently sold Best most of its
hardware inventory some weeks back. This "sale" pretty much confirmed the
fact that Atari is completely out of the computer business.
Seemingly like the "different day, same old story...", there wasn't much
computing news this time last year, either. We'll be taking a ride down
memory lane from time to time, in this section and the Jaguar section, just
to see what's happened. There should be a number of interesting tidbits to
recall!
Until next time...
Jaguar Section
Atari 4th Quarter Financial Report!
VLM Revisited! Reviews on the Way!
Trip Down Memory Lane...
From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
Braindead 13 was supposed to come out this week, but apparently it's delayed
for another week or so. I guess these things just don't surprise the
longtime Jaguar community any longer.
It's been a quiet week here. The only exciting news was that I received a
large bundle from Atari containing a number of recent Jaguar releases. They
will be packaged and forwarded to anxious staff members this weekend and we
hope to have reviews for them in a few weeks. We're also still waiting on a
couple of reviews that seem to have vanished! So, theactivity in this forum
should pick up shortly with some long awaited reviews. It's been a bad year
so far for getting reviews in on time!
As I did in the computing section, I thought that since it's pretty quiet for
news this week, I'd take a look at what was happening this week a year ago
and reprint some of the material from that week. I read it all over earlier
this week, and was a little amazed.
At this time last year, there were 21 games available for the Jaguar,
including Cybermorph. The five "current" games for the Jaguar were Val
D'Isere Skiing & Snowboarding, Cannon Fodder, Syndicate, Troy Aikman
Football, and Theme Park. The JaguarCD hadn't been released yet. Acclaim
was signed on as a developer. The Jaguar's price was lowered to under $160!
And more. Let's take a look at yesteryear...
From STReport #1112:
From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is! (reprint)
You know, speculation can be entertaining, and devastating. We all know
that the Jaguar's CD-player and a group of games will be coming out soon.
Atari has been pretty open that there will be a CD pack-in, when the hardware
arrives. What's been amazing is that there have been numerous rumors trying
to figure out what game will come with the player. The comments, sometimes
heated, have been bandied about for months!
With the Jaguar, we got Cybermorph. Regardless of how you felt about
that game (I think it's great!), the game was included in the price of the
system. The same will hold true for the CD-player. So what if the game
might be Blue Lightning or Dragon's Lair, or something else? These are good
games, and good choices, for many. Users (and potential buyers) have stated
pros and cons about these possible games being included in the deal. You
can't please everybody, but like Cybermorph, you will please many.
There's one potential CD game being considered as the pack-in, among the
reported six to be available. That game is VidGrid. Many of you may not
know what this game is, so let me summarize it for you. VidGrid is
reminiscent of those "slider" puzzle games that we all have seen when we
were kids. You know the ones I mean. These are the flat, square plastic
toys that usually contained sliding tiles, usually fifteen (each one being
numbered 1 through 15), with one empty space allowing the player the ability
to slide each tile, one space at a time. The object of the game was to move
the tiles around so that you ended up with the tiles in numerical order: 1 -
4 on the top row, 5 - 8 on the second row, 9 - 12 on the third row, and 13 -
15 on the bottom row. This took some time and strategy to achieve, and it
was fun.
Well, the Jaguar will take this game into the 90's. Not only will you
have to move "tiles" around, but instead of numbers or letters, you'll have
to form a picture. Add to that is the fact that each "tile" has music
"attached" to it so that as the tiles are moved around, they'll also play
back a tune according to the order of the tiles. Some tiles will be facing
backwards, upside down, etc.; and the music will play accordingly. Who knows
what pictures will appear once you have them in order, but that's
unimportant at this point. The puzzle game sounds somewhat entertaining, but
not something I'd think I'd want as a leading-edge Jaguar 64-bit CD game.
What is important, and something that I think Atari needs to hear from
all of us, is that there hasn't been a single message online that gives me
the impression that anyone wants this game, regardless of the fact that it's
a free pack-in! Sure, I don't get online on every service available to me;
nor do I read every single message on those that I do. However, the messages
that I have seen have ALL been negative toward this game being possibly
considered as the pack- in.
This is not some like it, some don't kind of thing. This is the kind of
message that's saying: "I don't want it even if it's free!" Atari has to
listen to this feedback. VidGrid sounds like a no-brainer non-seller type of
game. It might be cute, and turn out to have some appeal for some once they
play it. However, it doesn't have the kind of appeal that could convince
me that this is the kind of game that I'd expect to see showing off the
Jaguar's CD capabilities.
I want the CD to show me the next generation of superb games. I want to
see great graphics, great game-play, and mind-boggling fun! I don't want
to see potential customers, or current users, see a CD game come out as the
pack-in that's been generating negative feedback BEFORE it's even out! Can
you imagine what kind of potential negativity will be generated once it's
out?
Atari: listen to the feedback on this potential disastrous decision.
Bring the game out, but let the customers give their feedback at the cash
register. To the users, I'd suggest that if you have bad vibes about this
game and the decision to possibly include it as the pack-in - let Atari know
about it. Drop them e-mail about it. If you want, send me your e- mail (at
dpj@delphi.com) and I'll pass it along to the right people, for you. Make
your voices heard.
As we learned once VidGrid appeared with the JaguarCD, it wasn't "as
bad" as we had heard. It was entertaining to a certain degree, but
certainly not a game that I would have gone out and bought. My thoughts from
a year ago still stand Atari should have packed in something a lot better!
Regarding the Acclaim news...
ATARI AND ACCLAIM JOIN FORCES IN
MAJOR SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
Sunnyvale, CA, March 22, 1995 -- Atari Corporation (ASE:ATC) and Acclaim
Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKLM) are proud to announce an agreement which
will bring the most popular contemporary video game titles to the 64-bit
Atari Jaguar Multimedia system. The new alliance includes three stellar
Acclaim titles that Atari will distribute:
* NBA Jam - Tournament Edition
- planned release: fourth quarter, 1995
* Frank Thomas 'Big Hurt' Baseball
- planned release: fourth quarter, 1995.
* The third title will be announced later this year for release in
early 1996.
Well, one out of three isn't too bad....
The price cut.....
ATARI ANNOUNCES MASS MARKET PRICE FOR 64-BIT JAGUAR
Sunnyvale. Calf. (March 21, 1995) -- Atari Corporation today announced that
the 64-Bit Jaguar Interactive Multimedia system will have a suggested retail
price of under $160. This Atari Jaguar system will be called the "64-Bit
Power Kit" and includes the Jaguar console, a controller, power adapter and
video cable (game cartridge not included). "64-Bit Power Kit" packages will
be specially marked to highlight the "Mega-Power, Maximum Value" that the new
price point represents.
...and now it's available in some stores for a sale price of $49.99,
regularly priced at $99. I paid _what_ two years ago...? <g>
Other newsbits from a year ago included an upcoming GEnie conference with
Jeff Minter as the guest; the Tempest 2000 audio CD was getting rave
reviews; Don Thomas' CATscan BBS was coming along nicely; and we were all
looking forward to the JaguarCD.
We'll have to reminisce a bit more .it's fun!
Until next time...
Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News!
ATARI CORPORATION ANNOUNCES RESULTS FOR THE YEAR
SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Atari Corporation (AMEX: ATC)
reported today its results for the year and fourth quarter ended December
31, 1995.
For the year ended 1995, NET SALES were $14.6 million compared to $38.7
million for the year ended 1994. The sales decrease was due to the poor
sales of Jaguar, the Company's 64-bit multi-media interactive entertainment
system, and related software. The Company reported a NET LOSS for 1995 of
$49.6 million compared to NET INCOME for 1994 of $9.4 million. The loss for
1995 is principally attributable to substantial writedowns of inventory and
software development costs as well as substantially lower sales for the
Jaguar and related software.
For the fourth quarter ended December 31, 1995, NET SALES were $2.8 million
compared to $14.9 million for the fourth quarter of 1994. The Company
reported a NET LOSS for the fourth quarter of 1995 of $27.7 million compared
to NET INCOME of $17.6 million in the fourth quarter of 1994. The income in
the fourth quarter of 1994 was primarily from licensing technology to Sega
Enterprises. The loss for the 1995 quarter is attributable to substantial
write downs of inventory and software development costs as well as
substantially lower sales for the Jaguar and related software.
PRELIMINARY FIRST QUARTER NEWS
In the first quarter of 1996, the Company sold the remaining balance of its
holdings in a publicly traded security, and realized a gain of $6.1 million.
Sales of Jaguar in the first quarter of 1996 continue to be poor. The
Company, in late 1995, reduced the price of the Jaguar to $99.95 and is
presently test marketing different price points and software bundles for the
Jaguar in an attempt to sell its inventory of such products. The Company has
also substantially reduced its workforce and curtailed its sales and
marketing and research and development activities.
ATARI CORPORATION AND JTS CORPORATION TO MERGE
On February 13, 1996, Atari Corporation and JTS Corporation announced plans
to merge the two companies. JTS is a manufacturer of personal computer hard
disk drives. "This merger puts us in a great position to capitalize an a
very experienced management team and a rapidly growing disk drive market.
JTS is using innovative technology, particularly in the 3" disk drive
market, and we are excited about its prospects," said Jack Tramiel, Chairman
of Atari. Under the terms of the agreement, the new corporation will
operate under the name of JTS Corporation and the officers of JTS will
become the officers of the merged company. The Atari entertainment business
and the JTS disk drive business will operate as separate divisions of the new
merged company.
In connection with the merger Atari has extended a bridge loan to JTS in the
amount of $25 million. In the event that the merger is not consummated, the
bridge loan may be convertible into shares of JTS Series A Preferred Stock at
the option of Atari or JTS and subject to certain conditions.
As a result of the transaction, Atari stockholders will hold approximately
60% of the outstanding shares of the new company following the merger. The
transaction is structured to qualify as a tax-free reorganization and will be
accounted for as a purchase.
The boards of directors of Atari and JTS have approved the definitive merger
agreement. The merger is subject to certain shareholder and regulatory
approvals and other conditions to closing. It is anticipated that the
transaction will close toward the end of the second calendar quarter of
1996.
Atari Corporation markets Jaguar, the only American made, advanced 64-bit
entertainment system, and licenses and markets software in the multi-
platform, multimedia market. Atari is located in Sunnyvale, California.
The above statements regarding the disk drive industry and JTS' prospects are
forward looking statements and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.
Among the factors that would cause actual results to differ materially are
the following: business conditions and growth in the portable computer
industry and in the general economy; competitive factors, including pricing
pressures; availability of components from third parties; risks associated
with manufacturing of products in India or other overseas jurisdictions and
risks associated with JTS' ability to ramp its manufacturing operations,
including cost and yield issues.
ATARI CORPORATION
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(in thousands, except per share)
Quarter Ended Twelve Months
Ended
Dec. 31, 1995 Dec. 31, 1994
Dec. 31, 1995 Dec. 31, 1994
Net Sales $ 2,801 $ 14,921 $ 14,626 $
38,748
Operating Income (loss) $(29,816) $(12,595)
$(53,665) $(24,047)
Exchange Gain (loss) 15 (5) 13
1,184
Other Income (Expense) Net 1,543 77
2,670 484
Settlement of Patent Litigation -- 29,812
-- 32,062
Interest Income Net Of
Interest (Expense) 28 316 824
(289)
Income (Loss) Before
Extraordinary Credit $(28,230) $ 17,605
$(50,158) $ 9,394
Extraordinary Credit - gain on
extinguishment of convertible
subordinated debentures $ 535 $ -- $
582 $ --
Net Income (loss) $(27,695) $ 17,605
$(49,576) $ 9,394
Earnings Per Common and
Equivalent Share:
Income (loss) before
extraordinary credit $ (0.44) $ 0.30 $
(0.79) $ 0.16
Net Income (loss) $ (0.43) $ 0.30 $
(0.78) $ 0.16
Weighted Average number of
shares used in computation 63,686 59,460
63,697 58,962
-0- 3/15/96
/CONTACT: Jack Tramiel of Atari Corporation, 408-328-0900/(ATC)
Jaguar Cheats, & Hints STR InfoFile - Solving Those Riddles!
From the Internet, via CompuServe's Video Gaming Forums, comes this note
regarding VLM codes:
I stayed up till 4AM last night playing with the VLM effect editing mode. It
is without a doubt staggeringly cool. In case you missed it, it's press
1+3+*+0. It seems that sometimes you have to do hold all those down and
press A also. You will see the Spectrum/Trigger screen. Then press down a
bunch of times, or press up then down 8 times to get to the edit screen.
After that your mind will be blown.
You will be able to edit the effect you are currently looking at. If you do
the code while in VLM control mode (VLM logo right side up) you will edit
effect 1-3 because 1-3 is the first part of the code. So put in a CD with
fewer than 13 tracks and do the code while in CD control mode (i.e. the VLM
logo is upside down) to edit any effect.
When editing an effect it is easier to see what you are doing if you turn the
digital video feedback off (set the window size to nothing) while you are
editing the other parts of the effect. I have not been able to figure out
how to change the effect types. I.e. if there are "(Empty)" slots in the
effects list, how do you put other stuff in there? Or how do you change
"Spectrum as intensities" to "draw a ring of pixels"? I wonder if you can
change that or if it's all hard coded. I didn't try real hard so maybe there
is some simple way to change it. Also, I have not been able to figure out
how to change the waveforms to different types. I.e. a ramp is always a ramp
and "User Control X" is always that. How do you change these to something
else? Can you make an effect without user control into a controllable
effect?
Other than those limitations, you can change just about everything. E.g. let
the Joypad control the digital video feedback rotation instead of changing
the scale, edit the sine waves etc. Many of the default effects that I
thought were not that great can be edited to be really nifty. It is amazing
how many possibilities there are. Just playing around I made some really
unique effects. Please, please Jeff, make a cartridge that will let me save
my effects and accept external audio input!
In the attach waveform screen, is the lower row of waveforms supposed to be
the trigger values? I think so, but the user interface is weird to set
those.
When you edit an effect it stays that way until you change banks (not just
change effects, it seems, so perhaps you can have up to 9 custom effects
"saved") or turn off the Jag.
Also I think I crashed my Jag a few times while editing. But a restart
cleared it up, no biggie.
If any of this info is wrong, please let me know, and if you figure something
else out, please post it!
Thank you thank you Jeff Minter for this truly awesome piece of software! It
was worth it to buy a Jag CD just for VLM... but a VLM that you can edit is
simply beyond cool....
Drew
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. Another week has slipped by us just as all
the others have. There is one small difference with this one though: It
marks the beginning of spring. Yes, that marker of pagan festivals, the
vernal equinox, has come again to turn those stick-figure trees into full,
green, fragrant bastions of primal life. A bit too poetic perhaps? I think
not. Just think for a moment about the life that trees make possible. Their
leaves provide us with cooling shade, the birds who nest in them brighten
our days with their colors and songs. Heck, even the squirrels who leap so
easily from tree to tree and amuse us with their on-the-ground antics seem
to have been put there for our enjoyment.
Yes, spring is a wondrous time of the year. What does this have to do with
the state of the Atari Community? Absolutely nothing... Enjoy it while you
can. It's not often that I pass up a chance to take swipes at other
platforms and extol the virtues of our favorite computer. Hey, maybe we've
just discovered ANOTHER sign of spring. <grin>
So, now that that's over, let's take a look at what other folks are talking
about here on CompuServe.
From the Atari Computing forums
On the subject of emulating the ST on either a PC or Mac, Bill Anderson
posts:
"Well, no matter how good the emulator, there are the inevitable
incompatibilities. The best emulation I ever saw was "Spectre". Too bad
Apple decided to get nasty and sue Gadgets out of business, which is why
development ceased. It would have been nice to see it running System 7 on a
TT or Falcon. Personally, I find it quite handy to have more than one system
running. I figure I'll stay put until there is something I must do which
can't be done with what I have. Hence, the reason for Magic Mac on a
PowerBook...portability! I just found a pretty good deal on 8 megs. of ST RAM
for the TT. There's a guy near Dallas who is modifying 2 meg boards to 8, at
a more reasonable price than full retail. I think B&C is doing the same
thing. Skipping back to my first paragraph, I'd probably still be using the
old 8-bit, if I hadn't decided I needed to do CADD stuff! I wonder how well
running OS2 or NT, etc. on a PPC works? Have you heard anything?"
Okay, it's test time... how many of you can pick out the error? Sysop Keith
Joins did. He tells Bill:
"Apple never did anything to Dave or Gadgets. Dave sued a chip manufacturer
due to their alleged failure to manufacture the chip according to specs and
lost the suit. The resulting costs forced GBS into bankruptcy."
Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer Online Magazine adds:
"Apple was not involved in the lawsuit with Gadgets. It was a different
company involved in that suit."
Bill tells Keith and Albert:
"OOOOPS! Thanks for setting me straight!... Sorry for the misunderstanding.
Thanks for setting the record straight."
Tom Benedik asks:
"Why can I not find spectrum 512 anywhere so that I can download it."
Sysop Bob Retelle tells Tom:
"Spectrum-512 was a commercial product, and thus unless it has been
specifically released into the public domain it's still covered under
copyright laws. Unfortunately this same situation covers most Atari ST
software. Unless you can find a copy still on the shelf at an Atari
software dealer, it may be very difficult to obtain. Because of the legal
status of most of these older programs, we can't have them available for
downloading... sorry..!"
Robert Aries asks:
"I'm wondering if someone with knowledge of the inner workings of serial
ports, communications protocols, and CIS could help me out... I'm using
Flash (original vintage) and a 14.4 modem to access CIS. Everything works OK
except for file transfers. Xmodem works OK but is slow. I used to use Quick-
B with my older 2400 baud modem with no problem. Now, with baud rate at
19200, in Vidtex mode (which the Flash manual says I have to be in to do
Quick-B), and my settings at 8-E-1, transfers with Q-B are iffy.
When downloading, most of the time the process hangs after two or three
blocks. I try again and sometimes it works, sometimes not. Sometimes it
actually works the first time! With a successful download, the first 4 or 5
blocks have pauses between them, then the rest come in much faster. When I
upload, the first 12 or so blocks go quickly; the rest of the file is
uploaded kind of "jerkily", with some significant pauses between blocks.
Uploading, even with the pauses, always works; downloading is what can fail.
I do have the SERIALFIX program, but something tells me that it doesn't apply
to my old 520st; in any case, it doesn't seem to affect things (I've had the
same problems with the modem port set to "lock" or "unlock"). The modem was
originally bought for my Mac, and does have hardware handshaking. I checked
my homemade modem cable and the correct pins are connected. I've also tried
other comm settings (8-N-1) with the same results.
Any thoughts, ideas, tips, hints, etc, are most welcome! In general, I
really prefer Flash I to Z-Term on my Mac; it's much faster when cruising
the forums. I initially had a problem with Flash's input buffer overflowing
but I wrote a small program to increase the buffer size to 32K and that
solved it."
Sysop Jim Ness tells Robert:
"I think there is a successor to SERIALFIX which is better yet. Check
library 2 here. A command like: BRO KEY:SERIAL should work."
Meanwhile, Dan Parrish tells Robert:
"A couple of thoughts. First with your modem being for a Mac you may be
running into a problem as I have with my Supra modem being shared between my
Falcon and my wife's Mac. Which is there is a seperate Mac modem correction
protocol that is different from standard PC modem protocol. The Falcon (and
I assume) your 520 use PC modem correction. Since the Supra is a Hayes
compatible I can activate either by using the &F1 (Mac) or &F2 (PC) command
in the initialization AT string. You may need to download the HSMODEM patch
program that is located in the library (I believe that is where I got it).
But mostly I would recommend upgrading to Flash II. Finally, the Modem
setting I have to use for Compuserve is 8-N-1."
Mark Kelling adds:
"I had the same problems when I moved up to a 14.4 modem with my Mega 4 ST.
I solved it by installing HSMODEM (available online here) and never had
problems since. One benefit of HSMODEM over SERIALFIX is that it allows you
to set the buffer size for the RS-232 line. I set mine to 32K download and
0.1K upload [they are two separate buffers]. (Probably overkill on the
download side, but why not? ;-)
What is actually happening with your ST is that at 14.4 baud the data flow
floods the standard size RS-232 buffer before flow control can react and
stop it. The jerkiness you notice on uploads is the ST missing the ACK
signal from CIS so it waits and usually gets it the second time around. The
download troubles are the buffer contents getting garbled by overwriting
before the ST can retrieve the data successfully. So the CRC error checking
thinks the data got scrambled on the phone line and keeps asking for a
retransmission until CIS cancels. Faster ST's, like the Falcon or TT, have
fewer problems like these since they process data faster and can fetch the
buffer before it gets rewritten."
Robert Grode asks another modem-related question:
"I'm in desperate need of the setup strings for a USRobotics 14,400 Sportster
Fax/Modem for an Atari STe and also the correct, or best, fixes for RTS/CTS
for the serial port. Can anyone help me?"
Sysop Bob Retelle tells Robert:
"The serial fix program you should look for in our libraries is called
HSMODEM. I've seldom had to change anything in my modem setups from the
normal factory defaults, other than possibly turning on verbose result
messages to make my communications program work properly. With CompuServe
you can leave error correction and compression turned on (most modems
default this way). If you've been having problems, the serial fix patch
should help a great deal."
Some of you may remember that our friend BJ Gleason, Portfolio programming
genius, is now overseas teaching computer enlightenment to our men and women
in the armed services. Every once in a while BJ sends out an "On the road
to..." kind of letter to friends and associates via the Internet. Here's his
latest installment:
"Well, since people have been asking for it...
I finally got signed off to Fly in Korea. Two check rides for the aero club,
and I am on my own. However, once they signed me off, they closed the
runway for 2 weeks.... are they trying to send me a message?
Just spend a long weekend on the east coast of Korea, near MT Soraksan with
my yodachingo (that's Korean for girlfriend)... Sometimes it is easy to
forget that you are living in a country that is technically in a state of
war, and that we are less than 10 miles from the front. We stayed in a very
nice hotel on the beach, and I got into a lot of trouble. It seems as if
everybody knows (except me) that you are not supposed to walk on the beaches
after sunset. The beaches (clear, sandy white beaches, clear blue water)
are blocked off with barb wire, and there are guard towers with spotlights.
The hotels all have access to the beaches, but they have bright lights that
shine on the beaches at night (to watch for invaders), there are also light
ships of the coast that shine to the beaches for the same reasons. From the
hotel room, the sight is quite pretty... you can see the beach and the waves
all night long. It was so pretty, and such a nice windy night, I decided to
take a walk on the beach about 8:30 or so... I walked out onto a beautifully
raked lawn, with no footsteps but my own (They rake the beaches to check for
infiltrators in the morning)... (I should point out I found out all this
stuff later)... I walked down to the water, and then I headed to the rocks
, and climb up them. I was standing there, the beach lights behind me, the
light ships off in the distance, looking at the stars, listening to the waves
crash on the rocks... when all of a sudden, I was hit by what felt like a
million candle watt search light. I almost fell of the rocks.. needless to
say, I was taken by surprise. I was blinded by the beam, and put my hands
up to shade my eyes (which turned out to be the right move... my other
instinct, to duck behind the rocks, would have been the WRONG move)... I
stood there for a moment, waiting for something - guards, yelling, gunfire,
etc... instead, the beam moved to my left. Then back on me, then to the
left. It was waving me to the shore. I got off the rocks, and started
walking back to the hotel, pausing for a minute to see if they wanted me to
wait once I was back on the beach, but instead, the searchlight pointed to
the door of the hotel that I had left a few minutes ago. As I walked to the
door, the searchlight left me, scanned the beach again, and then went out.
After my eyes adjusted, I went to the door... only to find it was locked.
In the 15 minutes or so that I had been out, the hotel had closed, locked
and chained the doors. The hotel is huge, easily 4 football fields in
length, and I was in the middle. I walked to the side only to find...
barbed wire blocking off the alley to the front of the hotel... you have to
go through the hotel... so I walk to the other side of the hotel, and on my
way, I saw a door to the kitchen for the Japanese steak house, and it was
open, so I entered that way (A handy tip for invading hordes!), and went back
to my room....
My classes start on Monday, three classes, with 15+ students in each. My
bosses are very happy with me... so happy, that they want me to stay in
Korea for another year. So it looks like I'm staying... Meanwhile, I find
out that people who screw up are circulated from base to base, country to
country to see if there is a place that they can fit in.... me... I'm doing
such a good job, they keep me here. Oh well...
I'm having a good time... I bought a car... a Daewoo Lamans for 500 dollars
(used from a friend)... I had to take a Korean drivers exam which appeared
to be the ability to identify a butterfly at 50 feet with one eye closed
(honest)... the DMV was fairly efficient despite the crowd, and we were in
and out in an hour. My photo is interesting... I sat in the chair, and I
was too tall, so they had be kneel on the floor, and I was a bit too short...
so they posed me in a very bizarre position on the chair to get me into
frame... Oh.. Korean insurance? 384 dollars a year for the standard
coverage...
I probably told you that I moved into the new apartment upstairs after the
guy above me moved out, and the landlord redid the place... It is much
nicer, and I feel that I can easily do another 18 months in this place. The
weather has been quite mild recently, and quite sunny most days... spring
seems to finally be in the air... of course, next week spring ends, and
summer begins...
I was visited by some people from American University! Loren and Jesse and a
few other students came to Seoul for a conference on AI... I took them
about some, and we had a very good time... It was good to hear that things
are going well in the states... Also, while it is still a while off, I am
booked on a trip to the Antarctic in December... Down to Tierra del Fuego,
then by boat to Antarctica... you'll hear more about that later...
Looks like I will be back in the USA for a week or two in late July... I'll
be in NJ, DC, and possibly a trip to Arizona (long, long story)... I'd like
to see as many of you as possible, so let me know if you will be about...
Well... enough for now... keep those cards and letters coming!
Your man in Seoul,
bj gleason"
Well folks, that's it for now. Tune in again next time, same time, same
station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
EDITORIAL QUICKIES
Self Serving, Squeaky Wheels don't ALWAYS
get the GREASE.
More OFTEN than not, they get the GATE!
.A Word to the Wise.
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STR OnLine! "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" March 22, 1996
Since 1987 Copyrightc1996 All Rights Reserved Issue No. 1212
