Alime.228 net.lan utzoo!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!lime!martin Fri Apr 23 09:19:49 1982 Title: IBM offers local area network/WSJ From: lime!vax135!floyd!harpo!eagle!mhuxt!mhuxa!mhuxh!rdlib "IBM is challenging the likes of Arcnet, Ethernet, WangNet in the electronic office business. These are local area networks, communications links that let computer-based equipment in the office or factory share information, data-storage space and special devices like electronic printers. ... Now, IBM has tipped its hand on plans for a network system (baseband) significantly different from most of its rivals. ... IBM favors wiring machines together to form an electronic circle while other networks use a backbone wire to which equipment is attached like branches on a tree trunk. Also, IBM's network would transfer data to the connecting wire by a method called 'token-passing.' Other systems, both baseband and broadband, use a transfer method called CSMA/CD, for carrier sense multiple access/collision detection. ... IBM also thinks its system is better suited for wiring with fiber- optic cable. Many expect fiber optics will be the base of future local area network systems, instead of today's telephone-type or coaxial cable." Wall Street Journal, 3/26/82, p29 ----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/ This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided: 1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles. 2. The following notice remains appended to each copy: The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.