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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 01 Issue 01
Volume 1, Issue 1 Atari Online News, Etc. March 5, 1999
Published and Copyright (c) 1999
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
With Contributions by:
Carl Forhan
Mike Kerslake
Donald A. Thomas, Jr.
Bradford Wayne Mott
Brian Gudzevich
To subscribe to A-ONE, send a message to: dpj@delphi.com
and your address will be added to the distribution list.
To unsubscribe from A-ONE, send the following: Unsubscribe A-ONE
Please make sure that you include the same address that you used to
subscribed from.
To download A-ONE, set your browser bookmarks to one of the
following sites (more to be added soon):
http://people.delphi.com/dpj/a-one.htm
http://www.icwhen.com
A-ONE #0101 03/05/99
~ The Editor's Keyboard ~ Industry/Tech. News ~ JagFest '99!
~ People Are Talking! ~ Unabashed Atariophile ~ Linux Threat?
~ PlayStation 2 ~ Atari Computing #12 ~ New Tetris!
~ CompuServe Overhaul ~ Med. Records on Web? ~ Pentium 3?
-* Apple Intimidates Student! *-
-* Console Games Emulation Heats Up! *-
-* "Cyber Squatters" Surrender Domain Names *-
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Welcome to our premiere issue of Atari Online News, Etc.! It's
actually been a long-time coming that Joe Mirando and I got out from
under the auspices of STReport and started our own magazine. We've
rationalized over the years about whether or not to do this. I guess
the turning point for both of us was that we wanted to "control" our
own destiny with regard to an Atari online magazine. I think we both
felt that there needed to be a new generation of Atari online magazines
to take over the reins of those of yesteryear such as Z*Net, the
original STR, and AEO.
While Atari and its "glory" years are long gone, the userbase still
remains. Yes, that base has drastically dwindled, but the enthusiasm
of those who remain is still high. Our goal with Atari Online News,
Etc. (A-ONE) is to be a focal point for Atari users and fans to keep in
touch with what's happening in our community on a regular basis. At
the same time, we'll keep you abreast of the console gaming world as
well as news surrounding the rest of the computer technology world.
Joe and I are very enthusiastic about this new endeavor. And from the
incredible response to the recent press release we've received so far,
you're equally excited.
So what do we have planned for the future? Well, a lot of ideas have
been coming to us. Joe Mirando's "People Are Talking" column will
continue in A-ONE. Michael Burkley's "The Unabashed Atariophile"
column is coming out of retirement! You say you want guest columnists?
You got 'em! Where are the Atari dealers? We'll keep you informed.
How about interesting Atari-related Internet sites, newsgroups,
software, developers, user groups, online services, etc.? It's all
being compiled; and we hope that you'll play an active role in a lot of
it!
And while we're going to remain true to our text-based roots with
A-ONE, we realize that some of our readers will want to read us online.
Well, we're also working on an HTML version. We'll have our own web
pages to either read A-ONE while online, or download for reading at
your leisure. We're looking into our own web domain and site to
archive past issues and other exciting items. We have an interactive
presence in the Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi - accessible by Atari
telecommunications software, telnet, or via the web. The Atari
Advantage Forum has a message forum, software libraries (text side),
and chat services. The Atari Advantage Forum has been a lot of fun
over the years; and we feel that it will continue and grow along with
Delphi. Please feel free to join in on the enjoyment. Delphi provides
free access via the Internet. Just set your browser (CAB works if your
version supports Java!) to:
http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=atari
If/when you get the Delphi log-in page, either type in your Delphi
username and password, _or_ select the sign up for free membership
option and follow the prompts. Once you're in the Atari Advantage,
let us know!
In the coming weeks, we'll update you on the goings-on there, as well
as other online sites.
It's going to be a fun ride here at A-ONE; we hope that you're ready
and willing to join in with us. Again, welcome to our first issue of
Atari Online News, Etc. - thanks for celebrating with us!
Until next time...
-Dana
From CompuServe's Club Forum:
News Flash:
THE FORUM WILL BE CLOSED (NO ACCESS) ON THURSDAY, 2/18/99, AT
9 A.M. IT WILL RE-OPEN AT APPROXIMATELY 12 NOON. WHEN IT
DOES RE-OPEN, ASCII ACCESS WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE, AS THE FORUM
WILL HAVE BEEN CONVERTED TO NISA (32-BIT) FORMAT. THE TYPE OF
SOFTWARE REQUIRED TO ACCESS THE FORUM IS LISTED IN THE
PARAGRAPH BELOW. I AM NOT CERTAIN WHETHER A xxxCIM TYPE OF
PROGRAM WILL WORK OR NOT? IF IT DOES NOT, THOSE LISTED BELOW
WILL. Hope you are able to cross over with us!
FORUM CONVERSION IS AT HAND!
Computer Club Forum is "tentatively" scheduled to be converted to
NISA (non-ASCII)format on Thursday, 2/18/99. Once completed it
no longer will be possible to access this forum with an ASCII
interface program. You will need a program like TAPCIS, OZWIN
or CSURFER to be able to use the forum. Such programs require a
dos box to run.
I realize this will create a hardship, if not an outright
impossibility, for some of you in terms of access. I sincerely
regret this circumstance. Unfortunately, the decision was out
of my hands, and delayed as long as possible (our original forum
conversion date was 9/30/98).
To those of you whom regrettably may be never heard from again,
we do bid you a fond farewell, thank you wholeheartedly for you
participation here over the years and want you to know you will
not be forgotten (Hey,there is still E-Mail for contact).
To those of you crossing over to the other side with us, we shall
be eagerly awaiting your arrival, and ask for your patience while
the dust settles and we work out the kinks. Hopefully, CLUB Forum
will be able to continue to serve you and expand our offerings in
the process.
WIZop-Dave, Lee Lightfoot, P.J. Herrington, Rob F. and da' Merc
FORUM CONVERSION "DEFINITELY" SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, 2/18/99
[Editor's note: it's no longer "tentative" - the Computer Club Forum,
the last CIS vestige for Atari users to congregate, has changed over
to HMI format]
ATARI COMPUTING #12 - OUT NOW!
From: Mike Kerslake <publish@cix.co.uk>
ATARI COMPUTING MAGAZINE #12
The latest issue of AC has just been published and subscribers should
get their copies shortly.
AC#12 includes the following:
HARDWARE REVIEWS
Centurbo II
Jam PRO/FAD
FEATURES
Virtual reality
ACC 98 report and photos
Digital Cameras
MUSIC
Easybeat
Steinberg Pro 24 II
Digital Home Studio
SOFTWARE
NVDI 5
CD Writer
ObjectGEM
Joe HTML Editor
Plus reviews of ExtenDOS Gold, CD/DAT clock, RSCView, Finder,
Ghostscript and HTML-Export.
In addition there are all the usual regulars and features such as the
DA Layout tutorial and those pages from the Maggie Boys!
64 X A4 pages of Atari news and information.
AC is available on direct subscription from the publishers or via our
agents in the USA, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Australia, Nederlands and
New Zealand.
Please see our web site for full information or email us direct (see
sig file below).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Atari Computing Magazine information ***
Email: admin@ataricomputing.com - WWW: http://www.ataricomputing.com
->In This Week's Gaming Section - JagFest '99!! "Silent Hill"!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Bushnell to Speak at CG Expo '99!
Game Emulators Back Down!
"Tetris '99"!! And much more!!
->From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Welcome again to A-ONE! Obviously (I hope!), this is the gaming
section of Atari Online News, Etc. It's here where we'll focus
primarily on console gaming news and related topics. We're willing to
cover ground ranging from the grand-daddy of them all: the Atari 2600
to the 'Blackbird', and beyond. We're hoping that you'll join in with
us by sending us announcements, news items, reviews, commentary, Top-10
lists, etc. that you feel our readers would enjoy hearing about. We're
really looking forward to hearing from you.
In the meantime, we have a lot of gaming news for you this week, so
drop into that easy chair and enjoy.
Until next time...
->From the Other Editor's Desk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joe Mirando, Managing Editor
jmirando@portone.com
Hi there fellow Atari users. I'd first like to say that you don't have
to worry about a full-blown editorial from me every week. This is just a
short letter to tell you a little bit about why I'm now a part of A-ONE
Magazine and why I think you'll like what we have planned.
Do you remember the scene in CITIZEN KANE when Charles Foster Kane wrote
his "Readers' Bill of Rights"? Well, that's sort of what I'm doing here.
Only I'll try to be less grandiose and more mindful of the intent behind
the words.
Since many Atari users are quite happy with their computers and don't
care about PCs, Intel, or Microsoft, our main focus will always be Atari
computers. And because there is other technology out there, we'll do our
best to keep you up-to-date on all those new bells and whistles so
you'll know what's going on out there.
Just like our respective offerings in STReport, our offerings here will
be centered around what you want to see in an online magazine. After
all, whether this magazine succeeds or fails will be determined by you.
And believe me, we want to succeed. We firmly believe in giving you the
information you can use and leaving the rest up to you. Your choice of
computers is exactly that: Your choice. We respect that, and hope that
the sentiment shows through in every issue we publish.
We are also in the process of lining up features, reviews, and columns
that we think you'll enjoy. I'm sure that Dana has already mentioned
several of the goodies that we're planning, and there will surely be more
as we get this venture up and running, but I'd also like to mention
things like reviews of the state-of-the-art in the Atari world.
Commercial programs like NVDI, ExtenDOS, HD Driver, MagiC, and CAB are
right at the top of the list.
We are looking into setting up our own website (www.a-one.com has a nice
ring to it, doesn't it?) but until we get our legs under us a bit more,
you'll be able to find the latest issue of A-ONE on my webpages
(http://www.portone.com/jmirando/a_one) in addition to the Atari
Advantage Forum on Delphi and through the email subscription list.
As always, feel free to drop us a line to let us know what you think of
the magazine so far and what you'd like to see in the future. I promise
you, we'll be happy to hear from you.
Well since I promised to make this brief I'll sign off now and let you
get to the good stuff.
Keep on readin',
Joe
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@portone.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Isn't this just like old times? You've no
doubt already read our editorials, so I'm not going to lay any more on
you this week. Suffice it to say that A-ONE is an idea who's time has
come... again, and I'm happy to be a part of it.
The mini-vacation we took between writing for STReport and starting
A-ONE was a much needed break, and Dana and I put the time to good use
by hammering out the basic concept of what this magazine is going to be
about. I don't mean Atari computers. Heck, THAT part was fairly obvious
even to me. What I mean is the tone and attitude that the magazine is
going to take on. You see, not being in the Intel/Microsoft arena, we
don't have to worry about competition or ticking off the wrong people.
Since we all use Atari computers, we're ALL the wrong people. <grin>
The bottom line is that you can expect this column to remain just as
it's always been: info from the UseNet mixed with my free-association
and rambling. Isn't it refreshing to know that some things never change??
Okay, let's take a look at what's going on around the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
Galen (The head YACcer) posts:
"I know that I've seen this here on comp.sys.atari.st a dozen times, but
I've forgotten: How do you stop the $#%& mooing cow in CAB 2.5? I just
locks up and moos at me.
To clarify, what is occurring is that the moo is looping and the
computer is not responding to keyboard/mouse input. Effectively a
lockup.
I'm using a stock 14 Mb C-LAB Falcon with Geneva/Neodesk. I've been
using CAB only as an HTML reader up till now (since I often am online
after work at my worksite -- do love those ISDN lines), but I need to get
home-based WWW up and running shortly.
Kenneth Medin tells Galen:
"Actually by pressing [Shift]+[Control] without any other keys Gemjing
1.30 stops. Works at least with Geneva+Neodesk."
When someone mentions CAB for the Macintosh and some of its abilities,
Michael Freeman asks:
"They can do Java on iCAB because iCAB just needs to hook into the Java
VM (virtual machine) which is supplied with MacOS v8+. The problem with
Atari version of CAB is that a Java VM HAS NOT BEEN WRITTEN yet!!
Once a Java VM is written for Atari then CAB I'm sure will use it...
Until then I'll just have to borrow time on my Dads Mac to continue on my
'make myself more employable by learning Javascript' quest...(sigh!)"
Evans Winner posts:
"I'm sure these are all FAQs but I can't find the FAQ :-) If someone
could point me to a FAQ I would be most grateful, If not, perhaps someone
could help me out with these basic questions. Thanks.
I just picked up an Atari 1040 STf at the local thrift store for three
bucks. It looks like it's in pretty sorry shape but I'd like to play
around with it. Can anyone tell me what model numbers I need for a
monitor at least? Also what OSs are available and does one get it? Also,
what documentation is there?"
Chris Wilkinson tells Evans:
"Monitors that work with the STf are Atari's own SC1224, SC1435, SM124.
The SC1224 and SC1435 are colour monitors that use the STf's low and
medium resolutions (low is 320x200 pixels, 16 colours from palette of
512) (medium is 640x200 pixels, 4 colours from palette of 512). The SM124
is a mono monitor and uses the ST's high resolution mode only (640x400
pixels, black and white only). Check local pawn shops etc...
Atari TOS (The Operating System) is pre-loaded in ROM. Thats a pretty
frugal OS but it does the job...
Plenty of documentation exists on the net. Type 'Atari+ST' on any search
engine and take your pick from the hundreds of resulting web pages found
with such info on them..."
Hallvard Tangeraas tells Evans:
"First of all, get hold of the "Quick FAQ" which is available online at:
http://quickfaq.atari.org
Or download the HTML and text, or just the text version from my site, so
that you can read it without being online:
ftp://ftp.sol.no/users/h/hallvart/atari/info/
In the same directory you'll also find the larger, older FAQs which might
help as well.
Finally, take a look at my "Atari Launchpad" (URL in my signature below)
where you'll find links to all of these plus lots of other Atari
websites, software, information etc..."
When someone asks:
"Is CAB 2.7 available in the US yet? (I'm a registered CAB 2.5 user who
wants to upgrade)"
Someone else answers:
"Maybe. It is being advertised (just started), but I don't know if the
software has actually arrived yet."
John Garone tells them:
"I got CAB 2.7 (English Version) from Systems For Tomorrow (USA)!"
Joe Villarreal tells us all:
"I've been using CAB 2.7 since early last month (January). Got the
upgrade from Chro-Magic Software (USA)."
Paul Mac asks:
"Any ideas where a copy of diamond back can be obtained?"
Derek Hunt tells Paul:
"Michael White now owns both Diamond Back and Diamond Edge rights. He
has announced a new version of Back shortly but not of Edge. Both are
going to remain commercial but he has given no details as yet.
Email: michael@fastlane.net"
Ben Hills adds:
"You can buy Diamond Edge from Hisoft.
http://www.hisoft.co.uk
Take a look in the Atari Bargains section. You will find Diamond Edge
(and Diamond Back) available for 15UKP each."
Nigel Williamson asks:
"Can anyone please tell me whether the msg: "CRC error, Incorrect DATA
field checksum", obtained using "analyse floppy" in KnifeST can be due to
the floppy disk drive heads being out of alignment rather than due to a
fault in the floppy disk being examined."
Pera Putnik tells Nigel:
"I vote for floppy disk <smile>.
Serious: newer floppies are very bad quality. But if you have this
problem often, it could be a problem with the drive, and not only heads
out of alignment."
Neil Rougley tells Nigel:
"Years ago I used to get this error periodically with floppies used in my
Mega 2''s external Atari drive (this based on what Disk Mechanic
reported). From what I remember, looking at the floppy's directory with
DM's editor, I'd always see a single random character in an unused
section of the directory. Restoring that character to its normal 'unused'
value and resaving the track or sector (whatever it was) made the
checksum match again, fixing an otherwise inaccessible disk. The random
character obviously got inserted without the checksum being updated.
This plagued me for over two years, having rescued about 20 floppies in
such a manner. Disk Mechanic was the only utility that saved my butt. Why
it occurred on somewhat of a consistent basis I'll never know."
John Whatty posts:
"I actually got my ST on the net !! I'm using Freeserve, Sting and CAB
1.5.
I am having problems with CAB crashing. To start with it crashed all the
time, then yesterday it seemed to be working Ok, and now today, its
crashing again. Any ideas?"
James Davies questions John:
"When does it crash? On Startup or when browsing?
CAB is not the most stable of applications. I just messed around with
the loading order of the Auto folder and ACCs until it seemed to crash
less. I also used the standard system font instead of any TrueType
fonts."
Paul Nurminen tells John:
"It's [CAB 1.5''s] best feature is consistent crashing. Any later
version (2.0 - 2.7) will be much more stable, fast, reliable, and much
less likely to crash. I used 1.5 for a long time, and almost gave up on
ever getting my Falcon on the web. But once I got 2.5 (commercial
version), it was a whole new world. And now, I'm eagerly awaiting the
arrival of my 2.7 upgrade."
Brian Van TIlborg adds:
"I am using CAB 1.5, Have been for about 1 year. I remember it crashing
when I first started using it. But I believe 90% of it was me. I use TOS
1.0 and certain functions had to be compromised.
I have few problems with 1.5 although I use an OLDER overlay. I am
currently using 1.2805.
Make certain you have VJC turned off in STing. Check out you CACHE for
any suspect files. Zero bytes etc. Also if you are crashing A LOT DELETE
the CACHE and start again.
I don't use CAB 1.5 for Email (inconvenient) but I use NEWsie instead.
If you have newer OS you will want to combine them.
I run Graphics on and use OUTLINE fonts (TRUE TYPE) and have No problems.
I do have to be careful of the 40FOLDER bug with TOS<1.04.
Also, while CAB 1.5 has a trick that makes it able to work on Frame
sites, (Some places you see just how useless part of the frame is as it
says advert.htm:-) and you can select each section of the frame to view
one at a time. However I have discovered that some frame based pages, no
longer work as they use different commands to the selected pages that 1.5
doesn't handle). Oh BIKENET what a crapper, since I used to go there with
no problems.
Anyways, you can always try the CAB 2.7 demo and see how that works. And
someone can tell me where to find it."
Dennis McGuire asks:
"What are the best FTP, Telnet, sound player and video player programs to
support CAB that run on a Mega STe?"
Brian van Tilborg tells Dennis:
"When you say the BEST, you will get different answers, so I will tell
you what I use on my ST.
FTP: NEWsie
Also does email, and NEWs, + rudimentary browser. However there are more
flexible ftp programs available.
Telnet: Telstar
I use Peters (Rottengatter's)Telnet that can be found on his homepage.
That is the STing author. I am assuming you are using STing with CAB and
not Iconnect."
Sound and Video:
I would recommend MP_STE for AVIs,MOV and QT. Great if you are into South
Park, even works on my MONO ST. If you want MPEG, you will have to USE
1ST guide, which does a multitude of functions. Sound, MPEGs and JPEGS.
Also a good sound player is NPLAYER. I just downloaded it and it works
very well. If you are in North America, you can register MP_STE with
HOMA SYSTEMS. I believe MP_STE is at version 2.81 for the ST/e. MPlayer
for the 68030 is at version 2.99 and now does Mpegs. Perhaps the ST may
soon be able to do MPEGS with a little more speed."
Brian van Tillborg asks:
"Can someone explain to me what this HORRIBLE little program does,
besides cause my ST to crash? It came with Magic and I see other programs
require it. What does it do? And is there a program that does the same
thing but is MORE reliable. I at first thought my problems were just a
very unstable version of Magic. However after disabling WDialog, the
crashing has been reduced to a minimum. Also is this program public
domain? I have version 1.4 and I hear there is a version 2.0?"
Henk Robbers tells Brian:
"Wdialog gives new system calls of Magic away to non Magic users. It is
not for use with Magic, but mainly for ASH programs you want to run
without Magic. Do not use it as a hecap upgrade to newer Magic's. That's
my experience.
I have V2.01 which I use with TT TOS. It came with NVDI 5, (not Magic 6)
But it surely was intended to allow Magic 6 functions to be used by some
NVDI utilities.
So there is a connection between Magic version and Wdialag version."
Louis Holleman adds:
"If I recall correctly, MagiC 6 has Wdialog functions built in, hence
with v. 6 you don't need it any longer.
When I tested the Jinnee desktop (note that MagiC 6 wasn't available
then) the docs said "running MagiC you don't need Wdialog, running TOS
you do", but I needed to stick Wdialog into my auto folder before it
worked. That's running MagiC 5.01...
I gathered NVDI needs it for certain printer functions, I can see
cosmetic changes to alert boxes using Wdialog.
On my TT, MagiC 5.01 plus Wdialog 1.97 (I went back to this one because
of bugs in 2.0 but meanwhile 2.01 or higher is out) is a ROCK solid OS.
Auto folder sequence is essential though, one minor change and the
solidness has gone. Reason to use an Autoexec.bat with MagiC."
Well folks, that's it for this week. Tune in again next time... same
time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying
when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
The Unabashed Atariophile
by Michael R. Burkley
mrburkley@Delphi.com
mburkley@adelphia.net
It's good to be back! Over the years I've written for Z*Net, Atari
Explorer Online, STReport, and more; and now I'm writing for A-ONE!
But always, I've written as the Unabashed Atariophile, because that's
what I am!
I've had one or more (generally many more!) Atari computers in my
home since 1987. I started with a 520 ST with TOS on disk and now
have a Cattamaran-equipped TT with the big-screen mono monitor
(wonderful with Calamus!), two STE's (one with the T-25 accelerator
chip in it), and several more STfm's and ST's. The STE and the TT
find daily use with the rest set up in the basement for kids (and
grown-ups) to use with several different MIDI based linked games.
I also have a Pentium II 266 MHz Windoz 95 based computer, but it's
just not as nice as my Atari. I actually am using it right now to
type this article, though GEMulator 98 and STeno make me feel right
at home!
Dana is going to help me keep a regular schedule writing this
article. Even though he's in Massachusetts and I'm in Niagara Falls,
NY, I'm sure that he's going to threaten to throw some pies across
the phone lines if I don't keep up! I wouldn't want that to happen
as I'm trying to lose some weight. What I hope to do is to take you
on a tour of different web sites filled with Atari software. There
are still many Atari sites, generally kept up as a labor of love,
that I frequently visit. I'll tell you about them. At the moment I
have about 600 meg of Atari PD and shareware software that I haven't
cataloged and described. Writing this article will encourage me to
do that! I'll share the fruit of that labor with you as well.
This is just a short "teaser" of an article. I would have written
more, but I've been sick and out of it for the past three days, and I
know that Dana wants the article now. That just leaves more for next
time!
May God Bless!
Michael
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Game Emulators Proliferate Despite Legal Hurdles
New questions are being raised about the legality of video game
emulation software which allows PC users to play programs designed
exclusively for popular game consoles.
Dozens of Web sites now offer PC users software to play games
originally created for dedicated game machines from Atari, Sega Genesis
and the Nintendo NES. Historically, these programs have allowed game
enthusiasts to play older titles which were popular on systems no
longer being sold. But recently game emulators have been designed to
allow PC users to play new titles for the proprietary consoles sold by
leading developers like Sony and Nintendo.
Along with the new generation of emulators have come a slew of new
legal issues. Sony filed suit against developer Connectix Corp. last
month when that company rolled out its Virtual Game Station which lets
Macintosh computer users play many games designed for Sony's
PlayStation console. While a California court has denied Sony's request
for a restraining order against the product, the overall case awaits a
formal hearing.
Another emulator causing waves is the UltraHLE (Ultra High Level
Emulator) program which lets PC users play games made for the Nintendo
64 system and has been offered over the Internet at several free
download sites. For its part, Nintendo is not pleased with the program.
Spokesmen for the company said the firm is considering different
options to stop UltraHLE's distributors, including legal action.
UltraHLE was created by two independent programmers who identify
themselves as Reality Man and Epsilon.
One major difference between the two emulators is that the Virtual Game
Station uses PlayStation games which are distributed on common CD-ROM
technology while UltraHLE plays titles which were designed for use in
Nintendo's proprietary cassette architecture.
Thursday a programmer called GossiTheDog posted the source code for
UltraHLE at his World of Emulation Web site and called for an open
source model for distribution and furthering of the gaming platform.
But even this community-oriented approach was tendered with caution as
it is becoming clear that the console vendors aren't going to remain
silent about emulators.
"I've decided to make my efforts of converting UltraHLE to C++ public,"
writes GossiTheDog. "The problem is, what legal position does this
put me in? To be honest, I'm not sure."
"Another question is; will this hurt or benefit the emulation scene?"
said GossiTheDog. "This is up to you. Make trojans with my source code
and you'll only end up hurting yourself. Make improvements and
conversions to Linux etc and you'll keep UltraHLE alive."
In order to protect himself from possible retribution from Nintendo,
the programmer has posted a near-complete version of UltraHLE at the
site. In order to execute the program a user must know how to complete
the file so that it will compile.
Connectix, meanwhile, continues to compete with Sony for the huge
market of people who buy video games made by independent developers.
"Virtual Game Station gives Macintosh owners more games to choose from
and PlayStation owners more choice in where they play their games and
we will continue to fight for the customer's right to this choice,"
said Roy McDonald, president and chief executive of Connectix. "We've
offered this type of ability successfully and without controversy for
years in the PC emulation market and intend to defend the consumer's
right in the PlayStation market space as well."
Sony officials have yet to comment on the court's decision.
Connectix spokesmen reported that demand for the Game Station has been
strong with the company fighting to keep up with a backlog of orders.
The system was introduced to the public at the Macworld Expo in San
Francisco during January and Connectix claims that it was able to sell
over 3,000 units of the product over the course of the week-long
conference.
Nintendo64 Emulator Disassembled
Feb 12, 1999 (Tech Web - CMP via COMTEX) -- As Nintendo continues to
ponder what steps to take against developers of a PC-based Nintendo64
emulator, the source code to the emulator has been released on the
Internet as freeware.
The emulator, written by two programmers who go by the nicknames
Reality Man and Epsilon, was only available for a few hours on a
website called Emulators Unlimited, which hosts almost two dozen
emulators, mostly based on long-defunct platforms like the Atari 2600
and Commodore Amiga.
The emulator, called Ultra High Level Emulator, or UltraHLE for short,
acts as the "console." To play the games, the game code has to be
"ripped" from the cartridge and loaded onto the PC. The hardware used
to rip the N64 cartridges is sold illegally on the Internet, and
trading of the games is considered copyright infringement.
Even though UltraHLE was only online for a few hours, hundreds of people
downloaded it. It is available on other sites in addition to Emulators
Unlimited.
UltraHLE is not the first Nintendo64 emulator. Emulators Unlimited
hosts five Nintendo64 emulators, EmuUnlim64, Nemu64, NINCEST, Project
Unreality, and Ultra64.
Nintendo is still thinking about what to do. "We are reviewing all of
our legal options, one of which could be taking legal action," said
Beth Llewelyn, a spokeswoman for Nintendo of America. UltraHLE, in
Nintendo's view, does infringe on Nintendo's intellectual-property
rights, but a final decision has not been reached, she said.
Stopping UltraHLE is going to be much more difficult now because the
source code was released by a programmer who calls himself GossiTheDog.
The code is actually the UltraHLE executable disassembled and partly
converted to C++ code. The code does not compile in its current form,
and part of the reason for releasing it was to get some help.
"I've decided to make my efforts of converting UltraHLE to C++ public,"
wrote GossiTheDog on his home page. "I want to make HLE Open Source, if
possible. The problem is; what legal position does this put me in? To
be honest, I'm not sure."
Nintendo Emulator Programmer Throws In The Towel
An emulation program designed to let PC users play video games created
for the popular Nintendo 64 system is being called a fake.
UltraHLE, the name of the program, was posted on the Web last week by
a programmer who wanted to distribute it through an open source
platform. Since then, questions have arisen over the validity of the
application. Various printed reports have indicated that the source
code may be useless or not as substantial as it was reported to be. A
story distributed by Wired Magazine said that some programmers believe
that the file is not the source code for an emulator, but rather a
reverse-engineering of the original Nintendo 64 application.
The programmer who posted UltraHLE told visitors to his Web site that
media coverage of the availability of the program has made it
impossible to continue distributing the application. Known only as
"GossiTheDog," the individual griped openly about those who had led to
the end of his plan.
"Unfortunately, I'm going to have to tell you that the UltraHLE
OpenSource Project is being suspended," writes GossiTheDog. "It would
appear that the world-wide press took too much of an interest in the
subject, giving us far too much publicity before we were ready for it."
The programmer complained of receiving hundreds of e-mails and site
visits in response to "unwanted press coverage." He also asked any Web
sites that are offering the program to stop distributing it.
"I can not stress enough how truly annoyed I am at how people have
handled this," GossiTheDog writes. "If people had engaged their brains
before writing, you would probably have seen a complete C++ source to
UltraHLE released in several months, and Linux ports and such performed
soon after. Instead, I am now suspending the project."
The programmer also denied posting UltraHLE to Dextrose, a popular
emulator Web page.
Nintendo spokesmen said last week that the firm is considering a
number of options in regard to different emulation programs, including
taking legal action.
New questions are currently being raised about the legality of video
game emulation software, which allows PC users to play programs
designed for use with popular consoles.
A query on the term "emulator" at any Internet search engine returns
pages of Web sites which offer PC users the ability to play games
which were originally offered as retail products for game consoles like
Atari, Sega Genesis and the Nintendo NES. Historically, these programs
have allowed game enthusiasts to play older titles which were popular
on systems no longer being sold by their developers. But recently a
trend has emerged in which game emulators allow PC users to play new
titles designed for the proprietary consoles sold by leading developers
like Sony and Nintendo.
Along with the new generation emulators have come a slew of new legal
issues generated by the console manufacturers themselves. Sony filed
suit against developer Connectix Corp. last month when that company
rolled out its Virtual Game Station emulator which lets Macintosh
computer users play many games designed for Sony's PlayStation console.
While a California court has denied Sony's request for a restraining
order against the product, the overall case awaits a formal hearing.
One major difference between the two emulators is that the Virtual Game
Station uses PlayStation games which are distributed on common CD-ROM
technology while UltraHLE delivers titles which were designed for use
in Nintendo's proprietary cassette architecture.
Connectix officials continue to defend their company's right to
compete with Sony for the huge market of people who buy video games
made by independent developers. Sony officials have yet to comment on
the court's decision.
Mo Vaughn Signs Deal for MLB 2000
989 Sports announced today that Mo Vaughn, All-Star first baseman of
the Anaheim Angels, has signed an exclusive deal for MLB 2000 -- the
latest version of the brand's popular baseball videogame for the
Playstation game console -- available in stores at the end of March
1999.
Vaughn will appear on MLB 2000 packaging and point of purchase
signage, and has already participated in a motion capture and audio
recording session, which incorporated his actual movements and sounds
into the videogame. Vaughn also worked with 989 Sports' developers to
provide insight and counsel into the development of MLB 2000.
``Mo's rare triple threat talent and unprecedented reputation make him
a great choice to grace the cover of MLB 2000," said Jeffrey Fox, vice
president, marketing, 989 Studios. ``We have worked closely with Mo to
help make MLB 2000 the best-selling baseball game on the PlayStation."
Licensed by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players
Association, MLB 2000 features state-of-the-art 3D graphics, including
actual player faces and batting stances; two-man commentary with
legendary announcer Vin Scully and ESPN's Dave Campbell; and expanded
game play modes.
``It's been an incredible year for me, and to top it off, I am now
privileged to be on the cover of 989 Sports' MLB 2000," said Mo Vaughn.
``I am excited to be working with the 989 Sports team to make MLB 2000
the most outstanding baseball videogame for the PlayStation."
Vaughn, a nine-year MLB veteran, has been selected three times to the
American League All-Star team. He has hit at least 35 home runs in
each of the past four seasons and was named American League's Most
Valuable Player in 1995. In 1998, Vaughn batted a career-high .337
(second in American League) with 40 home runs and 115 RBI.
Acclaim's Bust-A-Move '99 Brings Bubble-Bursting Fun
To The Nintendo 64 and PlayStation
Acclaim Entertainment, Inc., a worldwide interactive entertainment
company, announced the upcoming April release of Bust-A-Move '99 for
the N64 and PlayStation. A well-established brand in the popular
puzzle game category, Bust-A-Move '99 is the latest addition to the
premier puzzle series that features intense multiplayer action and all
new levels and characters.
``For the first time ever, Bust-A-Move fans can experience four-player
action on the N64. Players can also enjoy more of everything they like
about the series - more gameplay, more levels, and the ability to
create your own puzzles," said Christina Recchio, assistant product
manager at Acclaim Entertainment. ``Kids of all ages will enjoy hours
of Bust-A-Move '99's unrivaled, puzzle excitement."
In Bust-A-Move '99, players must free eight characters trapped in
Bubble World by a mysterious spell cast by Dunk, Bubble World's magical
master. The only way to free Dunk's victims is by battling
brain-busting boards of bubbles.
Bust-A-Move '99 features all new graphics, new bubbles, and obstructive
blocks. The N64 version offers four-player head-to-head competition and
rumble pack support. Both the N64 and PlayStation games feature several
different modes to test out players skills including: Challenge, CPU,
Edit, Win Contest, Collection and Head-to-Head Modes. Bust-A-Move
'99's Edit Mode allows players to create their own puzzles and save
them to a memory card, and the Challenge mode evaluates gamers' play.
The Collection mode provides access to over 1,000 of the best
Bust-A-Move puzzles ever created. Bust-A-Move '99 will be supported
by a national print campaign in all the gaming publications, as well
as a major online and consumer promotion campaign.
Hasbro Interactive Awarded License for World's Most
Successful Video Game
Leading interactive games publisher, Hasbro Interactive strengthened
its action game line up for '99 with the addition of video game
favorite Tetris. The company announced today it has signed a licensing
agreement with The Tetris Company and Blue Planet Software to publish
the next generation of Tetris for both PlayStation game console and PC
platforms. The Next Tetris offers a brand new twist to the classic
'clear the lines' game play providing fresh graphics, new game play
variations and compelling multi-player options.
"We are thrilled that Tetris is joining Hasbro Interactive's '99 line,"
said Tom Dusenberry, president of Hasbro Interactive. "With its
broad-based appeal and exciting new game play, Tetris will fit in
perfectly with our blockbuster action titles Frogger and Centipede."
With more than 50 million copies sold since 1986, Tetris is one of
the most successful video games in history. In Hasbro Interactive's The
Next Tetris players can choose to play a modern day twist on the game
or play the original Classic Tetris . The object of The Next Tetris is
to clear the lines at the bottom of the playfield by arranging the
falling blocks to fill in a horizontal line. The game introduces brand
new features like cascades and time trials, as well as fresh new
graphics and sound. Also included is a new multi-player ranking system
that enables opponents to compete against each other regardless of
their skill level, allowing friends and family members of all ages to
join in the fun.
"We are very excited to be working with Hasbro Interactive on 'The Next
Tetris'," said Henk Rogers, Founder and CEO of Blue Planet Software,
Inc. "We've been looking for a major partner to help us grow the Tetris
brand for the future, and Hasbro Interactive's expertise in
brand-building and reputation as a high quality game publisher is a
winning combination for us."
Hasbro Interactive's The Next Tetris for the PlayStation game console
is scheduled for release in June, with a PC version to follow in the
fall. The Next Tetris is designed and developed by Blue Planet
Software, Inc.
Konami Introduces Gamers to Terror-filled Town of Silent Hill
Konami of America, Inc., leading developer of electronic entertainment
for the home video game and PC game markets, is now shipping Silent
Hill, the highly anticipated action/adventure thriller, exclusively for
the Sony PlayStation game console. Gamers risk exploration in the town
of Silent Hill as the main character, Harry Mason. While driving into
town, Harry swerves to avoid hitting what looks like a young girl,
leaving him unconscious. When he awakens to realize his own daughter is
missing from the car, a search of the town reveals that most of its
inhabitants have also vanished. Their location, and the simultaneous
appearance of an otherworldly dimension, kicks off the bone-chilling
action. Nightmare visions begin and demons start roaming the streets
in search of a kill. The bloody effects that follow serve to represent
the truly frightening psychological horror found in the town.
"The animated sequences in Silent Hill are among the best Konami has
ever done," notes Tim Dunley, Konami's Vice President of Marketing. "In
fact, they are easily on par with the best this industry has seen. Used
to advance the storyline, gamers and horror fans alike will love the
visual elements found throughout. Similarly, gamers will not believe
the intricate psychological workings that take the plot deep into the
characters' minds. Silent Hill takes gamers further into mystery and
horror and establishes a genre within itself." The terrifying plot
leads gamers to discover Silent Hill's demonic, alter ego world.
Actions in Silent Hill affect events in this dreamlike world and vice
versa the mystery of how that exactly happens is another key in this
game and opens new twists and turns in the plot. Interactions with
other characters become blurred throughout, as gamers must decide whom
to trust.
"Similarly, the lighting effects in Silent Hill are some of the most
cleverly executed elements the industry has seen," continues Dunley.
"Certain areas are completely dark and can only be viewed with the
assistance of a flashlight, giving plenty of opportunities for a
player's light to pan over gruesome finds. Monsters can jump into the
light from nowhere almost onto the player's toes. Additionally, the
ever-present fog and other weather effects give the town an added
eeriness and provide the player with a very realistic setting." Konami
will kick off its concentrated marketing effort behind Silent Hill with
television advertising and will also feature print and in-store point
of sale advertisements, as well as radio and online promotions.
Television ads will target 18-34 year old males and will begin in
February for a four-week slate on networks such as Comedy Central, MTV
and ESPN. An extensive print campaign is also being planned for March
and April, including ads in major video game enthusiast books and
consumer publications such as DC Comics and Sport Magazine. More than
1000 radio spots will be heard in the top 25 markets starting March 1
with each market participating in a product giveaway, including a grand
prize of a Sony PlayStation. More than two million demo discs will be
available in the marketplace.
Sony Spills Beans on PlayStation 2 Chip
Feb. 18, 1999 (mmWire, Vol. 6, No. 33 via COMTEX) -- Ending weeks of
speculation, Sony Tuesday unveiled the 128- bit processor at the heart
of its next PlayStation, at an engineering conference dubbed the "Chip
Olympics."
Although Sony refuses to confirm or deny whether the chip is definitely
destined for PSX2, mmWire has obtained documents from conference
organizer IEEE that say this is the case. "We're not in a position to
confirm that at this time," a Sony official tells mmWire.
A co-operative venture between Sony and Toshiba Microelectronics, the
MIPS-based chip design was showcased by Masakazu Suzuoki, a director of
Sony Computer Entertainment, at the annual International Solid-State
Circuits Conference in San Francisco.
The 10m-transistor chip runs at 250MHz, has a 128-bit internal bus and
two floating-point vector units (the current 32-bit PlayStation CPU
runs at 33Mhz). With an MPEG-2 decoder built in, it's a betting
certainty that the PlayStation 2 will support DVD playback. A
supporting abstract for the presentation says the processor is
"targeted for high-end consumer electronics such as games and network
applications."
A Sony statement calls the chip the "Emotion Engine," a result of R&D
to develop chips with performance that enables software developers to
"synthesize realistic behavioral animation that make characters appear
as though they act and move on their own will" in high-speed,
high-quality 3D.
Sony to Launch New PlayStation by March 2000
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, a unit of Sony Corp , plans to launch
a new version of its popular PlayStation video game machine by March
2000, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on Monday.
A spokesman for Sony Computer declined to comment on the report.
The paper said Sony and Toshiba Corp had jointly developed a 128-bit
microprocessor for the new PlayStation, capable of providing motion
picture-quality images.
The new chip is able to process nearly 50 times as much three-dimensional
image data as rival Sega Enterprises Ltd's 128-bit Dreamcast game
console, it said.
Sony's new game machine will also be able to play music and movies from
digital video disks, the report said.
Its data-processing capability will be several times that of a personal
computer and the price will be kept below 100,000 yen, the report said.
Sony Computer Entertainment said last week it was likely to unveil a new
chip that could be used in future versions of the machine at a meeting
for PlayStation software developers in Tokyo on Tuesday.
As of December last year total global shipments of the 32-bit
PlayStation had reached 50 million units since its launch in December
1994.
PlayStation 2 and Dreamcast News Spurs Surge
for Next Generation Online
Next Generation magazine and website announce that a 40% surge in
visitors at Next Generation Online on Wednesday, February 17 was
spurred by a story about PlayStation 2 technology announcements.
Next Generation Online ran the PlayStation 2 story following an
announcement by Sony researchers at ISSCC (International Solid-State
Circuits Conference) regarding technical specifications for a processor
called the "Emotion Engine". Wednesday's upswing in web traffic was
above and beyond the general 20% increase unique visitors a day that
Next Generation Online has enjoyed in the last several months.
"These web traffic and circulation gains are great vital signs not
only for Next Generation but also for the gaming industry. They are
signs of healthy consumer interest that should help 1999 be bigger and
better than any previous year in the industry. Next Generation focuses
on the forefront of gaming industry and is the perfect forum for any
company who wants hard core, elite gamers to buy their products,"
stated Bill Blummer, publisher of Next Generation.
Next Generation magazine is experiencing spectacular growth at the
newsstand following several issues with Dreamcast features and other
news about eagerly anticipated games announced on the cover. Next
Generation's holiday issues doubled the sell-through of single copy
sales of previous months. As the release dates of next round of
consoles draw near, demand for the magazine will continue to grow
tremendously.
Piracy, 'Net Seen Challenging Video Gamers
Video game sales are set for more breakneck growth this year as
consumers flock to cyberspace for thrills from deer hunting to war
simulations.
But rampant piracy and cutthroat competition will take their toll,
forcing gamemakers to stay alive by merging, said Doug Lowenstein,
president of the Interactive Digital Software Association.
``This is the fastest-growing entertainment industry in the world,"
said Lowenstein, whose group represents 85 percent of the U.S. video
game industry.
Sales of games for personal computers and gaming consoles in the United
States swelled 25 percent to $5.5 billion last year, Lowenstein said in
an interview.
``We expect the industry to continue to grow at double-digit rates in
1999," Lowenstein said.
Older computer users were boosting sales by snapping up such games as a
virtual deer hunting program that surprised the industry by rocketing to
the top of the best-sellers list, Lowenstein said.
``People used to look at this as a niche market for adolescent boys, but
the majority of those who play PC and video games are adults,"
Lowenstein said.
Lowenstein hailed the growing role of the Internet in the gaming world,
but cautioned that there were hefty costs and risks to doing business
in the freewheeling global network.
Although a sophisticated new breed of multi-player interactive games had
emerged to take advantage of the Internet, lofty prices for the powerful
equipment needed to support play was a problem for most firms, he said.
While the Internet offered a promising marketplace for computer games,
online gaming accounted for only 5 percent of total industry revenues
last year, he said.
Moreover, it was nearly impossible to police the Web for illegal sales
of copyrighted software, he said.
``The Internet makes piracy easy and even in some perverse ways
legitimizes it," Lowenstein said.
Copyright violations on the Internet compounded traditional forms of
piracy, such as copying hundreds of dollars of software onto compact
discs selling for a few dollars.
Piracy cost American video game publishers $3.2 billion worldwide last
year, with China, Mexico and Russia among the worst offenders,
Lowenstein said.
Lowenstein forecast the battle for joysticks would spark more mergers
in a rapidly changing industry that has seen its share of complicated
takeovers in the past three years.
Recent deals include toymaker Mattel Inc.'s purchase last December of
Learning Co., which itself had moved aggressively to buy rivals
Broderbund Software Inc. and Mindscape Inc.
French media company Havas last November acquired the video game and
consumer software business of Cendant Corp. (NYSE:CD - news), which had
earlier bought out software developers Sierra and Blizzard.
Such consolidations meant that four-fifths of industry revenues now
flowed through some 20 companies, and Lowenstein expected the number
of players to shrink further.
``That's pretty significant concentration, and it's going to get more
concentrated -- maybe five or 10 companies," he said.
On-line Game Pirate Shuts Down; Defendant Hands Over Equipment
Following a raid on its New York headquarters and subsequent lawsuit
filed by the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA) and its
members, a Web site offering pirate video games for sale is now out of business.
The announcement comes as the IDSA continues its Internet anti-piracy
efforts, as Cyberspace has become an increasingly popular delivery
system for pirate products.
Liam McLaughlin, who operated the pirate Web site, turned over his
computer equipment, paid a fine, and issued a public apology as part of
a settlement agreement stemming from the lawsuit filed by the IDSA and
eight of its members -- Sony Computer Entertainment America, Electronic
Arts, Capcom, Crystal Dynamics, GT Interactive Software, Interplay,
Virgin Interactive Entertainment and THQ Inc.
McLaughlin's Internet site offered pirated versions of more than 100
games designed to run on the Sony PlayStation(TM).
In his public apology, McLaughlin wrote, "I now understand why illegal
copying robs video game developers, who put months and years of talent
and hard work into creating great games. It also rips off the majority
of our fellow gamers who purchase legitimate product. Finally, illegal
copying hurts the video game publishers who put up the money to produce
the games we enjoy.
"I apologize for my unlawful actions. Piracy is no joke, and it is no
act of altruism, it ultimately hurts all of us who love playing video
games," McLaughlin added.
"This case is just the first step in the video and computer game
industry's coordinated campaign to combat the crime of on-line piracy
of our products," said Douglas Lowenstein, president of the IDSA. "The
message we are sending Mr. McLaughlin and those like him is that we are
serious about identifying those who unlawfully replicate or distribute
video and computer games via the Internet and prosecuting them to the
fullest extent of the law."
Lowenstein said that in the past several months, the IDSA has shut
down more than 200 Web sites offering pirated entertainment software
for sale or for free downloads. "Internet piracy has become a cottage
industry that is extremely damaging to the entertainment software
business, and we intend to do all we can to stop it."
The Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA) is the U.S.
association exclusively dedicated to serving the business and public
affairs needs of companies that publish video and computer games for
video game consoles, personal computers and the Internet.
IDSA members collectively account for more than 85 percent of the $5.5
billion in entertainment software sold in the United States in 1998,
and billions more in export sales of U.S.-made entertainment software.
The IDSA offers services to entertainment software publishers including
a global anti-piracy program, owning and operating the Electronic
Entertainment Expo tradeshow, business and consumer research,
government relations and First Amendment and intellectual property
protection efforts.
Konami of America Ships 'Fisherman's Bait'
Konami of America, Inc., leading developer of electronic entertainment
for the home video game and PC game markets, is now shipping
Fisherman's Bait, a sport fishing challenge for the PlayStation game
console. Gamers can choose from four different modes of play: Beginner,
Training, Tournament and the new Head-to-Head, featuring split screen
for fishing against friends. In Beginner Mode, instructions on how to
play are displayed and four optimal casting points are revealed.
Training Mode allows gamers to freely choose from four, photo
realistic lake settings and up to 15 different spots on the lake to
become quickly acquainted with the game.
Tournament Mode gives gamers the opportunity to compete against others.
At each lake, the player must pass a 10-minute, qualifying round based
on the total weight of fish caught. If the qualifying round is
successful, the player moves onto the actual tournament round for that
lake. In the tournament round, the player has 10 minutes to catch
three bass with the gross weight of the bass then becoming his score.
Six types of beautifully rendered fish, from rainbow trout to
largemouth bass, are the catch of the day.
"Fisherman's Bait is the ultimate sportsman's challenge," notes Tim
Dunley, Konami's Vice President of Marketing. "Gamers work up to having
total control, including what lake to fish, what spot to fish in and
which bait to use once in the water, a gamer's success depends upon how
the fish are biting and your skill with a rod and reel."
The play proves even more realistic, offering the selection of seven
different lures, including Popper, Pencil Bait, Crank Bait, Vibration,
Jerk Bait, Worms and Grubs. Each lure has color variations for weather
and water conditions. Once a fish is hooked, the screen changes to
Fight Mode and the gamer must judge how fast to reel in the fish, in
which direction to move his rod and when to let the line play out. To
immerse the player even more, there is feedback from the line when the
player is using the Dual Shock controller (sold separately).
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
BIG News from Donald A. Thomas, Jr. at I.C.When....
http://www.icwhen.com
For immediate release
Contact Keita Iida and John Hardie
info@cgexpo.com
914-835-4069, 516-568-9768
http://www.cgexpo.com
ATARI FOUNDER NOLAN BUSHNELL CONFIRMED TO ATTEND CLASSIC GAMING
EXPO '99 Father of Electronic Game Entertainment is Distinguished
Guest for August Show
February 26, 1999
VALLEY STREAM, NY -- The Classic Gaming Expo '99 (CGE'99) promoters
announced today that legendary entrepreneur and visionary, Mr. Nolan
Bushnell, has confirmed his intention to attend this year's event in
Las Vegas. Bushnell, Founder of Atari Corporation, creator of "PONG"
and considered by many to be the "Father of the Video Game Industry"
is slated to give a keynote address and join a panel of other
industry-related pioneers in a round table discussion.
"We are elated that Mr. Bushnell has agreed to participate in this
year's festivities," exclaimed John Hardie, co-promoter of CGE'99.
"The entire six billion dollar electronic entertainment industry owes
a great deal to the vision and leadership of the individual that
actually established the industry. Many of us have been inspired by
his passion to educate and entertain."
In addition to Atari, Bushnell was also the founder and mastermind
behind Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Theater, Catalyst Technologies,
ByVideo, Axlon, Androbot, Etak (just to name a few), and has continued
to stay in the mainstream of today's gaming industry.
Bushnell was also granted patents on some of the basic technologies
utilized in early video games and is the inventor or co-inventor of
numerous patented products in various industries throughout the world.
Currently, Bushnell has several projects in development, including
In.10.City Inc., a "super mall for fun and education," and Playnet.com,
Inc., a public venue internet-based entertainment corporation. He is
Chairman and CEO of both companies.
"I'm excited to be attending this year's Classic Gaming Expo '99,"
remarked Bushnell, "especially since this year is the 25th Anniversary
of the shipping of Atari's first home video game unit. Atari was an
incredible period in my life and it will be interesting to shed some
light on those days for those who didn't get to live them. It's going
to be a fun weekend, catching up with old friends and meeting other
classic gaming enthusiasts. I'm really looking forward to it!"
Bushnell was voted 1997's Man of the Year by AMI, a major coin-operated
amusement industry trade show. He has also been inducted into the video
game industry's Hall of Fame, was named Babson College's Entrepreneur
of the Year, and is currently serving as the Commissioner of the
Professional Gamers League. Among his numerous other distinctions,
Bushnell holds a BSEE and is a "Distinguished Fellow" at the University
of Utah, as well as having attended Stanford University. Bushnell
frequently lectures at major universities and corporations around the
nation on the topics of entrepreneurship, innovation and education.
Nolan Bushnell's Classic Gaming Expo '99 keynote presentation will take
place Saturday, August 14 at the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Internet users can visit http://www.cgexpo.com for updated news and
registration information.
Conceived and coordinated by two of the individuals responsible for
coordinating last year's highly successful "World of Atari" event,
Classic Gaming Expo is the industry's only annual event that is
dedicated to celebrating the roots of electronic entertainment,
bringing together industry pioneers, gaming enthusiasts and the media
for the ultimate in learning, game-playing and networking. Classic
Gaming Expo is a production of CGE Services, Corp. (www.cgexpo.com)
JagFest '99 Announcement
I'm pleased to announce JagFest
'99. The _tentative_ date and location
is June 18 in Rochester, MN. I know June doesn't work for everybody,
but it's the best time for me this summer and also keeps the event from
conflicting in any way with CGE '99. Still, I'm open to changing it if
it would dramatically improve attendance.
Details are on the below web page. Look for jagfest.atari.org to be the
new link within the next two days.
http://homepage2.rconnect.com/forhan/jagfest.html
Let's get the word out! I'd like to see as many links, newsgroup posts,
email newsletters, 'zines, etc. carry some reference to JagFest '99,
so we can make this the biggest event yet. I wouldn't mind opening it
up to Atari computer support as well, if I can get some ST groups to
come in to the show. A bigger emphasis on other Atari systems from the
past would be welcome as well.
Feedback is appreciated, and please be sure to send me an 'Attendee'
e-mail if you plan on attending.
Thanks,
Carl Forhan
Songbird Productions
Carl Forhan
forhan@millcomm.com
http://homepage2.rconnect.com/forhan/games.html
JagFest '99 in Rochester, MN
From: Carl Forhan <forhan@millcomm.com>
This is another call to sign up now for JagFest '99 in Rochester, MN, on
June 18, 1999! Join Atari fans from all over as we "Celebrate Atari" in
the Midwest this year.
Note that the 'fest is open to Atari ST/Falcon user groups as well, who
may be interested in attending or demoing or selling products. I'd like
to see the 'fest promoted in as many web sites and 'zines as possible.
People are welcome to copy the graphics off the JagFest website to use
as links to my page. Speaking of the graphics, note that I left two
spots open on the jfbig.gif graphic. This is intended to accommodate
other games that may be demoed at the 'fest.
So, if I receive confirmation that Gorf or Assassin or something else
will be demoed, I'd be glad to include it in the graphic. Or maybe the
logo of a company that commits to attend.
Keep those sign-up emails coming! We need to build up the roster to
entice area businesses to set up shop for the day (several shops in the
Twin Cities carry lots of Atari stuff).
New on the 'fest page: We will have a "Rare & Unreleased" exhibit of
Atari hardware. Flash ROMs, developer boards, blue & gray controllers,
unreleased games, and more! You won't want to miss it.
Thanks,
Carl Forhan
Stella Release 1.1
From: Bradford Wayne Mott <bwmott@unity.ncsu.edu>
======================================================================
SSSS tt lll lll
SS SS tt ll ll
SS tttttt eeee ll ll aaaa
SSSS tt ee ee ll ll aa
SS tt eeeeee ll ll aaaaa -- "An Atari 2600 VCS Emulator"
SS SS tt ee ll ll aa aa
SSSS ttt eeeee llll llll aaaaa
======================================================================
Release 1.1 for DOS, Linux, and Unix
======================================================================
The Atari 2600 Video Computer System (VCS), introduced in 1977, was the
most popular home video game system of the early 1980's. Now you can
enjoy all of your favorite Atari 2600 games on your PC thanks to Stella!
Stella is a multi-platform Atari 2600 VCS emulator written in C++.
Stella allows you to play most of the games written for the Atari 2600
including Supercharger games.
This is the 1.1 release of Stella for DOS, Linux, and Unix.
Distributions for other operating systems will appear as they become
available. The three distributions currently available are:
* Binary distribution for Linux (stella-1.1-linux-x86.tar.gz)
* Binary distribution for DOS (st11.zip)
* Source code distribution for Unix and DOS (stella-1.1-src.tar.gz)
A few 2600 ROM images, BIN files, are included with these distributions.
BEYOND THESE FILES NONE OF THE DISTRIBUTIONS CONTAIN ANY 2600 ROM IMAGES.
PLEASE DON'T WRITE ASKING FOR ROMS BECAUSE THEY ARE COPYRIGHTED! If you
own any of the Atari 2600 Action Packs by Activision you can use the ROM
images from them with Stella.
New in this Release
===================
* DOS and Linux versions support real Atari 2600 paddles using a
special PC game port adaptor
* Linux version uses the new 1.2.x joystick driver API
* Added support for the "-display" option to the X Window version
* Added support for private colormaps to the X Window version
* Fixed a few bugs in the Supercharger emulation
- A major bug in the ROM loading routine was fixed
- Multi-loading in "Escape from the Mindmaster" works correctly
- All Supercharger games load and execute at this point
* Added a small hack to the TIA code to fix a display problem in "Escape
from the Mindmaster"
* Improved TIA emulation to support the RESPx multi-sprite trick
Distribution Site
=================
The Stella distributions can be obtained from the Stella home page at:
http://stella.atari.org
If for some reason you are unable to connect to this page please try
again later or try http://www4.ncsu.edu/~bwmott/2600/.
Contacts
========
If you have any questions regarding Stella send mail to:
Bradford W. Mott (bwmott@acm.org)
Have Fun!
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bradford W. Mott (bwmott@acm.org) Computer Science Department
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~bwmott/www North Carolina State University
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
AtariNews: On The Prowl
03/01/99
LATEST HEADLINES:
JAGFEST '99 ANNOUNCED
Mark your calendars now to attend "JagFest '99 -- Celebrate Atari" in
Rochester, MN on June 18, 1999. Carl Forhan, a well-known hobby
developer for the Lynx and Jaguar, has agreed to host this year's 'fest.
Events include a Protector demo for the Jaguar, BattleSphere
head-to-head competitions, and demos of other unreleased games. Be sure
to sign up now!
Drop by the official website at either of the below links for details:
http://jagfest.atari.org
http://homepage2.rconnect.com/forhan/jagfest.html
ALFRED'S CHALLENGE NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE 2600 VCS
Alfred's Challenge, the sellout favorite of the 1998 World of Atari
convention, is now being sold exclusively by Best Electronics. This
challenging platform game is compatible with NTSC, PAL, and SECAM
systems, and retails for $20 which includes the cart with color label
and a manual.
http://www.best-electronics-ca.com
CAN YOU BE THE BEST JAGUAR GAME PLAYER FOR A MONTH?
The Jaguar Top 50 is looking for a few good Jaguar players for Player
of the Month. The Player of the Month is chosen from either the one who
sends in the most scores or someone who attains an extremely high score
in a particular game. Are you up for the challenge?
http://www.angelfire.com/nv/jaguartop50/frames.html
OMC GAMES MAKES PROGRESS ON THE ASSASSIN
OMC Games has released a second demo of The Assassin, a role playing
game, for the Atari Jaguar BJL or official Jaguar development kit. OMC
is still in search of an artist for Jaguar developments, and OMC states
the graphics in The Assassin will be greatly improved by the final
release, currently slated for third quarter 1999.
http://www.omcgames.com
DEFEND YOUR CITIES IN HASBRO'S RE-RELEASE OF THE ATARI CLASSIC
Missile Command is coming later this year. Hasbro's latest Atari update
is headed for the PC, PlayStation, and even the Sega Dreamcast. It is
unknown right now what this game is going to be like exactly, but maybe
Hasbro will decide to use Jaguar's Missile Command 3D for the design.
http://www.hasbrointeractive.com
ATARI CLASSICS COMING TO THE COLOR GAME BOY
As announced before, Telegames released Yars' Revenge onto the Color
Game Boy. Now, Majesco Sales has released Centipede onto the Game Boy.
It plays just like the original arcade version. Also, Activision has
released Asteroids onto the Game boy. This is an updated version, which
has more variations of the game.
http://www.nintendo.com/gb/asteroids/index.html
Send any comments or submissions for "AtariNews: On The Prowl" to:
Brian Gudzevich (Editor) at: Brionhold@aol.com
Sponsoring web sites:
-The Atarian Atmosphere: http://atmosphere.atari.org
-The Jaguar's Domain: http://jagdomain.atari.org
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
FCC Rules on Internet Dial-Up Calls
Telephone calls by a computer user to connect to the Internet no longer
are considered local after federal regulators classified the dial-ups
as interstate communications, subject to federal jurisdiction.
The Federal Communications Commission insists Thursday's action merely
resolves a dispute among phone companies over how to compensate each
other for Internet connections and to clarify the role of state and
federal regulators.
It said the decision will not affect how consumers tap into the
Internet or how much they pay.
But consumer groups and FCC Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth, who
protested by not participating in the vote, believe the action could
inadvertently open the door to higher future charges for Internet
access by computer users.
Gene Kimmelman, co-director of the Consumers Union's Washington office,
said the decision eventually could lead to people paying per-minute
rates for using the Internet, just as they now do with long-distance
phone calls.
But the FCC said its decision preserves an existing provision that
exempts Internet service providers, such as America Online, from paying
per-minute ``access" charges to local telephone companies. Long-distance
companies now pay these fees, which they pass on to their customers.
They account for about 30 cents of every $1 of a long-distance bill.
``Consumers are used to dialing a local phone number to get access to
the Internet, and they are used to paying that access as a local call,"
said FCC Chairman Bill Kennard. ``Nothing that we are doing in this
item will change that."
George Vradenburg, a senior vice president at AOL, agreed that the
decision will have ``no effect on Internet charges."
But the critics worry that local Bell telephone companies and GTE might
use the decision as legal basis to getting a court to overturn the
provision that exempts Internet service providers from paying access
fees to local phone companies.
FCC officials believed nothing in the decision would help the Bells make
such a legal case. AOL's Vradenburg said he's not worried.
Also as part of the decision, the FCC agreed to phase out, after current
contracts expire, hefty fees the Bells and GTE pay smaller local phone
companies to route customers' calls to the Internet.
The FCC proposed letting states and companies decide how carriers
compensate each other in the future. The Bells and GTE praised the idea.
Separately, the FCC agreed to release an audit of the five Bell
telephone companies showing that $5 billion in equipment can't be
accounted for. However, the full results won't be released for at least
10 days.
The Bells contend the audit, which was conducted in 1997, is flawed and
overestimates missing equipment. FCC officials dispute this.
Audit results, the Bells say, won't effect rates directly, but they may
have an indirect effect: consumer groups and AT&T are already using the
audit to press for lower local and long-distance rates. House Commerce
Committee Chairman Thomas Bliley, R-Va., said ``consumers may be paying
more on their phone bills" than they should.
The FCC intends to seek public comments on the audit, its ramifications
and what action, if any, the commission should take. FCC staff
recommended, however, that the Bells be required to take write-offs and
making accounting corrections.
Microsoft VP Queried on Downloading
A government attorney clashed with a senior Microsoft Corp. executive
over the often long and awkward downloading of Web browsers over the
Internet.
Microsoft Vice President Brad Chase said Thursday it was a simple
process. But under cross-examination by Justice Department attorney
David Boies, Chase acknowledged it also can take some time for
personal computer owners with low-speed phone connections.
The issue is significant because of Microsoft's claim that people who
receive its browser as part of the Windows operating system simply can
switch to another, such as Navigator, the browser made by Microsoft
rival Netscape.
Boies sought to show how downloading browser software over the Web is
much more difficult for consumers than getting it with their new
computers or through Internet service providers like America Online.
The Justice Department contends in its antitrust lawsuit that Microsoft
used its monopoly power and illegal tactics to crush and discourage
competition, including Netscape and its rival browser.
Boies presented Chase with a March 1997 e-mail, sent to him by a
Microsoft employee, on how to get more people to use the company's
browser.
``Almost 60 percent of all surfers have never downloaded any software
from the Web. My sense is that these people are not very likely to
download anything, let alone a browser that takes two hours to
download," wrote that employee, Kumar Mehta.
The memo goes on to report that ``80 percent of those who do not use
IE say they have no plans to switch to it, which means that if we take
away IE from the o/s (operating system), most nav (Netscape Navigator)
users will never switch to us."
Chase said he had no problem with the report but disputed its
interpretation. He said Mehta was being ``dramatic."
Boies also went over the deposition taken from another Microsoft
employee, Joe Belfiore, a computer programmer who last March cited
``tons of feedback that suggest that downloading IE (Internet Explorer)
takes too long, is too hard."
``You'll find that the number of hours that it takes to download these
components over a phone line is incredibly discouraging to people, often
fails, and the result is that people don't get an improved user
experience at all," Belfiore said in his testimony.
Chase acknowledged that at the time, he oversaw efforts to make
Microsoft's browser smaller to help make it more appealing to
consumers. But he disagreed with Belfiore's suggestion that downloading
is difficult. He suggested that Belfiore perhaps was engaging in
self-critique popular in the ``Microsoft culture."
U.S. Government Ponders Remedies Against Microsoft
The U.S. Justice Department and representatives of 19 states are
pondering possible remedies if they win their landmark antitrust case
against Microsoft Corp. -- from breaking up the company to ordering it
to cease violating the law, people close to the case said Monday.
The Washington Post said in Monday's editions that several possible
sanctions were under consideration but no decisions had been made.
People close to the case said that was true and outlined what those
possible solutions were.
After 15 weeks of trial, Microsoft Corp. is more than halfway through
its defense against allegations that it used monopoly power in its
Windows operating system for personal computers to preserve and extend
that power.
The case has centered on allegations that Microsoft competed unfairly
against Netscape Communications Corp. in the competition for Web
browsers to surf the Internet.
The cross-examination of several major witnesses for Microsoft has been
contentious, and the Post said that ``most observers of the trial
believe the odds are high that the judge will rule against Microsoft
later this year."
But Microsoft says that much of what people see in the courtroom is
little more than theatrics and that its case is stronger than some
observers believe. General counsel William Neukom has said repeatedly
that the government has failed to attack most of the assertions its
witnesses made in direct written testimony, which is the bulk of its
case.
Further, company officials say those assertions are backed up with
documentary evidence. Experts say if that is so then the company could
be in a strong position at either the trial or appellate court level.
But if the company were to lose at the trial level, sources familiar
with the government's thinking say there are four possible
alternatives. Two would make structural changes to the company and the
other approaches would be more regulatory.
In recent years, Justice Department antitrust division chief Joel Klein
and Federal Trade Commission Chairman Robert Pitofsky have expressed a
preference for one-time solutions because they do not require
continuing oversight and keep government clear of decisions better made
by the market in the country's fast-moving high technology industries.
The two structural solutions are:
-- Break the company into several identical ``Baby Bills," each of
which would get complete copies of all of Microsoft's intellectual
property. This approach has been endorsed by former Judge Robert Bork,
who advocates breaking the company into three pieces.
-- Split the company into two very different parts: One that builds the
Windows operating system and another that builds applications, such as
Microsoft Office. But there are no clear boundaries between the
operating system and applications, which could mean further wrangling.
In fact, Microsoft's decision to integrate a Web browser into its
operating system is in contention in the trial -- with the company
saying it is a part of the operating system, while the government says
it is an application.
The two more regulatory solutions are:
-- Require licensing of the secret Microsoft ``source code" to
competitors. However, those familiar with such an approach say that the
solution was less than fully successful when the Federal Trade
Commission forced the Xerox Corp. to license its copier patents in
1975. The government might find itself in endless tussles with the
company over the costs and conditions for licensing. Microsoft might
also make swift changes to its code before it licensed its products.
-- The weakest approach would be for the judge to issue orders
prohibiting the company from continuing the business practices which
the government contends are illegal. The government reached an
agreement with Microsoft in 1995 to prohibit certain business
practices, only to go into court in 1997 and allege that Microsoft had
violated the agreement.
Should the government win the case, District Judge Thomas Penfield
Jackson would have to decide whether to hold a separate remedies phase
of the trial to take testimony that would help him decide which
sanction to apply, or whether to depend on evidence already been
entered.
Compaq Executive Says 'No Alternative' To Windows
A Compaq Computer Corp. executive told the judge in the Microsoft
antitrust case Wednesday his company has no ``viable alternative" to
purchasing Microsoft Windows for its consumer personal computers.
John Rose, a senior vice president at Compaq, testified that his
company will buy the Microsoft Computer Corp. Windows operating system
for its consumer products until it sees something better.
``Until that materializes there is no commercial viable alternative?"
asked District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson.
``That is correct, your honor," Rose replied.
The Justice Department and 19 states allege that Microsoft holds a
monopoly for the Windows operating system and has used illegal tactics
to preserve that monopoly and try to extend it to related businesses.
Rose said that except for a small percentage of machines used for
specialized business applications, Compaq sells its computers with
Windows.
Government lawyer David Boies presented Rose with a Nov. 10, 1998
``Initial Internal Term Sheet" which outlined plans for negotiating
with Microsoft.
The court exhibit was sealed from public view, except for one line
which was read out loud by Boies: ``In the past, Microsoft's (personal
computer manufacturer) business terms are indicative of what one would
expect from a monopoly."
Rose said he was unfamiliar with that term sheet, but acknowledged
under questioning that his company agreed to pay higher prices for
Windows in 1998.
After Rose denied that the increase was ``significant" the judge
cleared the courtroom for a discussion of pricing.
Although price was not discussed in open court, Microsoft executive
Joachim Kempin estimated in a Dec. 16, 1997, e-mail admitted into
evidence earlier that ``Compaq might pay us $750 million" in 1998.
After the public was readmitted, Boies asked: ``Compaq is not as a
result of the increase evaluating other operating systems for
installation on personal computers, is it?"
``That is correct," replied Rose. Justice Department guidelines say
that one test of a monopoly is whether it can raise prices by a
significant amount without losing business.
Earlier, in written testimony made available Wednesday, Microsoft
executive Daniel Rosen denied that he made any offers to divide the
market for browsers with Netscape Communications Corp. in a meeting
on June 21, 1995. Rosen was expected to start testifying Thursday
after Rose completes his testimony.
The government alleges that Microsoft competed unfairly with Netscape
in the market for Web browsers to surf the Internet.
The government asserts that Microsoft tried to get Netscape to give up
competing with it at that June meeting, promising to invest in Netscape
and seeking a board seat. Rosen said that was wrong.
``There was no proposed 'market division'," Rosen said. He said he
also told Netscape President James Barksdale that a board seat ``was
not in any way essential."
And, he said, Microsoft chief Bill Gates ``was not fixated on a board
seat or on an equity investment either."
``I believe that Netscape either is attempting to rewrite history or
deliberately misled me and my colleagues during our June, 1995
discussions," Rosen said.
Microsoft Executive Says AOL Aided Government
Despite its agreement to purchase Web browser maker Netscape, America
Online is still using Microsoft's rival product in an effort to bolster
the U.S. government antitrust case against Microsoft, a Microsoft
official testified Wednesday.
Since March of 1996, Microsoft Corp. has provided the Internet Web
browser for America Online Inc.'s customers under a contract that AOL
could have canceled at the end of 1998.
Although AOL has agreed to purchase Netscape Communications Corp., the
Internet service provider decided against switching, Microsoft Vice
President Brad Chase said.
``That kind of shift would be inconsistent with AOL's desire to support
the government's position in this case," Chase said. "I believe they
made a very careful decision not to do that."
However, Chase testified that it is ``inevitable" that AOL will
eventually switch its browser to Netscape.
Chase made the statement shortly before completing his testimony at
Microsoft's antitrust trial. The next witness was to be John Rose, an
executive with Compaq Computer Corp., one of Microsoft's biggest
customers.
The Justice Department and 19 states allege that Microsoft used
monopoly power to compete illegally against Netscape in the market for
browsers, used to surf the Internet's World Wide Web. Microsoft wanted
to promote its own Internet Explorer Web browser, the government
alleges.
AOL had no comment on Chase's remarks. But when the renewal was
announced on Nov. 24, 1998, AOL President Steve Case said that he
expected to ``maintain our working relationship with Microsoft,
continuing to include Internet Explorer in the AOL service."
The AOL agreement to use Internet Explorer was key to helping Microsoft
win the browser war against Netscape, giving Microsoft millions of new
users through a single deal.
Earlier in the trial, AOL executive David Colburn had testified that
his company believed its product needed to be on the Windows desktop
screen and that was why it agreed to adopt the Microsoft browser.
Chase testified that AOL liked what he saw as the technical superiority
of Microsoft's Web browser over that of Netscape.
Also, in testimony made available Wednesday, Microsoft executive Daniel
Rosen denied that he made any offers to divide the market for browsers
with Netscape in a meeting on June 21, 1995. Rosen was expected to
start testifying Thursday, after Compaq's Rose completes his testimony.
The government alleges that Microsoft tried to get Netscape to give up
competing with it at that June meeting, promising to invest in Netscape
and seeking a board seat. Rosen said that was wrong.
``There was no proposed 'market division'," Rosen said. He said he also
told Netscape President James Barksdale that a board seat ``was not in
any way essential."
And, he said, Microsoft chief Bill Gates ``was not fixated on a board
seat or on an equity investment either."
``I believe that Netscape either is attempting to rewrite history or
deliberately misled me and my colleagues during our June, 1995
discussions," Rosen said.
Microsoft Witness Admits Error In Testimony
Microsoft Vice President Brad Chase conceded Tuesday he had testified
incorrectly last week about a tape purporting to show the ease of
installing the Netscape Navigator Web browser on Microsoft's Windows
desktop.
Chase made the concession at Microsoft Corp.'s antitrust trial. He had
shown a videotaped demonstration that made it appear easy to install
Netscape Communications Corp.'s Web browser for users of America
Online Inc.'s Internet service.
The tape skipped over a large part of the installation and Chase filled
in some of the blanks with his testimony last week. Among other things,
Chase repeatedly insisted Thursday that the initial download produced
an ``icon'' on the Windows desktop.
But the government produced its own tape -- which did not skip over
any parts of the installation -- showing that no icon appeared. That
is significant, because without an icon users must go searching for
the program download file to install it.
Chase and his lawyers reviewed the government tape over the weekend
and Chase testified Tuesday that the government version was accurate.
``Do you get an icon?" asked government lawyer David Boies. When Chase
demurred, Boies continued to press and asked whether the icon would
have shown up on the screen automatically. After much back-and-forth,
Chase finally conceded: ``No, it would not have."
The Justice Department and 19 states allege that Microsoft used
monopoly power to compete illegally against Netscape in the market for
browsers, used to surf the Internet's World Wide Web.
Earlier in the trial, AOL executive David Colburn had testified that
his company believed its product needed to be on the Windows desktop
screen and that was why it agreed to adopt the Microsoft browser.
The AOL agreement was key to helping Microsoft win the browser war,
giving Microsoft millions of new users through a single deal.
Chase had testified during the trial that he was unaware during
negotiations with AOL that AOL considered it a priority to be on the
Windows desktop.
Instead, Chase said that he believed AOL liked what Chase said was the
technical superiority of Microsoft's Web browser over that of Netscape.
Others have testified that Microsoft chief Bill Gates was reluctant to
give AOL placement in the ``Windows box," that is, programs that ship
with Windows. He feared that it might compete with Microsoft's own
Internet service, the Microsoft Network, also known as MSN.
Boies showed Chase a deposition of Brad Silverberg, a senior vice
president at Microsoft, who said that Gates considered it so important
to win AOL that he was agreeing to put ``a bullet through MSN's head."
Boies also questioned Chase about a 1990 memo he had received that
reported on a proposal to ``not compete" with Intuit Inc.
Microsoft lawyer John Warden objected that the memo was old, but Boies
argued that it ``shows a pattern of anti-competitive behavior. It goes
to the company's overall pattern."
In the memo, Microsoft employee Mike Slade wrote in capital letters
that he had told Intuit at a meeting: ``We'd rather not compete with
you. Instead of growing the market, we'd just both spend a lot of
money fighting each other for share."
Slade copied Chase in on the memo. Chase testified he did not remember
receiving it. Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson said the memo was ``too
remote in time" and allowed only a few questions on it.
Compaq Denies Being 'Victim' of Microsoft
Trying to undermine the government portrayal of the nation's computer
makers as victims of an overzealous Microsoft Corp., a senior Compaq
Computer Corp. executive is crediting the software giant with making
computers easier to use, more reliable and less expensive.
John Rose, the next witness in the Microsoft antitrust trial, also
disputes the government's characterization of several disagreements
with Microsoft, including one that threatened the future of Compaq,
the world's largest maker of personal computers. "Compaq has not agreed
with every position asserted by Microsoft, nor has Microsoft always
agreed with our views," Rose said.
U.S.: Compaq Gave Microsoft Secrets
In a dramatic courtroom confrontation, the government recently alleged
that Compaq Computer Corp. passed secret information to Microsoft Corp.
about an upstart Microsoft competitor.
David Boies, a Justice Department lawyer, made the accusation in
seeking to discredit testimony by a senior Compaq executive and
Microsoft witness in the antitrust trail of the computer software
giant. The witness, John T. Rose, a senior vice president of Compaq,
testified he was unaware his company had passed along to Microsoft any
confidential information about Be Inc., which also makes a computer
operating system.
Microsoft Witness Backs Off On Evidence
A government lawyer Tuesday accused a Microsoft manager of making up
evidence at the software giant's antitrust trial and eventually forced
the witness to retract his testimony.
The latest blow to Microsoft's defense came in the cross-examination
of Dan Rosen, a key witness who was present at critical meeting when,
the government alleges, Microsoft issued a threat to rival Netscape.
The credibility problems were so acute for Rosen that the judge earlier
joked that Microsoft's lawyer was setting out on a ``heroic endeavor"
when he began examining Rosen.
The government alleges that Microsoft Corp. holds monopoly power in
personal computer operating systems and used it to compete illegally
against Netscape Communications Corp. in the market for Web browsers.
Rosen was the top Microsoft employee at the June 21, 1995, meeting. The
government says Microsoft threatened Netscape at the meeting in an
effort to stop it from competing in Web browsers on Windows 95, which
came out months later.
The latest embarrassment for Microsoft came when Boies tried to find
out the first time that Rosen had obtained Netscape's Web browser for
Windows 95.
``When did you first have available to you the Netscape Windows 95
browser," asked Boies.
``July 1995," said Rosen, adding in answer to a further question:
``After the June 21 meeting."
Boies showed an e-mail Rosen wrote May 11, before the meeting: ``Can I
borrow/copy the Netscape Win95 new client they gave us?" meaning the
new Netscape browser.
Rosen said he never actually got the browser. He said it was a test
version that did not work, which a colleague received at a meeting
with Netscape.
Boies looked at the witness and said slowly: ``You don't remember that,
do you sir? You're just making that up right now."
``No, I remember it," Rosen insisted.
Boies: ``You're sure it was May and not April?"
Rosen: ``Yes."
Boies then introduced a one-sentence e-mail Rosen wrote on April 27:
``Do you remember who took the Netscape Win95 browser they gave us
during our last meeting? I'd like to get a copy."
There was a moment of silence in the courtroom.
Then Rosen said: ``I stand corrected." Rosen admitted he himself was
at the meeting where the software was handed out.
Rosen's credibility problems were underscored earlier when Microsoft
lawyer Michael Lacovara -- who is in his 30s -- began his
re-examination of Rosen, following a searing government
cross-examination one day earlier.
``It's always inspiring to watch young people embark on heroic
endeavors," said Judge Jackson with a smile.
Later in the day, Boies showed Rosen two documents from around the
time of the key June 21, 1995 meeting. Boies was trying to establish
that Microsoft threatened Netscape in an effort to get it to drop out
of the market for Windows 95 Web browser.
In one document, Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen said in notes
allegedly taken during the June 21 meeting: ``Threat that (Microsoft)
will own the Win95 client market and that Netscape should stay away."
The ``Win95 client" in this case means the Web browser.
Rosen wrote to his chief, Bill Gates, a day later, summarizing the
meeting and said his top goal was to ``Establish Microsoft ownership
of the Internet client platform for Win 95."
Rosen acknowledged that Microsoft wanted the companies not to compete.
But he denied he or others threatened Netscape. ``We offered several
inducements if they would adopt our platform technology," he said.
In the afternoon, Eric Engstrom began testifying, examined by
government lawyer Phil Malone. Engstrom, a Microsoft employee, talked
about multimedia technologies.
Microsoft Subpoenas AOL, Sun, Netscape On Ties
Microsoft Corp. has subpoenaed America Online Inc., Netscape
Communications Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc. asking the three to
produce information on their present ties and future business plans,
officials at the three companies said Wednesday.
Jim Whitney, a spokesman for America Online, said Microsoft had
contacted it on Feb. 15 with a demand that it turn over documents
Microsoft has been seeking to defend itself in the government antitrust
case being lodged against it.
A Microsoft spokesman said it had subpoenaed documents from the three
companies to determine the effect of the agreements on competition,
which is an issue in its trial.
Last November, America Online agreed to buy Netscape Communications for
$4.2 billion in a three-way deal, in which Sun will resell Netscape's
enterprise software and provide servers that manage networks to America
Online.
Sun spokeswoman Lisa Poulson said Sun received a subpoena last week
regarding its role in the AOL-Netscape merger.
Previously, Sun had voluntarily given the U.S. Department of Justice
partially redacted copies of its six contracts with AOL so that the DOJ
could share the documents with Microsoft. The subpoena followed, Poulson
said.
``From our perspective, we delivered the relevant contracts without a
subpoena, and we're willing to and have been working to deliver whatever
other information is appropriate to Microsoft in a timely manner,"
Poulson said in a statement.
Sun and AOL said they have been working with Microsoft on meeting the
Redmond, Wash.-based company's requests, while also seeking to protect
their ability to withhold competitive information that might be used
against them.
The companies said they expect the issues raised by the subpoenas to be
resolved by the end of this week.
Poulson said the subpoena Sun received asks for documents concerning the
effect of Sun's deal and its related agreements on Microsoft, operating
systems, middleware, Web browsing software and any other software
development platforms.
It also asks for documents related to the creation and distribution of
Web browsing software, the number of subscribers to online services and
estimates of traffic to the companies Web sites and any documents
mentioning the deal's possible affect on the U.S. versus Microsoft
lawsuit.
The request for information extends to documents tied to communications
among AOL, International Business Machines Corp. and its Lotus unit,
Novell Inc. and Oracle Corp., who collectively amount to most of
Microsoft's major rivals.
It also requests documents tied to AOL's decision to continue to use
Microsoft's Internet Explorer as the primary browser in its AOL service
and any information related to the possibility of using Netscape or Sun
Web browsing software in any future AOL service software.
This information was to be returned to Microsoft by February 22. The
Sun spokeswoman said Sun had delivered a good portion of the materials,
and was negotiating with Microsoft's attorneys at the law firm of
Sullivan and Cromwell on what else might be appropriate to search for
and deliver.
Judge Shouts At Microsoft Witness
District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson shouted at a Microsoft
witness Friday when the witness refused to stop arguing about the
meaning of an e-mail written by Microsoft chief Bill Gates.
The incident occurred hours before the Microsoft antitrust trial was to
adjourn for a number of weeks.
Bob Muglia, a senior vice president at Microsoft Corp., was appearing
as a defense witness for his firm. Government lawyer David Boies had
shown Muglia a May 14, 1997, e-mail from Gates which said: ``I am hard
core about NOT supporting" Java software from Sun Microsystems Inc.
Boies, who was trying to show that Gates was unhappy with Sun, wanted
to know what that meant.
``When someone at Microsoft says they are 'hard core' about something,
doesn't that mean he really, really means it?" asked Boies.
``Perhaps," replied Muglia, who then tried to explain away the Gates
comment. Judge Jackson himself intervened.
``I read it as saying he doesn't like the idea of supporting it," said
the judge of Gates and the Sun software. ``I don't think it can be read
any other way. Maybe he's changed his mind but that's what he's saying
here. Let's not argue about it."
But Muglia continued to argue.
Jackson took off his glasses and leaned forward, covering his face with
his hand.
``No! Stop!" Jackson finally said, dropping his hand and lifting his
head. ``There is no question pending."
A witness may not speak unless a question is pending. That kind of
explanation is supposed to occur when his own lawyer questions him.
Later, a Microsoft lawyer did ask Muglia to explain the e-mail and the
judge listened politely.
Time to Run Up the White Flag for MS?
Is it time to think the unthinkable?
Many antitrust specialists, who not long ago thought Microsoft would
win its antitrust battle against the government, now believe it's a
lost cause.
"The government has shown beyond a doubt that Microsoft has engaged in
exclusionary conduct. There's absolutely no doubt about that," said
University of Baltimore Professor Bob Lande.
"The government will win at the [U.S.] Supreme Court," he said, dismissing
any chance for a successful appeal.
Despite the change in climate, Microsoft seems determined to fight it out
to the bitter end. Alhough the software maker's witnesses have been
battered during their time on the stand, the company is not working behind
the scenes to settle with the government before any sanctions are imposed
-- at least for now.
"Could we settle? That would depend on Microsoft. But at this point, a lot
of water is over the dam," a senior government official said, adding that
Microsoft had not approached the U.S. Department of Justice in recent weeks
to discuss settling.
"We said for the past year, we're open to discussion with the government,"
spokesman Mark Murray said. "But the bottom line for Microsoft is
protecting our ability to innovate and add new features for consumers."
Microsoft says no settlement talks have taken place since last May, when
the government and 19 states filed the landmark antitrust case.
And even as company's defense has collapsed in recent weeks, Microsoft's
lawyers maintain they will prevail, arguing that any discussion of proposed
remedies is "wishful thinking" on the part of the government.
But many antitrust experts watching the way Microsoft has handled its
defense believe the company has committed devastating errors.
Mark LeHocky, an antitrust attorney at Freeland, Cooper, LeHocky and
Hamburg, in San Francisco noted that company executives made a mistake by
denying the existence of anti-competitive practices that were later proven
to be true -- putting the credibility of Microsoft's entire defense into
question.
The "gold-medal fiasco," as George Washington University law professor
William Kovacic put it, was the videotape entered into evidence that
purported to demonstrate how the components of the Internet Explorer
browser could not be removed without harming the overall Windows operating
system.
But the videotape was fatally flawed -- the demo used multiple computers
instead of a supposed single machine.
Beyond that, Microsoft witnesses have been forced into constant retreat.
In one particularly embarrassing episode, Vice President James Allchin
acknowledged that users could obtain 19 of the same benefits Microsoft
associates did with the integration of the browser and operating system by
simply purchasing the products separately.
"The case is going in the government's favor, unless Microsoft can pull a
rabbit out of its hat," LeHocky said. "Rather than focusing on their best
arguments, they've focused on everything under the sun."
Microsoft has argued that it didn't try to put rivals out of business. It
says the decision to bundle Internet Explorer into the Windows operating
system was not meant to ruin Netscape Communications Corp.
The company maintains that its version of Java was not meant to undermine
Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Java language as the basis of a new
computing industry programming platform.
What's more, the company rejects suggestions that it ever considered the
browser to be a separate application.
In the end, however, experts say Microsoft would have been better off
being blunt about the nature of competition. Something along the lines of:
"We're tough competitors; and it's our duty to our shareholders to try and
put the other guy out of business, through any legal means."
If the government prevails, it's unclear what might happen next. The court
will need to steer a careful course between not doing enough -- leaving
Microsoft largely unchecked -- and doing too much, leaving itself open to
criticism that it's shackling a healthy capitalistic enterprise.
Several possible scenarios are under discussion -- from breaking up the
company into several companies to opening up the operating system.
If nothing else, Microsoft will be forced to change its way of doing
business. Antitrust experts generally agree that Microsoft's negotiating
tactics will receive the most scrutiny.
Canadian Teen Battles Apple Over iMac Name
A Canadian high school student has found himself in a David and Goliath
struggle with Apple Computer Inc. over his ownership of the domain
name, appleimac.com.
Apple claims the site's name infringes on its trademark for its popular
new computer, the iMac.
But instead of buckling under the pressure to hand over his domain name,
16-year-old Calgary student Abdul Traya wants to make a deal.
``I want to give it to them (Apple). But, first, I'm looking for a
lawyer," Traya told Reuters in an interview.
``I'm starting to understand why they want it," Traya said, adding he
wasn't looking for trouble when he registered the name for $150 just
after Apple announced their new translucent all-in-one computer.
Last week, the teenager was sent a stern letter through Apple's U.S. law
firm, Fenwick & West LLP, demanding he relinquish the domain name
registered for the Web site business, Traya Net Inc.
Traya's business hosts about 130 Web sites on two servers, which are
located in the basement of his parent's Calgary home.
``We just wanted to draw people to the site, to test it out," he
explained.
Apple isn't taking it lightly. In their letter to Traya they say he
committed an act of ``blatant cyberpiracy".
``Obviously, Traya Net obtained the domain hoping to trade off the
tremendous goodwill represented by Apple's company name and its Apple
and iMac trademarks," the letter stated.
The law firm also requested the Grade 11 student simply transfer the
domain name to Apple by signing an agreement they enclosed. He was to
get it notarized and send it back to California.
Apple's lawyers were not immediately available for comment.
Traya has been inundated with encouraging calls and e-mails from
supporters who urge him to use whatever leverage he has.
``I think I'm only 16 and they're so large...people are saying that it
wouldn't look good for them to take me court."
Traya now hopes to exchange the name for something "useful" like
computers for his school.
He said the experience hasn't been all bad.
In the week since he received the letter, he's had about half a million
visitors to his site compared with only 200 visitors since it was
posted.
Despite, Apple's tough stance, Traya is still optimistic an amicable
working relationship can be created.
``I'm not against Apple, I want to work with them."
'Cybersquatters' Ordered To Surrender
A federal judge has ordered two South Texas men to turn over 11
Internet domain names to Microsoft Corp.
Microsoft filed suit in December against Kurtis K. Karr and Kenny
Brewer, who live in La Feria, Texas, a town of 3,400 people about 10
miles west of Harlingen in the Rio Grande Valley.
The ruling was handed down earlier this month by U.S. District Judge
Melinda Harmon, the Houston Chronicle reported today. The judge also
issued an injunction barring Karr and Brewer from using the Microsoft
names again.
The lawsuit alleged that the two men were infringing on trademarks for
popular products by the world's largest software maker and were
misleading the public.
No punitive damages were awarded. Ronald Secrest, Microsoft's Houston
attorney, said the transfer of the valuable Microsoft domain names is
payment enough.
``The main lesson to be learned is that the trade names that are
important to Microsoft and others have been recognized as valuable and
cannot be taken and misappropriated by others," Secrest said.
Among the Internet domain names registered by Karr, a recreational
vehicle dealer, and Brewer, a fishing guide, were microsoftwindows.com
and microsoftoffice.com.
The lawsuit in federal court described the men as ``pirates" and
``cybersquatters."
Microsoft says the men have registered dozens of famous brand names,
including AssociatedPress.net, travelersinsurance.com, and
packard-bell.com.
Karr's attorney, Curtis Bonner, told the Houston Chronicle that Karr
has decided to get out of the domain name business.
``We were just glad to conclude the problem and get on with our lives,"
Bonner said. ``It's not a lot of fun fighting Microsoft, as the U.S.
government will tell you."
Microsoft spokesman Adam Sohn said the company offered Karr and Brewer
a modest settlement, as it has done in similar cases, Sohn said, but
nothing could be worked out.
Sohn said it cost around $100 to register a domain name, but the Texas
men wanted Microsoft to pay them much more.
Va. Bill Targets Some `Junk' E-Mail
Virginia is making criminals out of flagrant junk e-mailers with a new
law to protect computer users from getting ``spammed" with pitches for
weight-loss plans, get-rich-quick schemes and pornography.
The legislation passed Tuesday makes Virginia the fourth state in the
country to pass an anti-spamming law and 18 others are considering
them, said the National Conference of State Legislatures. Like Virginia,
California's law allows for the jailing of some spammers while laws in
Washington and Nevada impose civil fines.
Among those seeking the law - and its biggest beneficiary - was America
Online, the Virginia-based company whose 16 million subscribers around
the country make it the biggest Internet service provider.
The legislation would cover junk e-mail sent through any Internet
service provider based in Virginia, meaning that AOL could use the law
against spammers from other states who bombard its subscribers. And,
the measure protects Virginia Internet service providers such as AOL
from being sued by computer users who receive spam.
``This law gives us more tools to use in the fight against spam," said
Randall Boe, associate general counsel for AOL, which already has sued
more than 40 individuals and companies to stop junk e-mail and collect
damages.
But civil libertarians say Virginia and other states are rushing to
unconstitutionally curtail commercial free speech on the Internet.
``It is simply too early in the life of the Internet to begin creating
restrictions of this kind," said Kent Willis, executive director of the
American Civil Liberties Union in Virginia. ``It's clumsy, it's broad,
it's vague. It clearly infringes on free speech rights."
The law makes it a misdemeanor for a spammer to use a false online
identity to send mass e-mailings - as many do. The maximum penalty
would be a $500 fine.
If the spam was deemed ``malicious" and results in more than $2,500 in
damage to the victim, the crime would be a felony, punishable by up to
five years in prison. An example of such damage might be the case of a
business whose computers crashed, causing it to lose customers.
The legislation also allows civil penalties against spammers ranging
from $10 per message to $25,000 per day.
Boe said AOL sought the legislation in part so it could collect more
damages in civil court. ``This law significantly ups the ante," he said.
Willis, of the ACLU, said courts have generally thrown out restrictions
on commercial pitches through the mail. ``Spamming is simply the
Internet version of direct mail," he said.
However, he acknowledged that courts have upheld restrictions on
unsolicited faxes.
AOL's Boe pointed out that direct mailers pay for postage while
spammers pay virtually nothing to use the Internet.
Instead, the Internet service provider pays the cost of distributing
the spam and the computer user pays for the online time it takes to
check e-mail, he said.
Russell Beck, a Boston lawyer who concentrates on high-technology
issues, said the spammers will not be deterred unless they face costly
penalties such as those in the Virginia bill.
``This sounds like the toughest law and it's a good trend if it
continues," he said.
USA Plan To Buy Lycos in Jeopardy
USA Networks Inc.'s plans to buy Web gateway Lycos Inc. appeared in
jeopardy as Lycos' largest shareholder started waivering in its support
of the $22 billion deal because of a sharp decline in Lycos' stock
price.
CMGI Inc., a venture capital firm that owns 20 percent of Lycos, said
it wouldn't vote for the deal if Lycos' stock price didn't recover
from its two-day, 31 percent drop.
USA Networks wants to forge a three-way deal, merging its cable
television network with Lycos, which provides Internet search and
information services, and Ticketmaster Online Citysearch, an online
seller of tickets to concerts and other events.
CMGI's original statement in support of the deal was drowned out by
sell-orders from other investors in Lycos and Ticketmaster who felt
they were getting a raw deal.
Lycos' shares, which fell from $127.25 to $87 in two days, got a boost
Thursday from speculation that the deal would either be scrapped or
sweetened. Lycos shares rose 18 percent to close at $103.25 on the
Nasdaq Stock Market.
Ticketmaster shares, which had fallen 35 percent to $37.50 in the
two-day selloff, recovered slightly on Thursday, closing at $39.371/2.
Some credited the stocks' partial rebound on bullish analysts hawking
the virtues of the deal.
Canada's Corel Labors Under Adobe Takeover Suspicion
Canadian software creator Corel Corp. denied rampant reports on
Wednesday that it was in merger talks with Adobe Systems Inc., the
largest maker of digital publishing software.
Corel's Chief Financial Officer, Michael O'Reilly, said the Ottawa-based
firm in the word processing software market, was not in a mating dance
with San Jose, Calif.-based Adobe. "We've never talked to them because
they've never approached us in any way," O'Reilly told Reuters. "Are we
aware of a planned or proposed takeover bid? The answer is no, not by
Adobe or anyone else."
CompuServe Gets a Makeover
CompuServe has unveiled a multimillion dollar marketing push with
user-friendly software, flashier features and lower prices as it
attempts to stage a comeback with the help of parent America Online.
CompuServe, a pioneering online service that was eventually taken over
by former rival AOL, hopes to attract a broader group of members such
as small business owners but maintain its unique identity.
AOL wants to keep CompuServe a distinct, more elite service - part of a
broader strategy of nurturing the businesses it acquires as niche brands
for specific customers.
``What AOL is trying to do is get beyond their traditional subscriber
base, and get into a market that's a bit more sophisticated," said
Zia Daniell Wigder, an analyst with Jupiter Communications.
CompuServe had carved out a niche serving businesses, professional
people and experienced cyberspace users.
With users finding more convenient ways online, CompuServe's subscriber
base has fallen from about 2.6 million to 2 million since it was taken
over by AOL as part of a three-way deal with H&R Block and WorldCom in
January 1998.
To revive itself, CompuServe said Monday it plans to mail out diskettes
of its software upgrade, which supports higher-speed modem connections
and is easier for users to install and customize on their personal
computers.
But the mailing will be targeted more to business professionals, a
sharp contrast with the ``carpet" mailings of millions of diskettes
AOL is known for.
New subscribers will see a ``Main Menu" screen with a continuously
updated news ticker featuring headlines from The Associated Press,
market analysis from CBSMarketWatch.com and personalized news folders
- more sophisticated offerings than AOL members get.
But other features will become more like AOL's.
CompuServe's e-mail will be modeled after the easier-to-use version
that helped AOL become the world's leading online service with more
than 16 million subscribers.
And subscribers will be given simpler user names, and the domain name
will be shortened from ``compuserve.com" to ``cs.com."
Under a new pricing plan, members would pay just $9.95 a month for 20
hours of online access, with each additional hour billed at less than
5 cents a minute. The offer will last for several months, depending on
how many people sign up. CompuServe has been charging existing members
$9.95 a month for five hours of use, with each extra hour costing $2.95.
In addition, CompuServe is cutting the cost of unlimited access from
$24.95 to $19.95 a month. But CompuServe officials downplayed this
offer, saying that 80 percent of their online users choose limited
access.
AOL hopes to charge advertisers a premium for targeting upscale
CompuServe users, who may have more money to spend on a new computer
or other big-ticket items than AOL users who may explore chat rooms
for hours.
``When you go down and sit down to talk to advertisers about CompuServe,
they really see it as a dream audience," CompuServe chief operating
officer Audrey Weil said. But, she added, CompuServe will offer
discounts to advertisers to try to get them to try marketing through
CompuServe.
AOL has enjoyed some success with its strategy of snapping up companies
with distinct identities and keeping their images distinct.
Last June, AOL bought the ICQ Web site and its instant messaging
software, which alerts users when their friends are on the Web and lets
them chat and send files directly to other users' computer desktops.
Despite concerns that ICQ users, the technology-elite, would flee AOL,
ICQ last month said membership nearly doubled since the acquisition.
AOL says it will employ the same strategy when it completes its
acquisition of Netscape Communications, the pioneer of Internet
browser software. Netscape will keep its headquarters in Mountain
View, Calif. and maintain a separate workforce.
CompuServe, too, retains it original headquarters in Columbus, Ohio,
and much of its staff. Whether AOL succeeds in reviving it will be
another key test of an AOL strategy that resembles cable television,
with each channel targeting a different audience.
Or, as Weil said, ``Think of AOL like the USA Today newspaper.
CompuServe is a little bit like the New York Times. It's a more
serious newspaper."
Intel To Launch Pentium III On Feb. 26
U.S. microprocessor group Intel Corp. will officially launch its new
Pentium III product on Feb. 26 following a big Feb. 17 preview event
in San Jose, Calif.
An Intel spokeswoman said Thursday that after the launch date computer
manufacturers would have PCs with Pentium III available for sale.
She added that Intel had not yet decided on the pricing of the Pentium
III but that it should be the mainstream product of the company by the
end of 1999.
The Pentium III will be launched with clock rates of 450 to 500
megahertz. Intel aims to boost the clock rates of its products to one
gigahertz, but the spokeswoman said it was not sure whether this would
be a Pentium III version or another product.
Intel Unveils Controversial Chip
Intel Corp. is currently showcasing more than 200 new games, business
systems and Internet sites to promote its controversial new computer
chip that has been drawing criticism for its ability to send the serial
number of an individual computer through the World Wide Web.
Reporters and industry analysts gathered in San Jose Wednesday to
preview software and other products designed for Intel Corp.'s Pentium
III microprocessor, available in personal computers at the end of
February. The event was part of a $300 million marketing campaign for
the Pentium III, which will supply the brainpower for personal
computers initially costing about $2,000.
AMD To Offer New Processor As Intel Battle Heats Up
Computer-chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. plans to unveil Monday
a new microprocessor that it hopes will enable it to compete with rival
Intel Corp. in the more expensive sector of the personal computer
market.
AMD will introduce the next member of its K-6 processor family -- the
brain chips for PCs -- with the K6-3 chip, a product it hopes will
compete with Intel's soon-to-be released Pentium III, targeted at both
consumers and corporate users.
Already bruised from price wars with Intel, AMD is hoping to improve
its profits and market share by targeting the higher end of the PC
market with the K6-3, instead of the sub-$1,000 sector where its chips
have found a big niche.
Two weeks ago, AMD said that it would likely post an operating loss in
the first quarter, due to Intel's aggressive price-cutting in the
low-cost PC market.
``AMD is going to attempt to position the K6-3 against the Pentium III,
but it's going to be tough," said Hans Mosesman, an analyst with
Prudential Securities. ``They will probably end up getting positioned
against the Celeron." Celeron is Intel's family of chips targeted to
the low-cost PC market.
While AMD had a technological lead over Intel with the previous
iteration, the K6-2 processor and its 3DNow technology, Intel has
caught up to AMD's three dimensional graphics features with the
Pentium III and its new instruction set, previously code-named Katmai.
``PC makers have been willing to use AMD chips only in the low-cost
areas," said Linley Gwennap, editor of the Microprocessor Report. ``So,
with the K6-3, AMD is going to try to get out of competing against
Celeron and go against the more expensive chips ... If they can pull
this off, it would be a big financial success for them."
Typically, AMD, a long-time rival of Intel, offers its processors at a
25 percent discount to Intel. In the past year, it has gained market
share in the lower-end of the PC market, where PC makers are looking
for the lowest-cost parts to make some profits from systems that cost
$1,000 and less.
But AMD's reputation has been tarnished with PC makers, investors and
analysts because it has had production problems in the past as it
transitioned to new technologies or faster chip speeds. Monday, the K6-3
will be launched at speeds of 400 and 450 megahertz, analysts said, with
500 coming later.
An spokesman for AMD, which is based in Sunnyvale, Calif., confirmed
that its K6-3 will be launched Monday, but technical details were not
yet available.
Late Friday, AMD got a big boost from Gateway Inc., the personal
computer direct maketer in North Sioux City, S.D., which previously has
used only Intel chips. Gateway announced it would use AMD processors as
a secondary supply to Intel, although Intel processors will still
dominate its products.
``It is a big psychological shot in the arm for AMD," said Lou
Mazzucchelli, an analyst with Gerard Klauer Mattison & Co. "It's a vote
of confidence that AMD can deliver in volume."
Gateway officials did not return calls seeking comment about what kind
of PCs they planned to use AMD processors in, but analysts speculated
Gateway is hoping to offer even lower-cost PCs with the less costly AMD
components.
Gwennap of The Microprocessor Report said AMD will try to sell its K6-3
chips at its highest prices yet, and that PC makers may end up paying
$200 to $300 per processor. Currently, AMD's most expensive processor
goes for about $130, he said.
``I think it's going to take some time for this to really work because
they are changing their positioning and there is not a whole lot of
technology to help them make this change," Gwennap said. ``There is
an
image thing here where PC makers see AMD as supplying low-end chips and
it is going to take some time to change that image."
Ashok Kumar, a Piper Jaffray analyst, was not quite so optimistic.
``It's not realistic to compare (the K6-3) to the Pentium III," Kumar
said. ``They can try all they want but what I've heard from PC OEMs
(original equipment manufacturers) is that it's going to be against the
Celeron."
NEC To Cut 15,000 Jobs
NEC Corp., Japan's biggest computer maker, will cut 15,000 jobs, or
nearly 10 percent of its work force, over three years as it struggles
to recover from slumping sales and massive losses at its Packard Bell
unit in the United States.
About 6,000 of the job cuts are outside Japan; the company did not say
how many will hit its 7,000 U.S. workers.
The downsizing, disclosed on Friday, was the latest corporate fallout
from the spreading economic crisis in Asia. But NEC's woes also were
tied to problems endemic to its U.S. unit, which has been hammered by
price-cutting wars with U.S.-based makers of personal computers.
NEC is one of the world's biggest technology companies, with products
ranging from laptop computers to cellular phones to fiber optic
networks. It expects to lose up to $1.25 billion this year amid the
Asian slump, a prolonged recession in Japan and a rising yen, which
pushes up the price of Japanese products sold abroad.
To cope with the losses, NEC will slash executives' salaries by up to
20 percent, trim capital spending by a fifth, and cut its research and
development budget by 10 percent. NEC will also sell real estate to
pay off debt.
Much of the damage flows from red ink outside Japan. The Packard Bell
division, based in Sacramento, Calif., lost $500 million last year as
its share of U.S. PC sales dropped to 7.1 percent from 9.4 percent in
1997, according to the Dataquest research firm.
The drop was sparked by a rush of competitors to sell inexpensive PCs,
a category Packard Bell traditionally has dominated.
``When they were in the marketplace a few years ago they were the
leading brand in that market and there wasn't much competition,"
Dataquest analyst Charles Smulders said.
``Now, IBM, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard are all in that market."
As part of the restructuring, NEC will separate the profitable European
subsidiary of Packard Bell NEC from its loss-making U.S. division,
putting the European unit under direct control of the NEC parent
company.
In addition, NEC president Hisashi Kaneko will step down, though he
denied his resignation was an admission of responsibility for the poor
performance. Koji Nishigaki, currently a managing director, will take
over as president on March 26.
NEC's loss, which comes to 150 billion yen, is far more than its
previous forecast of a net loss of 35 billion yen, or $292 million.
NEC earned 40.51 billion yen last year.
NEC and its 130 subsidiaries employ 155,000 people worldwide.
The company said Packard Bell NEC is expected to post an $80 million
loss before taxes this fiscal year, but predicted the division will
earn a profit in 2000.
In other Asian fallout on Friday, Toshiba Corp. said a rising yen and a
slump in sales hurt earnings.
Toshiba said it expects a net loss of 20 billion yen, or $167 million,
this year for its parent company, compared to an earlier estimate of a
profit of 12 billion yen, or $100 million.
The loss would be the first in 48 years for the parent company, which
doesn't include Toshiba's subsidiaries.
Medical Records Posted on Web
Several thousand patient records at the University of Michigan Medical
Center inadvertently lingered on public Internet sites for two months.
``Luckily, we were notified and able to stop it this time before real
damage was done," spokesman Dave Wilkins said. ``Still, on all fronts,
we're taking it very seriously."
The problem was discovered Monday when a university student searching
for information about a doctor on the medical center's Web site was
linked to files containing private patient records.
The records contained names, addresses, phone numbers, Social Security
numbers, employment status, treatments for specific medical conditions
and other data. The information was used to schedule appointments,
Wilkins said.
No one accessed the records until Monday, he said.
``I'm certainly not happy about it," said Cary Johnson, a nurse at
the medical center whose 2-year-old son's record was exposed. ``I
guess technology is helping us to do some things and hurting us in
other ways."
U.S. Unveils Ergonomics Plan To Combat Job Injuries
The U.S. workplace safety agency Friday unveiled America's first
proposed standards for ergonomics -- the way workers physically fit
their jobs -- and drew instant opposition from business groups.
The draft ergonomics standards address such modern work-related ills
as the repetitive strain injury common among computer operators and
cashiers, and other repeated-motion injuries suffered by meat-cutters
and factory workers.
Such ailments cause more than 600,000 lost workdays each year in the
United States, accounting for about one-third of the days U.S. workers
call in sick, according to the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA).
``Behind the numbers ... are real people, real pain, real problems, in
some cases crippling disabilities," OSHA chief Charles Jeffress told
a news conference. ``They can't brush their hair, they can't hold a
cup, they can't change their baby's diaper."
Manufacturing jobs and jobs where employees handle materials -- ranging
from nursing home workers who routinely lift patients to industrial
workers in some factories -- are the main targets of the draft
standards, Jeffress said.
But other workers, including those who work at computers or use other
keyboards, would have to complain of an ergonomic-related injury before
the federal standards would come into play.
Agricultural, maritime and construction workers would not be covered.
Solutions to ergonomic problems on the job need not be elaborate --
Jeffress gave the example of a short factory worker standing on a box
on a production line to alleviate shoulder pain from repeatedly
reaching up -- but they can be initially expensive.
``There will be significant cost involved for employers," Jeffress
said, but added, ``They'll pay much less than what they're currently
paying for workers' compensation and the cost of injuries and
illnesses."
Over the long run, though, Jeffress said employers would reap benefits
similar to programs for health and safety in the workplace, which he
said return four dollars for every dollar invested.
But the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which represents more than three
million American businesses, said the rules as drafted would be a
crushing burden to employers.
``This hopelessly vague draft is a blank check to OSHA inspectors,"
the chamber's Peter Eide said in a statement. ``It would require all
American businesses to become full-time experts in ergonomics, a field
for which there is little if any credible evidence."
David Farmer, of the Alliance of American Insurers, which underwrites
many workers compensation policies, said the draft rules lacked
scientific foundation.
``This proposed rule, we think, is based on inadequate research and is
premature," Farmer said by telephone. ``The whole issue of injuries,
particularly musculoskeletal injury, needs a lot further research
before you implement such sweeping changes ... that can add significant
cost to the employer."
John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO labor group, gave strong support
to the draft ergonomics standards, but in a statement voiced concern
that many workplaces would be covered only after an employee was
injured.
On Capitol Hill, Rep. Cass Ballender, a North Carolina Republican who
chairs a House panel on workplace protection, called the draft plan
``ill-conceived" and said House Republicans would ``vigorously fight
proposed federal ergonomics regulations until there is sound research
in this area."
Congressional Republicans have repeatedly prevented OSHA from putting
together rules on this subject.
The standards, if adopted in their current form, would cover some two
million American workplaces out of the total six million. However,
substantial revisions are expected before the rules are in place, which
could happen by late 2000, Jeffress said.
Update: Linux May Be Threat to Microsoft
Linux may sound more like a "Peanuts" cartoon character than a serious
operating system for business computers. But fast-growing demand for
the free software may signal an important new threat to Microsoft.
In the latest sign of acceptance, IBM announced plans Thursday to start
selling powerful business computers that come pre-loaded with Linux, a
version of the Unix operating system that is used by companies for
tasks such as running networks of smaller computers. The move was
viewed a major endorsement of the fledgling software and comes after
similar moves by Compaq Computer Corp., Dell Computer Corp.,
Hewlett-Packard Co. and Silicon Graphics Inc.
MacWorld Won't Return to Boston
The popular MacWorld computer trade show won't be returning to Boston,
costing the city millions of dollars in lost tourism revenue,
organizers said Tuesday.
A fixture in Boston for nearly 15 years, the trade show relocated to
New York last summer after outgrowing Boston's hotel and convention
space. After the New York convention, organizers said they would return
to Boston in 1999. But organizers have since decided on July 21-23 at
New York's Jacob Javits Center to keep the show under one roof, which
isn't possible in Boston.
=~=~=~=
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