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RAndY's RumOR RaG
December 1994
NEWS IN YER FACE
A new medical software package is called Voice-Actuated
Medical Practice Image Retrieving Environment - or VAMPIRE for
short.
---------------
IBM calls their SP2 "the world's most powerful general-
purpose computer." The unit has 512 high-performance processors
producing up to 136 billion calculations per second.
---------------
Jones Interactive has a new CD coming out soon called
"Charlton Heston's Voyage Through The Bible." At last, the voice
of Moses comes to computing.
---------------
Hackers recently broke into a computer at Florida State
University and posted copies of IBM's Warp and a test version of
Windows 95 on the Internet.
---------------
IBM and Hughes Network Systems have concocted a new way to
provide software fixes and program upgrades via satellite to
corporations and retail outlets.
The system uses a pizza-sized satellite dish mounted outside
the customer's location via DirecPC, a new service from Hughes.
The dish, card, and software necessary to use the service will
cost $1,495. IBM will begin testing with several large corporate
customers starting in December.
---------------
Microsoft was not content with their recent acquisition of
Intuit. Next on the list is NextBase Ltd., a British company
that produces mapping and route-planning software. Gee, now what
could they have in mind for this?
---------------
Corel has had discussions recently with IBM concerning
producing a suite for Warp. This would be similar to their
planned CD-ROM only suite for Windows 95.
---------------
ASF Associates (1-800-771-3600) is marketing the NCL480
which is clip-on light for notebook computers. It comes with
four nicad batteries, three Ektron bulbs, an adapter/recharger,
and a carrying case - all for just $40.
---------------
Are you one of those whiners who's paranoid about
electromagnetic fields? For just #39.95, you can get the Dr.
Gauss EMF meter from Safe Concepts (1-800-646-7233). This device
measures EMF levels and displays them with an analog gauge. It
also indicates safe distances to keep yourself from appliances.
---------------
The sequel to Myst, called Myst II, is in the process of
being created using a $500,000 Silicon Graphics computer - the
same type of computer used to create the dinosaurs of Jurassic
Park.
---------------
Hewlett-Packard is expected to unveil a LaserJet that will
allow wireless printing via an infrared link.
---------------
Novell is rumored to be dumping plans for a separate
multiprocessing version of NetWare, and instead is planning to
"multiprocessing enable" all version of NetWare 4.1.
---------------
Also, MapInfo's mapping technology will be incorporated into
future versions of Microsoft Office and Excel.
---------------
WINDOWS 95 UPDATE
In January, Microsoft will ship 400,000 preview copies of
Windows 95 to users and businesses that want to familiarize
themselves with the product. You'll pay about$30 per copy. But
don't think you can buy the beta and avoid buying the real thing
when it becomes available. The CD will stop working at some
specific date (which the company hadn't determined yet). Users
interested in the final product will have to buy it like anyone
else.
Marvel, the on-line service soon to be started up by
Microsoft, will include hooks into telephone services including
voice connectivity, fax, on-line databases, ISDN, and remote
network access. One beta tester says "You forget you're using an
online service. It's like being inside a Windows application."
The content of the Microsoft Network is sparse at this point, but
Mr. Gates himself said, "We won't measure ourselves by the amount
of content; we want to focus on doing unique things." Competing
online services are concerned about the product's tight
integration with Windows 95.
Charges will be based on content interaction rather than
connect time, which Microsoft claims will result in lower
charges. (Uh-huh) They plan to use the Microsoft Network to
register software customers, take orders for products, and
provide software forums and technical support. Eventually,
they'll distribute software over the network as more bandwidth
becomes available.
AutoPlay is a technology which will allow third-party CD-
ROMs to play automatically with Windows 95.
Microsoft continues to claim that Windows 95 will ship in
April, but industry insiders predict it will be more like
November or December. Microsoft's Mike Maples insists that
they'll ship "early in the first half of the year." He hedges
his bets by saying "But there's a significant cost to making a
false start, so we want to be sure that everything is solid."
Royalties paid by vendors to bundle Windows 95 look like
they're at least 20% higher than they currently pay to bundle
Windows 3.1. Microsoft claims that Windows 95 has more value
than Windows 3.1.
Several printer manufacturers have announced that they
intend to develop printers that will be optimized for Windows 95.
Among them are Canon, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, Lexmark, NEC,
Olivetti, and Texas Instruments.
Did you know that Microsoft is planning to continue selling
Windows 3.1 after Windows 95 ships? PC manufacturers will have
the option of installing both versions of Windows. Meanwhile,
they're saying that things like Stacker and DoubleSpace will
continue to work with the new Windows.
---------------
P6 NEWS
The first prototypes of Intel's P6 processor have been
produced. Their main feature is called Dynamic Execution , a
combination of three technologies - speculative execution,
multiple-branch execution, and data-flow analysis - which were
previously thought or be incompatible. Dynamic Exchange will let
the P6 execute three instructions per clock cycle. (AMD's K5 can
execute 4 instructions per cycle.) "You can do a lot with 6
million transistors," said John Hyde, head of Intel's P6
marketing group.
Speculative execution lets the processor look ahead for up
to 20 new instructions during a cache miss, then uses the
multiple-branch-execution technology to process them and prepare
data until the single instruction from the cache miss for which
it had been waiting comes through. Said Hyde, "While it waits
for the cache miss to be satisfied, the P6 basically goes out and
looks to pre-execute new instructions."
Hyde expects that the P6 will run the same software as the
486 and Pentium at twice the speed of the Pentium.
Intel says that the chip is targeted at the high-end desktop
and server market. Now isn't that what they've told us every
time they've prepared to obsolete a processor?
---------------
COREL VENTURA
I learned desktop publishing using the old GEM version of
Ventura Publisher. I remember learning about frames and tags and
all that kind of stuff. But when they went to Windows, it's like
they didn't quite get it.
Of course you know that Corel bought the Ventura program and
has finally finished reworking it to include in their popular
CorelDraw package. If you returned your coupon included in the
Corel 5 package, you should have gotten a bunch of disks or 2 CDs
which contain not only the new Ventura, but also bug fixes and
updates for the rest of the CorelDraw package.
The look of Ventura has once again changed to look more like
today's Windows applications, especially to conform in appearance
to the rest of the Corel family. Finally, Ventura has a much
more logical menu structure.
This new Ventura imported some of my old Version 3-era files
just fine. It looks like they've finally done away with the need
to convert graphics to IMG or GEM formats. That always drove me
nuts. Unfortunately, you're stuck with some of CorelDraw's
annoying habits - like remembering the last subdirectory you were
in, etc. This is a nice feature, unless you've zapped what you
were working on before and the program starts looking for
something that's not there. Oh well...
You are advised to have at least 8 megs of memory, but they
recommend 16 megs. This thing is a system hog! But it appears
to be stable and, once loaded, runs quite nicely in my measly 8
megs.
I switched to PageMaker a couple of years ago, so it's tough
for me to get back into the Ventura way of doing things. All I
can say is that they've done a good job of fixing the code and if
you're used to the Ventura way of desktop publishing, this update
will definitely make your day.
---------------
MORE NEWS IN YER FACE
Media Vision sold their software division to Virgin
Interactive for $1.8 million in cash and some bundling rights for
titles. Media Vision closed their Westlake office.
---------------
Cyberia is a new coffeehouse in London which is being billed
as Europe's first "Internet cafe." The cafe has espresso, Danis,
and a tour of the World Wide Web with a number of computers
available for customers' use. Cyberia owner Ewa Pascoe says, "We
don't get many anoraks." (That's British for "nerds.")
---------------
Stac Electronics, pockets bulging with $40 million from
their Microsoft settlement, says they'll be producing a Windows
95 version of Stacker. The company recently bought out a company
which produced a remote control and file transfer product which
will ease their transition to produce client-server products.
They're also working on NT products.
---------------
Trial Release 3 of Microsoft Exchange (their answer to
Notes) will ship late this year and will lack the ability to
replicate data to remote personal computers.
---------------
People tell me that Warp is flying off the shelves. Local
Egghead stores get a few in each day and they're gone almost as
soon as they're put out. CompUSA and some Egghead stores
nationally are reporting being sold out of initial shipments.
---------------
By the end of the year, Microsoft will release to users, at
no charge, Internet Assistant for Word. It will automatically
generate HTML code for Word documents.
---------------
Microsoft is trying to reduce the "delta" that often exists
between platform releases. This is the amount of time between
releasing PC and Mac versions of products. Their goal is to
reduce the time lag to about 60 days. Lag times of up to six
months are quite common.
---------------
I hear that Bill Gates was lured into an OS/2 booth and
given a "Get Warped" T-shirt.
---------------
IBM will discontinue selling NetWare in their blue box at
the end of the year, preferring instead to sell their own LAN
Server. IBM sales only accounted for 5% of NetWare sales.
---------------
Modem king Hayes has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
protection. Dennis Hayes, company president, said that they were
stuck with too much inventory because of a demand for their
modems earlier this year and that it severely hurt cash flow.
"Our warehouse had more than enough raw material. Unfortunately,
the inventory did not come down fast enough," said Hayes.
Competitor U.S. Robotics looks at this as beneficial to their
company, which is in the process of acquiring Megahertz Corp..
---------------
Prah-duh-gee is planning new software called 3.1 for release
in the first quarter of 1995. It will allow users to access the
Internet World Wide Web.
---------------
IBM is planning to preload both Windows and OS/2 Warp on new
PCs so that customers have a choice.
---------------
Someone has found a bug that affects the way the Pentium
BIOS interacts with the Premiere II motherboard. Intel has
adopted a hands-off policy, instead opting to revise the BIOS -
for the eleventh time since it was released this summer. When
asked why the fix instead of a recall, Intel said, "Intel won't
get involved with the end user."
---------------
Microsoft has apparently been taking lessons from Intel and
is now bashing Windows 3.1. At a recent Microsoft-HP seminar for
IS professionals, Microsoft showed a video where users expressed
their frustrations over some of Windows' shortcomings. The was
another hype for Windows 95.
---------------
MICROSOFT UTOPIA
Here's one you probably haven't heard about. Microsoft has
been approaching system vendors for several months now in an
attempt to get them to preload a cartoon-like interface for
switching between applications - called Utopia. They're going to
debut the software at Winter CES with an expected street price of
$79-$99.
Sources say that it requires at least 8 megs of memory and
operates too slow to be of any practical value.
Included in the package are Financial Guide, a calendar,
Letter Writer, Checkbook (which lets you pay bills up to 2 months
in advance for a monthly service fee), Household Manager, an
address book, Gardening Guide, and a quiz game called GeoSafari.
Utopia also works with Money and is integrated with
QuickBooks.
The metaphor is that your hard drive is a house, and the
software lets you enter different rooms to retrieve different
applications and use different functions. You might go into the
living room and see a desk upon which a checkbook rests. Users
choose from eight different "guides"; Blythe, a bee; Chaos, a
cat; Hopper, a rabbitt; Java, a dinosaur; Lexi Lexicon, a
dictionary; Orby, the Earth; Ruby, a parrot; and Scuzzy, a rat.
Spies tell me that Utopia is the brainchild of Bill Gates'
new wife Melinda French. My question is this: Are they growing
their own now up in Redmond? Who needs or wants this crap?
---------------
ALL THAT TAZZ
Short for Tasmanian Devil, Tazz is a stand-alone Microsoft
application for Windows 95 which will work with multimedia modems
capable of handling voice and data over a single line. Due out
at the same time as Windows 95 is released, the anticipated
street price will be in the area of $100.
According to Mike Maples, "Tazz is a series of things, and
some of it's for the [operating system] and some will be products
. . . It encompasses telephone functions, voice recognition,
system controls, a whole series of various things." The
application could conceivably be used for things like a
customized voice mailbox.
A number of modem vendors are working on this modem market.
Among them are Intel, Hayes, U.S. Robotics, Rockwell
International, and Creative Labs.
---------------
P6 ALLOCATIONS?
Could you believe that Intel is planning to allocate their
upcoming P6 processor based on hardware vendors' advanced R&D use
of the chip and their willingness to provide feedback to Intel?
Intel's not talking but Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, and AST are
rumored to be among the participants. The payback is that these
manufacturers will get priority allocations when the chip ships
next year.
Those not included in the Definition Partners program will
get their chips based on as-yet-undetermined factors.
Meanwhile, marketing manger of Intel's Pentium division
Frank Spindler said that the company would fall "a few weeks
short" of their goal of selling 6 million Pentiums by December
31. But they were quick to point out that the rate was four
times the rate at which the 486 was adopted.
---------------
EVEN MORE NEWS IN YER FACE
In January, Microsoft will release an object-oriented
version of FoxPro called Visual FoxPro. It is rumored to be a
first step in merging FoxPro and Access. Microsoft has said that
there will be one more version of the DOS-based FoxPro.
---------------
Logitech has introduced two new digital cameras. The
VideoMan sits next to your monitor and is intended as part of a
videoconferencing solution. It includes a built-in microphone
and an adjustable arm to focus the camera on the computer
operator or whatever else you want to shoot across the wire.
The FotoMan Pixtura is a 24-bit camera that includes a
special software developer's kit. The camera's non-volatile
memory can store up to 48 images.
---------------
Wanna make your own CDs? Corel CD Creator is software for
popular recorders which will let you create data and audio discs
as well as mixed mode discs. This application supports OLE 2.0
and supports both single and multisession discs. Don't know what
the price is, but if you can afford the recorder what difference
does it make?
---------------
AMD and Cyrix concede that it will be third or fourth
quarter before their Pentium-compatible chips will hit the
market.
---------------
Even though Media Vision has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
protection, they showed off a new sound card at Comdex (behind
closed doors) which uses WaveGuide technology that is designed to
outperform and undercut wavetable-based products.
---------------
The death of the 5.25-inch floppy disk is rapidly
approaching. Many stores don't carry software in that format or
devote little space to it. It is estimated that 5.25-inch
products will be available for at least another five years, but
manufacturers such as Maxell report that they represent less than
15% of disk sales.
---------------
LAST MINUTE
As I get ready to wrap things up for this issue, the mailman
brought me a CD from some outfit called The Merchant. On the CD
are presentations by about 20 different companies trying to sell
me something. Vendors range from JC Penny to Target to LL Bean
to The National Wildlife Foundation. Each presentation is very
well done and all of the photographs and video were excellent.
I'm not buying anything from any of these guys, but they
sure did a nice job of putting things together.
---------------
NEXT MONTH
I hope to take a look at the release package of Warp and
give a somewhat detailed review. I certainly liked the Beta II
release. Still waiting for one of those funky Microsoft
keyboards. Maybe I'll see one under my Christmas tree. Of
course there'll be more news about the continuing hype of Windows
95.
=================================
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RAndY's RumOR RaG is published on a monthly basis by RANDALL
AINSWORTH PHOTOGRAPHY and is available on various local BBS's,
GEnie, and in Modem News.
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VLB video card, Pro Audio Spectrum 16 running a Hitachi 3750 CD
ROM drive, Sceptre SVGA display, Microsoft mouse, Word for
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