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Silicon Times Report Issue 1229
Silicon Times Report
The Original Independent OnLine Magazine"
(Since 1987)
July 19, 1996 No. 1229
Silicon Times Report International OnLine Magazine
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STR Electronic Publishing Inc.
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R.F. Mariano, Editor
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07/19/96 STR 1229 The Original Independent OnLine Magazine!
- CPU Industry Report - Hayes CUTS Prices - Corel Office Pro 7
- SysOp Sues Ohio Sheriff - Gov't Oks Encryption - PBell MMedia
- Seagate makes Jaz Carts - CompuServe 3.0 - FCC Rejects Telsat
- AT&T Cell-Net Phone - People Talking - Jagwire
MSNBC Goes Live Today
Block to Sell CompuServe Stock
House Vote to Move Against RSI
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Florida Lotto - LottoMan v1.35
Results: 7/13/96: 1 of 6 numbers
From the Editor's Desk...
Its sad to see the Summer Olympics associated with the horror of TWA's
flight 800. Or, is it? Perhaps, its going to take just such images of
horror to kick Pena's Department of Transportation and the FAA in the pants
and wake them up. Its fairly obvious that these agencies of the Federal
Government has forgotten their real purpose and reason for being in
existence. Plainly put, its to protect the US Constitution and loyally serve
the Citizens and Taxpayers of the United States of America. While there are
other agencies equally if not more negligent. the FAA has indirectly
become responsible for more deaths in the last two years than most State
Crime Rates. There.. its been said and its been needing to be said for quite
some time. The major press organizations in the USA have, in recent times,
become really lame in associating the causes and effects of major problems.
Who or, better yet.. what are they afraid of? The FAA, FDA, EPA, DOA, DOE to
name but a few have truly become LAME DUCK Agencies who are in desperate need
of complete overhaul from the very top to the very bottom. These agencies
are costing far too many lives.
From Flight Controller Morale, Aircraft Maintenance and Inspection to Up
to Date Airport Explosive Detection Devices the FAA has exhibited severe
dereliction of duty and responsibility. Its fairly obvious the FAA has been
loyal ONLY to BIG Business and not the Citizens and Taxpayers.
For example;
ú why is it the maintenance and procedural problems of a cutthroat airline
were not sufficient to ground them? Perhaps because the FAA was concerned
they'd have to ground too many other, fine upstanding airlines for the very
same problems.
ú why is it all the major European Airports.. all gateways to the world
and the USA, have the very latest in high tech bomb and explosive detection
equipment which incidentally, is designed and made in the USA and the USA's
major Airports; Kennedy, LaGuardia, O'Hare etc.. do not?
ú why is it that even after the Laws were passed several years ago
requiring the very latest in bomb detection devices be installed in all major
US Airports it has not been complied with?
The FAA is charged with enforcing all of the above. Its fairly obvious,
by the constant procession of tragedy upon tragedy, they have not done their
job. Instead, the FAA offers lame excuses of having made the effort through
spending of millions of dollars testing the detection devices at few and
select Airports. They concluded that the detection devices created undo
delays and were "unreliable". Seems they (the detection devices made in the
USA) work rather well in the European Airports. Could it be that BIG
BUSINESS, the US Airline Industry, is being catered to rather than the US
Citizens whose safety is the SOLE Responsibility of the FAA?? It's time the
FAA was made fully aware that the majority of the US population are not
easily fooled any longer and that the FAA's double talk time is up. The FAA
must be completely re-organized and mandated to serve the US Citizen's
interests.. not the Airports, Airlines or any other lobbied, money making
enterprise.
Since the relaxation of inspection and enforcement procedures of ALL the
Federal Safety Agencies began, during the Reagan Administration and been
taken to the profit oriented extreme through the Bush Administration and now
with the lopsided, heavily Republican Congress and Senate, US Citizens have
been subjected to indescribably horrific hazards in the name of free
enterprise and profit.
For example;
ú Flaming GM Trucks, Bad Chrysler Door Latches, Flaming Ford Ignition
Switches, etc..
ú Poisonous Food, Hamburgers killing Children, Raspberries from South
America, Chicken, Beef loaded with antibodies and growth hormones..
ú Contaminated Drinking Water in almost every State in the Union.
ú Cereals and Grains for sale on the shelves of the Nation's supermarkets
with "USDA allowable" contamination of insect body parts, rodent traces hair,
feces, etc..
ú Processed meat products contain ground up animal parts never thought of
being edible also "USDA allowable"
ú fresh produce permeated with all sorts of preservative chemicals, color
dye enhancements and plant growth stimulants on sale all across the country.
ú Atomic waste dumps and hazardous waste sites still exist and more are
allowed every year.
ú gasoline seepage from leaking storage tanks in gas stations all across
the nation are leaking their poisons into the ground and water tables.
Ultimately, finding its way into the food chain.
ú sewage and caustic chemical dumping into the open ocean in the New York
- New Jersey area. often called "The Stain" or Acid Waters by local
fishermen. Stunned acid filled baitfish provide easy forage for Bluefish
which the fishermen catch and either bring to market or home for dinner.
These are but a few of the more serious examples of just how the various
US Agencies charged with keeping the citizens of the USA safe from harm have
not served the taxpayers and citizens. Instead they have dutifully served
big business and big business interests.
Are you upset yet?? If not you should be. In fact, enough to write or
call your congressional rep your senate rep and the white house.. Let these
"representatives of the people" know we want them to represent us not resent
us!
Ralph...
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R.F. Mariano J. Deegan D. P. Jacobson
Portable Computers & Entertainment Kid's Computing Corner
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STReport Headline News
LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
MSNBC Goes Live Today (July 15)
This is the launch day for MSNBC, the NBC-Microsoft Corp. 24-hour, all-news
cable network that also is wedded to the Internet's World Wide Web. Going up
against Ted Turner's 16-year-old Cable News Network, MSNBC will air 14 hours
of original programming, including a prime-time newscast anchored by NBC's
chief White House correspondent Brian Williams and "InterNight," a news-talk
show with NBC News stars as alternate hosts.
Television writer Scott Williams of The Associated Press notes President
Clinton is the first guest of "InterNight," interviewed by NBC News anchor
Tom Brokaw and answering questions from callers on a toll- free phone, and
from e-mail sent to the MSNBC Net site (reached at Web address
http://msnbc.com).
"As of late Friday," says Williams, "more than 52,000 'hits' had contacted
the site to post questions, a network spokesman said. Visitors got to point-
and-click on their highest priority of six 'issues' -- crime, healthcare,
presidential character, etc. -- and frame an e-mail question in 20 words or
less." MSNBC officials say text, graphics, downloadable video segments and
instantaneous links to other web sites will supplement the TV information
and eventually technology will permit real-time video and high-fidelity
sound.
AP says MSNBC is expected to debut in 22.5 million homes "and on the Web in
uncounted numbers," entering a competition which Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
vows to enter this year. Is there money to be made by marrying TV and the
Net? "You'll look back in five years," says media analyst Larry Gerbrandt of
Paul KaganAssociates in Carmel, California, "and say either they were way too
far ahead of their time, or they were extraordinarily prescient."
Meanwhile, Martin Wolk of the Reuter News Service notes that for Microsoft,
"the interest is not so much television as news, seen as a crucial component
of the emerging Internet world, in which content is king." Bill Bass of
Forrester Research told Reuters, "Having an all-news channel to feed a web
site is pretty dang close to being essential if you're not The New York
Times or the Wall Street Journal."
And it will be interesting to see how NBC and Microsoft work together. "At
the very least," says Wolk, "there is a vast cultural gap between the button-
downed journalists in NBC's humming New Jersey newsroom and the more casually
dressed Webmasters ensconced on Microsoft's carefully groomed suburban campus
near Seattle." Adds Mark Mooradian of Jupiter Communications, "The potential
is certainly there for conflict. It's the entertainment world vs. the
technology world, and all of those relationships have never gone swimmingly."
Clinton Encryption Plan Outlined
A White House proposal aimed at encouraging use of strong data-scrambling
software is drawing fire from some computer executives who criticize it for
not going far enough. Reporting from Washington, Scott Ritter of the Dow
Jones news service quotes Clinton administration officials as saying the move
aims to let U.S. computer companies better compete in the international
marketplace. Current U.S. policy, much maligned by domestic technology
companies, prohibits the export of strong encryption technology.
However, as Associated Press writer Jeannine Aversa points out, the proposal
to liberalize export rules for high-tech coding devices that keep phone calls
and computer messages private still comes with an important condition: The
exporters must assure the U.S. government that it has a system in which a
third party - perhaps a bank or insurance company -- would hold an electronic
"key" to unlock the secure communications.
Says a White House statement, "The framework will ensure that everyone who
communicates or stores information electronically can protect his or her
privacy from prying eyes and ears as well as theft of, or tampering with,
their data." But, says Phil Zimmermann, the creator of a widely used e-mail
encryption software called Pretty Good Privacy, "This is warmed-over
Clipper. It's a Faustian deal."
(The so-called Clipper Chip was a 1993 Clinton proposal that was met with
widespread opposition from the industry and privacy rights advocates. The
Clipper, and later versions of the policy, sought to put the code- cracking
key in the hands of a third party.) Notes DJ's Ritter, "The idea is to allow
law enforcement officials access to scrambled data if they suspect
wrongdoing. Indeed, law enforcement and national security concerns have been
the basis for limiting the export of strong encryption technology. The latest
proposal keeps the key escrow system intact."
Says the White House statement, "Trusted private sector parties will verify
digital signatures and also will hold spare keys to confidential data."
Aversa note many computer industry groups oppose any form of "key" proposal,
saying that anything short of an outright lifting of export restrictions will
do little to help American companies that are losing billions each year in
potential sales abroad. Zimmermann told AP, "The industry is real desperate
to get the export controls lifted. So the government is using that to sell"
its proposal. "These are the same policies we have seen before, with new
spin."
GOP presidential hopeful Bob Dole also criticized the proposal, saying the
White House is "trying to play catch up" with his longtime calls for
liberalizing export controls on encrypted products. "Today's announcement is
nothing but politics," he told AP. Under the new White House proposal, a
company still would have to obtain a license to export encryption
technology, except the company would get permission from the Commerce
Department instead of the State Department, which now exercises primary
control.
"Current policy permits companies to export encryption devices with
electronic key lengths of up to 40 bits," Aversa notes. "Devices with a high
number of bits are stronger and harder to decode." Vice President Al Gore
said administration officials will continue to work with the industry to
refine the policy before making a recommendation to Clinton this fall.
Gore's aides said that if Clinton approves, much of the policy can be
implemented by the administration on its own, though Congress would have to
approve another provision under consideration -- creating civil and criminal
penalties for individuals or companies that misuse the electronic "key."
Feds OK Netscape Encryption
The federal government has approved Netscape Communications Corp.'s plan to
distribute its most powerful encryption software to-date to U.S. citizens
over the Internet. Writing in The Wall Street Journal this morning,
reporter Joan Indiana Rigdon says Netscape will "automatically check the
country and Internet address of everyone who wants to download the software
so it can deny downloads to people from other countries."
In addition, she reports, Netscape "will use a database to help verify the
names and addresses of people who want to download the software and ask them
to sign affidavits affirming that they are U.S. citizens." The Journal says
the State Department wants Netscape to screen requests because it fears
foreign terrorists or criminals could use the software to threaten national
security.
Of course, Netscape concedes that even with this screening, foreign nationals
could find away to download the software. Says Jeff Treuhaft, Netscape's
director of security, "We're not saying (the screening) is guaranteed or
perfect. We're saying we have written approval from the government" to
distribute the software using these precautions.
He added this is the first step toward getting approval to export the
software to anyone, including foreigners. As reported, Netscape previously
could send the powerful, 128-bit version to customers only by mail. "U.S.
citizens who wanted to download the software over the Internet had to settle
for the same version that foreignnationals could get, a weaker 40-bit
version, which has been cracked by hackers," Rigdon writes. The Journal says
the 128-bit encryption software is based on technology from RSA Data Security
Inc. and "requires 309 septillion more times computing power to break the
encryption code than Netscape's 40-bit version."
Privacy Rating System Unveiled
A voluntary privacy rating system for the World Wide Web has been unveiled by
a group of companies doing business on the Internet and the Electronic
Frontier Foundation. The non-profit group, called eTrust (reached at Web
address http:/www.etrust.org), will license logos to Web sites designating
how much privacy an individual surrenders on a particular site.
Aaron Pressman of the Reuter News Service says the group also is considering
hiring an auditor who would monitor sites carrying the logos to prevent the
illicit collection of private data. Pressman comments, "Mounting privacy
concerns about the Internet, where an individual's movements across the Web
can be tracked, catalogued and used for potentially invasive market
research, may be stifling the development of online commerce."
EFF Director Lori Fena says, "The eTrust project is an effort to increase the
level of trust between merchants and consumers in public networks, and
especially on the Internet. We are not making a judgment about the need or
desire to collect information. Rather, we are promoting full disclosure to
individuals about how and where that information will be used."
Firms involved in the effort "are very anxious to begin to address the trust
issue online and to up the standards of business practices and security in
our industry and in our market," said Charles Jennings, president of
Portland Software. "Once we do raise the standards, we'll have a way of
quickly communicating our practices to the consumer."
Reuters notes whenever an individual uses software such as Netscape
Communications Corp.'s Navigator to visit a Web site, the site can collect
information about the individual, including where else on the Web that
individual has visited. Meanwhile, some Web users have developed other means
of preserving the privacy of web surfers. For instance, at a site called
Anonymizer (http:/www.anonymizer.com), Web users can block the inadvertent
transmission of information from their browsing software by first visiting
the group's Web site. "The site includes a page that reads and displays from
each Web surfer some of the specific information about that surfer that can
be inadvertently transmitted," Pressman says.
Clinton Favors TV Proposal
Word is the Clinton Administration's technology advisors are siding with
broadcasters and consumer electronics makers over major computer companies
in endorsing the broadcasters' preferred technology format as the standard
for the next generation of television. According to the Dow Jones news
service, Clinton officials have rejected arguments by Microsoft Corp., Apple
Computer Inc. and other companies -- including Compaq Computer Corp., Dell
Computer Corp. and Intel Corp. -- that contend the standard favored by
broadcasters and manufacturers embraces technology that is already outdated.
The wire service notes the companies also say government approval will
inhibit innovation and drive up costs to consumers, as the distinction
between personal computers and TV sets blurs. Meanwhile, The New York Times
this morning quoted letters to the chairman of the Federal Communications
Commission and to the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy
in which a senior Commerce Department expert argued for quick adoption of
the standard favored by the alliance of broadcasters and manufacturers.
Students Claim E-Mail Fraud
A student in China contends she lost an $18,000 scholarship to the University
of Michigan because her roommate sent an electronic mail response rejecting
the grant. Reporting from Beijing, United Press International says Xue
Yange maintains she missed a "chance-of-a-lifetime opportunity" to study in
the U.S., and so she has filed "an unprecedented suit alleging 'e-mail abuse'"
against Zhang Nan, who denied the accusation.
UPI reports Xue, a psychology student seeking a master's degree at Beijing
University, told the Haidian District People's Court the university
subsequently awarded the money to another candidate. Both Xue and Zhang are
due to graduate this summer and use the same e-mail address as Zhang's tutor.
Says UPI, "During the court hearing reported by the official Xinhua news
agency, Xue said she received an e-mail message in early April informing her
she had been selected for the coveted scholarship. While waiting for a formal
notice, Xue said she was informed April 27 that an e-mail in her name had
been sent to the school declining the scholarship in order to attend another
university."
Xue, who asked the court for $1,807 in compensation for her "spiritual loss
and suffering," told the court the University of Michigan was the only
American college that promised her a scholarship. UPI quotes Xue as saying
she immediately suspected Zhang of composing the rejection because the
grammar markedly resembled Zhang's. "Zhang admitted she sent three e-mails
from the university laboratory April 12," the wire service says. "Although
one of them was sent to a friend four minutes before the e-mail to the
university, Zhang insisted she did not write or send the message rejecting
the scholarship. She read one of the letters to the court in an attempt to
show there was no similarity in the grammar." Meanwhile, Zhang told Xinhua
she plans to file a suit against Xue for "defaming my reputation by making
the allegations." The court has not yet reached a verdict in the case.
Ohio BBS Users Sue Sheriff
A $60 million civil rights class action has been brought against the
Cincinnati, Ohio, sheriff and a crime task force by some 6,000 subscribers
to a local computer bulletin board system. Lawyer Scott Greenwood has told
United Press International the suit against Hamilton County Sheriff Simon
Leis and the Regional ComputerCrimes Task Force is the nation's "first-ever
class that's been certified in a computer-related case."
Greenwood said he is in the process of notifying subscribers to the
Cincinnati Computer Connection by electronic mail, postal mail and through
an Internet World Wide Web home page. UPI says the suit claims Leis and
other task force officials violated First Amendment rights to free speech and
Fourth Amendment rights to freedom from unreasonable seizure last year when
computers and peripheral equipment -- including hard drives containing
personal mail - were confiscated from the home of bulletin board operator Bob
Emerson in Batavia, Ohio.
The lawyer compared the raid to seizing all the mail at a post office in an
effort to locate one allegedly illegal package, adding, "It is not a
cyberporn case (although) Mr. Leis thinks it is." As reported earlier, the
task force took 25 computers from Emerson's home as part of its investigation
into the transmission of computer pornography. The task force is comprised of
officers from Leis' office and officials from the Cincinnati and Kenton
County, Ky., police departments. UPI says the suit is expected to go to
trial next spring.
Chinese Student Stands by Suit
Despite assurance from the U.S. university that the offer still stands, a
Chinese student is declining to drop a suit against her roommate for
allegedly sending an e-mail in her name declining a U.S. scholarship. In
Beijing, attorney Chen Qiang, representing student Xue Yange, told United
Press International that China's first court case involving the Internet "is
a good example" of how it can be abused.
As reported earlier, Xue contended she lost an $18,000 scholarship to the
University of Michigan because her roommate sent an electronic mail response
rejecting the grant. Now through her attorney she tells UPI's Ruth
Youngblood she is elated the University of Michigan still is granting her the
scholarship, but hopeful others won't suffer similar ordeals in cyberspace.
Attorney Chen told the wire service, "A verdict is expected any day, and
we're confident of winning the case." As noted, the 29-year-old Xue told the
Haidian District People's Court she received an e-mail message from the
University of Michigan in early April notifying her she had won the
scholarship. But, while waiting for a formal notice, Xue said she learned on
April 27 the university had subsequently received a message saying she was
declining the scholarship to attend another school.
She shared the same e-mail address as her roommate Zhang Nan and Zhang's
tutor and filed suit accusing 25- year-old Zhang of sending the e-mail
rejection. "Zhang denied rejecting the scholarship," UPI reports, "although
she did admit sending three e-mails to friends on April 12, one of which went
out four minutes before the e-mail to the university. Zhang said she would
file a countersuit for defamation she has suffered in connection with the
case."
Canon Alleges Patent Infringement
Canon Computer Systems and its parent companies have launched a patent
infringement suit against Nu-kote International Inc. of Dallas, a company
that makes replacement printer cartridges. The suit, filed in the U.S.
District Court for the Central District of California, charges Nu-kote with
infringement of Canon's recently issued U.S. Patent No. 5,509,140, based on
Nu-kote's sale of replaceable ink cartridges for Canon's BJC-600 series of
Bubble Jet printers. The Canon companies are seeking a preliminary and
permanent injunction, and recovery of Canon's lost profits due to Nu-kote's
infringement. This is the second lawsuit between the parties. In the first
suit, Canon charged Nu-Kote with infringement of Canon's trademarks and
infringement of five other patents. The first suit is scheduled to go to
trial in December.
House Vote to Move Against RSI
In what is being characterized as a surprise setback to the Republicans' anti-
regulatory agenda, the House of Representatives has voted to let the
government move against repetitive stress injuries, a frequent affliction
among computer users. In a 216-205 roll call yesterday "that pitted the
interests of labor against business," says Associated Press writer Alan
Fram, the House voted to delete GOP-written language that would have
prevented the Occupational Safety and Health Administration from gathering
information about RSI injuries or writing guidelines to prevent them."
Thirty-five Republicans, largely from Northern states with active labor
unions, joined 180 Democrats and one independent in voting to erase the
provision, which was part of a huge social spending bill for fiscal 1997.
The provision had been included in a measure providing $65.7 billion for
labor, health, education and other domestic programs for fiscal 1997, which
begins Oct. 1.
"Nonetheless," says Fram, "the bill faces a veto threat from President
Clinton because it provides $7.8 billion less than he wants and eliminates
some programs he strongly supports, including the Goals 2000 education reform
program. The Senate has yet to write its version of the bill. But that
chamber tends to be more moderate than the House, and is expected to provide
some extra money for many programs." Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who led
the effort to strip the provision, said repetitive stress injuries have grown
sevenfold over the last decade. She said they cost business $20 billion a
year and involve 2.7 million accepted workers' compensation claims per year.
AT&T Unveils Cell-Net Phone
AT&T Wireless Services has unveiled a combination cellular telephone and
Internet access appliance. The Kirkland, Washington-based operation says
its PocketNet Phone will provide people on the go with fast and convenient
access to Internet information and two-way messaging services. Slated for
commercial availability later this year, the AT&T PocketNet Phone is the
first wireless device of its kind to enable both users and corporations to
capitalize on the content and messaging power of the Internet. Business
services, such as two-way messaging, airline flight information and financial
information, will be joined by personal services, including sports scores,
local movie listings and lottery results, says AT&T Wireless.
Additionally, notes AT&T Wireless, corporate and independent Web developers
will be able to program the PocketNet Phone for remote, wireless information
access to intranet networks and two-way messaging applications that
effectively transform the device into a mobile e-mail terminal. "The device
makes a surgical strike into the Internet to extract the precise information
you want, when you want it," says Kendra VanderMeulen, vice president and
general manager of AT&T Wireless' data division.
At the heart of the AT&T PocketNet Phone, says VanderMeulen, is a specialized
browser that's configured to send and retrieve only text-based information.
With this approach, the browser optimizes the cellular phone's compact
display size, memory footprint and wireless connectivity for information
services. "This technology changes the mobile paradigm," says Iain Gillott,
director of wireless and broadband networking at market researcher IDC/LINK.
"At last, we can describe a wireless data solution as elegant, simple and
convenient, and really mean it. With the PocketNet Phone, I think we will
finally see wireless data enter the mainstream. And the notion of accessing
time-critical information to make fast but informed decisions will be a
reality rather than a promise." AT&T says it will make the phone available
for around $500. Specific content services and rate plans will be announced
when commercial service becomes available.
Seagate to Make Jaz Cartridges
Iomega Corp. has announced that Seagate Technology Inc. will manufacture
removable disc cartridges for Iomega's line of Jaz drives. According to
Iomega, Seagate has begun production and shipment of the Jaz disc cartridges
and expects to reach volume manufacturing by fall. Iomega says Seagate is
providing it with "world-class product ramp capability and access to its high
quality components." The removable cartridges will use Seagate media and
media from other suppliers designed for use with proximity thin-film
recording heads like those used in Jaz drives.
"With a proven manufacturer like Seagate backing the Jaz technology, the
real winners will be present and future Jaz owners," says Kim Edwards, CEO
and president of Iomega. "Seagate will enable us to supply large quantities
of Jaz discs, a much needed asset as Jaz emerges as a new standard throughout
the high-end removable storage market." Priced at $499 for the external
version and as low as $399 for the internal version, the Jaz drive stores up
to 1GB of information on each cartridge.
Claris Updates Organizer
Claris Corp. has announced a major upgrade of it's all-in- one personal
information manager (PIM), Claris Organizer 2.0 for Macintosh and Power
Macintosh. "Claris Organizer is now Internet savvy with e-mail and Web links
providing instant access to the World Wide Web and is a leading product in
our strategy to Internet- enable the entire Claris product line," says
Guerrino de Luca, Claris' president.
According to Claris, the software's revised streamlined design includes a
contact card that's more readable than other PIMs, looking much like a
business card. Other new features include Instant Find, Instant
Filters,Memorizable Views, an Instant Organizer menu, the Gripper, Birthday
Minder and Decors. Claris Organizer 2.0 for Macintosh and Power Macintosh
will be available this summer for an estimated street price of $69. A Windows
95 version of the product is scheduled to ship next year.
Harvard Presenter's Pack Ships
Software Publishing Corp. has announced the availability of the Harvard
Graphics Presenter's Pack, a Windows - compatible product that aims to give
users a single-package solution for preparing business presentations. The
Harvard Graphics Presenter's Pack offers tools for drawing, scanning,
painting, charting, graphing, enhancing and presenting text and images. The
product includes Harvard Graphics 2.0, Harvard ChartXL 1.0, Harvard
Spotlight 1.0, Flamingo Plus 1.2 and a 10,000 piece clip-art collection.
"There has never been a more comprehensive, professional set of award-
winning, brand-name presentation tools offered with such a strong price-to-
value solution," says Joe Szczepaniak, vice president of Software
Publishing's North American sales and marketing unit.
Hayes Cuts Business Modem Prices
Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. says it has cut prices by up to 50 percent
on its OPTIMA Business Modem line. The biggest reduction affects the
Macintosh model, which now sells for $299, down from $599. The PC version
now costs $299, down from $579. Hayes has also added AutoSyncII, Delrina
TalkWorks compatibility and Microsoft Windows 95 logo compliance, with
UnimodemV support, to the modems. Hayes AutoSyncII allows 28.8K bps
synchronous connectivity to mini and mainframe computers without the need for
additional hardware. Microsoft UnimodemV and the "Designed for Windows 95"
are designed to assure seamless data, fax and voice operation in Windows 95
and Windows 95-compliant communications packages. Delrina TalkWorks software
provides answer phone capabilities in Delrina's CommSuite95 software. Hayes
customers who already own Hayes OPTIMA 288 Business Modems will be able to
download the new features via Flash ROM within 30 days from Hayes' in-house
bulletin board.
Dell Says Strategy is Working
Dell Computer Corp. CEO Michael Dell is crediting the firm's business-to-
business strategy and its direct sales model as the keys to the most
successful year in its history. "The strategy is working," Dell told
shareholders at the computer maker's annual meeting. "Dell grew 52 percent
last year while increasing net income 82 percent and generating $175 million
in cash to create one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry and
deliver a handsome return to Dell shareholders."
Dell shares have appreciated approximately 300 percent over the past two and
a half years, the largest share gain of any major computer company, noted
Dell. Dell also observed that the company strengthened its market share and
channel momentum in 1995, edging out IBM Corp. and Hewlett Packard Co. to
become the second largest PC manufacturer to corporate America in terms of
revenues.
Packard Bell Has Multimedia PCs
Packard Bell Electronics Inc. has launched a new line of Platinum Series
multimedia PCs with built-in personal communications features. The
Sacramento, California-based company says it is the first computer maker to
offer video conferencing and Internet phone capabilities preinstalled in its
PCs. The PCs also offer an integrated communications system, three-
dimensional arcade-like video graphics and high-definition sound.
The Platinum Series PCs are outfitted with VDO Phone, a video conferencing
software application from VDOnet Inc., and Internet PHONE Internet audio
software from VocalTec Inc. When a VCR is connected to the PC, users can
even play back and share movies with anyone using VDO Phone software. A pull-
down menu gives users additional information on usage patterns, including an
event log that lists conference calls in case callers need to remember to
whom they talked and when; a conversation timer that can be tracked against
phone or client billing; and a network analyzer that reports the speed of
transmission for customers who want to check how efficiently their systems
are transmitting data.
"This system lets consumers share memorable information with family and
friends across the world -- from baby's first steps to how to stuff the
turkey -- in a timely, cost- effective manner," says Mal Ransom, Packard
Bell's vice president of marketing. Packard Bell says the new PCs are
available in more than 15,000 retail
outlets worldwide, with pricing established by individual retailers.
Packard Bell, NEC Fulfill Merger
Computer makers Packard Bell Electronics Inc. and Japan's NEC Corp. have
completed the merger of their personal-computer lines outside of Japan and
China. Reporting from Packard Bell's Sacramento, California, headquarters,
The Wall Street Journal says this morning the merger, announced last month,
involves the transfer of some $300 million of NEC's assets to Packard Bell.
"In return," adds the paper, "NEC's share of both voting and nonvoting
Packard Bell shares will grow to between 35 percent and 40 percent from 20
percent."
Block to Sell CompuServe Stock
H&R Block Inc. says it will spin off its remaining 80 percent stake in
CompuServe Inc. to shareholders by early November, completing a separation
of the tax preparation company and the online provider begun in April. As
reported, Block said in February it would sell up to 20 percent of
CompuServe's stock in an initial public offering, which was completed April
19 with the sale of more than 18 million shares.
According to The Associated Press, the remaining 74 million shares are to be
distributed tax-free to H&R Block shareholders, who will receive about seven
shares of CompuServe for each 10 shares of Block common stock. The
distribution must be approved by Block shareholders at the annual meeting in
September and by the Internal Revenue Service.
CompuServe 3.0 Honored at Comdex
The Computer Paper, Canada's largest computer monthly, honored CompuServe
Inc.'s new interface product, CompuServe 3.0, with the editors' choice award
for Best Online Software at Comdex Canada last week. CompuServe 3.0,
scheduled for release later this summer, offers a host of new features that
are designed to make the CompuServe more valuable and efficient to members
and provide simple, direct access to the Internet.Among the new features are:
ú A redesigned multimedia interface that's easy to navigate and
graphically rich, and allows automatic viewing of files such as charts,
photos and other multimedia files.
ú An integrated Web browser that provides complete, easy access to the
Internet through the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser.
ú Multi-tasking capability, which allows members to save time by
performing multiple tasks simultaneously.
ú Time-saving organizing tools that allow users to track where they've
been online, schedule tasks such as downloads at convenient times and change
the order in which information is presented according to personal
preferences.
CompuServe members can preview CompuServe 3.0 and pre - order a free copy
online (GO CISSOFT). A free copy can also be pre-ordered from the CompuServe
Web site at http://www.compuserve.com.
Germany's Escom Files Bankruptcy
German computer group Escom AG, which soared to second place in the German
computer market in just 10 years, now says it will seek bankruptcy.
Reporting from Frankfurt, Germany, the French Agence France- Press
International News Service says Escom has sought judicial protection after
reporting losses of $120 million for 1995. "It had failed to reach
agreement with its financial partners and creditors on a rescue package," AFP
added. Escom, which employs 4,400 people, gave no indication about the
future of the group's distribution network, which has 450 stores across
Europe. The news service says judicial administrator Berhnard Hemback was
quoted in the economic newsletter Platow Brief as saying the company's
operational activities had "a good chance" of being preserved within another
distribution company.
CyberHome Contest Begins
ComputerLife magazine and Acer America Corp. are looking for America's most
technically advanced home, teaming up to offer big prizes to the person who
has outfitted his or her home with entertainment, computer, home automation
or communications products and technologies in a creative and meaningful way.
People are invited to share stories of how they've turned their own homes
into a CyberHome -- from setting up the perfect gaming center to connecting
to grandparents far away to controlling appliances with a PC. The judges
will select the winners who have creatively used technology in their homes
to make the most significant impact on their lives.
The grand prize winner will receive an Acer Aspire multimedia PC. The first
prize winner will receive a "Welcome to our CyberHome" gift basket of
software selected by ComputerLife's editors with a value of $500. Second-
and third-place winners will receive a selection of ComputerLife Gear caps
and T-shirts. The contest is being conducted in conjunction with the
opening of the 1996 CyberHome, a demonstration project sponsored by
ComputerLife magazine and West Venture Homes. The 1996 CyberHome, located in
the Los Angeles suburb of Chino Hills, California, is a showcase home that
demonstrates the latest in home automation and home computing and
entertainment products. The showcase CyberHome will be open through the end
of October.
"The 1996 CyberHome will give visitors lots of ideas about how they can do
more with computer technology in their homes," says Maggie Canon, editor-in-
chief of ComputerLife. "However, we, want to find out how people have used
computer technology in their homes to improve the way they live, work and
have fun." Entries for the Ultimate CyberHome contest can include written
descriptions, photographs and videos, and will be judged on the creative use
of technology, its appropriateness and the impact it has made on contestants'
lives. Entry forms, rules and directions are available in ComputerLife Forum
(GO LIFE) on ZD Net.
Gates Trying to 'Control' Net?
Are Bill Gates and Microsoft Corp. trying to control many of the basic
technical specifications of the Internet? That's what Microsoft critics are
quoted as saying in The New York Times this morning, contending the result
could be a rapid end to the fast pace of entrepreneurial innovation that has
marked the Net in recent years. "Microsoft's Windows software has been
similarly blamed for limiting technical innovations in personal computing,"
comments the Reuter News Service.
About the Net and Microsoft's activities, lawyer Gary Reback, who has battled
Microsoft in court and before the Justice Department on behalf of its
competitors, told the Times, "There are societal consequences to Microsoft's
strategy. Here is a new technology and a whole new wave of commerce, and
Microsoft wants to suck it into the operating system to maintain its
monopoly." Reuters says the spotlight has focused on Microsoft's attempt to
catch up with Internet rival, such as Netscape Communications Corp. and Sun
Microsystems Inc.
"But Microsoft also is battling within industry groups that set little-known
technical specifications that determine whether and how well various makes
and models of hardware and software can work together on the Internet,"
Reuters says. "It is on those fronts where Microsoft may be in the best
position to use its market power to influence technology's future." The Times
notes, "Rather than merely embrace and extend the Internet, the company's
critics now fear, Microsoft intends to engulf it" by absorbing more and more
of the Internet's basic technology in Windows. Meanwhile, Microsoft
executives said the company planned to cooperate with Internet standards
groups.
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For Immediate Release
Corel Announces New Licensing
and
Development Agreement with JavaSoft
Ottawa, Canada - July 18, 1996 - Corel Corporation, an award-winning
developer and marketer of productivity applications, graphics and multimedia
software, announced today that it has entered into a new licensing and
development agreement with the world's premier software developer. Corel has
licensed JavaT source code from JavaSoft and will soon include the Java
Virtual MachineT into Corel VENTURAT, CorelDRAWT 7 and future versions of
Corelr WordPerfectr. This will allow users to run Java applets in any of
these yet to be released products.
In addition, Corel will develop a Java-applet viewer that will allow users to
view Java applets in any application. Corel will provide this technology to
JavaSoft for its own use and for redistribution to other third-party
licensees in order that they may incorporate it into their applications.
"Java is definitely the platform of the future and we've embraced that vision
at Corel wholeheartedly," said Dr. Michael Cowpland, president and chief
executive officer of Corel Corporation. "This agreement also shows the faith
that JavaSoft has in our ability to develop premium technology for the Java
platform."
"Corel has made an impressive commitment to the Java platform and has done
some ground-breaking work in WordPerfect and Quattro Pro for Java," said Jon
Kannegaard, vice president of products for JavaSoft. "This agreement signals
an even stronger relationship between Corel and JavaSoft, and we look forward
to seeing the further contribution Corel will make to the Java industry."
JavaSoft
JavaSoft, headquartered in Cupertino, CA, is an operating company of Sun
Microsystems, Inc. The company's mission is to develop, market and support
the Java technology and products based on it. Java supports networked
applications and enables developers to write applications once that will run
on any machine. JavaSoft develops applications, tools and systems platforms
to further enhance Java as the programming standard for complex networks such
as the Internet and corporate intranets.
Corel and Time Line Solutions Announces Corel Time Line
Project Management Software
New Software To Be Incorporated Into Corel Office Professional 7
Ottawa, Canada - July 15, 1996 - Corel Corporation and Time Line Solutions
Corporation (TLSC) today announced Corelr Time Liner, a PC-based project
management system that will be included in Corel's newest suite, Corelr
Office Professional 7. Corel Time Line features powerful multi-project
management tools specifically tailored to the needs of today's corporate
managers.
Based on TLSC's award winning Time Line 6.5, Corel Time Line allows users to
plan projects around real-life situations and anticipate actual results by
tracking required tasks, resources, dependencies and cost. By building every
imaginable scenario into a particular plan, managers can create various "what
if" scenarios and manage projects effectively as they change and develop.
Because Corel Time Line is intended for use by managers and professionals who
might not be familiar with project management software, a number of features
have been added to facilitate ease-of-use including an assortment of
templates for different types of projects ranging from developing business
plans and creating publications to orchestrating an office move or even
building an addition to a home. The software also includes a direct link to
an Internet help page that provides the most up-to-date information related
to the product.
"Corel's goal is to provide customers with a collection of the best business
software in the industry," said Dr. Michael Cowpland, president and chief
executive officer of Corel Corporation. "Time Line is a well established
leader in its market, and we are extremely pleased to be able to leverage
Time Line's expertise in our new office suite."
"TLSC believes Corel Office Professional 7 will be extremely successful in
the market because it truly addresses customer needs," said Mike Webb,
president and chief executive officer of Time Line. "Corel's advantage over
the competition is its ability to incorporate best-of-breed technology in all
business software categories. Now aligning your project data and business
applications has never been easier."
Built on an ODBC-compliant, SQL relational database, Corel Time Line offers
enterprise-wide connectivity, centralized databases and sophisticated
resource management capabilities. It gives users the power to integrate
project planning into their business processes, along with the ability to
fully customize every aspect of a project. Whether users are relatively new
to project management or have years of experience behind them, they will find
that this application effectively pulls together all aspects of a project
throughout its duration.
Time Line Solutions Corporation
Time Line Solutions Corporation, headquartered in Novato, California,
provides a complete range of PC-based project management products and
services, including a unique system of training, consulting, and dedicated
support to build customized project management systems for the individual,
workgroup or enterprise. A leading developer of project management software
for more than 10 years as a division of Symantec Corporation, Time Line
Solutions Corporation became an independent company in November 1995. The
company's products are available through a worldwide network of distributors
and retailers. For more information call 1-800-222-TLSC, or contact Time
Line Solutions via the Internet at info@tlsolutions.com.
Corel Launches Corelr $1,000,000 Channel Contest
Ottawa, Canada - July 15, 1996 - Corel Corporation announced today the launch
of the Corelr $1,000,000 Channel Contest, a worldwide contest open to anyone
who promotes and sells Corel's WordPerfectr and graphics products. All
eligible individuals in the retail (store and mail order), corporate,
distribution and academic sales fields are invited to enter. All fields
include both inbound and outbound sales.
Using any version or platform of Corel WordPerfect, eligible contestants are
asked to list five top selling features for the new Corel WordPerfect suites
or Corel graphics products in any of the following eight categories: Corelr
WordPerfectr, Corelr WordPerfectr Suite, Corelr Office Professional, Corelr
Quattror Pro, Corelr PresentationsT, Corelr Print HouseT, Corelr Graphics
Pack and CorelDRAWT. They must also explain how each feature benefits the
customer, thereby demonstrating their knowledge of the product and their
ability to effectively sell it to the business user.
"The Corel $1,000,000 Channel Contest is our chance to thank our channel
partners for their outstanding sales ability and the support they continually
show for all Corel products," said Dr. Michael Cowpland, president and chief
executive officer of Corel Corporation.
The contest runs from July 15, 1996 to September 15, 1996, with each entrant
receiving Corel software worth over $600.* One grand prize valued at
approximately $10,000 will be awarded in each of the above categories.
Winning entries may be used by Corel for future testimonials and advertising
purposes.
How to Enter
Fo
r faxed information including contest rules and an official entry form,
interested parties can call 1-613-728-0826 x3080 Document #1133. All entries
must be created using any version or platform of Corel WordPerfect, and all
entries must be accompanied by a completed and signed entry form. Only
original signatures will be accepted.
Corel Launches Corel Office Professional 7 for Windowsr 95
OTTAWA, Canada - July 15, 1996 - Corel Corporation and its subsidiaries
today launched Corelr Office Professional 7. This 32-bit office suite
includes many of the features of Corelr WordPerfect Suite 7 for Windowsr 95,
plus a host of additional features which offer ease-of-use, OLE
functionality, open network integration and Internet connectivity. Corel's
new BaristaT technology, included in all three core applications, makes this
software package the only one that enables users to publish documents
directly to the JavaT Language. Corel Office Professional 7 carries a
suggested list price of $695 U.S. for the CD-ROM version with upgrades
available for a suggested list price of $295 U.S.
"Corel Office Professional 7 represents unbeatable value and goes far beyond
any other standard or professional office suite," said Dr. Michael Cowpland,
president and chief executive officer of Corel Corporation. "With incredible
integration, powerful graphics, award-winning programs and our Barista
technology, Corel Office Professional 7 is the most comprehensive office
suite on the market."
Corel Office Professional 7 provides users all the tools they require to get
ahead, stay organized, make the most of Windows 95 and harness the power of
the on-line world.
Core applications included in Corel Office Professional 7 differ from those
in Corel WordPerfect Suite 7 in that they include Corel's new Barista
technology. The core applications include:
Corelr WordPerfectr 7: Innovative, new and key features such as Guidelines,
Quick Spots, Make It FitT and Spell-As-You-GoT as well as Internet
capabilities, continue to make this the word processor of choice. Corel
WordPerfect 7 also offers full SGML support.
Corelr Quattror Pro 7: This award-winning spreadsheet contains new chart
styles, a new mapping feature, QuickTemplates, Internet connectivity, and
right mouse-button support for fast access to formatting options. Features
such as Fit As You Go, which automatically widens columns when calculations
become too large, make this application stand out above the competition.
Corelr PresentationsT 7: This presentations graphics program includes the
ability to move from a slide to an Internet site or to other slides with a
single click and the option to combine multiple backgrounds, graphics, text,
video and sound within one presentation.
Corel Office Professional 7 also offers full cross-application scripting
abilities across all three of the core applications.
Corel Office Professional 7 offers the following features:
Corelr BaristaT: A core technology developed by Corel that will allow users
of Corelr WordPerfectr 7, Corelr Quattror Pro and Corelr PresentationsT 7 to
create documents based entirely on the Java Language, without any programming
requirements. Corel Barista documents are platform independent and work with
any Java-compatible browser.
CorelDRAWT 6 (illustration module): This award-winning and comprehensive
vector-based drawing application includes such full features as the polygon,
knife, panning and spiral tools, roll-up customization, improved layer
control and seamless texture fills.
Netscape NavigatorT 2.01 Personal Edition Software: Surf the Internet with
this leading, best-of-breed Internet client software. This edition contains
a wizard that allows users to select and set up an Internet provider, should
they not already have one.
InfoCentralT 7: An intelligent personal information manager for the user who
wants a highly customizable and dynamic system to manage information. One of
InfoCentral 7's strongest features is that it enables users to connect
information with other applications and related files such as documents,
faxes, calls and e-mails.
Borland's Paradoxr 7: A world-renowned relational database with the data-
handling power for many enterprise-wide tasks, building applications and
managing large amounts of business information.
Corelr Time Liner: A professional project management system based on Time
Line Solutions' Time Liner 6.5. Corel Time Line features powerful multi-
project management tools for planning, managing and communicating, including
interdependency resolution and resource allocation. This is a 16-bit product
that runs under Windows 95.
GroupWiseT 4.1 Client License: An excellent tool for information sharing with
internal/external e-mail and scheduling capabilities which enable users to
assign tasks, write notes and keep track of phone messages. No actual
software or documentation is included in the box.
VisualDTD: Helps users create a Document Type Definition file for use with
SGML documents and assists in the visual layout of essentially all document
structure.
Corelr A to Z: A comprehensive on-line reference library which includes a
dictionary, an encyclopedia and more.
1,000 fonts: 850 more than Corel WordPerfect Suite 7.
Other key features include:
EnvoyT 7: The perfect workgroup electronic publishing tool for CD-ROM and the
Internet. All on-line documentation for Corel Office Professional 7
applications are in Envoy format. These documents can be viewed
electronically or printed.
CorelFLOWT 3: Powerful business graphics.
Starfish Software's SidekickT 95: The most popular personal information
manager and scheduler for the user who wants an easy-to-use, intuitive way to
manage contacts, expenses and other personal information.
Starfish Software's DashboardT 95: Integrated application and task-automated
launcher, as well as a Windows 95 system performance monitor.
DADT (Desktop Application Director): This customizable system palette gives
users the ability to launch Corel Office Professional 7 applications from the
Task Bar, quickly perform file searches and access on-line services in record
time.
Quick View Plusr: View over 200 file formats quickly and easily.
IBMr VoiceTypeT Control: Use a microphone and your voice to navigate and
activate each core application's graphic user interface.
10,000+ clip art images with full color reference guide.
Corel Office Professional 7 for Windows 95 makes the most of 32-bit power
with more core application integration (Corel WordPerfect 7, Corel Quattro
Pro 7, and Corel Presentations 7) than any other office suite. The following
powerful features shared across the core applications provide for exceptional
ease-of-use:
QuickFinderT finds any file from anywhere the user specifies.
A consistent user interface and common tools such as Speller, Thesaurus and
File Manager.
OLE support including powerful in-place editing.
Automate work with pre-defined or customized QuickTasksT and perform complex
tasks right from the desktop.
View files and graphics before opening.
System Requirements
Corel Office Professional 7 for Windows 95 requires a 486/25 processor
(486/66 recommended), 8 MB of RAM (16 recommended), CD-ROM drive (2x
recommended) and a VGA monitor or above. Hard disk space required for
minimum installation is 53 MB. Typical install is 157 MB. There is a
separate install for Paradox, with minimum install of 9 MB. Value-added
applications require additional space.
Corel Corporation
Incorporated in 1985, Corel Corporation is recognized internationally as an
award-winning developer and marketer of productivity applications, graphics
and multimedia software. Corel's product line includes CorelDRAWT, the
Corelr WordPerfectr Suite, Corelr Office Professional, CorelVIDEOT and over
30 multimedia software titles. Corel's products run on most operating
systems, including: Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, MS-DOS and OS/2 and are
consistently rated among the strongest in the industry. The company ships
its products in over 17 languages through a network of more than 160
distributors in 70 countries worldwide. Corel is traded on the Toronto Stock
Exchange (symbol: COS) and the NASDAQ - National Market System (symbol:
COSFF). For more information visit Corel's home page on the Internet at
http://www.corel.com.
Corel and WordPerfect are registered trademarks and CorelVIDEO and CorelDRAW
are trademarks of Corel Corporation or Corel Corporation Limited. Java and
other Java-based names are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. and refer to
Sun's Java technologies. All products mentioned are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.
EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed
Edupage
Contents
Strong Encryption Raises Strong Debate
@Home Plans @Work Service
AT&T Hangs Up Proprietary Messaging System
E-Mail Virus Scare
Intel Cancels Scheduled Price Cuts
Computer Has "Turned Aesthetics On Its Head"
Move Over, CD-ROM
Telesat Wins American Political Support For Satellite Deal
World Wide Wasting Of Time
FCC Rejects Telesat Bid
Microsoft Targets Local News Markets
Pfeiffer's Grand Vision
U.S. Gov't Approves Online Encryption Tool Distribution
Clinton Administration Backs Digital TV
MacOS Upgrade Available Now
Finding Friends On The Net
Cable's Billion-Dollar Gift
"New Thinking"
FTC Okays Time Warner Merger With Turner
"Orchid Club" Indictments For Pornography On Internet
Intel, Microsoft Cross-License Agreement
Net Results On "Reinventing America"
Wireless LAN Standards Boost Market
Pippin At Play
Teleglobe Wins Right To Expand
IBM Warns European On Conversion To Single Currency
Edupage, Innovation ... And Hip Hop
STRONG ENCRYPTION RAISES STRONG DEBATE
Despite opposition from the computer industry and civil libertarians, the
Clinton Administration continues to insist that data encryption technology
be based on a "key escrow" technique in which the large numbers ("keys")
used to decode data each be divided into two parts -- with each part held in
escrow by a third party, so that encrypted communications could be monitored
by law enforcement officials who've obtained court orders. The government
says it will drop restrictions on the export of strong cryptography systems
if industry will go along with the key escrow approach. That seems
unlikely, however; Netscape CEO James Barksdale's response was: "We are
furious. This is a proposal that doesn't do anything to solve the immediate
needs of industry jobs." Gore advisor Greg Simon argued that "the President
and Vice President took an oath to protect our national security. They feel
they have to err on the side of protecting national security." (New York
Times 13 Jul 96)
@HOME PLANS @WORK SERVICE
@Home, an Internet cable access service now being tested in California, plans
to add work-at-home services to its product mix, through a new unit called
@Work. That division will provide both home telecommuting and business
Internet-access services, as well as intranetworking connections for business-
to-business communications. "This is clearly a very important initiative for
us to work with corporations for telecommuting and LAN access to employees
over HFC networks," says an @Home senior VP. Services are currently "in the
alpha stage" with 12,000 homes connected to two-way plant in Orange County.
A full launch is planned by the end of this year. @Home is a partnership
between TCI Technology Ventures and venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins,
Caufield & Byers. (Multichannel News Digest 8 Jul 96)
AT&T HANGS UP PROPRIETARY MESSAGING SYSTEM
Citing competition from the Internet, AT&T has folded its PersonaLink online
service that enabled users to shop and send messages via hand-held wireless
"personal communicators" made by Motorola and Sony. The company had poured
some $100 million into the venture, which used its own proprietary software.
In its place, AT&T will launch a new cellular-phone Internet access service
called PocketNet Phone, that uses a hybrid cell- data phone made by
Mitsubishi Wireless Communications and Cirrus Logic. Software for the new
venture is made by Unwired Planet Inc., a startup company in which AT&T
holds an unspecified stake. (Wall Street Journal 12 July 96 B3)
E-MAIL VIRUS SCARE
Experts say that fears of e-mail-borne viruses appear to be overblown, and
are urging network users to stop their misguided efforts to warn others of
the "non-existent" threat. Panic over unfounded rumors causes another very
real problem -- floods of e-mail warnings that can slow Internet traffic to a
crawl. Security specialists say that plain electronic mail cannot carry a
virus, and that users can best protect themselves by not opening attachments
unless they have a good idea of what's inside. (Chronicle of Higher
Education 12 Jul 96 A19) Meanwhile, to be on the safe side, Trend Micro
Inc. offers a way to protect network servers from nasty surprises. Its
InterScan E-Mail VirusWall intercepts each e-mail message and attachment,
scanning them for any suspicious-looking code. If an infection is detected,
the message recipient and network manager are alerted to the problem before
it goes any further. The company claims it works with all popular e-mail
systems. (Investor's Business Daily 15 Jul 96 A6)
INTEL CANCELS SCHEDULED PRICE CUTS
Intel is just saying no to the cutthroat price slashing that has
characterized the PC market the last few years, and plans to cancel price
cuts scheduled for this November on its Pentium microprocessors. The world's
biggest chip maker has a long history of aggressively reducing its prices
every quarter. The new strategy, which will maintain the company's $380
price for its Pentium 166 chip through February, is intended to even out
customer demand during the key Christmas buying season. Many customers wait
until December to buy computers to take advantage of the November price cut.
(Wall Street Journal 12 July 96 B3)
COMPUTER HAS "TURNED AESTHETICS ON ITS HEAD"
Author Nicholas von Hoffman says that "for the time being, at least, what the
computer can do in art and design has turned aesthetics on its head." Noting
that in just a few decades "our strange species has broken out of a
millennium of sensory deprivation to live in a condition of perpetual
overload," von Hoffman says that "in time, art critics and the wider public
may develop an aesthetic standard for judging the new imagery. For now, it
is enough to recognize the electronic look to the wild visuals ever
presenting themselves to our blinking eyes... With the computer, things are
not so much created as they are produced, with the producer-director becoming
the star and the controlling force of much that was in other hands at other
times." (Architectural Digest Jul 96 p58)
MOVE OVER, CD-ROM
Now that most computer manufacturers have made CD-ROM drives a standard
component of their design, DVD-ROMs are poised to take their place. The
DVD, or digital videodisc, looks about the same as a standard CD-ROM but
can hold about eight times the data, or about 4.8 gigabytes. Eventually DVD-
ROMs will store up to 17 gigabytes. The first ones are expected to hit the
market this fall, priced at $300 to $500, and will be able to play all your
old CD-ROMs, as well as new software, such as full-length movies. (Popular
Science Jul 96 p25)
TELESAT WINS AMERICAN POLITICAL
SUPPORT FOR SATELLITE DEAL
Telesat Canada won support from a Democrat congressman for its plan to share
Canada's direct-broadcast satellite parking slots with two American
companies. John Dingell, the ranking Democrat on the House of
Representatives Commerce Committee, expressed his support for Telesat's
ambitious plan and criticized U.S. officials for elevating the matter into a
trade dispute by complaining about Canadian restrictions on American
direct-to-home satellite companies. (Toronto Globe & Mail 12 Jul 96 B3)
WORLD WIDE WASTING OF TIME
Sci-Fi author William Gibson, who coined the word "cyberspace," says the
World Wide Web "offers us the opportunity to waste time, to wander
aimlessly, to daydream about the countless other lives, the other people, on
the far sides of however many monitors in that postgeorgraphical meta-country
we increasingly call home." Gibson describes the Web as "a procrastinator's
dream," which offers the added advantage that "people who see you doing it
might even imagine you're working." (New York Times Magazine 14 Jul 96 p31)
FCC REJECTS TELESAT BID
The Federal Communications Commission rejected applications by American cable
companies Tele- Communications Inc. and Telquest Ventures to use satellites
owned by Ontario-based Telesat Canada to beam TV programming into the United
States. Although the denial of the applications was based on a technicality,
the FCC also raised questions about restrictions that Canada puts on American
satellite services and TV programming. (New York Times 16 Jul C5)
MICROSOFT TARGETS LOCAL NEWS MARKETS
Microsoft's CityScape project is targeting traditional local news markets
where up till now city newspapers and magazines have dominated, offering
restaurant reviews, local event listings, etc. The software company, which
envisions a nationwide network of online community guides, is making offers
to publishers across the country to provide news and information content in
return for a piece of the revenue pie. Microsoft is in talks with a half-
dozen publications, and some are saying its terms are irresistible: "The
smart publishers are going to team up with Microsoft," says the CEO of Media
News Group. "You can't ignore them. If publishers won't play ball with
them, they'll do it on their own." Knight Ridder's marketing VP has another
view, however: "To make an alliance based on fear doesn't make anysense.
I would look long and hard before I gave them any of our product." Microsoft
plans to launch CityScape in New York, San Francisco and San Diego early
next year, and eventually cover the rest of the country's large markets.
(Wall Street Journal 15 Jul 96 B1)
PFEIFFER'S GRAND VISION
Compaq CEO Eckhard Pfeiffer is eyeing fast growing consumer markets, and
yesterday launched its new line of home PCs and laptops. But Pfeiffer's
vision goes beyond the P-in-every-room scenario; he thinks one of the biggest
future opportunities for his company will be in "home automation" -- using
computers to control air conditioning, heating and security systems. Compaq
is already bankrolling startup Intellon Corp., which is developing chips for
controlling household appliances -- from stereos to refrigerators -- using a
PC. The company is also working with Mattel's Fisher Price unit to produce
PC add-ons for tots, and an alliance with Thomson Consumer Electronics will
produce new hybrid computer/consumer electronics products. (Business Week
22 Jul 96 p70)
U.S. GOV'T APPROVES ONLINE ENCRYPTION TOOL DISTRIBUTION
The U.S. government has okayed Netscape Communications' plan to distribute
its powerful 128-bit encryption software via the Internet, as long as it's
sent only to U.S. citizens. Currently, the company has to ship the software
via snail mail. Under the government's terms, Netscape must use a database to
verify the names and addresses of people who want to download the software
and ask them to sign affidavits stating they are U.S. citizens. Netscape
says its 128-bit encryption software requires 309 septillion more times
computing power to break the encryption code than its 40-bit version. (Wall
Street Journal 16 Jul 96 B2)
CLINTON ADMINISTRATION BACKS BROADCASTERS' DIGITAL TV
In letters to FCC Chairman Reed Hundt, the White House Office of Science and
Technology Policy and the U.S. Commerce Department have endorsed digital TV
format standards proposed by a "grand alliance" of TV broadcasters and
consumer electronics manufacturers, in spite of objections from the computer
industry that the proposed standards are already obsolete. A Microsoft
spokesman commented: "Ideally, we'd like to see no standard at all. But if
there is a standard, we think it should be a minimal one to minimize the real
risk of perpetuating obsolete technology... The public debate on this is far
from over." (New York Times 16 Jul 96)
MAC OS UPGRADE AVAILABLE NOW
A mini-upgrade of the aging MacOS System 7.5 version is available now,
offering a bundle of all the various patches that Apple has released over
the past few months to fix bugs in 7.5. The 7.5.3 upgrade also offers some
new network communications and Internet access capabilities, as well as
better system stability and integration of Apple's QuickTime technology for
multimedia and OpenDoc technology for file management and linking. Another
interim upgrade, Harmony, is due out in the first half of next year.
(Information Week 8 Jul 96 p84)
FINDING FRIENDS ON THE NET
It's getting easier to locate your friend's home page on the Web, thanks to a
small California company called WhoWhere?. WhoWhere? has catalogued more
than 100,000 personal home page addresses, which are organized based on
hobbies, jobs, schools and other criteria. The directory will be added to
WhoWhere?'s PeopleSearch service, which is available through Netscape's
Netsearch service and Infoseek's search engine. (Investor's Business Daily
16 Jul 96 A8)
CABLE'S BILLION-DOLLAR GIFT
Canada's cable industry received a "billion-dollar bonus" from federal
regulators yesterday by "administrative fiat without any public input or
participation by the federal government." CRTC commissioners announced cable
companies will no longer have to demonstrate significant public benefits such
as improvement of infrastructure when they buy control of another cable
concern or merge operations. (Toronto Globe & Mail 16 Jul 96 B1)
"NEW THINKING"
Irish consultant /columnist Gerry McGovern says e-mail will change the world
more than the phone did because it can be one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-
to-many: "With regard to many-to-many, e-mail becomes a foundation upon
which the massively parallel society can be built, as it networks many minds
to address complex problems." Send mail to newthinking-request@nua.ie with
the word "subscribe" in the body of the message, for free subscription.
(Washington Times 15 Jul 96)
FTC OKAYS TIME WARNER MERGER WITH TURNER
The Federal Trade Commission has indicated it will approve Time Warner's $7.5
billion purchase of the Turner Broadcasting System, which will create the
world's largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The final settlement
apparently will limit the financial interest that John Malone's Tele-
Communications Inc. (TCI) can take in Time Warner, severely reduce various
concessions that would have been made to TCI, and would forbid Time Warner
from discriminating against competitors in the cable industry. (Washington
Post 18 Jul 96)
"ORCHID CLUB" INDICTMENTS FOR PORNOGRAPHY ON INTERNET
A federal grand jury in San Jose, California, has indicted 16 people from the
U.S. and abroad for their participation in a child pornography ring called
the "Orchid Club," whose members used the Internet to share sexual pictures
and conduct online chat during a child molestation. A U.S. attorney says
there are no free speech issues involved: "The thing that ups the ante in
this case is that allegations of distribution of pornography are coupled with
serious allegations of child molestation. It's an issue relating to the
protection of children, not to the First Amendment." (New York Times 17 Jul
96 A8)
INTEL, MICROSOFT CROSS-LICENSE AGREEMENT
Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. have agreed to cross-license their Internet
communications technology in an effort to pursue Internet-based telephone
and videoconferencing business opportunities. The alliance, which will
exploit Intel's Proshare videoconferencing technology and Microsoft's
NetMeeting and ActiveX software, will also develop technology to allow users
to find other people to talk with on the Internet via a User Location
Service. (Investor's Business Daily 18 Jul 96 A9)
NET RESULTS ON "REINVENTING AMERICA"
The "Reinventing America" online budget simulation game -- co-developed and
sponsored by a grant from The Markle Foundation and Crossover Technologies -
- allowed Internet users over the past six months to participate in news and
discussion groups on the federal budget, and ultimately to vote on
recommendations contained in a draft budget bill presented last week. The
participants' recommendations, not surprisingly, included more funding for
technology and research. Other recommendations included less funding for the
military, redirecting drug interdiction funding toward education and
rehabilitation, drastically cutting foreign aid, reforming numerous poverty
assistance and pension programs, and ending affirmative action. Crossover's
president says there were 3.5 million hits, with about 3,390 "core" visitors
who participated regularly. He says that although the discussions indicated
a strong libertarian streak early on, they moved toward the political
center over time. (Broadcasting & Cable 15 Jul 96 p53)
WIRELESS LAN STANDARDS BOOST MARKET
Two rivals in the wireless LAN market, Symbol Technologies and Telxon Corp.,
have agreed to develop interoperable technology based on a proposed industry
standard, the IEEE 802.11. A Yankee Group analyst calls the decision to
cooperate "an important step toward opening up wireless LANs to users." The
Yankee Group estimates North American sales of wireless LANs rising to $300
million by the year 2000, up from $90 million last year. (Information Week
8 Jul 96 p76)
PIPPIN AT PLAY
Bandai's new @World Internet device is based on Apple's Pippin technology,
packing much of the company's Macintosh hardware and software into a compact
box designed to hook up to a TV or computer monitor. @World comes with a
modem for accessing the Internet and a CD player for CD-ROMs. (Popular
Science Aug 96 p11)
TELEGLOBE WINS RIGHT TO EXPAND
A subsidiary of Teleglobe Canada will expand into the massive American
telecommunications market, after winning FCC approval to sell international
switched services and international private lines in the United States. The
company also will provide international phone resale services to the United
Kingdom and Sweden. (Toronto Globe & Mail 17 Jul 96 B3)
IBM WARNS EUROPEAN ON CONVERSION TO SINGLE CURRENCY
IBM is urging European businesses to delay implementation of a common
European currency beyond its planned introduction in 1999, warning that
there will be computer chaos caused by a severe shortage of skills needed to
cope with such a transition. Many businesses, however, remain skeptical, and
think that computing groups are simply seeking business. (Financial Times 18
Jul 96)
EDUPAGE, INNOVATION ... AND HIP HOP
Describing the newsletter you're now reading as "the single best thing I've
found on the Internet," journalist Gerry McGovern says that Edupage and
Innovation (both written by the same people) are "a bit like hip hop and
dance music, which could not have existed without a certain critical mass of
old music being already created. Once that was in place, it could take riffs
from old musical pieces and make them new by placing them in different
environment." If you'd like a free (hip hop) six-week trial subscription to
Innovation, send mail to innovation-trial@newsscan.com, and in the subject
line type the word: subscribe. Or you can go to
< http://www.newsscan.com >. (Hot Press Magazine Jul 96)
Edupage is written by John Gehl (gehl@educom.edu) & Suzanne Douglas
(douglas@educom.edu).
Voice: 404-371-1853, Fax: 404-371-8057.
Technical support is provided by the Office of Information Technology,
University of North Carolina.
EDUPAGE is what you've just finished reading. To subscribe to Edupage: send
a message to: listproc@educom.unc.edu and in the body of the message type:
subscribe edupage Marvin Minsky (assuming that your name is Marvin Minsky;
if it's not, substitute your own name). ... To cancel, send a message to:
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edupage... Subscription problems: educom@educom.unc.edu.
EDUCOM REVIEW is our bimonthly print magazine on learning, communications,
and information technology. Subscriptions are $18 a year in the U.S.; send
mail to offer@educom.edu. When you do, we'll ring a little bell, because
we'll be so happy! Choice of bell is yours: a small dome with a button,
like the one on the counter at the dry cleaners with the sign "Ring bell for
service"; or a small hand bell; or a cathedral bell; or a door bell; or a
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EDUCOM UPDATE is our twice-a-month electronic summary of organizational news
and events. To subscribe to the Update: send a message to:
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update John McCarthy (assuming that your name is John McCarthy; if it's
not, substitute your own name).
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE
The CAUSE organization's annual conference on information technology in
higher education is scheduled for the end of this month in New Orleans. The
conference will bring together administrators, academicians and other
managers of information resources. For full conference information check out
<http://cause-www.colorado.edu > or send e-mail to conf@cause.colorado.edu.
ARCHIVES & TRANSLATIONS. For archive copies of Edupage or Update, ftp or
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Educom -- Transforming Education Through Information Technology
Kids Computing Corner
Frank Sereno, Editor
The Kids' Computing Corner
Computer news and software reviews
from a parent's point of view
In the News
New Encyclopedia from The Learning Company
On July 15th, The Learning Company announced the release of Ultimate
Children's EncyclopediaT. This complete reference guide is based on the
Kingfisher series of children's books. This multimedia CD-ROM includes
Children's Encyclopedia, Illustrated Dictionary, Illustrated Thesaurus, Book
of Words and Great Lives, and an atlas and historical timeline as well. The
disc contains more than 24,000 articles, 3000 photos and illustrations, 100
movies and more than 1700 sound clips.
Ultimate Children's EncyclopediaT was designed for children ages 7 to 12.
Its easy interface includes a friendly on-screen helper named Zak. Zak
instructs children on how to navigate the program and offers advice and ideas
on best using the program's information. The program was designed to
complement The Learning Company's line of Interactive Writing Tools, a line
of age appropriate word processors. It is also useful as a research tool for
use with other word processor or publishing programs.
Ultimate Children's EncyclopediaT has a suggested retail price of $50. The
Learning Company can be contacted by phone at 800-227-5609 and you can visit
their website at http://www.learningco.com.
NewView Announces Specs for Kids
Specs for Kids 2.0 is now available. It is a next generation Internet
filtering program goes beyond basic blocking. It adds inclusive content
filtering, access to ratings provided by a permanent staff, multiple user
profiles and claims to have the largest directory of children's sites on the
Internet.
NewView's staff reviews sites at the document level and categorizes them
against 15 filtering categories and 35 index categories. Specs for Kids
filters all types of Internet applications including the Web, Telnet, e-mail,
IRC chat, FTP and Usenet news. You can customize the program for multiple
user profiles, time controls, dictionary screening, password logons, tamper
protection and more. You can use Specs on a single PC or in a direct-access
network.
Specs for Kids is available for Windows 3.1 and Apple Macintosh. NewView
will add Windows 95 support within the next 45 days. This program is now
available for a FREE TRIAL by downloading the software from the NewView
website at http://www.newview.com.
MECC Launches Word Munchers Deluxe
MECC, a subsidiary of SoftKey International Inc. announces the newest member
of its Munchers software line, Word MunchersT Deluxe. Designed for ages six
to eleven, this CD-ROM program for Macintosh and Windows teaches children
grammar, reading, rhyming and phonics. Word MunchersT Deluxe will retail for
about $25.
Apple Sponsors New School Promotion
Apple Computer, Inc. recently announced a new back-to-school promotion called
"Cool Cash Back + Cool Tools for Schools." Families making qualifying
Macintosh Performa and printer purchases between July 13 and October 6 will
receive a mail-in cash rebate and earn points for their local schools.
Parents will receive a $100 cash rebate by purchasing a qualifying Macintosh
Performa computer and Apple printer at the same time. Any purchase of a
Performa computer or Apple printer qualifies for school reward points. The
more expensive the system purchased, the more points for the school of your
choice. For example, the purchase of a Mac Performa 6320 qualifies for 300
points. Schools can redeem 50 points for an educational software program,
200 points for an Apple Internet Connection Kit or 4500 points for Apple
Color LaserWriter 12/600PS.
More details on this promotion are available by calling Apple's fax-back
number at 1-800-262-0329 or you can visit the Apple website at
http://www.apple.com/promo/coolcash/.
PrintPaks Magnet Kit
Windows/Macintosh CD-ROM
$19.95
ages 6 and up
PrintPaks Inc
513 NW 13th Avenue, Suite 202
Portland, OR 97209
503-295-6564
http://www.printpaks.com
Program Requirements
IBM Macintosh
OS: Windows 3.1, Windows 95 OS: System 7.1
CPU: 386 CPU: 68020
HD Space: 10 MB HD Space: 10 MB
Memory: 8 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: mouse, inkjet printer Other: mouse, inkjet printer
reviewed by Frank Sereno
Have you been looking for a fun, computer-related activity that you can share
with your whole family? Do you have an inkjet printer? If the answer is yes
to both questions, then I have a great program for you! PrintPaks Magnet Kit
is not only great fun, but it makes attractive, useful magnets.
The kit provides special glossy paper for printing your designs. You design
four magnets on each sheet. After printing, carefully place the paper on the
adhesive-faced magnet material and then cut it into individual magnets. Max,
a lovable dog wearing a propeller beanie, guides you through each step of the
process. Any time you need help, just click on his nose and he will announce
all your options.
I have a few concerns about the program. Magnet Kit includes about 50
graphics. This is offset by the fact that you can import images in TIFF and
BMP format so you can put any image you can scan, draw or download into the
graphics library. Another problem could be the cost of raw materials. Kids
will have so much fun that they will want to make magnets often. Refill kits
to make twelve more magnets cost $9.95 each. I also think that more magnets
could be placed on a sheet because there is a lot of scrap when you finish
the trimming process. The large area between magnets was probably designed
to make cutting easier for younger children.
The magnets are great fun to make. I had a blast designing magnets with my
sons. I can also see many uses for these magnets. They can be great gifts
at a cost of about $1.00 each. You could make some with your children's
photos and give them to your friends and family instead of snapshots. You
can make diet reminders to place on your refrigerator. You can make gag
gifts for friends. PrintPaks Magnet Kit even includes an option for making
phone lists of emergency numbers. Wouldn't that be a handy item to give to
your child care provider or baby-sitter? This is more fun (and much more
useful) than a barrel of monkeys.
PrintPaks Magnet Kit is designed for children ages 6 and older, but I
recommend adult supervision for kids under 10. The process involves loading
the paper correctly into your printer and choosing the correct printer
options. These tasks may prove difficult for younger children This is a
fast and fun way to get your family involved in computing. It's simple and
the whole family can do it. I highly recommend PrintPaks Magnet Kit.
Two of our greatest testers!! Are Frank's sons, Jerry & Tim Thanks guys
Portable Computers Section
Marty Mankins, Editor
STR Editor's Mail Call "...a place for the readers to be heard"
Editor's MailBag
Messages * NOT EDITED * for content
Subject: Politics & Constitution - Msg Number: 116237
From: Steve Watkins 74241,3001
To: Ralph @ STReport 70007,4454
Date: 14-Jul-96 8:08
Ralph,
Are you seriously considering this as a weekly/monthly on-line 'zine?
My two cents:
ú It would be nice to see another source of information to combat the
insanity of the (overboard) liberal mass media and I surely would give it a
read
ú I don't think it would have an impact, other than being interesting
reading for many. Why?
America - and the media that feeds it - is mainly brain dead these days.
It's already probably too late to save us. The discontent and anger from
the 1994 elections (in which not a single republican encumb. was defeated)
is already washed away among the tide of garbage being spewed by the Spin
Doctors and the Media that laps it up. The machine is so completely broken -
and every part is so out of control - that I doubt it can be fixed.
Though this will sound elitist... Too many completely clueless people have
the right to vote. There ought to be a test you have to take to vote. So
many people have NO CLUE about any issues at all - yet they THINK they do,
because they saw some Spin Doctor advertisement or because someone told them
"all about it." People vote on such amazingly important (massive sarcasm)
as : age, looks and which politicians "care" the most. <HINT: NONE OF THEM
GIVE A DAMN>
First proposal: If you watch Carnie, Tempest, Geraldo, Maury, Rikkkki, etc.,
etc., etc. - you CANT VOTE.
Second proposal: Free psychiatric evaluations for those that believe
anything James Carvel (aka Serpent Head, as named by his own wife <G>) - the
talk show darling, Republican basher - says. :)
Exiting Soap Box. :)
Steve
Steve,
Hopefully, there is an impact. Judging from the mail we've received
there is more than a casual interest in the political editorials we've
presented from time to time. Also, it would appear that doing two magazines
would prove to be counter-productive. so, for the time being, we shall carry
the presentations in our current humble publication. Thanks for the
interest and for reading.
Ralph
Atari: Jaguar/Computer Section
Dana Jacobson, Editor
From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
Every once in awhile, I feel compelled to take an introspective view of the
things that we're trying to accomplish within the Atari section of STReport.
Occasionally, and more often than not lately, I ponder what our goals are,
and whether or not we are achieving them. To be perfectly honest, I'm my
worst critic.
Are we, or more specifically, am I, providing you, as readers (hopefully,
Atari readers), the best possible source for current and informative news
regarding Atari computers and game machines? The answer is "I don't believe
so." Putting together an online magazine every single week is not an easy
task. STReport has been around since June of 1987 - longer than any other
Atari publication to-date! Over the years, it has meant the devotion and
hard work of many groups and individuals to maintain this endeavor. And, it
has been you, the readers of STReport, who have provided us with the stamina
to continue doing so.
But, our numbers continue to dwindle - both in staff and readership, and
Atari users in general (at least in terms of downloads in Atari areas).
This is to be expected because of the changes in focus of Atari itself over
the past years; and, it's also due to the growth of the PC market. There's
no denying that the PC world has had a negative effect on the rest of the
computing world. However, this growth does not mean that we, as Atari
computer users, need to roll over and play dead!
Are you still with me? Good. I'm looking for your expertise and help. For
the majority of you reading this, you're devoted Atari users like I am.
STReport has always depended on the users, and readers, for contributions to
our magazine to make it a well-rounded publication. Two or three of us
cannot accomplish our goals without your help and continue to maintain what
we hope will be one that you look forward to reading every single week. And
I refuse to kid myself that every week's issue will contain an abundance of
news and information even with your support. But, I do realize that there is
a lot of potential out there for new information, and articles based on your
experiences, past and present. We need to hear from you.
I'm not asking for a full-time commitment nor a pre-requisite that you join
our Atari staff here at STReport. If that is something you'd consider -
fine. But experience has taught me that most people do not have the time and
energy these days to make such a commitment. And I also realize how
difficult it is these days to be motivated enough to write something about
Atari-related topics. I also realize that most of you still find enjoyment
and success through your use of Atari products - computers and games. And
yes, many of us also find frustration.
But remember something that I have always found to be a common factor among
most Atari users: the meaning of being part of the Atari community. No
other platform can make such a claim. Need some help with a particular
problem dealing with a particular program, game, or hardware? Just one
question posted on your favorite online service, BBS, or Usenet group and
you'll receive dozens of helpful replies. You've seen it happen, and likely
you've been a benefactor of the answers yourself - even if it wasn't you who
initiated the question.
This is the essence of my involvement with the Atari portion of STReport.
This community spirit that has made using Atari computers and other
peripherals enjoyable. Wouldn't it be interesting to "harness" a little bit
of that community spirit and share it with our fellow-Atarians?
You may be wondering, and asking yourself: "What can I do to help?" There
are a number of things that you can do. In all likelihood, you're online
sometime, somewhere. If you see an interesting article related to Atari
computing or gaming - pass it along to us or point it out in such a way that
we can locate it easily. Has someone recently posed a question on [name
your favorite online Atari source here] and had it be answered - a topic
that you feel would be of interest to many? Capture it/them and forward the
item(s) to us. Have a favorite experience, go to an interesting Atari show,
find a new program or game, know some Atari trivia, and
the list is endless? Write about it and send it along.
Remember, the computing world has expanded greatly. An article that appears
in an Atari forum on CompuServe may never reach the users on Delphi or GEnie.
And, something that appears on the Internet or Usenet may never appear on
any of the online services. And your favorite local BBS may be another
singular supply of information. Take the culmination of all these interests
and bits of news and information - sort through it - put it all together -
and organize it into one central source of informative and entertaining
reporting. And then have it appear on a weekly basis in STReport.
So, white think? Please, all feedback (pro and/or con) should be sent to me
at the online addresses listed below. If you have some ideas that you feel
would be of benefit, pass them along. If you have a regular mailing list for
Atari-related products, add me to it. If you have an idea for an article but
not sure how to go about organizing or writing it, let me know. Your
interests are my interests - I want to hear from you all.
Drop me a line at any of the following online addresses:
Delphi - DPJ (dpj@delphi.com)
CompuServe - 71051,3327 (71051.3327@compuserve.com)
GEnie - D.JACOBSON2 (d.jacobson2@genie.com)
Toad Hall BBS - 617-567-8642 or 617-569-2489
Until next time...
New Atari Newsgroups Proposed! STR Focus
Atari Binaries - Inaugural Message
This message inaugurates both alt.binaries.atari and alt.binaries.atari.d
CHARTER:
alt.binaries.atari is for distribution of freeware, Public Domain, and
shareware patches, programs, etcetera, intended for Atari and compatible
computers. alt.binaries.atari.d is for discussion of the content of
alt.binaries.atari and should never contain binary files.
The following are explicitly inappropriate for posting to either
alt.binaries.atari or alt.binaries.atari.d:
ú Copyrighted software without the EXPLICIT permission of the copyright
holder to post the software.
ú "Chain letters," "get rich quick" schemes, for sale messages, or
commercial solicitations of any kind.
ú "My computer is better than your computer" messages, or discussions of
the relative merits of any computer system. These discussions properly
belong in the various .advocacy groups (or alt.flames in some cases).
ú Any posting whatsoever by Peter Sinclair-Day; he does not own an Atari
or compatible computer, does not use an Atari or compatible computer, and
does not hold the copyright to any known software.
Very large binaries (e.g., in excess of 500k) should be uploaded to an ftp
site (or several) first, and the availability (with full path) announced in
a.b.a; only in the case of a specific request by a user who has no ftp
access should such large binaries be posted to the newsgroup.
It is suggested that a short text message be posted in a.b.a immediately
before posting a binary, explaining the purpose of the binary, the copyright
status and distribution policy pertaining to the binary, system requirements
for use of the binary, and any special information which may assist in
determining the desirability or undesirability of downloading the binary.
This is an unmoderated group. However, it will be closely watched by the
undersigned, and any blatant violation of copyright law will be immediately
reported to the violator's postmaster and the copyright holder. Violations
of netiquette will be referred to the appropriate
postmaster if it is deemed necessary.
There has been some online activity regarding Syquest's recent price
reduction announcements of their EZ135 removable hard drive system. The
debate has been on whether or not Syquest has discontinued this item in favor
of the EZ230. While the decision hasn't been firmly made yet, it appears
from the following item from one of our readers that there's a good chance
that the EZ135 will be discontinued later this year.
Below is the exact text clipped from the SyQuest Corporation form S-3 filed
with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on July 1, 1996.
You can inspect the document for yourself to confirm the information at
site: http://www.sec.gov and then select Search Edgar Datebase and use
"Syquest" as your search word. You want the 7/1/96 S-3 filing.
INTRODUCTION OF EZ135 AND EZ230.
The Company's EZ135 products accounted for 16% of the Company's sales in the
last quarter of fiscal 1995, 42% in the first quarter of fiscal 1996 and 46%
in the second quarter of fiscal 1996. The Company expects that sales of the
EZ135 products will account for a less significant percentage of its sales
for the balance of the 1996 fiscal year. The Company's EZ135 products
commenced commercial shipment in September 1995. Although sales of EZ135
products contributed significantly to the Company's revenue during the last
quarter of the 1995 fiscal year and the first half of fiscal year 1996, the
Company lost money on the EZ135 due to design- related issues impacting the
cost of manufacturing the product (which could not be corrected as the
Company originally anticipated), and due to competitive pressures requiring
the price to be lower than cost. The Company presently expects to cease
selling the EZ135 by October 1996.
The Company introduced its EZ Flyer 230 on June 3, 1996. Commercial
shipments of the EZ230 commenced on June 1, 1996. There can be no assurance
that the EZ230 will be accepted in the marketplace or achieve significant
sales (see "Risk Factors-Uncertainty of Market Acceptance of Products") or
that the Company will be able to sell the EZ230 at a price in excess of the
cost of manufacturing the EZ230.
4 Years On
From: Phillip White <flibbet@zip.com.au>
Some years ago I used to be the editor for "Inside Info", the disk magazine
for ACE, the Atari Computer Enthusiasts user group in Sydney Australia. Just
before the release of the Falcon in this country I wrote an article
speculating on the future of this machine. While I don't profess to be
totally factual It is interesting to read this now a few years later after I
wrote it (in late 1992).
Note that prices are in Australian dollars at that time about .70 US$ and
Australia was in a severe economic recession. I was doing a cleanup on my PC
(I also have a Mac) and came across heap of text files I saved when I sold
my ST.
ATARI and the Falcon
By Phillip White (ACE Editor)
Previous issues of Inside Info have looked at some of the problems associated
with Atari, ranging from gross mismanagement, to conspiracy theories. Even
amongst dedicated supporters of Atari, there is a high level of cynicism
regarding the ability of this company to promote its product.
The Big news in recent months has been the Falcon 030, the successor to the
ST and savior of Atari. After an initial flurry of news regarding the
specifications and capabilities of this machine, it appears that it will be
quite some time before they are going to be available.
A company such as Atari which is making a loss, has a low consumer profile
and a diminished market share, is not in a good position to launch a new
product in a saturated computer market. The perception of the company is that
of an arcade machine manufacturer that also makes "home computers". In spite
of the efforts of Atari enthusiasts this attitude still persists, and at
times has been reinforced by Atari themselves.
The Atari ST when it was first introduced, was in a good position to be
considered by the home computer user. It was much cheaper than the Apple
Macintosh and used a similar graphics interface which gave it an edge over
the unwieldy MS-DOS machines. The low price of the ST was possible through
some ingenious cost cutting measures and allowed Atari to promote the ST as
the "Power without the Price" computer.
Atari was to enjoy a period of success with the ST and many new computer
users as well as existing Atari owners were attracted to the new model. The
inclusion of MIDI ports on the ST meant that Atari had a sizeable
representation in the music industry, a position it still holds today. Atari
however, was slow to respond to trends in the computer industry and customer
expectations which placed ever increasing demands on the performance of
personal computers.
Limitations in the flexibility of the ST's design meant that it was difficult
to upgrade the operating system, as well as incorporate features such as
extra memory and enhanced graphics capabilities. When the ST was released
however, such features were seen as luxuries and what the ST had to offer in
terms of performance and price was more than enough for the home user.
An attempt was made to rectify some of the design problems with the release
of the STe series with an operating system upgrade, easier memory expansion
and extended colour palette. The improvements however were largely
inconsequential and the STe also came with several curious bugs, as well as
Atari's strange policy of soldering in the RAM to disallow user memory
expansion.
At the time of the STe release, Atari announced that a 68030 computer known
as the TT would be available as a high end Atari platform. Along with the
TT, Atari produced the Mega STe which essentially was a high performance STe
but without the extra features of the TT. When these impressive machines
were finally available in Australia, there were virtually no retailers left
who stocked Atari products and very little software which took advantage of
the features these computers had to offer.
Atari adopted a minimal promotion strategy for the ST and subsequent
products, in the belief that retailers and existing users would attract new
customers to the platform. The legacy of this strategy can be seen with the
almost total lack of retail outlets for Atari computers and software in
Australia. Also, countries like Germany, which showed promising sales
figures, received special attention from Atari while their market in the rest
of the world was neglected.
A major consequence of this has been the steady departure of 3rd party
software and hardware developers from the Atari platform. Many developers
who initially were attracted to the ST, anticipating that Atari would get
behind their product and improve on it, have abandoned Atari altogether.
There is little incentive in developing an application for a computer that
is not selling very well and most developers have switched platforms so that
they don't starve.
A side effect of this has been software piracy, by no means exclusive to
Atari, which has discouraged developers even more. Sadly, many users resort
to piracy because of the lack of software available locally. Few users are
willing to risk purchasing applications from overseas without evaluation.
Many dedicated users who ordered from overseas and demonstrated their
purchases at user group meetings, have changed platforms, thus depriving many
ST owners the opportunity of reviewing the latest software.
The Plague
Even without the lack of promotion, Atari would still be having a hard time
of it along with Commodore, Apple and IBM. The computer market has been
saturated with MS DOS compatibles which are sold at extraordinarily low
prices, partly because of the recession and partly because of the sheer
volume of units. For under $1500, a 386SX PC can be purchased with 2 Meg of
RAM, 85Meg hard disk, Super VGA monitor, mouse and windows. Even better
deals are available if one is prepared to shop around.
The early success of the PC relied on its ability to be configured any way
the user desired, ranging from that of real estate management to EPROM
burning. The command line interface of the MS-DOS operating system although
inherently powerful, is not easy to master and tends to discourage multi-
application use. This meant that most PC's tended to be used in the
workplace in dedicated roles and were generally not considered to be a good
choice as a home computer.
Steady improvements have been made to the PC in the form of increased speed,
memory expansion, graphics enhancement and an easier user interface in the
form of Windows 3. Although the PC is still difficult to configure, these
improvements, together with the current low cost, have made the PC attractive
to home buyers as well as businesses. The vast number of applications
available at reasonable cost has also helped sales of the PC. Many home users
can now use the same software at home as they do at work, a situation
generally not possible with the ST, due to the lack of compatible
applications. For an ST owner who is lamenting the demise of quality
software, the PC is a very attractive proposition.
Along with cheaper PC's, the other computer companies have reduced prices and
introduced new models. The Apple Macintosh, while still expensive compared to
any Atari or a base model PC, is more affordable than ever and worth
considering for the features on offer. Soon to come from Apple are even
cheaper models. Commodore, while almost in the same boat as Atari, will soon
release the low cost Amiga 600 with internal hard drive and the 68040 Amiga
4000.
The impact of all this on Atari can not be underestimated. With virtually no
advertising, retailers, software, and customer support in this country, there
is little incentive for a prospective buyer to purchase an Atari computer
considering what is on offer elsewhere. Many existing ST owners have become
disillusioned with Atari as local support for the platform steadily
diminishes. Long time supporters continue to abandon the ST and purchase PC's
and Mac's.
And so it is that Atari, which is in a dismal position brought about by its
own mismanagement and economic factors beyond its control, is seeking to
restore its fortunes with the introduction of the Falcon 030. If their past
performance is anything to go by then the demise of Atari will be assured.
Atari is taking an enormous gamble with the Falcon and it is entirely
possible that it may be too late to save this once great company. The fact
remains that Atari do make very good computers, but the world is not going to
buy them if they make it difficult to do so.
On A Wing and a Prayer
The Falcon is by all accounts an impressive machine and has features which
would significantly add to the cost if included on other computers. The
digital signal processor, video and graphic modes, audio processing and
networking capabilities would conceivably consist of several thousand
dollars worth of plug in cards if they were to be implemented on a PC or
Macintosh. Yet the Falcon in its most basic configuration will sell for
approx AU$1000 (converting from announced US prices). Add a cheapie monitor
and Hard Disk and the one Megabyte Falcon weighs in at around $2000.
Atari have indicated that this will be their "low end" computer, with the
implication that other more powerful models are planned along the same lines
as the Falcon. There are some interesting questions as to what the new Atari
range will consist of as there will be an overlap of computers with varying
features and prices. Atari can ill afford to spread its budget to include
all models in its catalogue.
It is entirely possible that Atari would be in a less precarious position
today if they had concentrated on improving the ST range, instead of
diverting resources into projects such as the ATW, Hotz Box, STacey, ST Pad,
and ST book. Atari wasted much time, energy and money with these products
which in some cases never eventuated or were unmarketable. In attempting to
cover all bases, Atari failed to appreciate that the ST was and is the
computer of choice for many users simply because of its excellent
performance, ease of use and price.
Atari have now returned to the power without the price concept with the
Falcon. A departure from the past can be seen in the options available in
terms of freedom of choice and acceptance of industry standards. No longer
is the buyer forced to accept an Atari monitor or a hard disk with custom
host adapter. Any industry standard VGA monitor and SCSI hard disk can be
connected if so desired. The operating system is now largely disk based,
making TOS upgrades much easier than before. Memory expansion with the Falcon
howe
ver, is a worry, instead of commonly available SIMMS, Atari have devised
propriety memory modules. It is expected that 3rd party modules will be
available as an alternative.
Atari intends to focus attention on the multimedia features of the Falcon.
This rather nebulous term means different things to different people and can
be as diverse as quicktime movies on the Mac', 24 bit color Opalvision for
the Amiga and a slideshow with sound on a PC. A loose definition of a
multimedia system is one that can record and play, digitally processed image
and sound for entertainment and educational
purposes.
This is something that most computers, including the ST, are capable of in
some form but is generally accepted that to be viable, multimedia must be
able to record video and sound, process it and replay it at near broadcast
quality. There are many variables associated with this ideal, but the Falcon
would appear to be the only computer that has this function built in. Most
other comparable multimedia systems are either expensive dedicated
workstations or pricey plug in cards for the high end Macs, Amigas and PC's.
Atari is almost certainly going to face an uphill struggle in marketing the
Falcon. Its multimedia capabilities will no doubt result in rave reviews of
the machine, but there is limited demand for this capability at the present
time. Most computers are purchased for the less esoteric tasks, of word
processing, maintaining databases/spreadsheets and a bit of DTP. For these
jobs, a cheap PC will do.
Speculation Corner
In the tight economic climate, the Falcon may well be seen as too frivolous,
rather like Commodores CDTV. There is however a push within the computer
industry to accept Quicktime as the standard for multimedia presentations. It
is anticipated that most computers will be able to replay Quicktime, but
recording movies requires relatively expensive video processing hardware. If
quicktime is adopted for the Falcon it could well find a niche as a creator
of Quicktime presentations.
With Desktop Video, The Falcon is certainly light years ahead of anything
Atari has had to offer before. Atari is also light years behind in this area,
with the clear leader being the Commodore Amiga. Both the Amiga, Mac and PC's
can be fitted with Video cards which offer Desktop Video at varying budgets.
As impressive as the colour and video capabilities of the Falcon are, Atari
has made a grave mistake by not providing slots for graphics cards. Paint,
animation and modelling software has lagged behind with Atari and it is
unlikely that established videomakers will switch over to the Falcon unless
the applications exist. It is possible that as an interim measure, software
will be ported over from other platforms to fill the gap.
Probably the most astounding feature of the Falcon, which will guarantee
sales is the audio processing capabilities. The inclusion of 16 bit CD
quality 8 track direct to disk recording is amazing. To have it in a computer
for a thousand dollars is revolutionary. True, a big hard disk is required,
and appropriate software, but for under $3000 a musician can have the
recording quality and creative control of systems in the $10000 to $15000
range. Unlike MIDI which appealed to electronic musicians, hard disk
recording is also of value to acoustic musicians thus opening up a large
market for the Falcon.
There are many possible uses for the Falcon, based on the capabilities of the
DSP chip. Some of these are useful, some are not. The notion of plugging
one into a phone line as a fax machine will either be extremely handy or
just plain silly. Wild speculation on what the Falcon is capable of, will do
nothing but foster suspicion and until the Falcon is readily available, it
is too early to say how it will perform and whether it will prove to be the
amazing machine that Atari wants us to believe it is. Atari not only has to
attract new customers, but has to bring back those enthusiasts who have left
the fold.
Jaguar Section
The "Telegames" List
The Underground Jaguar "Shareware"
Effort A Great Innovative Idea, or A Wrong Choice in the Works??
From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
It never ceases to amaze me that when Atari falters, a number of individuals
band together in unity to move forward in a manner to continue the life cycle
of "discontinued" Atari products. We have seen this happen with the Atari
8cbit machines through the Falcon computer. It continues to occur now that
the Jaguar has been all but abandoned.
There's currently a drive, as mentioned in past issues, to petition Telegames
to publish some of the games that have been finished but never published by
Atari. The impression that we've seen is that if there are enough
"signatures" (i.e. interest and potential buyers), Telegames will consider
publishing some of those games. There are currently almost 400 signatures,
but many more are needed.
Personally, I like to see this kind of enthusiasm. It may turn out to be a
fruitless cause, but at least people are making an effort to try and convince
3rd party publishers that the Jaguar userbase is still interested in new
games. If you're interested and haven't already signed the petition, do so.
If you'd like, send me your name and/or online address and I'll pass it along
to the proper people.
Another potential plus for the Jaguar userbase lies with the ongoing efforts
of a small group of people that formed the "Underground". While I don't
profess to fully understand their plans, it is my understanding that they are
trying ways to bring new games to the userbase by alternate means (non-
traditional).
The "traditional" method for getting a Jaguar game published is to develop a
game, get it approved by Atari, encrypted by Atari, and then have it
published. I'm sure there's more to it than that, but the generalization
holds true.
However, my initial concerns, as evidenced from the online message activity
and recent interview by the staff at GameWire (see below), are that there may
be steps taken in this effort that appear on the surface to be inappropriate,
or illegal. As you'll see below, there has been no contact with Atari with
regard to the Underground's plans - something that would seem a logical step
to take before any effort was undertaken. This strikes me as a backwards way
of doing such a project. They have stated, however, that they intend to
follow through with Atari's blessing. But, without all of the details of the
Underground's efforts from their point of view, my imagination can really go
wild and lead me with the idea that these efforts could be bordering on
impropriety.
I have recently left a message with questions for two of the members of the
Underground pertaining to my concerns, and of others. As of my deadline, I
have just received a response but will not have time to include it in this
week's issue; it will appear next week. As I learn more, I will bring that
information to you in subsequent issues of STReport. As mentioned in my
opening remarks, the idea of seeing new games published for the Jaguar is
terrific. However, I hope that this will bear fruit in a manner that is
proper. In the meantime, I'll leave you to make up your own minds.
On the Atari/JTS merger front, I just learned (Thursday evening) that the SEC
has approved the proposed merger. All that remains for this merger to occur
is for a stockholders vote, a legal formality. Sources at Atari have
remarked that the outcome of that vote will be successful. If you're
interested in attending, I have advance information that the stockholders'
meeting/vote will be held on July 30th, at 9:00 a.m., at the law office of
Wilson Sonsini in Palo Alto (CA).
The question remains, now that the merger is all but official: What will
become of Atari Corporation? What will the focus of JTS Corporation be and
what will they do with the Atari portion of the new company, if anything? It
will probably be some time before we learn just what those plans might be.
Until next time...
Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News!
Sega of America Names New CEO
Shoichiro Irimajiri has been appointed the new chairman/CEO of Sega of
America Inc., replacing Tom Kalinske who says he is leaving Sega after six
years to join Education Technology LLC. From Sega's Redwood City, Calif.,
headquarters, The Associated Press reports Kalinske will remain at Sega until
Sept. 30, and will remain a member of the corporation's board of directors.
Before joining Sega Enterprises, Irimajiri served almost 30 years at Honda
Motor Corp.
Jaguar Online STR InfoFile Online Users Growl & Purr!
From CompuServe's Atari Gaming Forums, member Randy Baer comments about the
recent MiST show last weekend:
I attended the MIST Atarifest show here in Indy on Saturday and got to look
at TWO new, unreleased Jag games. The first was the incredible
Battlesphere. To all the doubters out there on this one: it lives up to
the hype. The variety of ships is incredible, the gameplay is great, the
graphics (especially the ship selection screen!), and music are phenomenal.
It LOOKED finished, although Tom Harker at ICD said they wanted to implement
a few more features before releasing it. To all those who have called this
game "BS", and I'm not talking about an abbreviation of the title...you'll
soon see how wrong you are.
Also, I was finally able to see the final version of Breakout 2000; I had
tested early versions but never the final. Again, wow! The gameplay on
this one is SOOOO good...anyone who has even a passing interest in Breakout
would really enjoy this one. Right at the end of the show, a little kid
(about 10 or so, I would guess) came up to Mario Perdue (one of B2K's
programmers) and said, "I think this is the best Jag game I've seen." I
think it brought a smile to Mario's face, as well it should have.
BTW, they also had the petition there to Telegames; perhaps Atari will get on
the ball and RELEASE BREAKOUT 2000 NOW!!!!
All in all, a really good show; I picked up (finally!) Paperboy, Warbirds,
and Ms. Pac for the Lynx, as well as Myst for the Jag CD ($25!). Now if I
could just get B2K and Battlesphere life would be complete!
Randy
Jaguar Shareware - A Legitimate Effort
or, A Misdirected Pipedream?
From CompuServe's Atari Gaming Forum and GameWire's Web Page:
[Editor's note: content edited (spelling) for clarity]
Sb: Shareware on the Jag?!?!
Fm: Joshua P. Arnold 102073,1613
To: all
Hello all,
Shareware on the Jaguar is definitely a possibility that we can't ignore.
Atari has obviously given up on the Jaguar at this time (and haven't shown
one lick of marketing experience), so the underground feels that it's about
time that the gamers took things into their own hands. Yes, the format would
be CD, which would be possible to produce and distribute via the Net if the
encoding could be broken (which is almost finished). Previously, the
underground has wanted to remain anonymous due to possible legal problems,
but now they are "spilling their guts" to us here at GameWire. We'll have an
exclusive interview online later this week!
I ask all of you to read the interview before posting any discussion against
the Jaguar and the Underground. Oh yes, and be sure to sign the Telegames
petition while you're visiting. You can find the Jaguar report in the center
stage section of GameWire's Web site. Our URL is:
http://www.gamepen.com/gamewire/.
Thank you,
Joshua Arnold
GameWire Editor-in-Chief
Sb: #115895-Shareware on the Jag?!?!
Fm: Joshua P. Arnold 102073,1613
To: Don Thomas 75300,1267
Ok, about the encoding; they are using the "Jaguar Server," a cheap version
of the Atari development kit. And I recently found out that they are able to
publish on CD-Rom and on cart.
The Underground is publishing their own games; they are in no way pirating
any existing ones. I suggest reading the material, and then possibly
emailing the Underground.
Joshua Arnold
GameWire Editor-in-Chief
Sb: #116302-Shareware on the Jag?!?!
Fm: Joshua P. Arnold 102073,1613
To: Don Thomas 75300,1267 (X)
Hello again,
The interview with the Underground is now up at our Web site
(http://www.gamepen.com/gamewire/). I'd like to stress the point that
GameWire is in no means involved with this movement, and that we are not
promoting piracy, simply covering the ONLY Jaguar news at the moment.
According to the underground, they will not go into final stages without
Atari's blessing, and have no intention to break any laws. And, this is not
Piracy (stupid comment), it is programming games for a system, not selling
illegal copies. If you have any questions, I suggest following the
instructions on the report/interview, not going through GameWire.
Also, the petition to Telegames has more than 200 people on it already, with
more coming every day. Atari has obviously given up on the Jag, and a lot of
people in the community feel "let down" because of this. I don't think Atari
is in the position to refuse an offer like this if they want the Jaguar to
live.
Thank you,
Joshua Arnold
GameWire Editor-in-Chief
Sb: #116311-Shareware on the Jag?!?!
Fm: Don Thomas 75300,1267
To: Joshua P. Arnold 102073,1613
Joshua,
>>Ok, about the encoding; they are using the "Jaguar Server," a cheap
>>version of the Atari development kit. And I recently found out that
>>they are able to publish on CD-Rom and on cart.
Atari has protected their right to license developers through an encryption
process. Atari has to be involved with that and no one at Atari has been
approached about it as far as I know.
>>The Underground is publishing their own games; they are in no way
>>pirating any existing ones.
It doesn't matter what they publish, if it's done without proper licensing,
it's pirating. They would have to steal Atari's encryption process if they
don't go through Atari to publish the software.
I'm all for them doing it, as long as it's legal.
--Don Thomas
Atari Corporation
Sb: #116310-Shareware on the Jag?!?!
Fm: Don Thomas 75300,1267
To: Joshua P. Arnold 102073,1613
Joshua,
>>The interview with the Underground is now up at our Web site
>>(http://www.gamepen.com/gamewire/). I'd like to stress the point
>>that GameWire is in no means involved with this movement,
>>and that we are not promoting piracy, simply covering the ONLY
>>Jaguar news at the moment.
Understood AND I'm glad you are. Thanks.
>>According to the underground, they will not go into final stages
>>without Atari's blessing, and have no intention to break any laws.
That's what confuses me because I've checked and I can find NO one at Atari
that knows anything about this except what I have brought up. What confuses
me is why someone would go so far to work on such a project and/or announce
it publicly without contacting the company that must be involved to license
them to do such a thing. Unless, of course, they intend to violate
technological proprietary rights through some reverse engineering process and
they have no intentions to include Atari in their plans at all. Also, why
would they need to reverse engineer if they are responsibly working with
Atari on the project?
I hope, as responsible editorial people, GameWire is asking these obvious
questions and including the answers with any reports they make on the
subject. Otherwise, in my opinion, GameWire _is_ involved with this movement
by simply reporting the information which is advantageous to the illegal
developers. In other words, if GAMEWIRE is freely publishing what amounts to
promotional data about a piracy ring without a balanced reporting effort to
expose the illegal nature of the ring, I think that's as being involved as it
would be to do the reverse engineering yourself.
>>Also, the petition to Telegames has more than 200 people on it already,
>>with more coming every day. Atari has obviously given up on the Jag,
>>and a lot of people in the community feel "let down" because of this.
>>I don't think Atari is in the position
>>to refuse an offer like this if they want the Jaguar to live.
Atari has every right to do with the Jaguar and licensing for it as they
please. I understand people feel "let down". Many of those same people felt
let down with Coleco when out of business or when the TI/994a was
discontinued, or when Mattel abandoned the Intellivision, or that Nintendo
doesn't do much with their original NES system, or when the Vectrex bit the
dust. Soon a lot of people will likely feel "let down" by Sega I suspect and
lord knows how many times Nintendo has promised the U64 with nothing to show
for it yet. I know the U64 is coming, but people felt convinced the CD-ROM
for the SNES was coming too.
Atari never was a charity. We never pretended to be and I dare anyone to find
a company that is willing to develop, manufacturer and distribute
sophisticated video game equipment without the primary object being to make
money doing it. I understand Atari has withstood and continues to withstand
criticism on how they went about things, but that none of that ever takes
away their right to negotiate, sell, retain or dispose of the properties they
own in a manner most advantageous to them and the shareholders.
I don't what the Telegames petition is all about, but I can tell you in an
industry where tens to hundreds of thousands of something have to be made
and sold to make the investments in it worthwhile, 200 does not seem to me to
be a very long list to convince a company to make any large investments.
Don't get me wrong, I am NOT saying that no one cares, but I don't think it's
irrational to expect that a company must find a way to care in a way that
makes them money. I don't know of too many pharmaceutical companies making
insulin available to diabetics for free.
--Don Thomas
Atari Corporation
Sb: #116314-Shareware on the Jag?!?!
Fm: [ICD, Inc.] 76004,1600
To: Don Thomas 75300,1267
>>Ok, about the encoding; they are using the "Jaguar Server," a cheap
>>version of the Atari development kit. And I recently found out that
>>they are able to publish on CD-Rom and on cart.
>Atari has protected their right to license developers through an
>encryption process. Atari has to be involved with that and no one at
>Atari has been approached about it as far as I know.
Don, Since you have been following the history of the market, perhaps you
could comment on the lawsuit that Atari had with Nintendo over Nintendo's
right to do just that by controlling who published what for their 8-bit game
system. I wasn't following the game market that closely at the time but I
believe that it was over a lockout type chip that was required to make
cartridges run on a stock Nintendo system. Atari reverse engineered it thus
breaking their encryption.
I completely agree that developers should approach Atari and work with them
on encryption which is what we have done and are planning for BattleSphere.
But there will always be the fringe developer groups out there... the
hackers... like Dave Small and Magic Sac... people who find ways around the
lockouts while remaining legal or at least at the fringes of legality.
>>The Underground is publishing their own games; they are in no way
pirating any existing ones.<<
That is very good to hear.
>It doesn't matter what they publish, if it's done without proper
>licensing, it's pirating. They would have to steal Atari's encryption
>process if they don't go through Atari to publish the software.
Respectfully, this is where I really don't agree. It is only pirating if
they have stolen and/or are using Atari's code.
>I'm all for them doing it, as long as it's legal.<
I think that we all agree on this one. Let's have more Jaguar games!
- TOM -
Sb: #116313-Shareware on the Jag?!?!
Fm: [ICD, Inc.] 76004,1600
To: Don Thomas 75300,1267
>>I hope, as responsible editorial people, GameWire is asking these
obvious questions and including the answers with any reports they make
on the subject. Otherwise, in my opinion, GameWire _is_ involved with
this movement by simply reporting the information which is advantageous
to the illegal developers. In other words, if GAMEWIRE is freely
publishing what amounts to promotional data about a piracy ring without
a balanced reporting effort to expose the illegal nature of the ring, I
think that's as being involved as it would be to do the reverse
engineering yourself.<<
It is a good thing that Gamewire has the first amendment to protect them. :-
)
Respectfully Don, I get upset with most of the news coverage in the world
these days. Much of it is unbalanced. But that doesn't make the news media
partners in crime. When BET was reporting about the OJ trial, I didn't
think that they were guilty of murdering Nicole.
I don't know what these shareware guys are up to and it is probably just a
pipe dream on their part but I will give them a chance to do their work and
rally the user base. You can always sue them when you feel they are doing
something illegal.
The Telegames petition is falling short of the 10,000 signatures they
want/need/expect but at least they are trying to generate interest.
Remember the Atari Revolution? :-)
- TOM -
Sb: #116331-Shareware on the Jag?!?!
Fm: Don Thomas 75300,1267
To: [ICD, Inc.] 76004,1600
Tom,
>>Don, Since you have been following the history of the market, perhaps
>>you could comment on the lawsuit that Atari had with Nintendo over
>>Nintendo's right to do just that by controlling who published what for
>>their 8-bit game system.
As I recall, that was related to Tengen Games which was (is) a division of
Atari Games (now owned by Williams) and pretty much unrelated to us at Atari
Corporation other than how the decision sets a precedent for other issues
later.
>>I wasn't following the game market that closely at the time but I
>>believe that it was over a lockout type chip that was required to make
>>cartridges run on a stock Nintendo system. Atari reverse engineered it
>>thus breaking their encryption.
It sounds like you did follow it pretty well. Nintendo sued Atari Games over
the issue and Atari Games lost the fight.
>>I completely agree that developers should approach Atari and work with
>>them on encryption which is what we have done and are planning for
>>BattleSphere. But there will always be the fringe developer groups out
>>there... the hackers... like Dave Small and Magic Sac... people who find
>>ways around the lockouts while remaining legal or at least at the
>>fringes of legality.
I realize that. There are also fringe groups that sell T-Shirts with
unlicensed copies of Disney characters on them too. When they become known,
they are dealt with. I believe very strongly in the rights of companies to
protect their rights to make money on technologies they design. It's not
right that I would design some technology, protect it's design in every
legally appropriate manner and have someone else exploit it for profit and
finding ways to cut me out of it. As I understand it, many of the emulators
out there (not being an attorney, I dare not be specific) were 100% illegal,
however, there's also the issue of being practical to sue someone who does
so little business, there's nothing to gain.
Also, many of the emulators out there were (are) legal because the boards
they developed include the essential chips purchased legitimately. I think
if anyone has any questions on theses issues, they should contact an
attorney to make sure they conform to the law. Doing something against the
law simply because they don't like it does not justify what they do.
>>Respectfully, this is where I really don't agree. It is only pirating
>>if they have stolen and/or are using Atari's code.
Which they will have done if they sell something that runs on the Jaguar that
has not been properly licensed. The encryption process will require the
purchase or theft of specific proprietary codes to accomplish that.
>>I think that we all agree on this one. Let's have more Jaguar games!
ditto.
--Don Thomas
Atari Corporation
Sb: #116333-Shareware on the Jag?!?!
Fm: Don Thomas 75300,1267
To: [ICD, Inc.] 76004,1600
Tom,
>>It is a good thing that Gamewire has the first amendment to protect them.
:-)
>>Respectfully Don, I get upset with most of the news coverage in the
>>world these days. Much of it is unbalanced. But that doesn't make the
>>news media partners in crime. When BET was reporting about the OJ
>>trial, I didn't think that they were guilty of murdering Nicole.
Many issues of moral responsibility are not addressed by written law. While
your argument may have legal protection, it doesn't change my opinion that a
publication showing inferred endorsement of a product or service by
providing it a lot of coverage, but purposely ignoring other pertinent issues
makes them morally responsible.
If I make and sell clothing and ask the press to print my press releases,
what should the press do if they find out the clothing is made in child
detention sweat shops? Are they legally wrong not to report it if they know
it? Probably not. But, in my opinion, they have a moral responsibility to
reveal what they have discovered.
>>I don't know what these shareware guys are up to and it is probably
>>just a pipe dream on their part but I will give them a chance to do
>>their work and rally the user base. You can always sue them when you
>>feel they are doing something illegal.
I have no desire to sue them at all. I do think if they are telling the
public what they are doing and making it sound like they have Atari's
blessing, support, endorsement or otherwise, it's my responsibility to point
out that we officially know nothing about it and no one has contacted us
with what they have in mind. I also still think it's silly not to consult an
attorney or, at least Atari, with what their plans are before
spending/investing a lot of resources doing something they may likely not be
able to use or implement. To me, that's just common sense. Now, if they are
doing it just for personal fun, then why are they trying to raise everyone's
hopes that that they're doing will benefit them?
>>Remember the Atari Revolution? :-)
Yes, and I also recall being in touch with Atari with everything I did. In
fact, when I was hired by Atari, I was asked to sign a document primarily
designed to protect them from any potential I would steal trade secrets. I
appended the document to include protections for me and Artisan Software as
well. I also became a legitimate developer before marketing Artisan Software
products although that scenario was different and I really didn't have to.
I know you go out of your way to do things right with ICD also. I've seen you
do it over and over.
I don't think you and I really disagree on this, but I am obligated to have
at least 51% of my feet planted on the side of protecting Atari's interests
first. You on the other hand, while I know you don't want to take unjust
advantage of Atari, probably don't view our interests with the same priority
as your own. Hopefully you have at least 51% preferred interest in ICD. <g>
I know if the Underground was finding ways to embed crucial Battlesphere
code into a project they were working on behind your back, your ears would
probably perk up? No?
--Don Thomas
Atari Corporation
Interview:
Rhine Stacken and Steve Scavone/The Underground
Conducted by: Brian C Bessemer
[Courtesy of the GameWire Web Page]
As everyone involved in the video game industry knows, in the past 6 months,
Atari has basically screwed all its loyal customer's by failing to support
the 64-bit Jaguar. Luckily for those same consumers, the Atari community has
no intentions of letting this system die. During the past many months, an
organization of hackers and programmers from around the world have been busy
trying to learn the secrets of this machine. The Underground is now in a
position to consider the possibility of programming and marketing options for
`shareware' on the Atari Jaguar. In recent weeks I have been in contact with
members of The Underground, and have recently conducted an interview with 2
of its main members, Rhine Stacken and Steve Scavone.
An interview with "The Underground"
GameWire: First of all, for those people who don't already know, what is The
Underground?
Steve: A thought mostly in my mind and pretty much based on the fact that the
Jaguar Server exists. Roine Stenberg created the Server originally to allow
us hackers out here to play around with 64 bits of power. I hope to move it
into a shareware movement.
Roine: The underground is a group of people all over the world that are
interested in programming the Jaguar without spending money on Atari
development tools. Programming the Jaguar without Atari's tools are possible
with a cheap development system called "The Jaguar Server".
GameWire: Which people are most responsible for this organization?
Steve: Roine, Nat!, Kluas, Sven (not Christian Svensson), and myself.
Roine: I would not call it an organization, as it only consists of people
around the world hacking the Jaguar. But key people are myself (Jaguar
Server development system), Nat! (Jaguar underground technical docs),
and Steve Scavone (initiated the Shareware concept.)
GameWire: How many people are currently involved?
Roine: I would guess that the Underground consist of about 20 active at the
moment.
GameWire: Are they all coding games, or are some mainly involved in graphics,
sound, etc.?
Roine: The majority are just hacking around at the moment, as there currently
no special project that we are working on.
GameWire: How long has this been developing (how 'old' is The Underground?)
Steve: Almost a year maybe even less. It is more a hope than a reality at
this point. If I see the interest grow like it has been, it will be more
than real. Trust me on that one.
GameWire: What state, or stage, is The Underground in right now?
Roine: Hacking into the Jaguar and at some point hopefully having some
shareware releases for it. There are currently two games by people out. A
Tetris and a Quix clone.
GameWire: So, from what I understand, The Underground is currently dependent
on the Jaguar Server. Which came first... did the formation of The
Underground necessitate the Jaguar Server, or did the existence
of the Server spawn the creation of The Underground?
Roine: The Jaguar Server was first. It inspired the ugd-jag mailing list, and
now with the aid of Steve Scavone, is beginning to open up a shareware
market.
Steve: The server inspired me to get info out to Jag owners to let them know
us Server Underground folks are out here and would love to see their support
of us. SO I guess Roine is the ultimate guy to thank here.
GameWire: For those unfamiliar with the Jaguar Server, could you offer a
brief description?
Roine: The Jaguar Server project started my me in August '94. The goal was to
make a cheap developer kit for anyone that wanted to program for the Jaguar.
Atari's own developer kit was $5500 and that was WAY to much if you just
wanted to hack and program the Jaguar just for the fun of it.
The very first prototype was built around the Atari Mega ST's 'MegaBus' All
of it was hand wired together using a total of 21 IC's. I can tell you that
this board had VERY little empty space on it... the prototype was soon
scrapped as I began working on the "Rev A board," using a different approach
this time. It was built for the cartridge port and could then be used on all
Atari computers not just the ones having a 'MegaBus'. To keep the cost down,
I also decided to use the Jaguar's 2MB main memory and not include any
expensive RAM chips in the Jaguar Server hardware.
The Rev A board was up and running with very simple software in February '95.
As the Rev A board had some small flaws, I made some changes to the layout
and came up with the Rev B board. More serious work now began on the
Software - The Shell running on the Atari computer and the JagOS - Running on
the Jaguar. With this solution, it's possible to upload and download
programs and files between the computer and the Jag.
Steve: Only Atari ST/STE/TT030/F030/Mega2/4 e (are currently compatible,
though) PC versions are being seriously considered. The server is a
modification to your Jag that includes a card that plugs into the Atari
computer and then into the modified Jag. You use a compiler on the host to
write code for the Jag which gets uploaded and ran.
GameWire: Are the people involved with The Underground the same people on the
JagServer list?
Steve: Mostly.
GameWire: Where can people find more information concerning the JagServer?
Roine: All information needed, including how to order, can be found at the
Jaguar Server Page:
http://www.edu.isy.liu.se/~z94patsa/jsdata/jserver.html
GameWire: If someone is interested in writing games for the Jag, who should
they contact and what do they need to do?
Steve: Have them email Roine for a server.
Roine: They should buy the Jaguar Server Development kit , then develop
whatever they want and release it in any way they want.
GameWire: Roughly how many titles are being developed, or are planned for
development at this point?
Steve: Unknown.
GameWire: Which types of games? (you can leave you names, just give a few
descriptions)
Steve: Various stuff is in the works. You will have no such premature
promises from this group.
GameWire: What major milestones and/or limitations have you encountered so
far?
Roine: Milestones are definitely Nat's Underground documentation on
programming the Jaguar. They are very good, getting better every week.
Another milestone is Klaus RISCY assembler, for the Jaguar DSP and GPU risc
processors. No debugger is available, and that's a limitation for finding
complex bugs.
Steve: That is a whole other interview. ;)
GameWire: I know legal procedures are an issue. Have you asked for
cooperation from Atari or any other companies yet? If so, have you gotten
any favorable responses?
Steve: We haven't even gotten that far. I hope Atari will work with us. We
would rather they cooperate with us as much as possible. We just want games
for the Jag and since they are no longer willing, someone needs to
take over.
This can ultimately be another consumer program exchange prospect for the Big
Fuji. :) The old C.P.Ex. was an excellent deal. I believe Star Raiders was
born from that setup.
GameWire: Designing a successful medium for 'shareware' on a console is a
little tricky. Do you have any idea how you'll be able to do it?
Steve: We are working hard on that now. We will fill you in as things
progress.
GameWire: Are you planning on cartridge development or CD development, or
which would you prefer to do?
Steve: Anything is possible at this point.
Roine: At the moment a Jaguar Server is a must, however discussions continue
of how to make the best format available to Jaguar owners.
GameWire: If cartridges and CDs can't be done, would it ever be conceivable
to produce a less expensive JagServer package for purposes of simply playing
these titles?
Roine: No, I don't think so. The design are rather simple and straightforward
and that makes it hard to be any cheaper than it is.
GameWire: Could it be possible to setup download areas where consumers could
obtain the shareware versions of these titles?
Roine: Yes, there are already two games to download from the Jaguar Server
WWW pages.
Steve: We are not at all looking to violate anyone's rights. WE simply want
more games for the Jaguar than Atari has given us. I do know there is a
version of Tetris you can play on your Jaguar. It's pretty good too! WE may
develope a cart( with Atari's blessing) that would allow any computer with a
parallel port to upload and download games to and from there Jaguars. The
cart would have its own parallel port so a simple cable between host and Jag
would do it. The cart may have extra ram(possibly expandable) and a small OS
for uploading and downloading. Who knows? We may finally see that web
browser after all. :)
GameWire: When do you think the soonest game can be completed (any estimate
will do?)
Steve: Your guess is as good as mine. We have very little info about the
Jaguar's chipset and are in the deciphering stages now.
Gamer would like to thank Steve and Roine for taking their time to answer
these questions. 'Best of luck to The Underground.
ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
On CompuServe
compiled by
Joe Mirando
CIS ID: 73637,2262
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Well, in one fell swoop (what exactly does
that mean, anyway?) I got my Portfolio and STacy up and running again, so
I'm a happy camper right now! Isn't it amazing how easily we take things for
granted? I've been using my STacy and Portfolio for years. I used them
almost every day until they broke down. It wasn't until that moment that I
realized how much I had come to rely on them. My wife even made fun of me,
saying that the way I was moping around, I looked like I'd just lost a best
friend. I tried to tell her that she was crazy, but I lost my train of
thought when I put my hand down in the spot where the STacy normally sits
and got all choked up. <grin>
Anyway, they're both back from the "inactive bin", so everything is great.
I'm on vacation this coming week, so I'll have plenty of time for getting re-
acquainted with my old friends. I'll also finally have the time to write to
those friends and neighbors who have been wondering why I haven't replied to
their email lately. Have faith folks. I haven't forgotten, I've just been
working insane hours.
I've also just received Suzy B's 2 CDRom library. This thing is incredible!
There are things on these CD's that I had never seen before. I've been
online for almost 9 years and have, at one time or another, downloaded lots
and lots of things yet somehow I missed lots of "STuff". I haven't added
them all up yet, but the cover says that there is more than a gigabyte on
the two CDs. I think I'll take their word for it. <grin> If you've got a
CDRom player, take my advice and get this CD set. It's well worth the cost!
If you don't have a CDRom player, get one!
Well, let's get to the reason for this column: All the great news, hints,
tips, and info available every week right here on CompuServe.
From the Atari Computing Forums
Don Whitton asks about the availability of a networking device for Atari
computers:
"Does anyone know the availability of a mega talk board?"
Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer Online Magazine tells Don:
"Your only choice for Mega Talk is find a used one. Since the company that
made them is no longer around."
Don tells Albert:
"Thanks for your help. [I'm] hoping to find a used one. If you know [of]
any... please advise."
Albert replies to Don:
"You might contact an Atari dealer and see if they know of anyone who might
be interested in selling a Mega Talk."
Rob Rasmussen asks for help with his modem and terminal program:
"I had installed Stalker on my ST, and in the program 19200 bps was the
highest setting. On the ST I know I can't use higher than that anyway. I was
alarmed prematurely though, because when I installed it on the Falcon today,
all of a sudden 153600 bps is available. My new Supra 28K faxmodem is
connected to the Falcon, so it looks like this will work! Can anyone tell
me if it costs any more to connect at 28800 bps than 14400 and lower if I
have the super value billing method? I seem to recall something about 14400
and lower all being the same price when rates went down a few years ago, but
don't know if 28K still costs more per hour."
Albert Dayes tells Rob:
"It should be the same cost for any baud rate up to 28800. The only price is
for time."
Sysop Jim Ness adds:
"[It's the] same price for anything up to and including 57.6 (ISDN)
nowadays."
Albert Dayes mirrors my own thoughts:
"Wow .... 57K!"
While we're on the subject of telecommunication programs, Michael Robillard
asks for info:
"I've tried the following tell me if I'm wasting my time I run Storm connect
to my local internet provider.I then exit stornm without hanging up.I then
run CAB.APP.When I try to load an URL I end up seeing the wwwcache directory
I created for CAB.APP.Do I have to use STIK in order to use CAB?"
David James tells Michael:
"As far as I am aware it is necessary to use either STIK or Mint/Mint Net to
get CAB to work."
Every once in a while I get a thought that won't let go of me. I then
proceed to make myself crazy trying to get whatever it is to work. This has
been the case with using a Web browser on an Atari ST connected to CIS.
Finally, I ask:
"Assuming that one of the available PPP-enabled browsers was capable of
accessing the Web via CIS, would someone be able to post a list of the
necessary settings (node#/name, domain, and all the miscellaneous things)
that are necessary to get a browser to work on CIS? I've tried to get
OASIS205 to work and, so far, it'll dial the number and realize that there
is a carrier present, but after that it just hangs there like a two dollar
picture frame on a motel room wall. (nice image, huh?)
I'm sure that I'm missing or mis-using at least a few of the necessary names
and numbers, but I'm still trying. Perhaps one of our Internet-literate
Sysops could provide a quick primer on what these settings are and what they
mean? (Sorry for the extra work guys but, let's face it, you love it!
<grin>)"
Sysop Jim Ness tells me:
"First of all, you need to log in either manually, or via a script, and O
PPPCONNECT. That's the area in which PPP is supported; a set of Web servers
at CIS. Once you arrive there, CIS begins to try to confirm a PPP session
with your browser. I am not sure what your browser needs. The network
protocol supported is TCP/IP, and there are several host DNS numbers
supported by CIS. I tell my browser to look for 149.174.211.5 as primary
and 149.174.213.5 as the fall back. The IP number is assigned by CIS upon
login."
Michel Vanhamme adds:
"There probably is a logon script to be edited somewhere in Oasis...
Basically, my logon procesure (on my Mac) is as follows (discard the
quotes):
-Send a [CR] (= carriage return)
-Wait for 'Name:'
-Send 'CIS'+[CR]
-Wait for 'ID:'
-Send 'your user id/GO:PPPCONNECT'+[CR]
-Wait for 'word:'
-Send 'your password'+[CR]
-Wait for: 'PPP'
From then on, a little bit of negotiating occurs, and after a few seconds,
you should have a PPP connection."
I tell Michel and Jim:
"Thanks for the help! I noticed that a lot of folks have had problems with
errors in the PPP "packets". I've also noticed that there are several
options within OASIS for PPP packet size... 512, 1024, and 3'something'. Is
there a specific packet size that CIS requires? I'm really hoping that
someone comes out with a browser that actually _works_ with a minimum setup
and without having to use anything other than TOS.
One nice feature Oasis has is that it will run on a 1 meg machine... Of
course you have to run a special program that switches between the browser
and the dialer/mail program for you, but heck, it'll still run on a 1 meg
machine! Now, if we can only get it to run on a 1 meg machine connected to
CIS! <grin>"
Sysop Jim tells me:
"CIS will adjust to whatever packet size your end says it supports. So, you
might as well go for the largest."
Richard Lawson posts:
"I've managed to get it to connect to CIS and everything but I'm not too sure
what it does after then. Compuserve's IP address is 0.0.0.0 You get
allocated a dynamic IP address, so there's no need to specify one. ICE
seems to work, but it doesn't do anything after it's connected. I'm probably
not waiting long enough; I've only got a 2400 modem :-) If anyone wants
more info on my setup or has any tips, mail me."
Status update, folks: No luck yet on getting my computer to talk HTML to
CompuServe... I'll keep you informed though.
Scott Graham posts:
"A friend of mine is using an Atari 1040ST. I recently gave him a modem. I
found several telecommunications program here but here's the question: how
can I transfer the files to him? Can an Atari 1040ST read a dos formatted
disk?"
John Raymond tells Scott:
"Yes an atari can read dos formatted disks provided that they are double
density (that is not HD high density disks) but of course the atari can only
use Atari telecom programmes."
Clay Moore posts:
"I forgot how to determine the version of TOS in my MEGA 4. is version 1.4
the first tos version to cycle the colors through the logo? Ie 'Rainbow
TOS'?"
David James tells Clay:
"There are a number of programs which will identify the TOS version. Two that
come to mind are GEMBENCH and PROFILE. I dob't know if either are in the
file area on CICS but it could be worth having a look."
Jack Hughes adds:
"A freeware program from The Netherlands called, appropriately, "Sysinfo"
will tell you more about your system than you really want to know. I do not
know if it is the Library here, but I will u/l it if not and it is desired.
The author is, H. W. A. M. deBeer. As an aside, I just looked at it and
discovered the source of the 4-6-89 date I keep getting reset too after
logging on to CIS. It is the date of my TOS v1.4!!! Now if I could just
find out why the date gets reset, sigh."
Matthew Beasley asks:
"How do you get [a file with] the lzh extension to work?"
I jump in and tell Matthew:
"LZH is a method of compression that can also combine several files together
into an 'archive'. Before these files can be used, you must decompress (or
unLZH them). In library 4 (Utilities) there is a self-extracting file called
ARCLZH.PRG. Download and run this program. It will extract into ARC version
6.02, LZH version 2.01L and ARCSHELL version 3.1.
The last is a shell program which allows you to easily manipulate the ARC and
LZH compression/Decompression programs. After this is done, you can run
ArcShell, choose the LZH option, select the LZH archive you want to
decompress, and sit back for a moment while the programs do the work.
If you have any problems or questions, feel free to ask... the folks in this
forum are the best!"
Tom Harker of ICD posts:
"If you have been putting off getting a hard drive for your Atari computer,
you might want to look at the Syquest EZ135 SCSI drives that are being blown
out right now.
Toad is selling them for about $129 which includes the drive in a nice
compact case with power supply. These drives use removable 3.5 inch
cartridges which each hold about 135 megabytes and are nearly as fast as a
high quality fixed SCSI drive. They are also being sold at Best Buy, some
of the Office Depot and Office Max stores, Computer City, Comp USA and other
computer stores for similar prices.
The EZ135 uses a standard SCSI connector on the back of the case and an ICD
Link 1 or Link 2 works just fine as the interface to an ST computer or plug
directly in to a TT or Falcon. Syquest is closing them out in favor of
their new 230 MB drive which costs $300 but I expect carts to be available
for many years. Carts cost about $30 each."
Julian Church asks Tom:
"You wouldn't happen to know if they're banging these out worldwide, or just
in the US? I'm in the UK and a cheap removable SCSI drive would be ace for
my sampler."
Tom tells Julian:
"Try System Solutions/Atari Workshop in the UK. I talked with them recently
and they were planning a promotion on EZ Drives. They have been able to
secure them at the lower price. In the USA it has been reported that Comp
USA is offering the external SCSI EZ 135 for $129 with a $30 rebate ($99 end
cost)."
Julian replies:
"$99! I know you can't really translate prices directly using exchange rates
(especially with any kind of technology - the market is so much smaller
here), but that's about L60 ie just silly. The EZ drives are going for
about L130 normally which is more than reasonable so I'm looking forward to
finding out what the new prices are going to be. I'll guess it's going to be
about 80 or 90 pounds once all the tedious mucking about in customs and
stuff has added to the cost.
Anyway I've got SS's number at home so I'll try them tomorrow or something.
Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer Online Magazine tells Julian:
"Iomega just lowered the price of the JAZ drive (1 gigabyte removable) to
$399 (for internal scsi version) so I am sure that puts a great amount of
pressure on smaller sizes such as ZIP and Syquest EZ-135 megabyte drives."
Well folks, that's about it for this week. Tune in again next week, same
time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they're saying when....
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
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