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Silicon Times Report Issue 1310
Silicon Times Report
"The Original Independent OnLine Magazine"
(Since 1987)
March 07, 1997 No.1310
Silicon Times Report International OnLine Magazine
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155
R.F. Mariano, Editor
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03/07/97 STR 1310 Celebrating Our Tenth Anniversary 1987-97!
- CPU Industry Report - WUGNET CD - Newt's a Beaut!
- NEW Macro Virus - Analog HDTV Dead - Apple to cut 2-5k jobs
- EPSON 1440dpi Inkjet - Be a Prop Head - InteReach Browser
- Diablo Update 1.02 - People Talking - Classics & Gaming
Apple Offers Rebates & Discounts to Settle
Microsoft Fixes IE Bug
Intel Solves Firewall Problem
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The Publisher, Staff & Editors
Celebrating Our Tenth Year!
1987-1997
Florida Lotto - LottoMan v1.35
Results: 03/01/97: 3 of 6 numbers, 2 three number matches
From the Editor's Desk...
How many of you have the ability to truly reach your congress person
or senator? Am I mistaken or, Didn't these clowns all promise to WORK
together to address the problems facing this nation and to also work for a
more harmonious, smaller Federal Government. Are there any of you who are
not now convinced that each and every one of them was lying through their
teeth? The high powered sniping by the Republicans has reached an all time
low. Newt & Friends haven't slowed down a bit! The entire Washington DC
politcal scene is getting angrily ridiculous. Nothing concerning the
actual business of governing the USA and REPRESENTING the people of the USA
is actually taking place. Instead, the gross distractions of the political
sniping by the SUPER sore-losing Republican Party is taking the nation's
attention away from the topics that really matter. Like limiting the TERMS
of these clowns, they. that's right THEY already quietly voted that out
the door. These politcians are not representing the people who voted them
in. By their actions, they actually RESENT them!
Have they done anything to protect Social Security?? The Bill of
Rights? The Constitution? Only if you construe and distort their revenous
desire to re-write them doing "something". They should be getting the
committees together to: Revamp the FHA to allow the average working stiff
in this country to actually buy a house without being overwhelmed with all
the hidden closing costs, extra "points" and fees that are not made evident
until the poor slob has been strung out, stretched to the limit and dried
out like a sheet of yellowed parchment. The FHA is not the only Federal
Agency in sore need of re-organization and re-direction. The FAA is a
outrageous joke wreaked upon the American public. The same goes for the
FDA. The two of them no more look out for the average "Joe" than Joe
Stalin did. They're more interested in protecting the revenue procurement
of the Airports, Airlines and associated industries. The citizens and
passengers on the aircraft invariably come last in the ladder of
consideration. The FDA should be disbanded completely and started all over
again without the hampering of the 100 year old procedures and rules its
currently operating under.
Has anyone noticed how the TWA flight 800 has quietly slipped beneath
the blanket of obscurity? What happened to the super high powered FBI
"scientific investigation"? Why is it we neither hear or read very little
about the progress of that investigation?? It couldn't possibly be they
have irrefutable proof the tragic end of flight 800 was indeed brought
about by a deadly design flaw. A flaw that places the blame squarely at
the feet of Boeing Aircraft? Nah. nobody would dare be that brazen to
cover up such information. Or, would they? Seems I recall the Iran-Contra
garbage that Ronnie and Georgie knew nothing about. Sort of reminds one of
Sgt. Schultz in Hogan's Heroes. he knew nothing. Why is it Newt's ethics
problems went to sleep and then away so fast? So, here we are a scant
sixty days into the new administration and its still that same old, rancid
hash that's being dished out to the American Taxpayers and Voters.
Republicans busy tying up the House and Senate and MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
(special investigative committees) trying to hang the Democratic Party and
the Clintons. This decade will go down in American history as the
beginning of the end of true, Democratic Government in the United States of
America if this garbage of snipe and snipe and hipshot doesn't stop.
The sad part is its you and I and every other working stiff out there
that's actually paying for all this garbage. So please, reach out and tell
your representative to knock off the fun and games and get busy with the
job of governing and put the slimeball politics in the grave where it
belongs. There's simply too much to be done in bringing the USA into the
next Century. Professionally and with wisdom and dignity. The way it
looks now, its reads like a slimy dime novel from the thirties.
Whether you agree with me or not. let's hear from you! Tell us and
our readers how you feel about the current state of the US Government and
whether or not they're doing the right thing for both the nation, its
citizens and taxpayers.
Ralph..
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Ralph F. Mariano, Publisher - Editor
Dana P. Jacobson, Editor, Current Affairs
Section Editors
PC Section Mac Section Shareware Listings
R.F. Mariano Help Wanted Lloyd E. Pulley
Classics & Gaming Kid's Computing Corner
Dana P. Jacobson Frank Sereno
STReport Staff Editors
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Allen Harkleroad Vincent P. O'Hara Glenwood Drake
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David H. Mann Angelo Marasco Donna Lines
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STReport Headline News
LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Senate Weighs Encryption Bill
A U.S. Senate bill intended to let companies export more powerful devices
than allowed by the Clinton administration to maintain the privacy of
computer messages is drawing computer industry support. Both the Business
Software Alliance and the Computer and Communications Industry Association
say they back the legislation offered Thursday by Sens. Conrad Burns,
R-Mont. and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. The Associated Press says the bill would
liberalize the administration's export restrictions on software with strong
encryption.
As noted, the industry groups have complained the administration's loosened
export rules, which took effect in December, didn't go far enough. "Unlike
the administration's policy," says the wire service, "the Burns-Leahy bill
would not require exporters to assure the U.S. government that police
agencies -- upon court order -- would be able to crack their products'
encryption codes and intercept communications. Computer groups oppose the
concept of providing government with a back-door key to scrambled
communications."
McAfee Warns of New Macro Virus
The virus-fighting McAfee Associates says a new macro virus called
ShareFun.A is proliferating on the Internet, spreading by infecting
Microsoft Word 6.x and 7.x documents on Windows and Macintosh platforms.
Writing for the Newsbytes computer news service, reporter Wes Thomas says
ShareFun.A is spread by e-mail message attachments. An announcement on
McAfee's site on the World Wide Web advises, "If you receive a message with
the following subject or banner: 'You have GOT to read this!' do not
execute its attachment. Delete the entire message."
McAfee says this is how the virus works:
ú First, the macro virus saves a copy of itself.
ú Then it checks to see if you are running Microsoft Mail. If so, the
virus finds three random people in your mail list and sends a copy of the
infected document with the following subject: "You have GOT to read this!"
ú If MS Word is launched to read this attached file, the receiver
becomes infected and above process will begin again.
For more information, see the report on the McAfee site at
http://www.mcafee.com/support/techdocs/vinfo/v3333.html.
Macro Virus Initiative Formed
The National Computer Security Association (NCSA) and Microsoft Corp. have
launched the Macro Virus Prevention Initiative. Microsoft and the NCSA
say the initiative aims to ensure that anti-virus software vendors have
the information and support they need to build effective tools for
detecting and eliminating macro viruses in Microsoft productivity
applications. Components of the initiative include the early release of
beta versions of Microsoft applications to anti-virus vendors to ensure a
more timely delivery of anti-virus tools and an anti-virus developer
newsgroup, managed by NCSA, to ensure a rapid, accurate information
exchange between Microsoft and the anti-virus industry.
The initiative also plans a joint effort between Microsoft and the NCSA to
eliminate "false positive" results when scanning Microsoft applications
with anti-virus tools. Additionally, a Web site supported by Microsoft and
the NCSA, will provide PC users with information about the prevention of
macro viruses. Finally, say the organizations, ongoing discussions between
Microsoft, NCSA and anti-virus vendors will be held on the prevention of
macro viruses. "Microsoft is committed to helping the anti-virus community
address the industry-wide problem of macro viruses.
The Macro Virus Prevention Initiative will result in more reliable
anti-virus tools delivered in a timely manner," says Jon DeVaan, vice
president of Microsoft's office product unit. "Customers should feel
confident that we are doing everything possible to ensure that Microsoft
applications provide a safe, secure computing environment." "The NCSA is
pleased to be a part of this initiative between Microsoft and the
anti-virus community," says Peter Tippett, president of the NCSA. "We are
glad to see Microsoft assuming a leadership role in addressing the problem
f macro viruses."
U.K. Blocks Millenium Bill
A move in the British Parliament has blocked a bill aimed at averting the
risk of computers being unable to cope with the dawn of the new millennium.
Arguing the bill would impose unwanted burdens on business, trade and
industry minister Ian Taylor "effectively killed the measure by ensuring he
was still talking when time ran out at the end of a brief debate," says
the Reuter News Service, adding the bill now goes to the back of a long
queue for debate if time allows. And, adds the wire service, the bill's
"disappointed author, Conservative legislator David Atkinson, admitted (the
necessary time) was highly unlikely."
Atkinson, who had support for his bill from a number of leading companies,
released a statement saying the action "represents a huge missed
opportunity for the government to clearly show that it takes this problem
seriously, and to provide a means by which the owners of companies can
discover what their directors are doing to tackle the problem."
Specifically, the bill would have required UK companies to assess and
publish details of their readiness to adapt their computer systems to deal
with calendar dates after Dec. 31, 1999. As noted, computer experts warn
of possible "Millennium Meltdown" chaos because the year in most computer
programs is expressed as a double digit, such as "97." While acknowledging
the risk, Taylor contends the right approach is to make firms aware of the
gravity of the issue rather than to impose new
laws.
Group Sues Over Net Addresses
A California web page design firm called Image Online Design Inc. is suing
the Internet's foundation that has ruled over online addresses for the past
25 years. The firm contends the foundation reneged on a deal giving it
permission to register Internet addresses ending in .web. "The case," says
reporter Elizabeth Weise of The Associated Press, "pits the notion of the
Internet as an international resource subject to the public trust against
the right to stake an online claim to commercial activities. It's also the
first lawsuit filed over something that always had been decided by the
famed 'rough consensus and running code' of Internet users themselves."
In the suit filed yesterday, Image Online Design said it was authorized in
July by spokesman Bill Manning of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
to register addresses ending in .web for $25 each. However, Christopher
Ambler of Image Online Design said the IANA backed out their deal when a
plan was announced earlier this month to revamp the current system for
assigning Internet addresses by adding seven new endngs, such as .web or
.store. Stuart Levi, attorney for the International Ad Hoc Committee,
which proposed the new system, told Weise the proposal hadn't even been
written -- much less accepted -- in July so there were no guidelines yet
for how anyone would go about asking for authorization.
Ambler says his San Luis Obispo, California, firm began assigning .web
addresses in July and now has more than 1,000 customers. "But," says AP,
"by his own admission, because his registry is not a part of the accepted
Net order, only between 0.5 and 10 percent of Internet users can even see
them, much as private streets don't always show up on official maps." He
said he feels he staked his claim to those addresses first and hopes
through the suit to force them to appear throughout the Net. Meanwhile,
Levi said Ambler gambled and lost, adding, "He did it outside the
structure of the Internet on something that is generally labeled as
experimental."
Bug Found in Microsoft Explorer
A serious, potentially embarrassing security flaw has been discovered in
Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer browser that could allow a Web site
operator to secretly run programs stored on someone's personal computer.
The company told business writer George Tibbits of The Associated Press no
customer reports of security breaches have been received, though a
computer security expert said the problem is "extremely serious" and
Microsoft is scrambling to fix it.
Author/columnist Simson Garfinkel told the wire service, "It is as if you
allowed someone to type on your computer and you go out to lunch," adding
the flaw could result in all sorts of mischief, such as preventing another
person's computer from starting up or sending e-mail from another
person'account. From their Redmond, Wash., offices, Microsoft officials
said they are testing a solution for the problem and expected to have it
quickly posted to the company's site on the World Wide Web
(http://www.microsoft.com/ie/def ault.asp).
Product manager Paul Balle of Microsoft's Internet Explorer team said they
learned of the flaw yesterday after it was discovered last week by student
Paul Greene at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Mass., who
posted it on his Web site (http://www.cybersnot.com). "We take this very
seriously," Balle said. "The moment we found out about it, we got our
developers and program managers on it."
Tibbits says the problem appears only to affect Internet Explorer and not
Navigator or other non-Microsoft browsers, adding the flaw involves basic
functions found within Microsoft's Windows 95 and Windows NT operating
systems. "When a PC user clicks on a hyperlink on a Web page," says AP, "a
malicious Web page creator could have that link connect to file known as a
'shortcut' in Windows 95 and NT. Shortcuts are widely used to start
computer programs or functions. If the 'webmaster' for the Web page can
guess the precise location and code needed on the user's computer,
shortcuts on the Web page could surreptitiously 'point to' and start
programs residing on the user's hard drive."
Said Balle, "If they can guess it, they can get to it." Tibbits notes many
widely available programs such as Windows 95 have standard locations or
addresses where their components are stored on computers, adding, "Unless a
PC user custom-installed or otherwise modified a program, the addresses
would be simple to guess." Apparently not affected, though, are Internet
Explorer's extensive security systems that are based on a Microsoft
technology called Active-X. Those shortcuts, says Balle, "totally bypass
that."
Microsoft Posts Fixes for IE Bug
Microsoft Corp. has posted a patch for its Internet Explorer Web browser to
fix that flaw that could allow a Web site operator to secretly run
programs or ruin files in someone else's personal computer. The patch can
be downloaded from Microsoft's site (http://www.microsoft.com/ie) or can be
ordered on a floppy-disk version by calling 800-322-9997. Microsoft
officials told business writer George Tibbits the firm has had no reports
from customers of security breaches, but the software publisher considers
the flaw a serious problem because it potentially could allow an
electronic attacker to bypass the browser's security system.
As reported yesterday, Microsoft's Internet Explorer team learned of the
flaw yesterday after it was discovered last week by student Paul Greene at
Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts. While
Microsoft responded quickly to the problem, the incident demonstrates the
need to emphasize security, legal counsel David Sobel at the Electronic
Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C., told the wire service.
Said Sobel, "As we move more and more business, personal and financial
information online, security problems are going to become a much bigger
issue for the public t large."
Intel Solves Firewall Problem
Intel Corp. says its work with three of the Internet industry's major
firewall vendors will allow business users to send and receive audio and
video phone calls through company firewalls and over the Internet while
maintaining the data security of corporate computer networks. The Santa
Clara, California-based company notes that as a result of the
collaboration, firewall products from Check Point Software Technologies,
Cisco Systems and Trusted Information Systems will offer this new
capability in compliance with the H.323 Internet communication standard.
Intel says it has developed a technical solution to solve the problem of
getting H.323 standards-based Internet communications through firewalls.
Firewalls are the software programs that restrict the flow of information
between a company's network and the Internet in order to keep sensitive
information private. Intel produced a technical paper to document the
solution for allowing H.323 to be supported in firewalls and then developed
software to validate that solution. Intel also worked with the firewall
vendors to validate the H.323 standard in their upcoming products.
As a result of the collaboration, Check Point Software, Cisco and Trusted
Information Systems have all stated support for the H.323 standard and have
announced plans to offer standard-compliant firewall products later this
year. "The Intel Architecture Labs are devoted to delivering technology
that enhances Internet communications and makes interoperability over the
Internet a reality for business," says Craig Kinnie, vice president and
general manager of Intel's Internet and communications group. "Intel is
promoting the adoption of the H.323 standard in firewall products so that
Internet phone calls can be placed in a business-to-business or
business-to-customer setting."
Toshiba Has Mobile Communicator
Toshiba Corp. has unveiled the GENIO PCV100, a pocket-size mobile
communicator. According to Toshiba, the pen-based unit includes a buil-
in Personal Handyphone System (PHS), which offers users easy access to
World Wide Web sites, mobile telephone and high- speed data-access
functions. The company notes that the GENIO is the world's first pocket
communicator with built-in PHS to provide Web browsing. Sales in Japan are
set to begin on April 25. The GENIO (the name means "genius" in Italian)
also provides removable memory for 2MB of data in the form of an optional
Smart Media memory card the size of a postage stamp. Data can be
transferred between the GENIO and a desktop computer, either by direct
connection using a serial cable or via an infrared communications port.
More information is available on the Toshiba GENIO Web site:
www2.toshiba.co.jp/genio/.
HP, WebTV Team on Print Project
To offer printing capabilities for subscribers of the WebTV online service,
computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. is set to collaborate with WebTV
Networks Inc. Reporting from HP's Palo Alto, California, headquarters,
the Reuter News Service says Hewlett-Packard has agreed to supply an
application programming interface for printing from the online service and
drivers for its popular printer products. The deal makes printer giant HP
the first maker of printers to announce support for WebTV, Reuters adds.
WebTV Networks, which introduced the service and its Internet set-top box
in collaboration with Sony Corp. and Philips Electronics NV last fall, has
said early customers have been eager for printing capabilities.
Epson Unveils 1,440 DPI Ink-Jet
Epson America Inc. has introduced the first 1,440 by 720 dots per inch
(dpi) desktop color ink-jet printer. The company says its Stylus Color 800,
with a street price of $449, provides photographic-quality output. The printer
is Windows and Mac compatible with simultaneous autoswitching between both
platforms. The Stylus Color 800 features a new "micro piezo" piezoelectric
print head design. Epson notes that the device generates smaller dot sizes that
allow a greater range of halftones for more realistic fleshtones and smoother
color gradations.
A color management tool gives users the ability to manually select levels
of brightness, contrast, saturation and individual color (cyan, magenta,
and yellow). The customized color settings can be saved for specific
applications or different types of print jobs. Video/digital camera
output, Windows 95 ICM and Apple ColorSync profiles may be selected in the
printer driver. The print driver also features a new on-screen ink level
display. "This is the fastest, highest resolution color ink jet printer
available for the office," says Mark Radogna, Epson's high-end ink-jet
printer product manager.
Hitachi Has 2X DVD-ROM Drive
Hitachi America Ltd. says it has developed the first double-speed DVD-ROM
drive. According to Hitachi, the GD-2000 offers full support for 4.7GB
capacity single-layer and planned double-layer DVD media. The unit has a
transfer rate of 2.76MB per second with DVD media, twice the performance of
first-generation drives now on the market. The GD-2000 also reads CD-ROM
and CD-R discs at up to 20x (3.0 MB per second) data rates. Hitachi notes
that a single-layer 4.7GB DVD disk can store more than two hours of video
material with a picture quality that approaches the CCIR-601 studio quality
standard. "With the GD-2000, Hitachi is the first company to deliver true
multimedia performance for personal computers," says Werner Glinka,
director of marketing for Hitachi America's storage products group. System
designers and end-users who want maximum flexibility and performance in
optical storage can move to DVD drives immediately, with assurance that
they have a system compatible with the standards of today and tomorrow."
The GD-2000 will primarily be marketed to PC manufacturers for factory
installation. Sample quantities of the drive, priced at $750, will be
available in April. Visit Hitachi America on the Web at www.hitachi.com.
Clones Help Mac Sales Rebound
Despite the well-publicized problems of Apple Computer Inc., the success of
Mac clone vendors is helping the Macintosh platform take market share from
Intel's X86 platform in the U.S. dealer channel. According to the La
Jolla, California-based market research firm, Mac desktop systems accounted
for 11 percent of sales in January, up from 9 percent in January 1996.
Meanwhile, the market share of X86 systems declined from 91 percent to 89
percent over the same period. Unit shipments of Mac systems climbed by
61.4 percent between January 1996 and January 1997, says Computer
Intelligence. X86 unit shipments fell by 5.1 percent over the same span.
"Thanks to Mac OS clones, the Mac platform is anything but dead in the
dealer chnnel," says Matt Sargent, a Computer Intelligence analyst. "Our
figures show that the Mac OS platform actually took market share away from
the X86 platform in January in this channel." Computer Intelligence's
figures are based on the sales of desktop systems through traditional
computer vendors such as Entex, Inacom and MicroAge, and are derived from
CI's StoreBoard service. StoreBoard tracks monthly sales of PC hardware,
software and peripherals in more than 1,100 U.S. dealers and retail stores.
Apple Announcements March 14
March 14 has been set by Apple Computer Inc. for announcements of further
details of its restructuring, including the number of layoffs that are
planned. Reporting from San Francisco, the Reuter News Service reports
Apple Chairman Gilbert Amelio says in a letter to employees that the
computer maker also will announce how much money it planned to set aside to
pay for the program. Says the letter, "On March 14, we are planning to
give more detail on what we'll do, what we won't do, the number of layoffs
and the charge we will take to second-quarter earnings" to cover the cost
of the restructuring.
As reported, Apple last month unveiled a plan to consolidate its marketing
and development units in an effort to cut costs and concentrate on key
computer markets. At that time, specifics of the plan, such as layoffs and
possible charges, were not disclosed. Industry experts have speculated
Apple will cut 2,000 to 5,000 jobs from its worldwide workforce of 11,000
employees. "The company is also expected to take a charge of between $300
million to $350 million to pay for the cuts," Reuters says.
Florida Firm Enters Browser War
Move over, Netscape and Internet Explorer. A St. Petersburg, Florida,
Internet service provider called InteReach is elbowing its way into the
great Net browser wars. InteReach President David Pollock told United
Press International the company's customers found it difficult to use the
Internet because of installation problems so it developed a browser that
simplifies the process. The One Button Access 32-bit browser "offer more
features than Netscape Navigator, Mosaic or Microsoft Internet Explorer and
downloads web pages faster," UPI says, quoting Pollock as saying the browser was
designed to curb the number of complaint calls the company was receiving
from clients.
Said Pollock, "As a nationwide Internet service provider, InteReach faced
technical problem after technical problem when creating starter kits for
our subscribers. We were overwhelmed with technical support calls when
attempting to get new users online." He said neither Netscape nor
Microsoft was able to resolve the technical issues, forcing his company to
develop its own browser, adding, "We knew we had to make it simple to
install, simple to use and feature-rich. One Button Access 32-bit browser
even automatically configures Dial-up Networking, making it the easiest
browser to install."
UPI says the system displays graphic images "more clearly and even support
enhanced magnification levels for those who have vision difficulties."
InteReach currently is offering One Button Access browser with six months
of Internet access at a monthly cost of $12.95 and plans to launch its new
browser through retail stores later this year.
Microsoft Buys Web Software Firm
Microsoft Corp. says it has acquired Interse Corp., a Sunnyvale,
California-based software developer best known for its Interse Market
Focus 3 Web site analysis software. Microsoft says it plans to integrate
Interse Market Focus 3 into its BackOffice line of Internet and intranet
Web site products. The deal's terms weren't disclosed. According to
Microsoft, Interse Market Focus 3 is designed to help Web professionals
integrate, manage and examine Internet user behavior data, providing
maximum business results from marketing investments.
"Understanding usage patterns on your Web site is the best way to see what
your customers are interested in so you can deliver the most targeted
content," says Bill Gates, Microsoft's chairman and CEO. "Interse is the
team that had this vision and is delivering on it." Combining the
resources and vision of Microsoft and Interse will promote the adoption
and integration of our technologies into an expanded group of Innovative
Internet products," adds Terry Myerson, Interse's president and CEO. "Our
collective knowledge and expertise will enable us to deliver even more
powerful solutions to our customers." Myerson, along with other Interse
personnel, will join Microsoft's Internet services business unit.
Ex-Apple Executive Returns Home
Apple Computer Inc., which has recently lost several high-level executives,
says one has returned to the company. David S. Manovich, 45, has moved
back to Apple to become the computer maker's executive vice president of
worldwide sales and service. Manovich was formerly vice president of
Apple's U.S. consumer/retail sales division, and most recently vice
president of sales at Fujitsu PC Corp. Manovich will report to Gilbert
Amelio, Apple's chairman and CEO. Manovich has over 14 years of sales and
marketing experience in the microcomputer industry. Prior to joining
Fujitsu PC, he spent over 10 years with Apple Computer in a variety of
general management and sales executive positions.
"David is a well known and respected sales executive, both inside and
outside of Apple. He brings an especially strong reputation with the sales
channel as well as international experience," says Amelio. "We are very
pleased that he has chosen to return to the team." "I want to help
reestablish Apple's strengths in our core markets," adds Manovich. "My
number one priority is to meet the expectations of Apple's customers and
fulfill customer demand. Given my previous experience at Apple, I think I
can make an immediate contribution."
Prodigy Pulls Plug on Grandma
The Prodigy online service has pulled the plug on a grandmother's online
pen-pal program for U.S. soldiers, alleging the site was transmitting
sexist and racist jokes. The Indianapolis Star-News says Prodigy accuses
Pat Dwigans of transmitting pornography over the network. Reporting from
Greenwood, Indiana, United Press International says Prodigy's action has
"left her, the troops and about 6,000 volunteers temporarily
incommunicado." Prodigy had provided Dwigans with free access in exchange
for her efforts handling some Prodigy services, including Operation MALE
(Make A Life Enriched).
"Now," says UPI, "Dwigans is trying to involve just about everyone from
President Clinton on down to revive what she sees as a vital effort to
bost the spirits of the Bosnia brigades. It all began in January when a
brigade executive officer in Bosnia-Herzegovina ordered Dwigans to stop
communicating with his soldiers, accusing her of sending offensive 'jokes'
he described as pornographic, racist, sexist and bigoted." Lt. Col. Victor
Robertson's message to Dwigans included several jokes she had sent to
members of his unit, "including one joke in which two homosexuals are
hanged by the Ku Klux Klan," UPI says. Robertson said that because some
military members read the jokes on government-owned machines, they violate
Department of Defense regulations against computer pornography and
messages that "reflect adversely on the Department of Defense." Dwigans
says jokes are only a small part of her Operation MALE programs, which send
soldiers cards, letters and packages, in addition to regular
correspondence with e-mail pen pals.
Study Finds E-Commerce Lagging
New research from Computer Intelligence finds that the percentage of U.S.
businesses conducting electronic commerce via the Internet runs far behind
the uses of some other Internet-related applications. The research also
discovered that businesses engaged in electronic commerce across the World
Wide Web tend to be small firms (fewer than 50 employees) that are not
generally affiliated with large U.S. corporations. Analyzing data
collected from more than 85,000 telephone interviews conducted at U.S.
computer installations, the La Jolla, California-based market researcher
found that 31 percent of the installations surveyed had some kind of
Internet applications.
That base figure, projected to the total U.S. market of business
establishments, indicates that more than 600,000 locations are now using
the Internet for business purposes, notes Computer Intelligence. But
applications leading electronic commerce included research, intranets, Web
home pages and education. "While E-Commerce ranked fifth as an Internet
application in our research, this does not mean that it is not a viable or
growing markt," says Jerry Berry, senior industry analyst for Computer
Intelligence. "As a matter of fact, our interviews show an increasing
number of sites that indicate they have implemented or are planning to
implement an e- commerce solution at their location. In interviews
completed during the past year, we have seen e-commerce triple in
percentage as an Internet application answer."
AOL Chat Area to Run Ads
America Online Inc. says it will open its "People Connection" online chat
area to advertisers, effective immediately. Ads will be placed in public
chat, but not in private chat rooms, says the online service, which adds
that the ads will be refreshed and rotated every 60 seconds. AOL claims the
ads will generate 360 million impressions every month. "We think this
opportunity will appeal to smart marketers who currently
spend significant advertising dollars on television," observed Myer Berlow,
AOL's senior vice president for interactive marketing, in a statement
issued by the online service. Berlow added that AOL would offer special
deals to charter advertisers.
A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N
LEXMARK OPTRA C
COLOR
LASER PRINTER
For a limited time only; If you wish to have a FREE sample printout sent to
you that demonstrates LEXMARK Optra C SUPERIOR QUALITY 600 dpi Laser Color
Output, please send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope [SASE] (business
sized envelope please) to:
STReport's LEXMARK Printout Offer
P.O. Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32205-6155
Folks, the LEXMARK Optra C has to be the very best yet in its price range.
It is far superior to anything we've seen or used as of yet. It is said
that ONE Picture is worth a thousand words. The out put from the Lexmark
Optra C is worth ten thousand words! Send for the free sample now. (For a
sample that's suitable for framing, see below) Guaranteed. you will be
amazed at the superb quality. (Please.. allow at least a two week turn-
around).
If you would like a sample printout that's suitable for framing. Yes
that's right! Suitable for Framing. Order this package. It'll be on
special stock and be of superb quality. We obtained a mint copy of a 1927
COLOR ENGRAVER'S YEAR BOOK. Our Scanner is doing "double duty"! The
results will absolutely blow you away. If you want this high quality
sample package please include a check or money order in the amount of $6.95
(Costs only) Please, make checks or money orders payable to; Ralph Mariano.
Be sure to include your full return address and telephone number . The
sample will be sent to you protected, not folded in a 9x12 envelope. Don't
hesitate.. you will not be disappointed. This "stuff" is gorgeous!
A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N
AS400 Lexlink Instructions for the External AdapterSTEP 1: Issue the
command to create the printer device.Select one of the following:
1. User tasks
2. Office tasks
3. General system tasks
4. Files, libraries, and folders
5. Programming
6. Communications
7. Define or change the system
8. Problem handling
9. Display a menu
10. Information Assistant options
11. Client Access tasks
90. Sign off
Selection or command
===> CRTDEVPRT
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F9=Retrieve F12=Cancel F13=Information Assistant
F23=Set initial menu
STEP 2: Input the required parameters below and press <ENTER>
Create Device Desc (Printer) (CRTDEVPRT)
Type choices, press Enter.
Device description . . . . . . . ANYNAME Name
Device class . . . . . . . . . . *LAN *LCL, *RMT, *VRT, *SNPT,
*LAN
Device type . . . . . . . . . . 3812 3287, 3812, 4019, 4201...
Device model . . . . . . . . . . 1 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 13,
301...
Bottom
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F5=Refresh F10=Additional parameters F12=Cancel
F13=How to use this display F24=More keys
Parameter DEVD required.
+
STEP 3: Fill in the required fields (>) below and press <ENTER>
Create Device Desc (Printer) (CRTDEVPRT)
Type choices, press Enter.
Device description . . . . . . . > ANYNAME Name
Device class . . . . . . . . . . > *LAN *LCL, *RMT, *VRT, *SNPT,
*LAN
Device type . . . . . . . . . . > 3812 3287, 3812, 4019, 4201...
Device model . . . . . . . . . . > 1 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 13,
301...
Switched line list . . . . . . . > TKRING Name This is the name of
the Line that you are attaching
the printer too.
+ for more values
LAN remote adapter address . . . > 0020000358D6 UAA or LAA of the Marknet
Adapter
Adapter type . . . . . . . . . . > *EXTERNAL *INTERNAL, *EXTERNAL
Adapter connection type . . . . > *PARALLEL *PARALLEL, *SERIAL
Port number . . . . . . . . . . > 1 0-17 This is the port of
the adapter Parallel 1 = 1,
Parallel 2 = 2, & Serial = 0.
Online at IPL . . . . . . . . . *YES *YES, *NO
Font:
Identifier . . . . . . . . . . > 11 3, 5, 11, 12, 13, 18,
19...
Point size . . . . . . . . . . *NONE 000.1-999.9, *NONE
Form feed . . . . . . . . . . . *TYPE *TYPE, *CONT, *CUT,
*AUTOCUT
Separator drawer . . . . . . . . *FILE 1-255, *FILE
Separator program . . . . . . . *NONE Name, *NONE
Library . . . . . . . . . . . Name, *LIBL, *CURLIB
Printer error message . . . . . *INQ *INQ, *INFO
Message queue . . . . . . . . . QSYSOPR Name, QSYSOPR
Library . . . . . . . . . . . *LIBL Name, *LIBL, *CURLIB
Activation timer . . . . . . . . 170 1-2550
Inactivity timer . . . . . . . . > *SEC15 1-30, *ATTACH, *NOMAX...
Host print transform . . . . . . > *YES *NO, *YES
Manufacturer type and model . . > *IBM4039HP or the appropriate printer
type
Paper source 1 . . . . . . . . . *MFRTYPMDL *MFRTYPMDL, *LETTER...
Paper source 2 . . . . . . . . . *MFRTYPMDL *MFRTYPMDL, *LETTER...
Envelope source . . . . . . . . *MFRTYPMDL *MFRTYPMDL, *MONARCH...
ASCII code page 899 support . . *NO *NO, *YES
Character identifier:
Graphic character set . . . . *SYSVAL 1-32767, *SYSVAL
Code page . . . . . . . . . . 1-32767
Text 'description' . . . . . . . > 'DESCRIPTION FOR EXTERNAL LEXLINK
ADAPTER'
STEP 4: You now need to add SSAP's to the line description. This is the
same for Internal or External
You must vary off the line to make these changes. This will bring
the Line Down on the AS400
side ( Do Be Advised).
Select one of the following:
1. User tasks
2. Office tasks
3. General system tasks
4. Files, libraries, and folders
5. Programming
6. Communications
7. Define or change the system
8. Problem handling
9. Display a menu
10. Information Assistant options
11. Client Access tasks
90. Sign off
Selection or command
===> WRKLIND
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F9=Retrieve F12=Cancel F13=Information Assistant
F23=Set initial menu
STEP 5: You now need to vary off the device and add the additional SSAPs.
You must work with the
status to do this.
Type options, press Enter.
2=Change 3=Copy 4=Delete 5=Display 6=Print 7=Rename
8=Work with status 9=Retrieve source
Opt Line Type Text
8 ETHERNET *ELAN Ethernet Line Description
QESLINE *SDLC
QTDL435300 *TDLC CREATED BY AUTO-CONFIGURATION
QTILINE *SDLC
TKRING *TRLAN Token Ring Line Description
Bottom
Parameters or command
===>
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F5=Refresh F6=Create F9=Retrieve F12=Cancel
F14=Work with status
STEP 6: NEXT SCREEN after working with status, you must vary off the
Line.
Type options, press Enter.
1=Vary on 2=Vary off 5=Work with job 8=Work with description
9=Display mode status ...
Opt Description Status -------------Job-------------
-
2 ETHERNET ACTIVE
ETHERNET ACTIVE
ETHERUSR ACTIVE/WRITER
ETHERUSR00 ACTIVE/WRITER
ETHERUSR01 ACTIVE/WRITER
Bottom
Parameters or command
===>
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F12=Cancel F23=More options F24=More keys
STEP 7: Add SSAP's 12, 16, and 1A with the appropriate values. Put a +
in the line above the number
and then press enter to get blank lines for adding the additional
SSAPs.
Ethernet is as follows:
__
Source service access point . 12 02-FE
SSAP maximum frame . . . . . . 1496 *MAXFRAME, 265-1496,
265...
SSAP type . . . . . . . . . . *NONSNA *CALC, *NONSNA, *SNA,
*HPR
Source service access point . 16 02-FE
SSAP maximum frame . . . . . . 1496 *MAXFRAME, 265-1496,
265...
SSAP type . . . . . . . . . . *NONSNA *CALC, *NONSNA, *SNA,
*HPR
Source service access point . 1A 02-FE
SSAP maximum frame . . . . . . 1496 *MAXFRAME, 265-1496,
265...
SSAP type . . . . . . . . . . *NONSNA *CALC, *NONSNA, *SNA,
*HPR
+ for more values
Token Ring is as follows:
__
Source service access point . 12 02-FE
SSAP maximum frame . . . . . . *MAXFRAME *MAXFRAME, 265-16393 or
use 4096 for this value
SSAP type . . . . . . . . . . *NONSNA *CALC, *NONSNA, *SNA,
*HPR
Source service access point . 16 02-FE
SSAP maximum frame . . . . . . *MAXFRAME *MAXFRAME, 265-16393 or
use 4096 for this value
SSAP type . . . . . . . . . . *NONSNA *CALC, *NONSNA, *SNA,
*HPR
Source service access point . 1A 02-FE
SSAP maximum frame . . . . . . *MAXFRAME *MAXFRAME, 265-16393 or
use 4096 for this value
SSAP type . . . . . . . . . . *NONSNA *CALC, *NONSNA, *SNA,
*HPR
+ for more values
STEP 8: You should be able to vary back on the LINE, the DEVICE, start the
WRITER and then print.
**NOTE**
For best results with the External Adapter, we recommend getting PTF
SF29307
from IBM and the latest flash file from Lexmark. (You need .95. level at
least
for this PTF to work,
but the most current level would be recommended.)
AS400 Lexlink Instructions for the Internal AdapterSTEP 1: Issue the
command to create the printer device. Select one of the following:
1. User tasks
2. Office tasks
3. General system tasks
4. Files, libraries, and folders
5. Programming
6. Communications
7. Define or change the system
8. Problem handling
9. Display a menu
10. Information Assistant options
11. Client Access tasks
90. Sign off
Selection or command
===> CRTDEVPRT
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F9=Retrieve F12=Cancel F13=Information Assistant
F23=Set initial menu
STEP 2: Input the required parameters below and press <ENTER>
Create Device Desc (Printer) (CRTDEVPRT)
Type choices, press Enter.
Device description . . . . . . . ANYNAME Name
Device class . . . . . . . . . . *LAN *LCL, *RMT, *VRT, *SNPT,
*LAN
Device type . . . . . . . . . . 3812 3287, 3812, 4019, 4201...
Device model . . . . . . . . . . 1 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 13,
301...
Bottom
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F5=Refresh F10=Additional parameters F12=Cancel
F13=How to use this display F24=More keys
Parameter DEVD required.
+
STEP 3: Fill in the required fields below (>) and press <ENTER>
Create Device Desc (Printer) (CRTDEVPRT)
Type choices, press Enter.
Device description . . . . . . . > ANYNAME Name
Device class . . . . . . . . . . > *LAN *LCL, *RMT, *VRT, *SNPT,
*LAN
Device type . . . . . . . . . . > 3812 3287, 3812, 4019, 4201...
Device model . . . . . . . . . . > 1 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 13,
301...
Switched line list . . . . . . . > TKRING Name This is the name of
the Line that they are attaching
the printer too.
+ for more values
LAN remote adapter address . . . > 0020000358D6 UAA or LAA of the Marknet
Adapter
Adapter type . . . . . . . . . . >*INTERNAL *INTERNAL, *EXTERNAL
Online at IPL . . . . . . . . . *YES *YES, *NO
Font:
Identifier . . . . . . . . . . > 11 3, 5, 11, 12, 13, 18,
19...
Point size . . . . . . . . . . *NONE 000.1-999.9, *NONE
Form feed . . . . . . . . . . . *TYPE *TYPE, *CONT, *CUT,
*AUTOCUT
Separator drawer . . . . . . . . *FILE 1-255, *FILE
Separator program . . . . . . . *NONE Name, *NONE
Library . . . . . . . . . . . Name, *LIBL, *CURLIB
Printer error message . . . . . *INQ *INQ, *INFO
Message queue . . . . . . . . . QSYSOPR Name, QSYSOPR
Library . . . . . . . . . . . *LIBL Name, *LIBL, *CURLIB
Activation timer . . . . . . . . 170 1-2550
Inactivity timer . . . . . . . . >*SEC15 1-30, *ATTACH, *NOMAX...
Host print transform . . . . . . > *YES *NO, *YES
Manufacturer type and model . . > *IBM4039HP or the appropriate printer
type
Paper source 1 . . . . . . . . . *MFRTYPMDL *MFRTYPMDL, *LETTER...
Paper source 2 . . . . . . . . . *MFRTYPMDL *MFRTYPMDL, *LETTER...
Envelope source . . . . . . . . *MFRTYPMDL *MFRTYPMDL, *MONARCH...
ASCII code page 899 support . . *NO *NO, *YES
Character identifier:
Graphic character set . . . . *SYSVAL 1-32767, *SYSVAL
Code page . . . . . . . . . . 1-32767
Text 'description' . . . . . . . > 'DESCRIPTION FOR INTERNAL LEXLINK
ADAPTER'
STEP 4: You now need to add SSAP's to the line description. This is the
same for Internal and External.
You must vary off the line to make these changes. This will bring
the Line Down on the AS400
side ( Do Be Advised).
Select one of the following:
1. User tasks
2. Office tasks
3. General system tasks
4. Files, libraries, and folders
5. Programming
6. Communications
7. Define or change the system
8. Problem handling
9. Display a menu
10. Information Assistant options
11. Client Access tasks
90. Sign off
Selection or command
===> WRKLIND
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F9=Retrieve F12=Cancel F13=Information Assistant
F23=Set initial menu
STEP 5: You now need to vary off the device and add the additional SSAPs.
You must work with the
status to do this.
Type options, press Enter.
2=Change 3=Copy 4=Delete 5=Display 6=Print 7=Rename
8=Work with status 9=Retrieve source
Opt Line Type Text
8 ETHERNET *ELAN Ethernet Line Description
QESLINE *SDLC
QTDL435300 *TDLC CREATED BY AUTO-CONFIGURATION
QTILINE *SDLC
TKRING *TRLAN Token Ring Line Description
Bottom
Parameters or command
===>
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F5=Refresh F6=Create F9=Retrieve F12=Cancel
F14=Work with status
STEP 6: NEXT SCREEN after working with status, you must vary off the
Line.
Type options, press Enter.
1=Vary on 2=Vary off 5=Work with job 8=Work with description
9=Display mode status ...
Opt Description Status -------------Job-------------
-
2 ETHERNET ACTIVE
ETHERNET ACTIVE
ETHERUSR ACTIVE/WRITER
ETHERUSR00 ACTIVE/WRITER
ETHERUSR01 ACTIVE/WRITER
Bottom
Parameters or command
===>
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F12=Cancel F23=More options F24=More keys
STEP 7: Add SSAP's 12, 16, and 1A with the appropriate values. Put a +
in the line above the number
and enter to get blank lines for adding the additional SSAPs.
Ethernet is as follows:
__
Source service access point . 12 02-FE
SSAP maximum frame . . . . . . 1496 *MAXFRAME, 265-1496,
265...
SSAP type . . . . . . . . . . *NONSNA *CALC, *NONSNA, *SNA,
*HPR
Source service access point . 16 02-FE
SSAP maximum frame . . . . . . 1496 *MAXFRAME, 265-1496,
265...
SSAP type . . . . . . . . . . *NONSNA *CALC, *NONSNA, *SNA,
*HPR
Source service access point . 1A 02-FE
SSAP maximum frame . . . . . . 1496 *MAXFRAME, 265-1496,
265...
SSAP type . . . . . . . . . . *NONSNA *CALC, *NONSNA, *SNA,
*HPR
+ for more values
Token Ring is as follows:
__
Source service access point . 12 02-FE
SSAP maximum frame . . . . . . *MAXFRAME *MAXFRAME, 265-16393 or
use 4096 for this value
SSAP type . . . . . . . . . . *NONSNA *CALC, *NONSNA, *SNA,
*HPR
Source service access point . 16 02-FE
SSAP maximum frame . . . . . . *MAXFRAME *MAXFRAME, 265-16393 or
use 4096 for this value
SSAP type . . . . . . . . . . *NONSNA *CALC, *NONSNA, *SNA,
*HPR
Source service access point . 1A 02-FE
SSAP maximum frame . . . . . . *MAXFRAME *MAXFRAME, 265-16393 or
use 4096 for this value
SSAP type . . . . . . . . . . *NONSNA *CALC, *NONSNA, *SNA,
*HPR
+ for more values
STEP 8: You should be able to vary back on the LINE and DEVICE and get it
to print.
How to Setup a Remote OS/400 Output Queue for a Lexmark TCP/IP Printer
(LPR/LPD)
The following information is for setting up a remote output queue so that
print jobs can be automatically routed to a MarkNet, MarkNet XL, or
MarkNet XLe attached IP printer. Following are the steps to take and a
brief explanation. On page two is an example. This document assumes TCP/IP
is already set up and running on your system, and that a host table entry
has been created for the printer, or MarkNet XLe. Refer to the IBM
publication, "AS/400 TCP/IP Configuration and Reference Version 3 (SC41-
3420) for more information.
This document also assumes the MarkNet device is configured as well. Refer
to the documentation that came with your MarkNet device.
ú From an AS/400 command line, type CRTOUTQ, press F4
ú Fill in the output queue parameter. This is the output queue name as
it will be known on the AS/400.
ú Fill in the Remote System name. This should be the HOST name for the
printer, or Marknet XLe, as defined in the OS/400 host table (go cfgtcp,
option 10).
ú Fill in the Remote Printer Queue name. This can be any name. If
using the MarkNet XLe, then end the name with a 1, 2, or 9 for parallel 1,
parallel 2, and serial port, respectively. For example, to send a job to
the printer attached to parallel 2, you would use anyname2 as the Remote
Printer Queue.
ú Fill in the number of Writers to Autostart. Note: You may need to
issue the STRRMTWTR CL command before you print.
ú For Connection type use *IP
ú For Destination type use *OTHER
ú For Transform SCS to ASCII select *YES if sending to an ASCII printer.
ú For Manufacturer Type and Model select the printer type that you are
using. You can Prompt (press F4) on this line for a list.
ú Press enter and the queue is set up.
Following is the OS/400 screen for a remote printer called JEDI that sends
print jobs to the printer attached to the serial port of a MarkNet XLe:
Create Output Queue (CRTOUTQ)
Type Choices, press Enter.
Output Queue . . . . . . . . . > IPPRINTER
Library . . . . . . . . . . *CURLIB
Maximum spooled file size:
Number of Pages. . . . . . . *NONE
Starting time . . . . . . .
Ending time . . . . . . . .
+ for more values
Order of files on queue . . . *FIFO
Remote system . . . . . . . . > JEDI
Remote printer queue . . . . . > ANYNAME9
Writers to autostart . . . . . > 1
Queue for writer messages. . . QSYSOPR
Library. . . . . . . . . . . *LIBL
Connection type. . . . . . . . > *IP
Destination type . . . . . . . > *OTHER
Transform SCS to ASCII . . . . *YES
Manufacturer type and model. . > *IBM4039HP
Destination options. . . . . . *NONE
Text 'description' . . . . . . *BLANK
Additional Parameters
Display any file . . . . . . . *NO
Job separators . . . . . . . . 0
Operator controlled. . . . . . *YES
Data queue . . . . . . . . . . *NONE
Library. . . . . . . . . . .
Authority to check . . . . . . *OWNER
Authority. . . . . . . . . . . *USE
WUGNET CD Update STR Infofile
WUGNET CD Sampler for Windows 95
MEDIA, Pa., Mar 27/PRNewswire/ -- WUGNET, the Windows Users Group Network,
today announced the availability of version 1.1 of the WUGNET CD Sampler
for Windows 95 containing more than 140 applications including 70
commercial trial versions of the most popular and exciting software
designed for Windows 95.
The CD provides an easy way to test drive the software industry's leading
trialware for Windows 95. Traversing the CD, previewing, installing and
deinstalling the software becomes effortless with the an enhanced
hypertext navigational utility. Complete product and company background
information are also included per application. Priced at $29.95 for a two
CD-ROM collection loaded with over 1 gigabyte of the hottest commercial
titles now available for Windows 95, the CD Sampler for Windows 95 helps
the undecided try out solutions from commercial and shareware publishers.
Software categories found on the CD Sampler include internet, productivity,
training, remote control and file transfer, general communications, virus
scanning, performance and system utilities, tape backup, games, and
graphics and page layout.
This is the third CD that Windows 95 users should put in their CD-ROM drive
right after they install Windows 95 and PLUS!," said Howard Sobel,
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"There is a lot of industry momentum for applications which take advantage
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Some of the hottest Windows 95 titles can be found on the CD. "The CD
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As an added bonus, WUGNET, operator of CompuServe's WINSHARE Forum, also
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Windows 95's 32-
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"The WUGNET CD Sampler for Windows 95 is a great opportunity for shareware
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The WUGNET CD Sampler for Windows 95 is immediately available for $19.95
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WUGNET is the premier independent online support organization for the
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Launched officially on CompuServe in 1989, WUGNET is the oldest and
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EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed
Edupage
Contents
PowerPC Chips Beat Intel At Speed
Vendors Gear Up For NetPC Launch
Java Rings A Bell In Computer Telephony
Home PCs Rank First In Doing Nothing
Cyber Promotions Turns From Junk E-Mailer To ISP
Execs More At Home With Technology
Some Predictions For The Net
Group Plans E-Mail Link For Ad Complaints
Breaking News In Cyberspace
Security Hole In Microsoft Explorer
Nevada May Ban Junk E-Mail
Motorola To License VocalTec Software
Gov't Testing Public Key Infrastructure Standards
TeraStor Technology Boosts Storage Capacity
Japan Set To Abandon Analog HDTV
Apple Offers Rebates, Discounts To Settle Charges
Microsoft May Create Plant In India
Be A Propeller-Head
Computer Security Is "Not Protection, It's Delay"
The Shrinking Of Shrink-Wrap
FCC Chair Opposes Access Fees For Internet Service Providers
Microsoft Puts A Patch On Explorer
Web Publishing Undercuts "Prior Restraint" Orders
Digital TV Studio Equipment From Sony
Mac Clones Selling Well
Virtual Chicken Seeks Caring Parent
TVs And PCs Will Duke It Out For Dominance
POWERPC CHIPS BEAT INTEL AT SPEED
The PowerPC alliance between IBM, Apple and Motorola has inched ahead of
Intel's next microprocessor generation with its G3 family chip, code-named
Arthur (for the 6th century British king), which is slightly faster and
cheaper to manufacture than Intel's Pentium II chip (code-named Klamath),
due out in the second quarter of this year. Another high-performance
PowerPC chip, code-named Mach 5, is planned for summer or fall release,
says an IBM VP. Arthur, with initial speeds of 250 MHz, is purported to be
90% faster than the current PowerPC 603c chip, and slightly faster than
Klamath. The fact that the PowerPC chips generate much less heat than the
Pentium chips will make them ideal for laptops, a market that will be
critical for Apple in the next couple of years. (Wall Street Journal 28
Feb 97)
VENDORS GEAR UP FOR NETPC LAUNCH
Five of the most influential companies in the computer industry -- Compaq,
Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and Microsoft -- will announce on March 19
the final specifications for the NetPC, a stripped down version of a PC.
The specs will focus on ease-of-use and cost-efficiency, as well as reduced
maintenance and administration requirements. The NetPCs will be built
around Intel's NLX motherboard and Microsoft's Zero Administration
Windows. HP will provide expanded remote management features based on Open
View; Dell will contribute a comprehensive PC lifecycle services program;
and Compaq will concentrate on incorporating many of the low-cost
technologies that will define NetPCs. "We're past the stage where people
haven't heard of cost of ownership and asset management. Now vendors are
seeing that more as a user requirement," says a Gartner Group research
director. (Information Week 24 Feb 97)
JAVA RINGS A BELL IN COMPUTER TELEPHONY
Several companies plan to unveil products that should boost computer
telephony, based on the new Java Telephony API (JTAPI), at next week's CT
Expo in Los Angeles. "The beauty of JTAPI is that runs on multiple
platforms and environments," says an industry consultant. Lucent
Technologies will introduce its PassageWay software, an applications
development tool that links to any telephone system and Sun Microsystems
will debut a development kit called JavaTel that allows users to build
telephony functions, such as call control and routing, into Java-based
applications. A recent survey by Sage Research showed that only 13% of
companies currently are using computer telephony, but fully half plan to
use it within the next two years. (Communications Week Interactive 28 Feb
97)
HOME PCs RANK FIRST IN DOING NOTHING
Forget about productivity -- a recent study by the NPD Group found that the
majority of the time that home PC is running, it's doing... nothing! The
study monitored 10,076 computer-owning households and used its PC Meter
software to tally the time the computers sat idle following an initial 60
seconds of no activity on the keyboard or mouse. Fifty-four percent of
the time the machines were switched on, they were not being used, and when
they were used, the biggest chunk of time (29%) was devoted to "futzing" --
fiddling around with operating systems, organizing files, changing
"wallpaper" and screensaver patterns, and altering the speed of the cursor
blink. Meanwhile, word processing and business software use took up 16% of
the time, and Internet surfing accounted for only 12%. The Sierra Club
points out that turning a computer on and leaving it on unused for three
hours a day results in about 200 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution every
year. (Wall Street Journal 28 Feb 97)
CYBER PROMOTIONS TURNS FROM JUNK E-MAILER TO ISP
Cyber Promotions, which has been cited in several lawsuits over junk e-
mail, is setting itself up as an Internet Service Provider (ISP),
specializing in sending unsolicited mass mailings for its customers. The
company has been widely criticized for its activities, which violate the
established "culture" of the Internet, and its plans to turn itself from a
promotional firm into and ISP are reportedly the result of refusals by
other ISPs to sign Cyber Promotions as a customer. (InfoWorld Electric 1
Mar 97)
EXECS MORE AT HOME WITH TECHNOLOGY
A survey of 100 CEOs at companies in North America, Europe and South
America by U.S.-based consulting firm A.T. Kearney Inc. found that
managers in areas other than information technology now initiate 46% of
technology projects, while 17% are initiated at the board level. In some
industries, fully one-third of technology decisions are made at the board
level. Almost half the chief executives surveyed said they spend more than
10% of their time learning about technology. In telecommunications and
electronics companies, that jumps to 70%. (Toronto Financial Post 27 Feb
97)
SOME PREDICTIONS FOR THE NET
The 1997 Price Waterhouse Technology Forecast predicts that U.S. export
regulations on encryption technology used on the Internet will ease; the
fortunes of Sun's Java programming language will not be constrained by
Active X, the competitive product from Microsoft; electronic commerce on
the Web will begin to accelerate, with estimates from $44- to $200-
billion worldwide annually by 2000; the rate of consolidation of Internet
service providers will continue; and Moore's law, the idea that micro-
processor performance doubles every couple of years, will continue to hold
true this year. (Toronto Globe & Mail 26 Feb 97)
GROUP PLANS E-MAIL LINK FOR AD COMPLAINTS
The Canadian Advertising Foundation will start an e-mail system for
consumer complaints by the middle of this year and plans to name
advertisers and advertisements that violate industry codes. The foundation
takes complaints about paid advertising in print and on television,
radio, billboards and transit signs and is now developing a strategy to
deal with Internet advertising. (Toronto Star 26 Feb 97)
BREAKING NEWS IN CYBERSPACE
The Dallas Morning News seems to have set a cybernews precedent by
reporting an Oklahoma City bombing-related story on the paper's Web site
before it appeared in the newspaper. The attorney for the bombing suspect
in the story said that "they put it on the Internet because they thought we
were going to come over here and try to get a temporary injunction," but a
Dallas Morning News executive said: ``We put the story on the Web site
because it was, in our view, extraordinarily important and we got the story
finished this afternoon and we felt we ought to publish, so we published.''
(Associated Press 1 Mar 97)
SECURITY HOLE IN MICROSOFT EXPLORER
Microsoft says it is moving quickly to plug a security hole in its Explorer
Web-browsing software that was discovered by Worcester Polytechnic
Institute student Paul Greene. Microsoft says the flaw, which involves
basic functions within Microsoft's Windows 95 and Windows NT operating
systems, bypasses the highest levels of the software's security systems.
(Washington Post 3 Mar 97)
NEVADA MAY BAN JUNK E-MAIL
The Nevada state Senate has introduced a bill that would make sending
unsolicited ads directly to e-mail accounts a misdemeanor. "Most e-mail
users pay for their service, so unsolicited e-mail is like receiving
direct mail with postage due," says the Senate's majority leader, who notes
the bill is modeled on a previous measure that bans unsolicited
advertising over fax machines. California, Virginia and Connecticut are
considering similar measures, but the Nevada legislature is widely viewed
as closest to passing the ban. (St. Petersburg Times 3 Mar 97)
MOTOROLA TO LICENSE VOCALTEC SOFTWARE
Motorola will license and sell VocalTec's Internet telephony software,
opening up a much broader market for the technology. VocalTec's Internet
Gateway server, which hooks up to corporate switchboards, routes long-
distance calls to the Internet rather than the long-distance telephone
supplier, essentially eliminating long-distance charges. A general
manager at Motorola says the VocalTec software will "give intranet
managers a solid support system as they add voice and video" to corporate
communications networks. (Wall Street Journal 3 Mar 97)
GOV'T TESTING PUBLIC KEY INFRASTRUCTURE STANDARDS
The U.S. government is sponsoring public key infrastructure pilot projects
in 10 federal agencies in an effort to determine which technologies should
be adopted as standards. Agencies currently using encryption employ
either the Digital Signature Standard (DSS) or the Digital Encryption
Standard (DES). In considering other standards, the government is
primarily interested in technologies that are royalty-free and that do not
expose digital signatures when encrypting data for confidentiality. The
pilot projects will enable the government to test a variety of
technologies to determine what will work best before it spends large
amounts of money on any particular technology. (BNA Daily Report for
Executives 27 Feb 97)
TERASTOR TECHNOLOGY BOOSTS STORAGE CAPACITY
New technology from TeraStor Corp. could be a major breakthrough for the
computer storage industry, say analysts. The company's "near field
recording technology" is a hybrid of magnetic storage systems found in
most PCs and the laser-based optical storage more common to compact disks.
TeraStor's founder predicts that by next year, the new technology will be
used to create a disk that holds 20 gigabytes of information on each side,
10 times the capacity of a single disk today. (Wall Street Journal 3 Mar
97)
JAPAN SET TO ABANDON ANALOG HDTV
Japan appears ready to scrap broadcasting plans based on analog high-
definition television signals, in favor of switching over to digital HDTV,
thus paving the way for a digital future for Japanese TV. "Satellite
broadcasts that began overseas recently are all based on digital systems,
and this will be the international standard," says a report by an advisory
committee to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. Japan
pioneered analog HDTV in the 1980s, but only about half a million TV sets
have been sold, and the advisory committee's report expresses concerns
that Japan will miss out on global markets if they postpone the switch to
digital. (Wall Street Journal 3 Mar 97)
APPLE OFFERS REBATES, DISCOUNTS TO SETTLE CHARGES
Apple Computer has agreed to offer $599 bargain upgrades to consumers who
purchased its entry-level Performa machines in the belief that upgrades
would be both timely and inexpensive. As it turned out, "The upgrade was
not offered for at least one year after Apple began representing that these
computers were upgradeable," said the Federal Trade Commission in a
statement. "Once offered, the upgrade was so expensive it cost almost as
much as an entirely new PowerPC computer." Consumers who purchased the
original upgrade at $1,375 are eligible for a rebate of $776. "Apple's
offer to compensate thousands of consumers will help assure the public
that advertising must be truthful," says the director of the FTC's Bureau
of Consumer Protection. (Reuters 3 Mar 97)
MICROSOFT MAY CREATE PLANT IN INDIA
In India on a visit to discuss collaborations in software development,
Microsoft CEO Bill Gates says his company won't grow as fast as it has in
the past, but that it will still grow at a faster rate than the growth rate
for the personal computer market as a whole. He says Microsoft will decide
within the next two years whether it wants to establish a plant to produce
software in that country. He has told the Prime Minister that India must
improve its telecommunications networks so that it can keep up with new
technology and seize business opportunities. (AP 4 Mar 97)
BE A PROPELLER-HEAD
Jean-Louis Gassee, the founder and CEO of Be, Inc., the company Apple was
considering acquiring for its operating system before it decided instead
to purchase Next, says that Be is targeting the emerging digital- media
applications on the creation side, as opposed to the playback side. "We
believe the playback devices are going to be driven by the pressures of
consumer technology. And we may or may not be able to offer the best way
to do playback. That might come in the future, but certainly not as an
entry strategy in the marketplace... We should make it clear that we are
still a not-for-everyone OS. We are not mainstream; we are propeller-
head OS." (Upside Mar 97)
COMPUTER SECURITY IS "NOT PROTECTION, IT'S DELAY"
Conducting a security audit of 15,000 Pentagon systems in which
vulnerabilities had previously been pointed out to systems managers for
correction, the Information Warfare Division of the Defense Information
Agency found that it was able to gain access to almost nine out 10 of the
systems simply by using publicly available techniques. A top agency
administrator says that security managers need to focus less on preventing
outside penetration and more on detecting intrusions and reacting with
immediate shutdowns. "You have to view security as buying you time. It's
not protection. It's delay." (Computerworld 3 Mar 97)
THE SHRINKING OF SHRINK-WRAP
Proposed legislation being circulated by the National Conference of
Commissioners on Uniform State Laws would give formal recognition to
"shrink-wrap licenses" -- not always currently enforceable -- that make
purchasers subject to the software license terms once they break the
packaging seal. Consumer groups say that validation of shrink-wrap
licenses would prevent computer users from seeking financial compensation
for software with a virus or a bug. Todd J. Paglia of the Consumer Project
on Technology, says: "Used cars and used jeans are 'as-is.' But new
software? It doesn't make any sense and it's completely anti-consumer."
But J.D. Fair of the Business Software Alliance says that "all software is
imperfect" and that if software companies were held liable for problems
caused by bugs and viruses the cost of software would increase
dramatically to pay for additional liability insurance. (Washington Post 6
Mar 97)
FCC CHAIR OPPOSES ACCESS FEES
FOR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundt says he opposes
requiring Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to pay local phone companies
the kind of "access fees" they charge long-distance phone service
providers for connecting to local networks in order to serve their
customers. ISPs have been exempted from such fees for more than a decade,
on the grounds that they could kill a fledgling industry. In the past
year, local phone companies have been arguing that the ISP market is
flourishing and no longer requires such protection. (San Jose Mercury
Center News 6 Mar 97)
MICROSOFT PUTS A PATCH ON EXPLORER
Microsoft is offering a "software patch" for the security flaw discovered
last week in its latest version of Microsoft Explorer browser software.
The patch can be downloaded from the company's Web site.
<http://www.microsoft.com> (Investor's Business Daily 6 Mar 97)
WEB PUBLISHING UNDERCUTS "PRIOR RESTRAINT" ORDERS
The Dallas Morning News's decision last week to publish a purported
confession by Oklahoma City bombing suspect Timothy McVeigh underscored
the way the Internet is changing the rules in the publishing business.
Says one First Amendment lawyer: "The Web site gives the advantage of
making a decision to publish very instantaneously and not waiting for
subsequent events." The newspaper's attorney declined to say whether the
Dallas Morning News editors had discussed the prospect of a legal
injunction against publishing the story in the print version of the
paper, but editors at other newspapers admit they have considered putting
stories online first to circumvent any possible restraining order. "While
the Dallas Morning News may be the first newspaper to use the Internet in
this fashion, I'm confident it won't be the last," says an attorney who
represented the New York Times in the 1971 Pentagon Papers case. "I've
thought for some time that if we had a recurrence of the Pentagon Papers
case today, the source would put it on the Internet first rather than
linking it to any newspaper." (Wall Street Journal 5 Mar 97)
DIGITAL TV STUDIO EQUIPMENT FROM SONY
Sony Corporation is introducing a variety of cameras, monitors and other
equipment that will enable TV studios to produce and disseminate digital,
high-definition television programming. This month the federal government
will begin assigning every U.S. television station a second channel for
such broadcasts, as part of a transition plan from the current analog
technology to full-scale all-digital broadcasting a decade from now. (New
York Times 5 Mar 97)
MAC CLONES SELLING WELL
The Computer Intelligence market research firm says that overall sales of
Macintosh-platform computers are growing, and that computers from Apple
and Macintosh clone makers made up 11.2% of sales in computer- only retail
stores, up from 9.5% in December and 7.8% in November. Because of the
growing demand for clones, Apple is said to be considering an increase in
its licensing fees. (Los Angeles Times 6 Mar 97)
VIRTUAL CHICKEN SEEKS CARING PARENT
The demand in Japan for Bandai's virtual chicken toy (tamagotchi or "cute
little egg") is so strong that the toy can trade on the black market there
for up to 25 times its suggested retail price of about $16. The plastic
egg has a small liquid crystal display on which a chick "hatches." The
owner or "parent" can press buttons to feed, clean and play with the chick
- which if bored, underfed or over-fed, will emit a piercing noise, change
into an old man and die. However, if properly cared for, the chick ruffles
its feathers, hops about, and lives happily for about a week and a half.
Bandai is increasing production of the toy by a factor of five, and is
planning to introduce it soon into the European and American markets.
(Financial Times 6 Mar 97)
TVs AND PCs WILL DUKE IT OUT FOR DOMINANCE
A recent report from In-Sat predicts that, rather than merging peacefully
into one big happy family-room appliance, television sets and personal
computers will continue to compete for dominance: "This emerging battle
is poised to fracture the Internet along a consumer and corporate fault
line." In-Sat sees a future where the Internet is split into two parts -
the "computer-centric" side and the "TV-centric" side. (Investor's
Business Daily 6 Mar 97)
Edupage is written by John Gehl (gehl@educom.edu) & Suzanne Douglas
(douglas@educom.edu).
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Kids Computing Corner
Frank Sereno, Editor
fsereno@streport.com
The Kids' Computing Corner
Computer news and software reviews
from a parent's point of view
In the News
Windows95 for Busy People, 2nd edition
by Ron Mansfield
for users of all levels
$24.99
Osborne/McGraw-Hill
http://www.osborne.com
review by Frank Sereno
I considered myself to be a wily veteran when it came to using Windows95.
Having run it for 18 months, I figured I knew the best way to use my
desktop and little was left for me to learn. Then I read Windows95 for
Busy People and it amazed me at how much I didn't know. In addition, I
found it very interesting to learn better ways to do those old tasks on my
computer. Ron Mansfield's witty and conversational writing made Windows95
seem like a whole new operating system. This lively and educational tome
will teach both new and wizened users how to get the most out of Windows95
in the quickest time.
The Busy People series of books feature a very easy-to-read format. The
book starts with a blueprint that provides the basic information needed to
get started. At the start of each chapter, the author presents a Fast
Forward section that previews the material. Each chapter then will have
several Step By Step Tutorials that will detail the proper steps in each
procedure. Hundreds of helpful illustrations fill the book. Along the
way, shortcut and caution boxes raise important points relative to the
current topic. Each chapter ends with a Checkpoint that gives advice
pertaining to the current chapter's lessons and previews the material in
the next.
Mr. Mansfield has a delightfully humorous and wry writing style. His prose
is not only informative, but it is very engaging and fun to read. He
presents his information in a very orderly way and easily digestible
pieces. He avoids the use of technical jargon as much as possible to avoid
overwhelming neophytes with unfamiliar terms, but he doesn't write down to
the reader either. The book contains so many great tips and hints that
users of all levels of experience will learn from it.
The book covers all the basics of Windows95 including double-clicking
icons, file management, hard drive maintenance, printing, networks, the
Internet and multimedia. He often refers to network options such as file
and printer sharing that will make this book very useful for business
users, but most of the information is applicable to a single-user computer
at home. New users will be operating like old pros in no time.
The book comes with a free America Online CD-ROM that includes browser
software and 50 free hours of online time. The author does give plenty of
information about alternative Internet Service Providers and how to connect
them so you have other options than to use AOL.
Windows95 for Busy People is a well written and fun book to read. The
price is comparable to other books in this genre. It's a great book for
novice and seasoned users of Windows95. If you're just getting started
with Win95 or if you want to learn to more efficient, then Windows95 for
Busy People should be at the top of your best-sellers list.
Reader Rabbit 1
Hybrid format CD-ROM for Windows and Macintosh
street price $40
for ages 4 to 7
The Learning Company
6493 Kaiser Drive
Fremont, CA 94555
1-800-227-5609
http://www.learningco.com
Program Requirements
IBM Macintosh
OS: Windows 3.1, Windows 95 OS: System 7.0
CPU: 486DX/66 CPU: 68040/33
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: Windows-compatible sound card
Other: mouse
review by Frank Sereno (fsereno@streport.com)
A classic edutainment program, Reader Rabbit 1 has been given a new look
and more pizzazz while retaining its excellent educational content. It now
features fully animated characters and original music that will enhance
your child's experience while keeping his attention at the high level
necessary for learning.
The plot of the program is that Wordville has run out of words. It's up to
Reader Rabbit and his friends to complete words and then load them onto
flatcars. Then Ernest the Engine will pull the words to Wordville so the
good people there can write letters and newspapers again. Reader Rabbit 1
has four activities that each has four progressive levels of difficulty.
These activities will continue to challenge and educate children through
repeated play. The program features more than two hundred three-letter
words that will aid children in learning vocabulary, spelling, phonics and
letter recognition.
Matchup is the first activity. It's a matching game with objects stored
within ten crates. Click on a barrel to see its contents. On the first
level, children match pictures to pictures, but on higher levels they match
letter sounds to the pictures. This exercise helps children develop
auditory and visual discrimination skills while improving memory and
concentration.
In Sorter, children sort words based on letter sounds. The letter to be
matched will be shown on a monitor and Reader Rabbit will explain the task
as well. Words are then placed on a shelf. If the word fits the
parameters, the child clicks on the conveyor belt to place the word there.
If the word doesn't match, he clicks on the chute. Reader Rabbit
pronounces each word as it placed on the shelf so children can see and hear
the word. This exercise will again build auditory and visual
discrimination skills.
The third activity is Labeler. Your child must label each crate before
shipping it. He will see a set of three crates. Above each crate is a
picture of an object, animal or activity that Reader Rabbit will announce.
In levels one through three, each crate will have two letters from the word
on its side. The child must supply the missing letter from a group of
letters on the loading dock floor. He can click on the individual letters
to hear their sounds or click on the pictures to hear the complete words
again. On the fourth level, the child will have to spell the entire words
because no letters are visible on the crates. This activity teaches
spelling and vocabulary while continuing to develop auditory and visual
discrimination skills.
Word Train is the final activity. Children will use logic and visual
discrimination skills to determine which words fit the pattern of the key
word. In this exercise, the child will load words onto flat cars if they
match two letters of the word in the red sign. In the lower levels, these
will be consecutive letters but in the higher levels of the activity it can
be any two letters. The animation of Ernest the Engine leaving the dock is
very well done and quite amusing.
Reader Rabbit 1 features the POP interface that has become standard in The
Learning Company's product line. You just click on Mat the Mouse to access
POP and then click on an icon to select a feature. You can change game
levels, select a new activity, read program information and much more. You
can also exit the program from POP. The program automatically saves your
child's game whenever someone quits it. I think some features should
probably be controlled by adults only and that there should be an
alternative way to exit activities back to the main screen. You can click
on Reader Rabbit for spoken help in the activities. Generally, the
interface is very easy to use.
The graphics are exceptional. The animations are very colorful and the
motions of the characters are smooth and fluid. The characters have well-
developed personalities that are very engaging. The music is delightful
with a rousing children's chorus providing the vocal on the Reader Rabbit
theme song. The educational content is excellent. Reader Rabbit 1 is the
first program in The Learning Company's integrated reading and phonics
series. They have designed the series so that each succeeding program will
build on the skills taught in the earlier ones.
Reader Rabbit 1 has a very reasonable and competitive price. The Learning
Company backs this program with a 30-day moneyback guarantee. This program
combines great educational content with fantastic value. The multimedia
enhancements will grab your child's attention, assuring you of longer
learning sessions. If you're needing a program to help your child to learn
the fundamentals of words and reading, Reader Rabbit 1 is an outstanding
choice.
The Internet for Busy People
The Second Edition
by Christian Crumlish
Published by Osborne
a Division of McGraw Hill Corporation
Suggested Retail -- $24.99
http://www.osborne.com
Osborne has recently released The Internet for Busy People. This well-
written book contains many helpful and descriptive diagrams. It's full of
illustrations that really bring the book to life. The book is designed for
people who want or need to learn how to use the Internet in a very short
time. I found this book very helpful and it brought the information to
light in a fun and easy to understand way.
Christian Crumlish writes very descriptively and makes sure that readers on
any level can understand what he is teaching. He often uses his own family
in parts of the book, which makes things seem less constrictive and more
casual. The style that he uses is very easy to read and is anything but
"textbook style."
There are thirteen chapters in Christian's book. Each one has a "Fast
Forward." These Fast Forwards are ways for people to receive most of the
information in the chapter, without having to read the whole text. The
Fast Forwards cover most of the essentials in the chapter, but there are a
lot of smaller and very helpful points not included in the Fast Forwards.
These are helpful to first time users of the Internet, but I would suggest
to people that are using this book to expand their knowledge of the
Internet to read the whole chapter.
Each chapter has many different sections in it also. The sections pinpoint
different aspects of the chapter. For instance, if you were in the Easy
Searching chapter, one of the sections you could read would be Search
Engines. Each section within the chapter has its own diagrams. Along the
borders of the page, you will find little facts and information about the
section you are reading.
Along with the book, there is free web software from Netscape, Microsoft,
and AOL included on a CD-ROM. While you are reading the book, you can use
the software included to put the information you receive to use. You will
find that many of the screen shots in the book are locatable on the
different programs. The book also lists many different web and FTP sites
that can be useful to you. Some sites include ways to find missing
relatives or places to download the newest Internet accessories.
The Internet for Busy People is a book for people that want or need to
learn how to use the Internet in a short time. If you have wondered about
the Internet and the many different features that are available on it,
then this excellent primer will teach you the many possibilities that exist
on the information super highway. If you already use the Internet, you
should also consider buying the book if you want to really understand the
Internet. Considering the low price and the great information, this book
is an excellent buy for anyone that uses or wishes to use the Internet.
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rmariano@streport.com
STReport International Online Magazine
Gaming Hotwire STR Feature - The World of Contemporary Gaming
Diablo Update STR Infofile
PATCH 1.02 -- 02/25/97
This file contains information about the fixes contained in the patch that
upgrades Diablo to version 1.02. Additionally, this file contains updated
troubleshooting tips.
CONTENTS
I. FIXES
II. TROUBLESHOOTING
1. Video
2. Sound
3. Multiplayer
4. General Tips
FIXES
ú Corrects the NULL cell buffer errors and other draw problems
ú Fixes intermittent crash in Join Game screen
ú Fixes data corruption problem which could cause a player to get locked
out of Battle.net when creating a new channel
ú Improves error handling for dropped network packets
ú Provides more descriptive messages when unable to join a game
ú Fixes the problem with some equipped items not being seen by other
players in multiplayer games
ú Prevents Lazarus's red portal from disappearing after leaving his lair
ú Fixes the Level Advance Indicator remaining on screen after character
attributes are maxed
ú Fixes inaccurate display of game creation time
ú Games shown in the list of public games on Battle.net will not
disappear anymore. The list will be refreshed only if the user closes and
reopens the Join Game dialog.
ú Fixes problem with soundcards that do not support the Set Format
command (i.e. ESS1888)
ú Fixes problems writing to system registry
ú Numerous fixes to item integrity
NOTE: With this patch, when the game detects duplicate items they will be
removed from the game.
ú Improves error correction related to line noise in modem games
II. TROUBLESHOOTING
1. VIDEO
NOTE: The first step that should be taken in isolating video
problems is ensuring that you have the most current drivers from
your video card manufacturer.
A. Problems with cut scenes:
If video playback is slow or choppy on your system, you can
adjust the size of the playback window using the VidSize utility,
which is installed in the Diablo directory. (Large or Small,
Default is large)
B. Video problems:
If you have problems when exiting out of Diablo, or with video
after getting into Diablo (i.e. it is freezing up, or it is doing
something strange with the video) set the video display properties
to 640x480x256 before playing Diablo. DirectX has a problem with
certain video cards, and it is causing this to occur.
C. S3 Video Drivers:
"http://www.s3.com"
D. CHIPS & TECHNOLOGIES video Drivers:
"http://www.chips.com"
E. Matrox Video Drivers:
"http://www.matrox.com"
F. Matrox Millennium:
Video doesn't display properly
(rolling screen images, overlapping screen images or a blank screen)
1)Right-click on the Windows 95 desktop background.
2)Click on the Properties menu item - MGA Monitor tab - MGA Monitor
option button.
3)From the MGA monitor list, select the monitor model you're using.
If your monitor model does not appear in the list, select monitor
that runs at 60 Hz at 640 x 480 (for example, Standard Monitor Types
- Vesa 1024X768 @60Hz). For more information on MGA monitor
selection, see the on-line documentation for MGA PowerDesk.
4)Click OK to confirm your selection
G. ATI 3DExpression PCI Mach64
Problem: After installing Dx3.0a from the Diablo CD & rebooting the
computer, you get a black screen with green lines.
Fix:
1.) Boot into safe mode by: Rebooting the computer, pushing F8 when
you see the words starting Win95, select safe mode.
2.) Click on start -> settings -> Control Panel -> Display
-> Settings -> Change Display Type -> Click on "Change..." under
Adapter Type -> show all devices -> Manufactures: Standard Display
Types. Models: Standard Display Adapter (VGA) then click OK
-> close -> Apply & Close then Yes to Restarting the computer.
(let the computer boot normally)
3.) Click on start -> settings -> Control Panel -> Display -> Settings
-> Change Display Type -> Click on "Change..." under Adapter Type
-> Have Disk -> Browse to "X:\win95drv\display\atigt\macxw4.inf"
(X=cdrom drive) & click on OK twice -> Select ATI 3DExpression PCI
mach64 (Direct Draw) & click on OK -> Close -> Apply & Close then
Yes to reboot the computer, this should fix the problem.
H. Alliance Promotion:
Download the DirectX 2 at: "http://www.blizzard.com/support/d-
directx.htm"
Download the DirectX 2 compatible driver for the alliance promotion
video
card at: "http://www.alsc.com"
NOTE: These drivers are also available from the Alliance BBS at
(408)383-4994
If you have the DirectX 3 drivers installed and the manufacturer's
DirectX 2
driver, you might see two hands.
I. Virge Video Drivers:
If a Direct X application asks to overwrite the preinstalled drivers,
answer NO. Currently, there is not a diskette release of the Virge
graphics drivers/Direct X drivers, so if you overwrite the Virge
drivers with a Direct X application, you will have to run the QuickRestore
utility to get the preinstalled drivers back.
2. SOUND
NOTE: The first step that should be taken in isolating sound
problems is ensuring that you have the most current drivers from
your sound card manufacturer.
A. SB Sound Cards:
"www.creaf.com"
As of 2/13/97 the latest version is "4.35.00.0018"
B. Fatal exception ** has occurred at: (with SB 16/32/64)
The problem was linked to a old version of the sound driver. If you
do not have at least version "4.35.00.0018" dated 2/13/97 then
download it at:
"http://www.creaf.com/wwwnew/tech/faqs/drv0001.html"
3. MULTIPLAYER
A. Trying to get onto Battle.net:
1.) If you are using a third party TCP/IP implementation, try
installing Microsoft's TCP/IP protocol (use Add/Remove Programs in the
Control Panel)
2.) Use the Telnet program to test your connection to Battle.net.
From a command prompt, type:
telnet battle.net 116
telnet battle.net 118
If Telnet can't connect to Battle.net, contact your Internet provider
or network administrator about opening up those ports.
3.) Delete the file "Bncache.dat" from the Diablo directory. This
file contains cached data that has been downloaded from Battle.net.
Deleting it will remove any data that may have been corrupted during
download.
4.) Verify that the Diablo directory is writeable, and that there is
plenty of free disk space on the drive that holds the Diablo directory.
B. Retail to Spawn:
1.) One player can create the game but the other can't see the game to
join. Make sure ALL are playing spawn or ALL playing retail copies!
Spawn cannot play retail.
C. Can't see the other person on the network (IPX Games):
1.) Make sure that everyone is logged into the network.
2.) Make sure everyone is using the retail version.
3.) Make sure everyone has upgraded to the patched version.
(Version 1.02 cannot play against version 1.00)
4.) Make sure the IPX frame type is correct.
Click on start -> settings -> control panel -> network -> IPX/SPX ->
properties -> advanced -> frame type: Make sure all people playing have
their frame type set to the same value. Then set the Max Sockets to
32 and the Max Connections to 16. Click on OK and reboot the computer,
then try to start the network game.
4. GENERAL TIPS
A. Is there anything I can do to boost game performance?
To speed up game play on slower systems, turn off music by bringing up the
Diablo Options menu and setting the Music Volume all the way to the left.
Also, clearing up hard drive space can improve performance on systems with
low memory.
THE FIRST TRANSPORT IS AWAY!
DIABLO
Copyright (c) 1996 BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, All rights reserved
Diablo and Battle.net are trademarks and Blizzard Entertainment
is a trademark of Davidson and Associates, Inc.
For news, updates, and additional troubleshooting
visit WWW.BLIZZARD.COM
Classics & Gaming Section
Editor Dana P. Jacobson
dpj@streport.com
From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
I was starting to think that people were just about ready to begin
sending me messages that they were getting tired of my web page-writing
escapades, week after week for the past few issues. Then, I started
getting mail from people who became interested in writing their own pages -
interest sparked from my tales of enjoyment. Culled from some of those
respondents were hints that STReport should write some "how-to" articles,
or tips, or "command" lists, etc. I thought that this was a good idea and
I have begun such an endeavor. However, I must confess that, like many of
you, I consider myself a beginner and a "dabbler" in the art of web page
design/construction. I'm also doing them "by hand" while many people,
Atarians as well, are using programs on their PC (or Mac?). No problem...
I'll finish up my "introduction" article for next week, and move on
from there. If more of you have suggestions for subsequent web page (or
just plain HTML questions or topics) articles, let me know. I'm also
planning to contact the developers of HomePage Penguin and WebSpinner - two
Atari web page design programs - to get their views, etc. So, what's the
latest status of my pages, you ask? Great! I've been getting excellent
response (still) for additions to the pages. Additions as in adding Atari-
related links. And, there have been responses from people who are in user
groups and/or run BBSs that want their info added to the pages. I've added
a few of these already and hope to hear from more of you.
Also, while there an official STReport web site - and an excellent one
at that! - I've added a small link to an STReport page where you can
immediately see the "teaser" contents for the current issue of STReport.
You can also download that issue from the same page. I also recommend that
you take a look at the official page (http://www.streport.com) for the full
effect of a terrific page (and I'd say that even if I had no affiliation
with STReport - the page is terrific!). So, where do I go from here?
Well, in addition to adding links and other pertinent information, I want
to do some "cosmetic" work on the pages. Change some color schemes to be
gentler on the eyes, maybe add some small graphics to break up the text,
and just make the pages more visually appealing in general. Remember, I'm
still learning! If you have some ideas/suggestions, please let me know -
constructive criticism, good or bad, is always welcome.
So, other than web sites, what's in store this week? Well, how about some
history from 12 years ago (courtesy of Newsbytes). Atari was rolling out
the "Jackintosh" and starting to solicit developers. At what cost?! Phew!
How's JTS doing these days? I'll let you decide as we've included a couple
of reports, including the latest figures.
Well, let's get on with this week's issue, shall we - I've probably gone on
too much for this week already.
Until next time...
Newsbytes NewsReel - 12 Years Ago This Week
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1997 MAR 5 (Newsbytes) -- By Nick Gorski.
Twelve years ago these Newsbytes stories were filed: Wanna Work For Jack?;
Apple Scoops; HP's Graphic Boost; and Experts For Less. These stories were
taken from the extensive archives at the Newsbytes Web site at
http://www.newsbytes.com.
Wanna Work For Jack?
Atari is about to begin shipments of its "Jackintosh," the ST, to selected
developers, provided they cough up $4,500 for each one. James Copeland of
Atari says the high price is designed to weed out the serious from the
part-time programmers. That ST is supposed to be officially unveiled at a
West German trade show in late April, which means software companies with
the cash and the gift of flying fingers just might be able to show their
software alongside the new machine.
Apple Scoops
It was a miserable week for Apple. Stock prices dipped. The chief financial
officer, Joseph Graziano (credited with helping change Apple into a big
money maker), resigned, the Wall Street Journal reported that Steve Wozniak
sold off $70 million-worth of Apple stock before he left last month, and
the following eye-opener was published: "Apple has completely shut down
production of Macintosh cases," reports California Technology Stock Letter.
If true, this could simply mean excess inventory -- CTSL adds about 650,000
Macintosh cases are in warehouses -- but it could also signal that a new
Macintosh project is being completed and the 650,000 cases in inventory
will be the last for the current Macintosh model. CTSL calls the rumored
new machine the "Pretty Mac." Further, the newsletter claims the new IIc
flat panel display drops the entire first column when in 80 column mode.
HP's Graphic Boost
Hoping to revive interest in its family of micros, HP introduced no fewer
than 282 new programs at a New York press conference last week. Among the
offerings are Graphics Gallery and n Executive series which enable
computers to mix graphics and text in a report. In addition, there's
software which allows HP and IBM computers to exchange information in a
data network. The new software brings the number of software packages for
HP micros to 550 in the US, and 1,500 worldwide.
Experts For Less
Provided you don't have a heck of a lot of expertise, there's an expert
system software package available now for Commodore 64, Apple II, and
Atari 800 computers. Retailing for $1,000, Ultimate Media Enterprise's new
"Think!" will allow you to input information on any subject for later
retrieval and analysis. What if, for instance, you want to store your
knowledge on cooking? You use user-friendly prompts to enter the data and
to decide how it is to be used. This is the first expert system program for
a home computer, and the first to be priced this low.
From Mille Babic:
Hi!
There are updated versions of M_Player v2.42 and MPSTE v2.42 at:
http://www5.tripnet.se/~mille/tello/tello.html
Both capable to display Video for Windows (AVI), QuickTime (MOV) and
flicker files (FLI/FLC/FLH), for (Mega)ST(F/FM/E), TT030 (graphics card)
and Falcon. Can create animated GIF.
Best Regards
Mille Babic
eMail: mille@mail5.tripnet.se
http://www5.tripnet.se/~mille (English, German, Swedish, Croatian)
Atari Falcon CPU40MHz:DSP50MHZ (12MB RAM 540MB+1.0GB HD)
N.AES Operating System with MiNT Kernel and N.Thing Desktop
JTS Corporation Reports Record Results
For Fourth Quarter
SAN JOSE, Calif., March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- JTS Corporation (AMEX: JTS) today
announced record revenues for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended
February 2, 1997. Record unit shipments for JTS disk drives lifted the
Company's revenues for the quarter ended February 2, 1997 to $55.5 million,
up 67% from the third quarter of fiscal 1997. Revenues from JTS disk drive
operations for the fourth quarter of fiscal 1997 grew 337% to $53.7 million
compared to revenues of $12.7 million for the comparable period a year ago,
For fiscal year 1997, the Company's disk drive operations generated revenue
of $119.5 million, up 560% from fiscal 1996 disk drive revenues of $18.8
million.
JTS Corporation incurred a net loss of $25.8 million for the fourth quarter
of fiscal 1997 compared with a net loss of $125 million incurred in the
third quarter of fiscal 1997. he Company reported a gross margin deficit
of $5.7 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 1997, which was driven
primarily by inventory write-offs associated with a mix shift to its higher
performance 3.5-inch disk drive products. These new products will begin
shipping in the first quarter of fiscal 1998. The Company also wrote-off
$2.2 million of obsolete equipment associated with the initial production
of its first generation 3.5-inch disk drives.
On July 30, 1996, JTS Corporation and Atari Corporation merged, and
therefore only the third and fourth quarters of the current fiscal year
reflect the combined operations of the merged company. The third quarter
net loss included a $110 million non-cash charge for in-process research
and development resulting from the merger. In addition, $2.9 million of
expenses included in each of the third and fourth quarters of fiscal year
1997 represents amortization of other intangibles arising from the merger.
Prior to the merger, Atari's business had been downsized considerably and
will not be a significant part of the Company's operations going forward.
"We are very pleased with the record revenue results for the forth quarter
and for the 1997 fiscal year, particularly regarding the revenue growth
rate of 67% in comparing JTS' fourth quarter revenues to its third quarter
revenues," said Tom Mitchell, President and Chief Executive Officer of JTS.
"As announced in our fourth fiscal quarter, JTS will begin shipment this
month of the latest addition to its Nordic family of hard disk drives, the
2.1GB 3.0-inch disk drive for notebook computers. In addition, the Company
will commence production of its new Champion Family of 3.5-inch performance
IDE disk drives focused on major OEMs and its existing distribution
network."
In January 1997, JTS completed a $25 million private financing involving
the sale of its Series C Convertible Preferred Stock, which are non-voting
shares convertible into JTS common stock. At the end of the fiscal year,
the Company had $24.8 million n cash.
Gaming Section
Resident Evil!
New PSX in Japan!
PSX Price Drop!
Capcom News!
And More!
From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
We're still waiting for the final versions of reviews on Towers II and
Breakout 2000; I'm one of the reviewers involved! I'm having too much fun
with Breakout 2000 t
hat I want to get into the game more rather than write
about it. Mario Perdue did a terrific job with this game! I hope that
we'll have these reviews soon - we haven't forgotten! Rumors are about
that Iron Soldier II might be delayed a little. No surprise for Jaguar
owners! If the delay occurs, it's reported that it will be a very short
one. The game is supposed to be released today, but we'll see what
happens.
Lot of Playstation news this week. The major stories are that prices are
coming down. Also, there will be a new PSX released in Asia which will
allow the user to play VideoCD disks as well as game CDs. Interesting
stuff. I'll keep it short this week. Between web page ideas and Breakout
2000 and Towers II, I'm at a loss for words this week!
Until next time...
Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News!
Sony Cuts PlayStation Pricing
In Europe, Australia
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1997 MAR 3 (Newsbytes) -- By Martyn Williams. Sony Computer
Entertainment Europe today fired the latest round in the home video gaming
war when it announced price cuts for the PlayStation console in Europe and
Australia. Its sister company, Sony Computer Entertainment America, is
expected to announce similar price cuts in the United States later today.
In the UK, the price is being cut from UKP199 to UKP129, in France to FF990
from FF1,490, in Germany to DM299 from DM399, and in Australia to
AUS$299 from $399.
At the same time, SCE announced it had sold 12 million PlayStations as of
February 14. The majority of these, 5.6 million, were sold in Japan, with a
further 3.8 million sold in the United States, and 2.6 million units sold
in Europe. The unit first debuted in Japan in December, 1995. In Japan,
the console is leading the market, ahead of Sega's Saturn and the Nintendo
64. The dominance, which has so far only been shown in sales data, entered
the spotlight recently with the release of both Final Fantasy and Dragon
Quest, two eagerly awaited games, onto the PlayStation platform first.
Sony Drops US PlayStation
Hardware Software Prices
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1997 MAR 3 (Newsbytes) -- By Richar Bowers.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., has announced a series of price
reductions for both PlayStation hardware and software, led by a suggested
retail price of $149 for the PlayStation console. The reductions is
somewhat of a surprise since the PlayStation has been in short supply in
North America. Similar Playstation price reductions were announced for
Japan and Europe this morning (See "Sony Cuts PlayStation Pricing In
Europe, Australia 03/03/97 in Newsbytes.)
According to Sony the PlayStation has sold 3.4 units in North America since
its debut in September 1995. Worldwide sales are over 11 million units.
Software price reductions center on a new suggested price on all new titles
of $49,95, down from $59.95. Sony said special ad prices for new titles
will go down to $39.95.
In addition Sony is repricing a line of previous titles called "Greatest
Hits." Five previous best sellers will be reduced to $24.95, with special
ad pricing down to $19.95. Included in the "Greatest Hits" released now
are; NFL Game Day, Twisted Metal, NHL Game Day, and WarHawk. According to
Sony, future titles will be added after they have been out for one year,
and have reached 15O thousand.
In a press conference attended by Newsbytes, Jack Tretton, Sony Computer
Entertainment America vice president of sales, said, "Since we have
released the PlayStation the price has been now dropped in half, while
margins for our retailers have doubled." Sony Computer Entertainment
America chief operating officer Kaz Hirai said that Sony is producing 1
million units per month, but this still represents a "supply constrained
market."
Sony Launches New PlayStation For Asia
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1997 MAR 6 (Newsbytes) -- By Martyn Williams. Sony Computer
Entertainment, the unit of Sony Corporation [TOKYO:6758][NYSE:SNE]
responsible for the PlayStation, has launched a new version of the
best-selling video game for Asia, except Japan. The announcement came just
a day after price cuts were announced for the system in many regions of the
world. The new Asian model features the ability to play VideoCD disks in
addition to PlayStation games. VideoCD is very popular as a medium for home
karaoke disks, one of the most popular leisure-time activities in many
Asian nations. The new system is expected to hit shelves across the region
in mid-March and has a retail price of $HK2,580 (US$333).
Sony's own PlayStation games are stored on CD-ROM disks, so adding the
VideoCD support was very easy for the company. It's also not something that
Nintendo, which is fighting Sony for top spot, can replicate. Nintendo 64
games are stored on cartridges, so adding VideoCD support would mean adding
a CD drive and be a considerable task. In addition, Nintendo's 64 machine
is not even available in the Asia region, with the exception of Japan. At
the beginning of this week, Sony announced plans to cut the price of its
PlayStation in the United States to $149, down $50, and also announced
similar price cuts in the European and Australian markets, but not Japan.
Nintendo followed by saying it would not be following the price cuts.
Capcom to Cease Production on Resident Evil
SUNNYVALE, CALIF. (March 3) BUSINESS WIRE -March 3, 1997--Capcom
Entertainment today announced that effective March 31, 1997, it will cease
production and shipment of Resident Evil for the Sony PlayStation. With
the announcement, Capcom hopes to allow the retailers sufficient time to
present their last orders for the extremely successful PlayStation title.
The date of March 31 marks the one-year anniversary of the release of
Resident Evil, a groundbreaking game which has sold more than 2 million
units worldwide and ranks as one of the highest-selling PlayStation titles
in the history of the game console. Capcom anticipates the strong sales
Resident Evil has enjoyed since its release to continue until the last game
is sold off the shelf. Resident Evil 2 is currently scheduled to release in
the fourth quarter of 1997.
"The decision to cease production of Resident Evil is two-fold," said Bill
Gardner, president of Capcom Entertainment. "We want to assist retailers
in clearing out their stock of Resident Evil and at the same time, build
excitement with the trade and consumers for this upcoming sequel. Resident
Evil 2 is already being hailed as one of the most highly anticipated new
eleases for 1997. Resident Evil has been a fantastic title for Capcom and
we predict Resident Evil 2 to surpass it in terms of overall success and
popularity."
Taking off where Resident Evil ended, Resident Evil 2 will deliver even
more spine-chilling graphics, a new compelling storyline, and endlessly
demanding action. Enhancements to Capcom's blockbuster smash hit include,
an entirely new cast, faster gameplay, and new weapons and monsters leading
to intense, nail-biting action scenes. The latest word from Capcom's
developers in Japan are that the game will be a two disk product. The game
will also develop quite differently depending on which character you choose
and what actions your character takes or doesn't take.
Imagine Publishing Creates the Ultimate Gaming Network
BRISBANE, CALIF. (March 3) BUSINESS WIRE -March 3, 1997--Imagine
Publishing, leading publisher of six monthly consumer technology magazines,
announces the launch of the Imagine Games Network (IGN).
IGN is a network of integrated game content Web sites. Encompassing over 18
sites, Imagine Games Network is the largest and most in-depth games
content site on the Internet. The core of IGN encompasses Imagine's
leading Web sites -- PC Gamer Online, Next Generation Online, Ultra Game
Players Online, and bootnet. In addition to these four sites, IGN includes
three dedicated console sites -- N64.com, SaturnWorld.com, and PSXPower.
IGN also boasts a unique affiliate program, bringing together two very
powerful worlds: the industry's best professional gaming sites and the
Web's most exciting fan sites. IGN affiliates are among the best home
grown sites in the world, including the top ten fan sites on the Web-Gaming
Enthusiast Online, PlayStation Galleria, Tekken Web Project, and more. In
order to be included on IGN, the fan sites have to pass severe editorial
scrutiny to maintain the high-quality of Imagine products. Also, by being
a part of IGN, the fan sites' owners are earning a percentage of the
advertising revenue generated acrss the whole IGN network. For
advertisers, these fan sites provide an added value by providing direct
access to the most enthusiastic end-user.
"The sheer depth and variety of content makes IGN a must-visit for
dedicated gamers," states Jonathan Simpson-Bint, VP of Publishing for
Imagine. "Viewers go specifically to IGN to gather the most complete and
up-to-the-minute information on gaming and to interact with other gamers,
making it the ideal place for advertisers in the gaming market who want to
reach passionate end-users." On the business side, IGN can specifically
target its audiences. Each page of IGN can be tagged based on its content
to assure advertisers that their ad will reach their specific audience.
For example, if as company has an advertisement for a PlayStation sports
game, with IGN they can target that advertisement to appear only on pages
that have PlayStation stories and/or sports stories. In this way, IGN
takes the nebulosity out of advertising on the Web.
To meet the special needs of IGN advertisers, Imagine formed a new sales
operation team headed by Associate Publisher Simon Whitcombe. Whitcombe,
formerly the new business development manager for Ultra Game Players, is
distinguished in the business community as the first person to secure a
million-dollar sponsorship package on the worldwide Web. Along with
in-depth content, IGN also takes advantage of the immediacy of the Internet
by hosting live daily events. Each weekday one of the IGN sites hosts a
special live event, which includes live chats with editors, special polls,
exclusive game footage, interviews with industry leaders and more. IGN's
live events have quickly become one of IGN's biggest draw. A monthly
listing of these events are listed in Imagine's print magazines. By
enabling viewers to take a participatory role, these events help to build
the strong gaming community that IGN possesses.
PlayNet Teams with IBM and Says "Let The Games Begin"
NEW YORK (March 5) BUSINESS WIRE -March 5, 1997--Like playing games over
the Internet, but tired of "busy, try again" messages? PlayNet
Technologies (NASDAQ Smallcap:PLNT) has an answer that puts IBM and its
global network at the heart of the solution. Today, PlayNet announced it
will join with IBM to provide patrons of "sports" bars, restaurant chains
and international hotels with dependable, high-speed, worldwide access to a
new line of pay-per-play Internet entertainment products from PlayNet,
networked through the IBM Global Network. PlayNet encompasses a team of
industry leaders including Nolan Bushnell, whose creation of "Pong" and
founding of Atari is credited with launching the video game revolution.
IBM Global Services, featuring a corps of Internet professionals, is one
of the world's largest Internet service providers and operates the IBM
Global Network, which has more than 830 locations in 49 countries through
which consumers can access the Internet.
PlayNet is offering products that will "create a new form of entertainment,
revolutionizing social play," according to Mouli Cohen, PlayNet president
and chief executive officer. "Today, under 15 million households -- out
of more than 100 million -- in the U.S. can enjoy on-line entertainment.
By going into bars, restaurants and other public places where people
socialize, PlayNet is bringing on-line entertainment to millions more
people in this country as well as throughout the world. You don't need to
knn." "All you have to do is pop in a couple of quarters, or a dollar
bill, or swipe a credit card, and you can truly bring the world to your
barstool," said Bushnell. "Sure you can play games, but it's more than
that. You can pick the latest news and sports scores. You can 'chat' with
others across the bar or in other bars thousands of mils away. You can join
in local and national networked sports tournaments. And you can select
from thousands of songs and buy merchandise. And it's all driven by
touching a screen or talking into a phone rather than using a keyboard."
"IBM's experience hosting large, scalable Web sites was a big factor in our
decision," said Scott Folcarelli, vice president of operations for
PlayNet. "We expect our games and prize tournaments to be very popular.
With that will come a lot of traffic. Of great concern for us was whether
or not we could identify the most robust Internet service provider that
could deliver us global coverage, continuous connectivity and security.
With IBM, we've found it all." For the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, IBM
hosted the biggest e-business Web site in Internet history, taking in five
million dollars in ticket sales and handling an average of 12 million hits
-- or "visits" to a Web site -- per day. Last year, IBM also hosted "Deep
Blue" -- the chess match between Gary Kasparov and an IBM computer -- and
will host "Deeper Blue" this May. Already this year, IBM hosted the
Australian Open on the Internet, and will host the French Open, U.S. Open,
Wimbledon, Masters and PGA Championship as well.
"For us, the message is clear. When you think of the Internet, and you
mean business, think IBM," said Scott Powell, director of network services,
IBM Global Services. "PlayNet had the products. What they needed was an
industrial-strength Internet service provider. They needed global reach, a
high-speed, dependable Internet connection, security for financial
transactions, and people who understand what it takes to host large-scale
Web sites. We were the only Internet service provider with the ability to
offer it all." As part of the agreement, IBM will build a dedicated server
farm exclusively for PlayNet, with high-speed connections from the IBM
server farm in Schaumburg, Ill., to PlayNet's technology centers. The
initial products PlayNet will make available on the IBM Global Network are
PlayNet Web and PlayNet Music. According to Cohen, "We have a unique
business model with profitable economics. We will share in diverse,
predictable, recurring revenue streams."
ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
On CompuServe
Compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@streport.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Well,another week has come and gone
and I'm no less flustered than I was last week. Things just seem to keep
piling up. I know that I owe several of you email replies, but I haven't
been able to free up the time to do it right. Rest assured, I haven't
forgotten. You can also feel free to send more email my way without
worrying about my getting mad... I don't get mad very often, and when I do
it's not for anything as small as an email message. So go ahead and write!
Meanwhile, the big news is that the Crystal Atari Browser (CAB) will
no longer be freeware starting with version 2.0 and will be distributed
through Application Systems Heidelberg beginning with this version. It is
scheduled to be released on March 20, 1997 so stay tuned for updates and
reviews.
Now let's get to all the great news, hints, tips, and info available every
week right here on CompuServe.
From the Atari Computing Forums
Jondahl Davis asks me about getting CAB working on CompuServe (since I'm
one of few who have set it up successfully):
"I'm glad to see somebody can get the PPPKit to work... I couldn't get Mint
to boot. I got a funny symbol in the lower left corner of the screen and
the system died. I gave up and used STiK to connect via SLIP. The SLIP
connection is now working fine,but CAB won't load anything. I'm using CAB
1.5 and have CAB.OVL in the same folder. When I load a URL it says,
"Resolving Host","Connecting to Host",Requesting Data" and "Receive data(0)
bytes". Evrything stops at that point,with no modem activity at all.
Antmail almost works. It will check mail and download small messages,but
a 62K message stops loading after a variable number of bytes,usually a few
thousand. The RD light flashes once in a while,but nothing happens. ESC
won't work, the menus don't either. I have to do a hard reboot. Any
suggestions?"
I reply to Jondahl:
"First of all, are you using Warp9 when you try booting MiNT? That's what
I tried doing first, and I had the same problem as you... it just hung
there like a two dollar painting on a motel room wall! <g> Try booting
with ONLY MINTNP active in the auto folder and make sure that you have a
MINT folder in the root of drive C. Inside this folder should be MINT.CNF
and 2 other files (SLIP.XIF and SOCKDEV.XDD).
You'll have to configure the MINT.CNF file to your particular setup as far
as the drive assignments go, but that's fairly easy with the PPPKIT docs.
The crash-on-bootup could also be caused by specifying a device that is
not present in your machine (specifying MODEM2 on a 1040 STF, for
instance)... I'm not sure what MiNT would do in that situation. BEWARE of
using MiNTnet because I've found that it has a tendancy to screw up the
FATs of whatever partition I have the MINTNET folder and CAB on. I've got
one partition that I use only for this purpose, so if I loose it, I can
just de-archive a "good" copy and take another shot at
it. I've corresponded with the author of PPPKIT and he's stumped as to why
this happens (doesn't happen for him). All in all, I'd recommend waiting
for the PPP package from Oregon Research and CAB 2.0 from A.S.H. With the
reputations of these two companies, I expect great things!
Oh, one other thing you might look at is the configuration of either
HSMODEM7 or FastSerial, or whatever Serial port accelerator you happen to
be using. I've found that sometimes under MiNTnet CAB "misses" a signal
from the modem and sits there waiting just as you described. (Hint: <ALT>-
<CTRL>-C will quit CAB from MiNTnet when it locks up like that)."
Jondahl tells me:
"Thanks for the info. I did have Warp 9 loaded. Would NVDI be a good
substitute? I wasn't using a serial accelerator,just Fpatch2. Maybe
that's the reason I'm having problems with STiK and CAB. I downloaded
HSModem7,but I haven't loaded it yet."
I tell Jondahl:
"NVDI works GREAT under MiNT. With NVDI running, there is VERY little
system slowdown.
I hope you read german! There are a lot of things that MAY need to be
configured in HSMODEM, and I ended up doing them one at a time to see what
worked because my german is as bad as my french (both are
non-existant). If you don't need to get on the Web right this minute, I
still recommend waiting a few weeks for the new CAB and TERMite (from
Oregon Research). This combination will allow us a PPP connection without
the need for MiNT.
You might also want to take a look at FastSerial. It isn't as configurable
as HSMODEM, but it's easy to use (but still in German). It consists of an
AUTO folder program and a CPX module (for the x-control panel)."
Mark Showalter jumps in and posts:
"I am trying to get STIK to work, and am having some problems. Is it
useable through Compuserve, or TYMENET? Also, can you give me the author's
e-mail address to ask about set-up? The first time I tried to use it, I
got a message saying " Stick not initialized ". Then I tried it the next
day & it seemed to have fixed itself. Also, this is a web browser,
correct?"
I tell Mark:
"Unfortunately, STiK is NOT a browser. It is only the dialer. The reason
that it didn't work the first time but did work the second time may be
that STIKTSR.PRG had not been activated (in the Auto Folder). StiK
needs this program to be running when it loads. STik does not handle PPP
protocol, which is what you need to access the Web via CompuServe. There
will be at least one package available shortly which will allow you to
surf from CIS. I haven't seen it yet, as the established lines of
communication seem to be a bit slow, but it's sure to be easier than using
MiNT and a script file to access a PPP connection (which is what you have
to do now).
By the way, the Browser that STiK works with is called CAB. I believe that
version 1.5 (the most recent) is available here in the libraries. This is
the last freeware version of CAB, as it is now handled by ASH beginning
with CAB 2.0."
Mark asks:
"...will CAB work through STICK, or do I need to install it in some special
way? Also, how does STICK get to Compuserve? I acesss through TYMNET, so I
have to reconfigure my modem port after I connect, will
either prg be able to do this?"
I tell Mark:
"The ONLY way to use CAB on CompuServe right now is to use it, MiNTnet, and
the Cab_for_MiNT overlay. PPPKIT14 provides dialer scripts for use
instead of using STiK (which won't work under MiNT at all). There is also
a dialer called GLUESTiK available which DOES work under MiNT, but I
haven't used it at all. The setup does seem quite a bit more complicated
than STiK, though.
The commercial version of CAB and the Oregon Research PPP program are
supposed to be out in about 2 weeks... I'd HIGHLY recommend waiting for
them. The TERMite programs from ORA are supposed to be VERY easy to set
up, and CAB 2.0 should not be any harder to set up than version 1.5 is.
The only problem is going to be cost. We've been spoiled with CAB in that
regard... it's been freeware up until now. I haven't heard what ASH may
charge for CAB 2.0, but I'd expect it to be in the $40-50 U$D range.
TERMite is supposed to be about the same. If they both work as I expect
them to, it will be worth it except for the fact that CAB 2.0 still will
not handle JAVA programs.
Your modem/modem port should not need to be reconfigured between TYMNET and
CIS (assuming you find a way to access a PPP connection). You may,
however, need either HSMODEM7 or FastSerial to increase the serial port
buffers. HSMODEM7 works slightly better, but it's a royal pain unless you
read german. FastSerial is painless to install and use because it is less
flexible than HSMODEM."
Kevin Sheridan asks:
"Do you know anything about Oasis? I downloaded it a few weeks ago but
have not been able to get it to work completely yet. I also couldn't find
a web browser but it claims to be able to do E-mail, FTP and
Internet."
I reply:
"I've seen the latest demo of Oasis... and it is just that.. A DEMO. You
cannot access anything over the 'net with it. You can only load and
display HTML files from your hard drive (or floppy).
As far as the Email, FTP and Telenet, I really don't know how any of them
will work because the demo version is crippled as stated above. It does
look like a very nice program, but I wish they'd found another way of
crippling it... like maybe allowing 10 minutes of access, then you have to
delete and re-install it, or maybe only having access to their site."
Dennis Larson asks for info about switching platforms for MIDI
applications:
"...I'm considering switching platforms <ugh!>. How has the pc platform
worked out for you with MIDI applications? I'm particularly interested in
notation software (FINALE, etc.) but have heard about midi timing
problems, card compatibility, etc. What can you tell me about it?"
Stephen Wilson tells Dennis:
"I'm afraid I can't tell you too much as yet Dennis. Although I use the PC
for everything else, up till a week ago I was still using the Atari for
midi. Now however my hand has been forced coz the Atari monitor has had a
fit. I really _don't_ want to spend any money on it, and yet I simply don't
have the time at the mo to learn a new PC sequencer - Dr T (what I've been
using for the past n years) hasn't been ported as far as
I know.
When I do start sequencing seriously on the PC, I'll probably go with
Cubase (there's safety in numbers :). From what I've seen, there won't be
_too_ much of a culture shock, although there _does_ seem to be just a
leedle bit too much emphasis on graphics as opposed to straight data
display. And the pop-up toolbox is just plain silly. Maybe there are
keyboard shorcuts . . . I hope so.
The PC is a good choice, not because it's architecturally superior to the
ST family (it ain't) but because _everyone_ writes software for it. Like
most other software types, there's a host of music scoring programs out
there for you to choose from. But I've not used any as yet - sorry.
I've heard stories of timing problems too. The Atari was rock solid in this
respect, a) because it had a sensibly sized operating system, and b) coz
the midi port had a dedicated ACIA chip.
I actually built a midi sequence playing program run off one of the system
interrupts, and such was the machine's stability that during development,
while I would frequently succeed in crashing the system, the concurrently
playing midi file would typically continue unabated.
In other words, the computer would lock up, but still continue playing the
music. Bizarre. But good! Running commercial software, my Atari would
crash about once a month or less. Pc's OTOH lock up if you look at them
in the wrong way!
Software / hardware compatibilty is a minefield on the PC. Once you get an
assortment of both working on a particular machine, you should be alright.
Apart, that is, from the obligatory thrice-weekly lock-up. But the real
problem comes when you try to add something else. Far too often, the
incoming device's installation routine will compromise another component
on your system, so reinstallation is a way of life for many many C owners.
Look at any of the related mailing lists or newsgroups and you'll see that
a fair amount of bandwidth is devoted to tales of woe of this type.
Speaking of which, if you want to get a spectrum of opinion on the matter,
you can't do much better than lurk around some of these for a while.
The more you add to your system, the more unstable it seems to get. I'm
running MS Office, Pagemaker, Paint Shop Pro, Cubase, a scanner, two
printers, and two or three compilers on my P75 W95 setup, and it's
infuriatingly unstable. But I'm pinning all my hopes on Windows NT - it's
_supposed_ to be virtually uncrashable, and I'll be upgrading imminently.
I think it's a pity that the Atari wasn't developed in time to offer a
better challenge to the other platforms. The TT might have been good, but
unfortunately it turned out a bit of a commercial limp squid. Wasn't it
released before there was any software available? Rather like hoping to
sell cars in a country without roads . . .
Hmmm. This is probably a little longer than you might have preferred, and
not all strictly relevant either. This must be my way of saying goodbye to
my little Atari (sniff) <grin>"
Ben at TOC Oz jumps in and says:
"Mind if I drop in here? Steve, it's good to see someone who actually has a
handle on the difference between Atari's, and P.C's.
Don't bother switching platforms ... hunt around for a S/H NEC 3D
multisync, or compatible. These used to be expensive monitors, but are
old models now. You should be able to pick them up quite cheaply. A
multisync monitor can display Low Res, Med Res, and High Res ! They start
at 14" and get larger. Then expand, and accelerate your Atari. If you
think about it, that's what you are spending your money on when you switch
platforms ! And when it comes to MIDI, and hard disc recording, nothing
beats a Falcon, for the price ! One last point : If it 'aint broke don't
fix it !!!!!! If your working tools WORK ..... why re-tool the work shop,
it's just a recipe for tears. You're better off maintaining, and enhancing
the tools you've got."
Michael Pappas asks for help with extracting an archive:
"I downloaded the Extendos Upgrade for my TT. Unforunately when I
downloaded and tried to unzip it, the program said there was a file error
and couldn't unzip it. I tried downloading and unzipping it again 3 times
with no results.
Is the download damaged?... I'm using a nice unzipping program I found
online once when ST-ZIP v2.6 didn't work. I will download it again and
let you know how it works out... I just downloaded the unzip program you
suggested. Was the file named "unzip.lzh"?
Anyway, after opening the program, I still couldn't unzip the Extendos
upgrade program. I really would like to get this program running and if
there's anything else I can try, please let me know."
Carl Barron jumps in and tells Michael:
"When I had problems with STZip refusing zip files, I used dc extract.
[should be in these libs]."
Albert Dayes adds:
"Unzip.lzh sounds like the right file. I think Carl mentioned using DC
extract (in the library) to see if that works if unzip.lzh fails." "
Well folks, that's about it for this week. In the coming weeks, we
hope to have reviews of at least one of the upcoming Web Browsers, a
continuation of Alejandro Aguilar's EMULATOR WARS series, and lots more
Q&A from the Atari Forums. 'Till then, remember to always listen to what
they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
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